A Hat

I am not sure that this episode had any poetic value but I am sure that the story was entertaining to watch. It begins in a town out side Dodge while Clint Sorils is trying to eat. In the other bar room a ranch owner, Red Conniston, and his cowhands are having a wild drunken time. Soril is trying to ignore the rowdy bunch until a stray bullet goes through the wall and then through his hat. Now the large man is upset.

Soril goes next door demanding money for his hat. With Red in a far drunken state, Clint knocks the crap out of him. From behind a man shoot Soril in the back. Soril spins around and is able to shoot and kill the man which happens to be one of the twin sons of Red. Clint leaves heading toward Dodge.

Now the remaining son, Jed Conniston, is set to revenge the death of his twin brother. He wants to be the first person that is given the chance of killing Clint before the rest of the cowhands ride into Dodge. With the townsfolk wanting Clint out of town it will be up to Matt to protect the rights of the man that is gravely injured plus also protect the town from Red's cowhands.

A very well written script that produce an entertaining watch for viewers. Gene Evans was excellent as the larger than life Clint Sorils and Chill Wills always seems to do well in any western part. There was one aspect of the show that seemed out of place as there was a lawyer called Martin Brewer, that was played by the fine actor HM Wynant. The part seemed odd right from the start and even more weird and unnecessary at the conclusion. The story and acting was strong enough to counter-act any problems to make for an entertaining watch.

An amazingly well written script combines with a strong ensemble cast to create a rare quality portrayal.

Though his lack of dialogue almost rendered Gene Evans as a bit player, the entire episode is founded upon his character of Clint Sorils, a hardscrabble mountain man who's bark is so tough that it hides almost entirely a heart of gold.

There is a particularly poignant scene where Kitty is attending Sorils' bedside and in a state of delirium, Sorils speaks out to his long departed wife. In that exchange, Kitty becomes quite emotional at the raw beauty of the words he speaks to her, projecting them to the woman he loved and lived with, mistakenly thinking she was by his side.

That scene by itself cements the excellence of this episode, but it accompanies many other fine acts. It also proves again that an actor can take few words and scenes and turn them into a memorable tour-de-force. And as fine an actor as Amanda Blake truly was, it didn't take much acting on her part to summon the emotional response the scene demanded.

Gene Evans was essential to play this role, as he completely owns the physical chops to play such a rugged man, who's immense size and strength is exceeded only by his character and compassion. Ultimately, the episode boils down to men of character standing up to men of weakness and amorality.

The writing and the acting take this episode to a level of quality rarely seen in theater. This script could be portrayed in a movie, on a summer theater stage, or on television, and be equally appreciated for its depth. It's a must watch episode.

"Gunsmoke" A Hat (1967)

This episode contains some of the most beautiful poetry and moving philosophy I have ever heard in a TV episode of any kind, written by Ron Bishop. Bishop wrote a number of episodes for Gunsmoke and other similar shows. The character of Sorils, gunfighter, crude and stubborn man, describes a "Divine Experience" up in the mountains. The philosophy of Gunsmoke and Ron Bishop comes through continuously, even given the "owning" philosophy of men towards women in those days. This episode has moved me like no other. I wish I could meet the writer, Ron Bishop, and thank him for imparting such a beautiful piece of wisdom and life to us all in a simple hour-long TV show. This episode is like reading a prayer book, over and over again, in five small lines. This episode shows that all men, and women, have something they hold dear in their hearts. Something. Some days. Even if it is just five small days.

Story line: Clint Sorils (Gene Evans), a gunfighter, has been shot over a stray bullet through his hat, is lying in bed with little hope of recovery. Some of the townspeople don't want him in town and send an emissary, Mr. Brewer, to tell Matt Dillon that they don't want him in town. Here is some of the dialogue (paraphrased in part):

Brewer: "Clint Sorils is a gunfighter."

Dillon: "That's probably what he will be remembered for. A lot of people probably forget that it was him and men like him that opened up this country, hunting, trapping."

But Sorils took a gun and killed a man.

In self-defense, yes...

Why jeopardize the health of a town for a crude mountain of filth like that?

Mr. Brewer, he has the legal right to be here. ...

Very simple Mr. Brewer. Just tell them he stays. In the first place, he can't be moved. We don't even know if he's going to live. In the second place, on the outside he may be a mountain of filth, inside he's a man."

Later, in the company of Miss Kitty, Sorils begins to recall his beloved squaw Amy and the finer times in his life, as a religious experience. He begins to recite a story of "five days of silence" in the mountains, with "no need" to talk, and sheep whose feet are "like prayer books" and the great happiness he felt at the time.

"Five days. I recall five days when no one talked. No need. Mountains pushing God higher. Elk. Moose low to the willow. Mountain sheep climbing and looking back, as if they had prayer books on their feet. (Hesh maomi) Don't lie. Don't quit. (wheezes) Amy. Amy. (I know you?) You couldn't die. But the hardest piece of day mo. Not you Amy. Oh Amy.

Remember our first Spring? And that meadow we has? Furs all around and that meadow. And the snows just gone now. And us lying there and all the time close swallows and even a sky fox. A girl don't need no more than that, does she? And there was a time I shot the supper grouse. The hen had chicks. I didn't know. Chicks. I always liked young-uns. Always... liked 'em. We never had no young-uns Amy. Why? A woman always will have them.

Amy. Oh Amy. You're the best squaw a man ever owned."

One of the best episodes I have seen in a while. Doesn't drag on like a lot of the one hour episodes do. Action from start to finish and a surprise ending

A grizzled, tough frontiersman named Clint Sorils is eating a meal in the town of Spokes while a rancher named Red Conniston and his ranch hands are engaged in a bit of wild, drunken revelry in the room next door. Conniston is sitting high in a chair on top of a stack of tables firing his gun and yelling. Sorils tries to ignore the party, but when a stray bullet destroys his hat, he goes next door to demand retribution.

Everyone ignores the attempts by Sorils to get their attention, so Sorils knocks over the stack of furniture on which Conniston is precariously perched. Red is knocked unconscious, and Sorils picks up the gun Conniston was firing. Ben Conniston, Red's drunken son, draws his gun and shoots Sorils in the back. Sorils quickly spins, fires, and kills Ben. Sorils then takes Red's hat, announces he is going to Dodge City, and leaves the saloon.

Ben's twin brother, Jed, was not part of the incident in the saloon. When he learns of his brother's death, he angrily confronts his father. After learning Sorils went to Dodge, Jed follows on his own in a quest for revenge. After recovering from his injuries and regaining some measure of sobriety, Red Conniston organizes his men, and they set out for Dodge as well.

Sorils arrives in Dodge in very bad shape. Doc begins treating his wound, but he doesn't give him much chance of survival. Now Matt Dillon is faced with the prospect of trying to protect Sorils from Jed Conniston with the knowledge that Red Conniston and his large group of ranch hands are on their way to Dodge.

The situation becomes even more complicated when a man named Martin Brewer begins questioning Matt's actions in allowing Sorils to remain in Dodge City. Brewer and some of the citizens of Dodge think if they could move Sorils elsewhere, any potential danger to the town would be averted.

This episode is filled with outstanding performances. Chill Wills is Red Conniston and Gene Evans is Clint Sorils. It is easy to imagine the Conniston and Sorils characters having some level of mutual respect under different circumstances, as both characters are rugged individualists obviously accustomed to doing what they want. Wills and Evans were always good at portraying these kinds of characters. Wills makes another appearance later in Season 13's "A Noose for Dobie Price." Evans appeared in a total of ten different Gunsmoke episodes. He also appears again in Season 13's "The First People."

Tom Simcox is no stranger to Gunsmoke viewers. He appeared in eight different episodes. Here he plays both twin brothers, Ben and Jed Conniston. Robert Sorrells is likewise a familiar Gunsmoke guest, appearing here in one of his fourteen different episodes as Conniston's ranch hand named Louieville. H. M. Winant makes one of his eight Gunsmoke appearances as Martin Brewer.

This is arguably the best in a string of strong Season 13 Gunsmoke episodes. Everything about the episode is noteworthy with solid writing by Ron Bishop, taut direction by Robert Totten, and excellent performances from everyone. I especially enjoy the complexity of the main characters in this story. They are not simply one-dimensional stereotypes. Highly recommended.