Three army deserters -- Sutton (Joe Maross, Tyler (Grant Williams), and Mertz (James Parnell) -- take refuge on the Ponderosa, beating Little Joe senseless. Outraged, the Cartwrights join a military posse under the command of relentless Captain Bolton (Chris Alcaide). The supporting cast includes Gloria Talbott as Nedda, Dayton Lummis as Colonel Metcalfe, and Sherwood Price as the Corporal. "Escape to the Ponderosa" was written by Robert E. Thompson and Bill Barrett and was first telecast on March 5, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi