Drago

I don't think he was. But no matter his age or character he portrays it's always the best. I have loved every series he has ever been in. I did not expect to see him on Gunsmoke but I'm glad I did. This is clearly my favorite one of all time. He is loaded with charm and charisma and ends up caring for a young boy that had his mother visciously taken from him by a gang of outlaws. Drago (Buddy Epsen) will be the man to revenge that senseless killing. I did not think Buddy could pull this off but man was I wrong, He not only pulled it off but showed me how man's best friend (canine) can be relied on to help in the hunt. Please do not miss out on this episode. You'll be glad you saw it.

What's better than a classic TV episode with Buddy Ebsen, an adorable little boy, a dog, Ben Johnson, horses, and the cutest butt ever seen in cowboy pants--Buck Taylor's??

Seriously, this is a great Gunsmoke episode, despite the fact that, as another poster has pointed out, rottweilers didn't show up in the US until the 20th century. Buddy Ebsen plays Drago, an old tracker--with a loyal and unusually intelligent companion named Hound--who's been given a place to sleep by a woman whose husband has abandoned her (or was he killed?). Her young son gets a substitute pa and grandpa all rolled into one gruff package in Drago. Then evil rides in and Deputy Marshall Newly O'Brien has to track down the killers before Drago can exact his revenge.

It's ridiculous that TVLand has quit running Gunsmoke but plays 4--count em' 4--episodes a day of idiotic Bonanza...

This is probably one of the best written and casted episodes. If you have a western with veterans like Ben Johnson, Buddy Ebsen and tough as nails Rotwiler, you have an ace high royal flush. Tevo this one because it is an episode that you will want to share with family and friends.

"Drago" has all the things that make for a great "Gunsmoke" episode -- irredeemably vicious bad guys, an innocent woman shot down in cold blood, a crabby/crusty old man out for revenge, a chase, great guest stars, and terrific on-location photography.

So why am I giving it only 7, rather than the 9 it "ought" to have? Because it's icky. The plump, round-faced little kid (Mitchell Silberman) seems to have been cast to evoke the maximum sentimental response, rather than for acting ability.

At the end, we are "treated" to a scene of Buddy Ebsen hugging the little bugger, calling him "son", and promising to help him grow up. The kid apparently has little appeal for animals (even though he has the name of something edible (Ruben)), because when Ebsen instructs Hound to "make nice" with the boy, it's obvious the dog is paying most of its attention to its handler. The boy might just as well be a rock.

This disgusting sentimentality is unfortunate, because the story plays out much like a clever inversion of the shopworn "someone wants to kill Matt Dillon" plot. Indeed, it strongly resembles the classic "Matt Dillon Must Die!" episode of two seasons later.

If you wish Kevin Corcoran had never grown up, you might enjoy this episode. Otherwise, it's recommendable only for the presence of Buddy Ebsen and Ben Johnson.

Mr Skyklutz... As for Buck Taylor's glutei maximi, they are certainly fine. But they can't hold a candle to those of the late Matt Mattox, who played Caleb in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". (Pay attention to the scene where they ride off to town in the wagon.) Buck Taylor had the good fortune to become better-looking with age, and is now a rat-handsome geezer.

* Do I have to explain that? I hope not.

Apart from a superb performance by Buddy Ebsen and excellent support from cowboy veteran Ben Johnson, what makes this episode stand out is the magnificent location photography. The IMDd information is wrong. This was not shot in the studio but in southern Utah, around Kanab. The final scenes were filmed in the abandoned town set in Johnson Canyon. There's been no attempt to preserve the place and it's gradually collapsing into the desert. How do I know? I've been there and seen it myself.

There's a touch of sentimentality in the way the script treats the small boy and it's slightly at odds with the revenge aspects of the story. Even so, Drago is a standout. Even the almost total absence of Matt Dillon himself doesn't matter. This is as good as anything'70s TV westerns had to offer and, as a previous poster points out, makes Bonanza look pale in comparison.