All three Cartwright men-Ben, Hoss and Joe-are arrested for trespassing along with their ranch hand Candy. The men are summarily sentenced to a brutal prison camp run by a despot known as The Judge (Alfred Ryder), who specializes in acquiring slave labor to work his gold mine, then in killing his mostly innocent workers when they've outlived their usefulness. Joe manages to escape, but will he be able to save the others? Richard Mulligan also appears as Farley. Written by series star Michael Landon and originally filmed in 1968, the ultra-violent "Kingdom of Fear" was shelved due to the rash of high-profile assassinations in the spring of that year. The episode finally saw the light of day on April 4, 1971, by which time David Canary (Candy) had left the series; accordingly, Canary was given "special guest star" status in the opening credits.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
