What was she? A hostess in a gambling house? Was she a "prostitute?"

I've just watched "Marie, My Love" and Marie does work in her cousin's establishment, and she says he has been very good to her. Would she say that if he was prostituting her? Or did her cousin save her from having to be a prostitute, and that's why she said he's been good to her?


Marie was very offended by her first husband believing that she had been unfaithful to him. There's something about her that seems to be about "honour" and her reputation, even when Ben is there she still seems to have this shadow of pain over how her reputation is in question.

Anybody have any opinions on this, or am I talking to myself?

I'm in no way certain but I believe in Bonanza lore, Little Joe's older half-brother Clay Stafford (Marie's first son) was raised by grandparents because there was disapproval of Marie. This points to a rejection of her profession, likely prostitution then. I haven't seen it in a long time, but the episode "The First Born" (Season 4, Ep. 1, 1962) is one to check regarding the background -- though unlikely there were any negatives about Marie mentioned.

I think too Marie's mentioning to Ben of seeing the French ladies when she was young also indicates she was influenced to engage in a lifestyle that included prostitution.

It's interesting that Ben married Marie, fathered Little Joe, brought Marie to Nevada, and went through Marie's death (& burial on the Ponderosa), all the while Clay was not in their lives at all...

Marie's first husband came from a wealthy aristocratic family while Marie was orphaned at a young age. She was raised in a convent and she does mention watching the French women that she watched over the wall of the convent, but doubtful any young girl would want the life of a prostitute. More likely she watched these wealthy women going about their day, being free while she lived surrounded by strict rules and religion.

I do think it's left open to interpretation so each viewer can decide for themselves whether Marie was a prostitute or not, and have details from the show to back up their beliefs.

For me it's her gratitude towards her cousin that makes me doubt that she was anything more than a hostess who may have attracted men to her cousin's gambling house but she wasn't expected to do more than entertain them by being beautiful or talking to them. Plus there is mention that the cousin wants to marry her off to some "fat aristocrat." Also she seems broken by her husband not believing her and she seems to have never recovered from the "disgrace" of being found in bed with a man who was not her husband.

There are also other episodes where Joe's mother is mentioned - one where we find out that she was paying a blackmailer to keep her past from getting out (what past? Past as a hooker?) while there is another episode where Joe kind of compares the town madame (who was also from NO) to his mother and Ben is outraged by the comparison which leads me to think that she was not a hooker.