Home Surgery

"I know I couldnt do it. I just dont have the spirit" - Chester, on deciding who will cut off Mr Hawtree's leg.

This scene tells so much about these two characters.

And the fact that Hawtree already knew how to do the surgery on himself also tells us the brutal reality of life in this era.

A great Gunsmoke episode!

To say that "Home Surgery" was (indeed) a mighty sobering episode from TV's "Gunsmoke" (1955) would truly be an understatement.

And, as this grim story goes.... Through some completely unexpected circumstances Marshal, Matt Dillon and his bungling sidekick, Chester Goode find themselves accompanying the despairing, young Holly Hawtree back to her father's ranch.

And, upon their prompt arrival at the farm they immediately encounter Mr. Hawtree (that's Holly's dad) in considerable pain and in need of some serious medical attention, as his leg is badly infected with gangrene.

Anyway - It doesn't take but a minute for Matt Dillon to assume full charge of the situation. But, yet, as things turn out, some unexpected complications enter into the escalating drama.

But, of course, the viewer never has to fear, as justice is most certain to prevail.

This episode is probably the best I've ever seen of "Gunsmoke" -- great story, full of convincing, true acting and authentic-looking sets reminiscent of just how earthy and gritty life was at that time and place. Sexy Gloria Talbott plays a farm girl who takes Matt & Chester back to her place to help her wounded father (Joe De Santis), immobilized with gangrene. Scenes played between father and daughter are touching without being overdone. Matt is forced to apply the "Home Surgery" of the quirky title. James Arness and Dennis Weaver are no less good in this and it is especially impressive how the style and ethic of this series was already firmly established and whole in this first month of airing (1955). No wonder it was hailed as the first 'adult' western on TV compared to "The Lone Ranger", "Hopalong Cassidy" and "The Cisco Kid" already on, and contrasted to the "horse operas" like "Wagon Train" and "Bonanza" that were still to arrive.

Matt Dillon and Chester Goode are on their way back to Dodge City after escorting a prisoner to Tascosa, Texas. They had camped overnight and are preparing to resume their journey of more than one hundred miles when someone fires a shot into their camp. A woman named Holly Hawtree soon appears. She is the person who fired the shot. After averting any hostilities, Holly asks the men to accompany her to the farm where she lives with her father.

Mr. Hawtree was injured when a horse stepped on his foot. The foot and leg became infected with gangrene. Ben Walling is a hired hand on the farm with romantic designs on Holly. Walling left a week earlier to get a doctor, but he has not returned. Matt knows Mr. Hawtree's only hope is immediate amputation. The Marshal decides he must perform the home surgery.

Matt successfully removes the leg, but the infection has spread. Mr. Hawtree is still in bad shape. Ben Walling soon returns but without a doctor. Upon further investigation, Matt realizes the situation is different than he was first led to believe.

Gloria Talbott, who first started acting as a child, was a veteran of films and early television by the time she made this Gunsmoke appearance in the Holly Hawtree role. It was not unusual to see Talbott in television dramas -- especially westerns -- in the 1950s and 1960s. She would appear twice more later in one-hour, black-and-white Gunsmoke episodes.

Joe De Santis plays Holly's father. His performance is particularly notable. He is in bed in every scene where he appears, but he plays the role with such intensity the viewer can easily empathize with his agony. De Santis returned for three more episodes of Gunsmoke.

Actor Wright King was another veteran of the television western. He portrays the Ben Walling character in this story. He would appear seven more times in Gunsmoke stories. A few years after this episode was produced, he had a recurring role in the series Wanted: Dead or Alive where he played the bounty hunter Josh Randall's (portrayed by Steve McQueen) sidekick, Jason Nichols.

This story -- which was adapted from one of the radio episodes -- is pure John Meston with its raw, brutal depiction of rural life in the middle and late 1800s. The acting is outstanding at every turn. The discussion between Matt and Mr. Hawtree over how the amputation will be performed is not for the squeamish. In fact, television does not get much more unsettling than this. The writing and direction are masterful in depicting an extremely grim situation without engaging in graphic images. Even the name of the episode is cringe worthy -- but in a good way.

Although I'm a big fan of T. V. Westerns of the 50s and 60s and started watching T. V. around 1957 (age 4). I don't remember watching more than three or four episodes while it was being aired., 1955-1975 I watched the first dozen episodes this week on "Pluto" channel on my Roku T. V. which is running them for free. They are so good, I've decided to watch all 20 seasons in order.

I thought this was the best of the first dozen episodes I watched, although most of them were quite excellent. This one takes a surprising turn in just about every scene. The story keeps changing and it is constantly throwing you off-balance. This is one of the great strengths of the episodes I've watched, just when you think you know where the story is going, you get thrown a curve ball. You think this one is going to be about Sheriff Matt Dillon and sidekick Chester Good surviving in the wilderness and then it switches to them trying to help a young woman's father survive an illness.

This episode has the added benefit of having one of my favorite 50s/60s actresses, Gloria Talbot, in a guess starring role. Gloria Talbot starred in tons of 50s and early 60s T. V. shows and low budget movies like "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" and was always a highlight whenever she appeared. Somebody in one of the reviews on IMDB called her a "female James Dean" and I think that well describes her.

It was clear that the creators of this episode planned to have her as a future Gunsmoke cast member, but for whatever reason her role from this episode was not continued, although she did make two other appearances as different characters in the 1960s. She was scheduled to become a regular cast member also on the early 1960s "Mr. Novak," T. V. series, but unfortunately she was injured and only appeared in the pilot episode of that show. She also made three effective appearances on three episodes of Steve McQueen's "Wanted Dead or Alive" later in the 1950s.