Bonanza Creator David Dortort Dies at 93
The prolific writer-producer earned three Primetime Emmy nominations.
David Dortort, creator of the classic western television series, Bonanza, died September 5, 2010, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 93. According to news reports, he died in his sleep.
Bonanza aired on NBC 1959-1973 and was the most-watched show on television during the years 1964-1967.
Bonanza was canceled in 1973, a year after Dan Blocker, who played Eric "Hoss" Cartwright on the show, died unexpectedly after complications from gall bladder surgery. Dortort went on to produce several Bonanza-related projects spinoffs including Bonanza: The Next Generation, a prequel for Pax TV.
In addition, Dortort created another western, The High Chaparral, which aired on NBC from 1967-71, and he was executive producer of the 1979 miniseries The Chisholms. He also wrote episodes for such series as Lassie, The Restless Gun, Climax and Waterfront.
Dortort received three Primetime Emmy nominations — in 1955, as a writer for Climax; in 1956, as a writer for the 20th Century Fox Hour production of The Ox-Bow Incident; and in 1966, as a producer for Bonanza.
Dortort also served as president of the Producers Guild of America and was president of the Television-Radio branch of the Writers Guild of America.
He is survived by a daughter, a son, a brother and a granddaughter.
Instead of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Writers Guild Foundation and the Venice Family Clinic.
On August 8, 2002, Dortort had the distinction of being interviewed by the Television Academy Foundation’s Archive of American Television. During the interview, conducted in Los Angeles by Henry Colman, Dortort spoke about his television writing career which began in the 1950s and culminated with his long association as writer and executive producer of the western series Bonanza and The High Chaparral.
The entire three-hour interview is available here.