Drew Holt has opened a new bank in Dodge City, but a man claiming to be a former Union military General begins making claims that Holt is a crook and should not be trusted. Marshal Matt Dillon can find no reason to believe the assertions by the man who says he is General Parsley Smith. Even Mr. Botkin at the established bank in Dodge welcomes Mr. Holt and a second bank in the town.
Once Matt begins to further investigate the matter, he discovers General Smith is a notorious pathological liar and may not even be who he says he is. Doc Adams is consulted, because the General claims he served in the Third Illinois Calvary, which was the same unit in which Doc served.
While the Marshal learns Parsley Smith cannot be trusted to tell the truth, he also discovers Mr. Holt has hired a gunman named Nash as a bank guard. Matt knows Nash's reputation and is suspicious of Holt's association with the gunfighter.
Raymond Bailey makes the first of two appearances in the series as the strange General Parsley Smith character. Bailey was a popular guest star in many televisions shows -- including most of the westerns -- in the 1950s and early 1960s. Of course, a toupee-wearing Bailey would later become famous for playing the role of Milburn Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies during the entire run of that series.
Little-used actor James O'Rear portrays Drew Holt in his only Gunsmoke appearance. John Alderson plays the gunfighter named Nash in one of his three guest roles in the series. Alderson appeared in several television westerns, and was even a regular in the obscure, syndicated series Boots and Saddles.
This is the first appearance in the series for the character Mr. Botkin, who is the president of the Dodge City Bank. In this episode, Wilfred Knapp plays the character. The character would be played by several other actors over the entire run of the series.
This is a quirky story full of surprises and intrigue. Even after the story ends, some of the mystery remains unsolved.
