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Gunsmoke: The Bounty Hunter (1965)
Outstanding story on familiar theme
I have binge-watched the last three seasons and this show was simply amazing. It presented a totally fresh, but believable, take on an old theme: bounty hunters and the general dislike of them.
There is a big twist in the story and I won't give it away. We are fortunate that Robert Lansing was cast as Luke the bounty hunter. He was talented and sufficiently resourceful to play this character as a human being, rather than as a villain or as a hero.
There is quite a lot going on under the surface here, but focus on Luke the bounty hunter, and how he must have felt at various points in the story. For me, this is one of the best episodes I have seen.
Gunsmoke: Bad Lady from Brookline (1965)
Can't get a man with a gun
Whether or not you like this story depends mostly on your appreciation of Betty Hutton. I didn't much care for it, but I think the major problem was how her character was written.
Perhaps the producers thought that since she'd played Annie Oakley in a romantic musical comedy, they could replicate roughly the same setup here. Unfortunately Claude Akins (as good as he is) is not Howard Keel, and even Claude had difficulty with this contradictory character.
I am no sound expert, but it seemed like the musical numbers had live sound rather than the overdubbing customary in films. Not much money seems to have been spent on remix. And I also doubt that there was plenty of time to devote to helping Betty develop a character. It was great to see Betty again, but unfortunately the budget did not seem to be large enough to furnish a proper showcase.
Gunsmoke: The Pariah (1965)
Loathsome
I guess the theme is that xenophobia is bad, Perhaps most viewers would take that as a given. This show did nothing to reveal extra dimensions to such prejudice.
The plot here is that the residents of Dodge care very little for facts, and are willing to believe virtually anything that is consistent with their prejudice and preconceived notions. Nothing new, the problem still exists. However, in this show such prejudices and mob mentality places the population squarely on the side of the outlaws.
Even our "hero" disregards the repeated advice of the Marshal. And maybe I missed something, how does the ending convert all of the citizens into believing that shooting a man while he was eating is just fine.
Gunsmoke: Breckinridge (1965)
Off to a bad start
I guess the only way to explain this "lawyer" plot is that the lawyer was being tried out as a semi-regular. But there is a scene in the Long Branch about halfway through which delivers a mortal blow and then the idea takes the remaining time to die.
You don't need to be a lawyer to know that a bar or any other business is "private property" meaning the owner can decide who is welcome and who is trespassing. Remember the signs "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone"? If you are going to have a lawyer as a character, you can't make up the law as you go along.
Other reviews have covered my assessment of the ending. The bad start ended badly as well.
Gunsmoke: Innocence (1964)
Does whodunit matter at all?
I've marked this as a spoiler because maybe someone has not read the other reviews.
For me, it was nice to know who did it, but the solution to the mystery was about as exciting as a coin toss. It would have been good for there to be clues along the way--but here, what was the point?
Perhaps this was unintended, but the lynch mob in this story was not the typical lynch mob seen every few episodes. This mob had decided to lynch both suspects, even though only one was guilty, so that they could be sure the guilty one got what he deserved. Ironically the pick one "solution" was perfectly in keeping with the mob philosophy in which the identification of the killer meant very little.
Gunsmoke: Jonah Hutchinson (1964)
Mental illness as a plot device
Yet another example of a leading character whose motivation stems from mental pathology. If the Marshal ran an asylum rather than a jail, he'd have more patients than Doc could handle. A major resident would be Grandpa Hutchinson.
Evidently, Grandpa's legal difficulties of thirty years earlier stem from untreated mental illness which still remains.
The acting is fine, but the plot is questionable. The dramatic conflict here is basically between the sane and the insane. Firearms are rarely an appropriate treatment tool, as demonstrated here.
A parenthetical note: at the time I watched this episode on Paramount+, it was labeled online as "Help Me, Kitty", which obviously it is not.
Gunsmoke: Doctor's Wife (1964)
A totally unredeemed character
The story appears to be about spreading vicious rumors and gossip, but it is more than that. In fact, for me the basic theme was the presentation of a totally unredeemed character.
Ms. May was so completely lacking in any form of humility that it is impossible to imagine that with such egomania she could have any genuine virtues. This is not tender concern for her husband, but rather an attempt to aggrandize a possession. Lying, arrogance and deceit come so naturally to her that it is impossible to imagine she showed no signs of this earlier.
Doc Adams takes her with him on house calls, thinking that she may realize that the practice of medicine is not primarily to make money. But this sort of personality disorder is not easily treated and is incurable.
Gunsmoke: The Other Half (1964)
Disappointing
If you enjoyed this episode, I don't want to talk you out of your enjoyment. I thought the story was satisfactory. But Jess/Jay was, in my opinion, miscast.
Lee Kinsolving came from a theatrical acting background, which is quite different from TV or even radio. I am sure that Gunsmoke did not allow for weeks of rehearsal and character development, and I'd say that director McLaglen did not have the time to work with Kinsolving to shape the performance.
I forced myself to watch this show to the very end, thinking that maybe there would be some late development to explain why Kinsolving was acting like that: strange affect, paranoia, obsession. The character obviously was written with the idea of the actor basically acting the lines without needing to get in touch with life experiences or the "inner child." In other words, to deliver a performance similar to what a TV or radio actor would do. It would have been good to be able to understand "why" rather than to chalk it up to insanity.
Gunsmoke: Bently (1964)
Why did Ned confess?
The accepted answer is that Ned wanted to make life easier for his widow. Maybe Ned was delirious on his deathbed--such a reason is just not rational, especially not in light of the town's mob mentality. That said fact is demonstrated in an early scene.
Thankfully, Ned's decision is not the central focus of the drama. If we do not dwell too long on the reasoning, the episode can be enjoyed for several reasons. First of all, where the widow comes to live. Second, the hired gun's big scene (and it is awful that other comments may have spoiled this). But most important, Dennis Weaver's farewell--another excellent performance as a valedictory.
Gunsmoke: The Kite (1964)
Unsatisfactory plot devices
A personal dislike is I don't like plots driven by stupidity, or worse yet, stupidity induced by paranoid narcissism such as in this story.
I echo other comments in that I was very concerned about the little girl. She lost her mother in this show, but evidently she lost her father years ago. The treatment of the child, for me, became the primary point of interest here.
This was a terrific showcase for Ken Curtis as Festus. Ma Smalley started by looking down her nose at Festus, bragging that he was not welcome inside. A change of heart happened about ten minutes later. But why did Festus let Cassidy in? Plot necessity?
Gunsmoke: Friend (1964)
More than enough plot
I thought this was an excellent western whodunit. An unexpected grave, a remarkable lack of information (either deliberate omissions or just no witnesses), a character whose reputation is better than a saint's . . .
The clues in this mystery are laid out incrementally, as the viewer attempts to reconcile a new clue with what we have learned before.
The following is just my personal assessment: the conclusion of the story is too rushed in comparison to the initial scenes which dwelt extensively on medical treatment which was just irrelevant, more of a waste of time than a red herring.
The ending let us know whodunit, but I am still trying to figure out exactly why. Still worthwhile to watch.
Gunsmoke: Dry Well (1964)
Product placement?
This issue has been on my mind soon after I began binge watching Gunsmoke.
Was Gunsmoke sponsored in the early Sixties by Maxwell House, or some other coffee? In absolutely every episode in Season 7 to this time, the characters have coffee, either around the campfire, around the dinner table, at Delmonico's, at the Marshal's Office. In most instances, the word "coffee" is used several times to call attention to the fact that coffee is being served. I know that the selection of non-alcoholic beverages was limited, but really--EVERY episode, when coffee forms no part of the plot?
And oh, yes, check out the roaming chickens.
This episode also was rather good, I thought.
Gunsmoke: Quint's Trail (1963)
Little Insane Asylum on the Prairie
In the preceding episode and in this one, a major female character is in severe need of extended psychiatric care, and much of the drama arises out of the failure of everyone else to notice there's a psychotic on the loose--similar to a similar theme in slasher films.
In this particular situation, exactly what is the point in the relocation to the West? The mental illness has manifested itself back in Illinois, and there were surely more treatment options available in Chicago rather than North Platte.
Instead, we have a predator put in with the prey. This sort of battle of the sexes is too creepy.
Gunsmoke: The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner (1963)
Wanting more
I've now binge-watched all of Seasons 7 and 8, and this is the first episode I can recall during which I was not rolling my eyes at an unbelievable plot development, and that when it ended, I was surprised and wanted more.
The acting was just terrific--no nits for me to pick. And the script was so pleasingly non-spectacular. The script avoided incredible developments and was so perfectly understated. We were shown older characters who had accepted their lives, contrasted with younger ones who still had time to make something out of their lives. The elders seemed to demonstrate that a good life does not mean wild happiness every day, but rather a satisfaction and acceptance. And the ending which seemed so abrupt to me, held out a positive note of hope.
It's not the story, it's the hope that was the point here.
Gunsmoke: Ash (1963)
Still partners
The final scene between the partners was the most sensitive and affecting scene I've ever seen in a sixties Western. I am trying to recall any episode with John Dehner when the viewers are crying (rather than cheering) when his character dies. And Anthony Caruso also was just perfect here.
I noticed a couple of ironies. Right after Ben is shot, the Marshall says he has to lock up Ash. Which brings up the question why Ben was not locked up after he started acting belligerent. Ben became much more of a threat than Ash. Perhaps the territorial insane asylum was too far away.
Regardless, this episode is not to be missed.
Gunsmoke: Shona (1963)
Prejudice
Very good story about prejudice and how it can take root in a community. I think it is very relevant to remember that this episode aired in 1963, and I don't think that Roy Roberts as the hotel manager with a "No Indians" policy, which he says is rooted in local prejudice. He fears a boycott. Good ol' Ma Smalley won't have Shona either, for the same reason. I have no doubt that if a popular vote were taken, discrimination would have been approved.
At present, nearly everyone would condemn the prejudice shown here, but let's recall that in 1963, discrimination was still the law, written and unwritten, in too many locations.
Gunsmoke: The Bad One (1963)
Not good
I didn't like this episode very much, but perhaps it is a matter of taste as much as credibility.
I don't believe the Marshal hauling the suspect out of town and over to Jenny's house to have her i.d. The suspect. Especially when, up to that time, there is no credible reason to think he's a suspect other than being new in town.
And look at the troubles of the troubled youths here. Never-been-kissed suddenly falls in love with the robber. I try to attribute that to having a possessive father. But then the robber seems to have his own suitcase full of mental problems. Love conquers all? Everyone seems in severe need of psychotherapy, but absent that, I guess the sequel will be a loveless marriage where Jenny ends up killing her abusive husband. Oops, I think that's been done, too.
Gunsmoke: Phoebe Strunk (1962)
Deficient dating techniques
I started watching the episodes in order from the start of Season 7. Here it is, nearly a year and a half later, and we have a plot retread of the characters who think kidnapping, rape and general mistreatment of women forms a valid part of entertainment.
It takes quite a lot of good acting to redeem a poor script. Here, I'd say that the hillbilly caricatures are so extreme it's hard to judge the acting behind them. And if a broad-daylight on Main Street attempted abduction is not enough to indicate the perps are true psychopaths, we have the bonus of these same perps having murdered the heroine's parents.
Gunsmoke: Root Down (1962)
Tiresome and familiar wedding theme
Let's see: marriage arranged by parent(s); marriage blocked by parent(s); abduction of intended spouse; falling in love in less than 48 hours; marriage for money; lies to force marriage. You get the idea. You have probably seen it as often as I have.
Granted this is from the 19th Century, but the fondness for making marriage a plot device gives the impression that marriage was a complication, a barrier. Give me an Indian attack any day. This is a western, right? A horse opera, not a soap opera.
That said, I thought the acting was just fine. John Dehner is always a treat, and Sherry Jackson . . .
Gunsmoke: Reprisal (1962)
Women were ok to be hiring killers?
I am going to mark this a spoiler, but Cornelia carries on as though it was perfectly ok for her to hire someone to kill a marshal. And all of Dodge City evidently knew about it. So Cornelia truly thought she'd get away with it?
The only other explanation is that Cornelia is insane. Not temporary, because it lasts more than a few days. She would have to be insane--women are not "just like that."
Why doesn't someone tell her the facts of what happens to people who hire killers? The last ten minutes seem incredibly stitched together from implausible fabric. The unbelievable plot did not get any better as the show wore on.
Gunsmoke: The Gallows (1962)
Yes it's THAT good
Another comment referred to this story as a morality tale, and I totally agree. That only makes it better.
Unlike too many other Westerns, Gunsmoke did not see the need at this point in its existence, to re-think the characters of its regulars. We were allowed to observe Chester, Doc, Miss Kitty and the Marshal from one episode to the next, and so far as I could tell, the characters were consistent, and they were not re-thought in order to meet a plot necessity.
I think that this morality tale was intended to illustrate Marshal Dillon's character by presenting him with a character that is virtually flawless, which he can see and experience for himself, and the challenges when the Marshal's own instincts and feelings are at odds with the law. This is one of the best Gunsmoke episodes ever (I cannot call it the best because I have not seen them all).
Gunsmoke: Cody's Code (1962)
You're no good
At first I thought we were in for a very nice story of two basically good and generous people who come to grief as a result of acting on their good instincts. The first half of this show set that up perfectly.
At the halfway mark, I was grateful that no hasty triangle had been created. Well guess what . . .
I should have known better. On Gunsmoke, there's only one saloon girl with a heart of gold and that's Miss Kitty. In contrast, Rose had no golden heart, but instead was more of a golddigger. But I don't know why she thought Brack was better off financially than Cody. Instead, she fell in love in less than 48 hours. And Brack, who should know better, can't see that his new love is trouble.
Gunsmoke: Marry Me (1961)
It's the Darlings from Mayberry
The set-up is very familiar, as noted in other comments. I refer to Seven Brides, from about a decade earlier, where abduction rather than elopement was the plot. A serious take on this would be rather grim, but we had an episode recently which had this kind of "serious" kidnapping.
This is about two years before the debut of the Darling family on The Andy Griffith Show, where coming into Mayberry and abducting a bride was played for laughs. The Darlings and their notions of proper "wifing" were the basis of several episodes. Like the Darlings, the Cathcart family also were musical, with fiddle, guitar and jug. And in Mayberry, of course, there was Ernest T. Bass.
Wagon Train: The Betsy Blee Smith Story (1965)
Not funny
First of all, the plot with all the lies and concealment is extremely difficult to follow (at least for me). Taking notes on who knows what, who's lying, etc. Would probably help.
The second major problem with this comic script is that it was not funny. Did this take place before or after Coop was an outlaw and gunslinger? Wouldn't it be a lot easier to have the marriage certificate corrected? If the justice of the peace was known to have vision problems, the omission of a surname from the marriage certificate could be corrected.
Coop admitting he is the groom on the marriage certificate means that Coop is now legally married, requiring a divorce or annulment before he can ever legally marry. And the grandparents trying to legally shanghai Coop is not funny, just revolting.
Wagon Train: The Isaiah Quickfox Story (1965)
It was a hoot, or whatever sound a bat makes
I was amazed by the extremely low score for this episode, but let me say I've sat through a lot worse than this.
There are no vampire bats in the US, so there was no real cause for alarm. But the initial scenes were terrific, in my opinion. The episode was filmed on the Universal backlot, ironically where Dracula (1931) was filmed. The entry into what appears to be a ghost town was suitably creepy.
Of course, the town "coming to life" after dark was kind of backwards: more safety during daylight. The leading lady bursting into hysterics was a nice touch. And the Professor fooling around in the bat cave. Fred DeKova in the Maria Ouspenskaya role.