Dry Well

Season 9 of Gunsmoke contains some of the finest episodes in the series. This is definitely not one of them. As a matter of fact, I consider it among the worst in the entire run of the series. (I acknowledge there are fans of Gunsmoke that despise ANY criticism of the show. Gunsmoke is my all-time favorite classic television drama but not every episode is outstanding.)

Yuma is married to a man named Dave, but she is also fooling around with two other guys, Web and Jeff. When one of the two kills Dave, Quint Asper happens to be riding by and hears the shot. Quint goes to Dave, who whispers the name of the man who shot him to Quint just before he dies.

Ira, who is Web's father, happens to be in Dave's barn for some reason. While Quint is tending to the dying Dave, Ira knocks Quint unconscious and ties him up. Ira is afraid his son will be blamed for Dave's death, and he wants Quint to sign a paper stating that Jeff killed Dave. When Quint refuses, Ira and Web throw Quint into an old, dry well, hence the name of the episode. (This entire plot element is puzzling. First, just because Quint signs a paper stating Jeff is the killer is meaningless. Quint could simply say later he signed the paper under duress. Second, how does Ira expect to get away with this?)

Part of this story concerns Matt Dillon trying to solve the mystery of Dave's death while Yuma shamelessly flirts with him. The other part of the story involves Quint's plight as he is held hostage by Ira and Web in the dry well. The whole thing is a mess with too many stupid characters doing too many stupid things and plot holes so large a stagecoach could be driven through them.

Ned Glass and Tom Simcox were generally solid character actors, but they aren't given much with which to work in this script. Karen Sharpe as Yuma was a true beauty in those days, but she wasn't an especially good actress.

The idea behind this story isn't that bad, but the execution here is. It is particularly annoying that John Meston intentionally introduced plot elements to try to deceive the viewer in an attempt to provide a surprise ending.

It was refreshing seeing Ned Glass playing a tough ruthless character. He usually played weak cowering characters on Gunsmoke. A wicked woman caused lots of trouble in this morality play. It is worth a watch just to see Doc playfully coming on to Kitty.

There are some Gunsmoke episodes that I just hate and there are some that I don't mind watching over and over. Dry Well is one of the latter, despite some of the absurdities.

I like to watch Yuma (Karen Sharpe) put the boys and her husband through their paces and then turn around and try to use her powers on Marshall Dillon. Not having enough coffee for Jeff was a hoot.

On the other hand, what was Web's pappy doing in Dave's barn at just the right time. He should have known what happened. Quint preferred to get thrown in a well rather than admit he knew Web was telling the truth. Meantime, Web's obsession with Yuma continued to the bitter end. Some gals got it and some don't.

...just a bit unfocused and illogical.

You can understand that old Dave is having trouble keeping track of who's "doing" his pretty wife on Mondays when he's away in town; and that dust storm during Dave's murder does confuse ALL of us. But, the show is not that hard to follow.

Karen Sharpe-- another "Gunsmoke" actress whose mid-60's glamorous looks totally blows the 1870's Kansas setting, does very well with the type of role that's difficult to pull off well...especially with all of the tight-shots and close-ups. I was just reading how she abandoned acting in the late 60's to marry Stanley Kramer and manage his estate; she was obviously "hot property" in her early years, with John Wayne also taking an interest in her.

William Henry--who plays her hapless hubby Dave, had a LONG career in Hollywood, and it's good to see him in a decent part. Old pro Ned Glass similarly gets a chance to do some serious acting as the proud, protective (but crazed) father, Ira.

But there's lots of silliness here, too. Are we really to believe that Quint couldn't SLUG his way out of the barn before (or after) he's tied up with wire, prior to being dumped in a well with a bucket-o'-rocks hanging over his head??

ALSO-- why the H___ didn't Kitty IMMEDIATELY tell Matt about the nasty conversation she overheard in the Long Branch between the two jealous lover boys, which could have prevented a lot of violence and mayhem? Of course, if she did that, this episode could have been wrapped up in a HALF hour.

TWO EXCELLENT "TIME-FILLER/WASTER" dialogue scenes between the regulars, both of them witty and charming. DOC and KITTY (mentioned by other commentators here), and DOC and MATT, as Doc gently chides the big guy about wasting time. Maybe I'll watch this episode again for these scenes. LR

Bored housewife Yuma Linz (Karen Sharpe) is a femme fatale with perhaps no equal circa 1890 near Dodge, Kansas. While her husband Dave (William Henry) is away running various errands, she entertains multiple men who discover each other's presence and become sworn enemies.

Even Yuma's husband sees evidence of infidelity with his own eyes. But Yuma doesn't miss a beat. Instead, she convinces Dave his tired eyes are playing tricks on him and that he just needs rest and the special meal she's prepared. Rather than trouble Yuma, the discoveries of her unfaithfulness intensify some dark passion within her. Puppeteer Yuma enjoys the competition for her affection and has a ready answer for each man in her life. She believes she has everything under control, but comforts like hers rarely unfold in an orderly fashion.

Seeking relaxation by heading out on a fishing trip, Qiunt is instead pulled into Yuma's terrible web when he witnesses the shooting of her husband. Quint tries to talk to the dying man. But as he leans close to hear the man's ebbing voice, Quint is struck over the head by Ira (Ned Glass as a ruthless villain who justifies any means through the end objective of protecting his dissolute son). Ira is convinced his son Web, motivated by an obsession for Yuma he can't hide, killed Dave Linz so that he could move in with Yuma.

Crazed Ira ties up Quint and threatens to harm him if he does not sign a paper stating Quint "seen" Yuma's other lover Jeff (John Hanek) kill her husband. Quint could sign that paper and plan to later retract the statement, but he has no reason to believe his life will be spared after his signature is obtained. He also has a strong sense of independence and integrity. After Quint repeatedly refuses to sign, Ira and his son throw Quint down a dry well and hang a bucket of rocks that could "spilt his skull like a melon" above.

When Marshal Dillon begins investigating the most recent murder in the Dodge area, Yuma turns up the heat on yet another man. But Dillon keeps his cards close to his vest and that intensifies Yuma's interest in him. As expected, the marshal uses this to his advantage. While Yuma weaves, Dillon waits.

This plot is twisted and arguably even a bit byzantine, which seems apropos considering the course and ultimate fate of so many extramarital relationships-especially when one cavalier spouse is seeing multiple lovers and gaslighting the other spouse. Is it crazy? Of course it is, but it's not nearly as crazy as some of the episodes of Forensic Files or Deadly Women or Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry? Or so many other true crime shows. Some people who have lived "normal" productive lives will shred holy tenets when they believe they have a shot at love, money, fame... It's an uncomfortably brutal aspect of the human condition, a Pandora's box that often consumes the aspirant along with her marionettes when a blinding need overwhelms reason.

Categorically, "Dry Well" is an episode about the madness of unbridled aspiration and blinding obsession. The title is a brilliant metaphor and the acting is compelling. Karen Sharpe is like a cat gleefully playing with blind mice while Ned Glass shows he can be ruthless and chilling as an unbalanced father willing to protect his son at any costs. James Arness often excels as Matt Dillon, but his acting in "Dry Well" is the strong type of performance required as a counterbalance to the narcissistic Yuma.

Unapologetic Yuma (Karen Sharpe) is the star of the show. Secondary cases can be made for self-possessed Marshall Dillon and steadfast Quint as well as irrational Ira. Regardless, each is more than convincing in one of Gunsmoke's most memorable episodes, a haunting treasure that is worth watching multiple times because so much of the plot is based on allusion and innuendo.