Michael Landon's Most Iconic Roles, Ranked By Reviews

Born on October 31, 1936, in New York as Eugene Maurice Orowitz, Michael Landon was a TV star best known for his roles as Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright in "Bonanza" and Charles Ingalls in the classic TV show "Little House on the Prairie." Landon is remembered today not only as an actor but also as a writer and director on several projects, including "Little House on the Prairie" and its various TV movies. In 1991, Landon died at the age of 54 from complications related to pancreatic cancer. As his daughter, Leslie Landon Matthews, told Fox News, "The one thing that I know was part of my dad's personality was his stubbornness. And I don't think staying on top of his health was a priority." Leslie is one of nine children, who all stayed grounded after Landon's death even after inheriting his massive wealth.

Across his decades-long career, Landon also appeared in projects such as the low-budget horror film "I Was a Teenage Werewolf," his semi-autobiographical films "The Loneliest Runner" and "Sam's Son," as well as the long-running series "Highway To Heaven." After nabbing guest roles in several TV shows in the mid-to-late 1950s, Landon's career took off, and he eventually became the TV legend he is today. Of course, not every performance was popular at the time, so we've gathered some of Landon's most iconic roles, ranked in descending order by each project's average IMDb reviewer score.

Between 1958 and 1959, Michael Landon played a guest role in a few episodes of the CBS anthology TV show "Playhouse 90," the first-ever weekly 90-minute long drama. One of Landon's guest roles was in the episode "Dark December," which sees a WWII army doctor struggle to turn an old Franciscan monastery into a field hospital. Another of Landon's episodes was titled "Project Immortality," in which he plays a young man who runs away to Boston as he is unable to deal with the impending death of his father, Professor Doner. Landon was no doubt inspired by his own experiences as a father, at least according to what we know about Michael Landon's kids.

Overall, "Playhouse 90" is rated 8.3/10 stars on IMDb. "A ridiculous premise ... but very well executed," one reviewer wrote of the "Project Immortality" episode. "The plot to 'Project Immortality' is ridiculously farfetched ... even by current standards. It seems that Professor Doner is dying of cancer and has about six months to live. While the plot itself is extremely silly, the interactions between the Professor and his family are extremely well acted and well written."

Back in the late 1950s, a TV show titled "The Rifleman" was a huge hit on TV screens across the U.S. Starring Chuck Connors as the widowed Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, the series ran for 168 episodes and was ranked the fourth most popular on TV during its first season. Enter a young Michael Landon, who took on the roles of Will Fulton in the 1958 episode "End of a Young Gun" and Billy Mathis in the 1959  episode "The Mind Reader." Landon as Mathis is arrested for dating the daughter of John Hallagher, whom he has been warned to stay away from.

"The Rifleman" earned 8.3/10 stars on IMDb, and one reviewer even gave a personal ranking of 10/10. "Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford host the best whodunit in TV history, and Michael Landon and John Carradine round out the best cast," they wrote. Another reviewer added, "This episode has one of the better cast in the entire series," giving the episode a 9/10 rating.

While "Little House on the Prairie" was — and remains — a hugely loved TV show, there are some tragic details about the "Little House on the Prairie" cast that have come to light over the years. The show itself sometimes reflected the real life tragedy of the cast, such as in the TV movie "Little House Years" from 1979. A Thanksgiving clip show, "Little House Years" sees Laura Ingalls reminisce about her and her family's journeys through the years, including hardships such as the death of the family's grandma and their beloved horse, Bunny.

"Little House Years" boasts 8.2/10 stars on IMDb, with one reviewer labelling the movie as a "long lost forgotten gem." They added, "This TV movie is not saying much if you have seen the earlier seasons, but it's a must-have for the fans." In contrast, another reviewer said, "I'm really surprised all the reviewers on here rated this so favorably. No matter how much I like a series, I'm not enthusiastic about watching a bunch of recaps of other episodes." Despite the generous rating, it seems some viewers were not impressed by the two-hour Thanksgiving special.

Before his first breakthrough role, Michael Landon appeared in episodes of various TV shows, often playing different characters across several episodes. One of these TV shows was "Tombstone Territory," a Western series set in the 1880s that starred Pat Conway, Richard Eastham, and Quentin Sondergaard. The show ran for three seasons between 1957 and 1960.

Landon nabbed the role of Chris Anderson in a 1959 episode of "Tombstone Territory," and he also starred as Barton Clark Jr. in the 1958 episode "Rose of the Rio Bravo," for which he was particularly praised. The series has an average rating of 8.0/10 stars on IMDb. In "Rose of the Rio Bravo," Landon's character heads to the town of Tombstone to take a job as a jailer, only to fall in love with a cattle rustler and later aid in her escape. While the show was praised in general, one reviewer didn't feel the show earned its rating. "This show is so bad it's actually hilarious," they wrote. "Horribly dated. Garbage!"

Running from 1957 to 1962, "Tales of Wells Fargo" was a popular Western series that aired for six seasons and starred Dale Robertson as special agent Jim Hardie. Also known as the "Left-Handed Gun," Robertson's Hardie was a travelling detective moving from town to town to protect freight wagons from bandits, kidnappers, gunrunners, and more.

Michael Landon featured in two episodes of "Tales of Wells Fargo," playing the characters Tad Cameron and Jackson in the show's early seasons. He originally played Tad in Season 1, Episode 6 and returned to the role for Season 2, Episode 11. In between, he played Jackson in Season 1, Episode 10. Reviewers rated "Tales of Wells Fargo" 7.9/10 stars on IMDb. "The first five seasons are great ... Things go south in Season 6 when the show expands to 60 minutes and color," one reviewer wrote. "Not sure why the changes, but the series became silly and pointless."

While he is considered an icon in his own right, Michael Landon worked with many other legendary actors during his time on screen. One of these legends was the one and only John Cassavetes, who is considered by many to be the father of American independent cinema, as well as one of few actors who was nominated for the Oscars not only for the acting categories but the directing and writing categories as well. Cassavetes and Landon crossed paths in the TV show "Johnny Staccato," which saw Cassavetes in the titular role of Staccato, a man who doubles as a jazz pianist and a private detective.

Landon took on the role of "Freddie Tate" in the very first episode of the show, which has an IMDb user review score of 7.9/10 stars across 27 episodes. "Jazz and crime drama at its early best," as one rater described it, adding, "'Johnny Staccato' was easily one of my favorite TV shows of the late '50s, early '60s. It had a dark-haired, bedroom-eyed, brooding hero and it had jazz — really GOOD jazz."

There was no shortage of Western TV shows in the 1950s and 1960s, and one such show was "Trackdown" starring Robert Gulp and Norman Leavitt. "Trackdown" features the tales of Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman, who travels across the Old West tracking down assorted killers, bank robbers, horse thieves, and a general cavalcade of ne'er-do-wells across 71 episodes.Michael Landon guest-starred in Season 1, Episode 5 as Jed Daws and Season 2, Episode 13 as Jack Summers. 

One reviewer loved the latter role so much that they gave it a personal score of 10/10 stars on IMDb. "Michael Landon. Need I say more? Michael Landon plays a great 'tough guy wanta be,'" the reviewer wrote. "In this episode, he plays Jack Summers, a 23-year-old kid who has just been released from prison. Summers is in Porter for one thing only: vengeance on his brother's death. He aims to kill the man who killed his brother, believing his brother was wild but not crooked." In contrast to the exciting episode rating and rave review, the show itself has an overall score of 7.8/10 stars.

After running for nine seasons between 1974 to 1983, the beloved "Little House on the Prairie" ended with a 100-minute long finale titled "Little House: The Last Farewell." Although he bonded with many of his co-stars on the show, Michael Landon was known to be particularly close with actor and director Victor French, who starred on "Little House" from 1974 to 1977. (French and Landon's relationship goes way back, by the way.)

"The Last Farewell" sees Charles Ingalls (Landon) and his wife Caroline Ingalls (Karen Grassle) visit their hometown of Walnut Grove, only to learn that a local real estate tycoon has acquired the entire town — culminating in Walnut Grove itself being blown up. The TV movie received a respectable 7.8/10 stars on IMDb, though one dedicated fan gave the finale the full 10/10 stars, commenting: "If you're a 'Little House' fan, then this final episode is a must. Even for those who are not fans, this one was a real tear-jerker, as most 'Little House' episodes were ... I highly recommend this final [film] of 'Little House.'"

There are definitely some "Little House on the Prairie" movies that viewers probably forgot existed, which is to be expected given that the series ran for so long. One of these movies is "Little House: Look Back to Yesterday," a 91-minute made-for-TV special that sadly sees the end of Albert Quin Ingalls, played by Matthew Labyorteux, as he becomes fatally ill. In his final "Little House" appearance, Albert decides to spend the rest of his life in Walnut Grove, and viewers never saw him again.

With an average rating of 7.6/10 stars on IMDb, "Look Back To Yesterday" is a rough watch for some fans, with many commenting that the experience was quite emotional for them. "Bamboo under fingernails [is] less painful!" one reviewer wrote. "I love this movie. Every time I see it, I choke up ... Tissue paper stock must have gone through the ceiling when this special first aired!"

It says a lot about how beloved a TV show is among viewers when it receives a reboot decades later, as is the case with the 1974 series "Little House on the Prairie," which returned to the screen in an all-new form in 2026. Looking at the current "Little House on the Prairie" cast next to pictures of the original '70s stars can be a bit of a trip, but it shows that show has really kept its status as a timeless television classic.

The original "Little House on the Prairie" received an average score of 7.6/10 stars on IMDb, with several reviewers praising the series for being wholesome and comforting. "Wonderful family show," one IMDb user commented. "I've read all of the negative comments and still can't see why anyone wouldn't love this show." Another user called it the "best family show of all time," adding, "It was so nice to see such a close family and nice to see an example of a dedicated father ... I continue to hold it up as an example of what a family could be if we all served each other instead of serving our own self."

Back in the late-1950s, Michael Landon appeared as Tom Dooley in the Western film "The Legend of Tom Dooley." After producer David Dortort saw Landon as Tom, he offered the actor the role of Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright in the cult classic Western show "Bonanza." Landon played Little Joe from 1959 until 1973, during which time Bonanza became a smash hit — especially once the show got moved to its Sunday night slot in 1961.

Loved by many, "Bonanza" features a very solid score of 7.3/10 stars on IMDb. "I miss this kind of show today," one reviewer wrote. "It was wholesome (and frequently educational) family entertainment. As someone else remarked, each episode would really be considered a movie in its own right — rich scripts and characters." Another user praised "Bonanza" as a "quality production. "If few of its episodes risk to great dramatic heights, many are far-above-average filmmaking efforts, even by feature film standards ... The production featured clean, straightforward cinematography." The review also praised Landon in his role: "Attractive Michael Landon played 'Little Joe,' fast with a gun and learning to be a man." 

Not content to flex his creativity within one medium, Michael Landon worked as a writer and producer several times throughout his career. One of his efforts was "The Loneliest Runner," a TV movie which Landon wrote, directed, and acted in. The movie tells the story of teenager John Curtis (played by Lance Kerwin), who has an embarrassing bed-wetting problem. His strict mother displays Curtis' stained sheets from his bedroom window, so Curtis develops a habit of racing home to keep his friends from seeing the sheets — leading him to realize his athletic talents before ultimately becoming an Olympic athlete.

Landon plays a grown-up Curtis in "The Loneliest Runner," which was released in 1976 and has a respectable IMDb reviewer score of 7.2/10 stars. "This film was very personal for me," one reviewer wrote. "When I saw this film I was both horrified and encouraged ... It took many years before I was able to build up a decent level of self-esteem, and this film helped me along the way."

Another work created by Michael Landon is "Highway To Heaven," which ran from 1984 to 1989. A supernatural fantasy show, "Highway To Heaven" stars Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel on probation who is sent back to Earth to help people while teaming with with a cop. The show was nominated for seven Primetime Emmys and also reunited Landon with his friend and frequent collaborator, Victor French, with whom he starred in "Little House on the Prairie."

With an average reviewer score of 6.9/10 stars on IMDb, "Highway To Heaven" has, according to viewers, a nostalgic appeal that won't alienate non-religious viewers throughout its five-season run. One reviewer called it a "fulfilling show for all," adding, "It's not at all an offensive religious theme, it's basic human kindness and respect, being good deep down, that's the goal, and Landon helps troubled souls in his various 'jobs' for God."

While some of Michael Landon's projects were more supernatural or historical in nature, the 1984 film "Sam's Son" was a lot more grounded, being a loosely-based autobiography of Landon's teenage years. Landon's character, Gene Orman, struggles with his identity before becoming a member of his high school's track team. Landon both wrote and directed the movie, while playing the grown-up version of the main character — much like in "The Loneliest Runner."

At 6.4/10 stars on IMDb, "Sam's Son" received a somewhat lower rating score, though reviewers were still generous with their comments. One reviewer called it a "good biopic of Landon's early life." They said, "Back then, [Landon] was only known as Eugene Orowitz as he struggled with his identity, but eventually finds stardom, romance, and standing up to school bullies." Another IMDb user wrote, "I really loved this film, because it is so easy to relate to."

One of the roles that really caused Michael Landon's career to take off initially was the 1957 horror movie "I Was a Teenage Werewolf." Clocking in at a rapid 76 minutes, "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" sees Landon star as the titular teenage werewolf, Tony Rivers, whom a hypnotherapist uses as a guinea pig for a mysterious serum. Rather than solve any of his problems, the serum then turns poor Rivers into a vicious werewolf.

While "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" was one of the projects helped Landon's career in his early days, it's definitely one of his less well-reviewed roles with its 5.2/10 rating score on IMDb. One viewer even gave it a personal score of 2/10 stars, writing, "'I Was A Teenage Werewolf' (1957) was one of the many budget films that were cranked out during the '50s. The only note-worthy item of interest to come from this film (besides the ruthless parody of the movie on S.C.T.V.) was an early starring role for TV maven Michael Landon." However, another reviewer dubbed it "surprisingly successful," writing, "Even the makers of this picture must have been surprised at the success of this horror camp film."

Michael Landon's acting career spanned over three decades, so it's safe to say that this collection of movies is not an exhaustive list by any means. That said, this list comprises some of Landon's most popular projects, which we then compared against the average star rating from IMDb. After sorting each option based on the average score, we combed through the community reviews to gauge the responses from both sides of the rating spectrum. And the rest, as they say, is history.