Drago

Here is an excellent heartwarming tale of an older man making his life meaningful again when he becomes the only family member to a young boy.

Drago (Buddy Ebsen) has been staying with a young woman and a small boy for a few weeks. When Drago and his dog go off to fish, four bandits come up to the house shoot and kill the woman and badly injure the small boy. Drago is able to see the men riding off as he tends to the small boy.

Later Matt and Doctor Chapman arrive with Matt setting up a posse to track the bandits down. With Drago being an old army scout, Matt deputizes him so he can ride as part of the posse headed up by Newly. Dr Chapman tends to the injured boy but things look bleak. Chapman advises the boy has no will to live since his mother and all he knows is dead. Drago goes in and tells the boy that he is part of his family now and needs to live.

But there is going to be a problem with Drago as part of the posse. It seems that Drago is more out for revenge than bringing the men to trial. This will set a conflict between Drago and Newly that will only end when Drago is willing.

A good script with some excellent acting by Mr Ebsen. The story was interesting and the plot entertaining. This is a nice story for any 'Gunsmoke' viewer. And one that is highly recommended.

An aging frontiersman/mountain man named Drago has been staying with a woman named Clara and her young son, Ruben. One day while Drago is off fishing with his dog named Hound, four outlaws on the run arrive at the farmhouse presumably to take any supplies they can find. Clara tries to defend herself with a rifle, but one of the outlaws known as Hannon shoots and kills her.

When Ruben hears the commotion, he runs to the house and sees his mother lying dead. Ruben is carrying a rake. When Hannon grabs the rake away from the boy, the boy falls and hits his head on a rock.

Drago hears the gunshots and runs back to the house with Hound. He fires at the outlaws, but they mount their horses and ride away.

Marshal Matt Dillon and Deputy Newly O'Brien are leading a posse pursuing the outlaws when they come upon the farm. They find Clara dead and Ruben severely injured. Matt sends someone back to Dodge City to fetch Dr. John Chapman.

The Marshal knows Drago as a renowned trapper and frontiersman who once forged trails with Jim Bridger. Drago indicates he plans to go after the outlaws on his own, but Matt convinces him to be deputized and join the posse. Matt must leave the posse to go to Hays for an important trial, and he thinks the posse led by Drago and Newly will be able to catch the outlaws.

The situation is not as simple as it sounds, however. Drago still has his own vengeance-fueled purpose in mind.

The character known only as Drago is played by Buddy Ebsen. Most any viewer of classic television will remember Ebsen for his starring roles in the comedy The Beverly Hillbillies and the drama Barnaby Jones. The final episode of The Beverly Hillbillies aired in March 1971, and this episode was broadcast in November 1971. Barnaby Jones debuted in 1973. This is the third and final Gunsmoke participation for Ebsen.

This episode also marks the final Gunsmoke appearance for ubiquitous tough-guy Ben Johnson. Johnson was one of the many actors that appeared on Gunsmoke and appeared in many of Sam Peckinpah's films. (See also: L. Q. Jones, Strother Martin, and Warren Oates.) This episode was filmed between Johnson's performance as Tector Gorch in The Wild Bunch and as the characters Buck Roan and Jack Beynon in Junior Bonner and The Getaway, respectively.

The other three outlaws include actors Edward Faulkner and Del Monroe, who appeared in other Gunsmoke episodes, as well as Richard "Rick" Gates, who makes his only appearance in the series here. Gates and Johnson both appeared in the Clint Eastwood film Hang 'Em High prior to filming this episode.

It should be noted this is the final Gunsmoke appearance by Pat Hingle as Dr. John Chapman. Milburn Stone returned after this episode was produced. Dr. Chapman was the only character Hingle played in the series, although he did appear as a different character in the 1992 made-for-TV movie Gunsmoke: To the Last Man.

One aspect of the Drago character recalls the Dave Blasingame character in Peckinpah's highly praised, short-lived series The Westerner starring Brian Keith. Like Drago's Hound, Blasingame had a canine companion, but that dog's name was Brown.

This is a captivating story, although stories of men driven by a desire for revenge are quite common in the Westerns genre. The spectacular settings and the excellent performances by the likes of Ebsen and Johnson lift this story to above-average status.

However, this is another of those stories that lacks much in connection to the Gunsmoke world. Newly O'Brien is the only regular character that has much to do in the story, and the entire story takes place away from Dodge.

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...

"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.

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.