No Indians

"No Indians" is as chilling a tale as anything one could imagine. The tale makes my blood run cold.

Technically, it's so very well done. The story, the dialog, the acting. Dennis Weaver as Chester played his role particularly well due to who Chester is, typically. He was asked to carry out a duty that he found very difficult on several levels. The reasons become apparent as the story unfolds.

I choose to avoid spoilers so I shan't continue too far. I am very familiar with all 20 years of Gunsmoke. "No Indians" is very VERY high on my list.

James Arness hit a grand slam as he portrayed a human being faced with having to make choices that no human should ever have to make. He seemingly goes forth with conviction nonetheless. While Chester is more unsure, more hesitant, it's all more evident; Matt chose to devote his life to law and justice. Matt appears to be certain as to the task before him, unequivocally.

I believe the best of our officers today walk in his footsteps. To me, James Arness portrayed Matt Dillon just THAT WELL. Not as some comic book, two dimensional character. So much of why Gunsmoke remains fresh after 65+ years can be experienced in this episode, "No Indians."

Reports of Pawnee raiding homesteaders around Dodge City are rampant. When they attack, they leave no one alive. The victims -- even the children -- are all scalped.

Matt finds the news about the raids suspicious. Much of the evidence left behind after the attacks is not in keeping with normal Pawnee practices. For example, young, pre-teen boys have been killed, but Matt knows the Pawnee normally take younger boys captive and assimilate them into their culture. Matt contends the raids are being conducted by white men, and they are attempting to make it look as though Pawnee are responsible.

An inexperienced Calvary officer has been dispatched from Fort Dodge to try to eliminate the threat from the Pawnee. Matt convinces Captain Starr the slaughter is not the work of the Pawnee. The furious Marshal sets a trap for the raiders using himself and Chester as bait.

There are a couple of early scenes that have little to do with the primary story, but they are nice touches. Chester Goode and Doc begin by chatting casually as they often do. Chester is sweet on Arie O'Dell, whose father is a blacksmith. When Chester sees Arie outside a Dodge storefront, he begins to tell Doc how nice she is. The subsequent scene between Dennis Weaver and Fintan Meyler is charming. Meyler appeared in three Gunsmoke episodes and can be seen in several westerns.

Actor Dick Rich makes his first Gunsmoke appearance with this story. He plays the frightened homesteader Sam Butler. Rich would play roles in six more episodes over the next few years.

Herbert Rudley plays the Calvary Captain Starr. Rudley appeared in this and one other Gunsmoke episode later in Season 2. Mickey Simpson makes his only Gunsmoke appearance as the character known as Stapp. Simpson and Rudley also appeared together in an episode of The Rifleman.

The evolution of the Gunsmoke characters is on full display here. James Arness imbues the Matt Dillon character with a range of emotion that was missing in most of the Season 1 episodes. Dennis Weaver was such an underrated talent, and it is on full display in this story.

One of the great aspects of these early season episodes is the lack of convention present as compared to other series and even later installments of Gunsmoke. It is difficult to imagine Matt Dillon of Season 20 doing what he does in this episode. It is shocking. There is a definite "the ends justifies the means" element involved, and it raises the question of whether law enforcement officials should be able to do what Matt does. It makes for fascinating, thought-provoking material.

(U. S. Marshals had to prepare reports for actions they took, especially where someone was killed by their actions. What did Matt say about his actions in this situation?)

This is the first Gunsmoke episode broadcast where Norman MacDonnell is credited as the sole Producer. Charles Marquis Warren had produced every episode broadcast in the series prior to this installment. There would still be two more episodes shown where Warren was the Producer because the episodes were not always broadcast in the order they were produced. For the same reason, this episode is the second in production order where MacDonnell is credited as the sole Producer. "Cholera" was the first, but it was broadcast later. MacDonnell had been credited as Associate Producer in the other Season 2 stories where Warren was the Producer.

There's been a rash of Pawnee raids on settlers, women, children and men, and people are disgruntled by a lack of action, but it's something that one of them says that prompts Matt to head out to look things over.

The dead folk are way from the buildings, a 12 year old boy is killed ( usually Pawnees take them to make them into braves) and the hoof tracks are wiped out. Matt strongly suspects that it is actually white men who are responsible for these "Indian raids". Together with Chester he acts as decoy to ambush the outlaws.

One Captain asks why would a white man scalp children? And Matt sagely replies, " should I remind you of Sand Creek and Chivington where injun folk were scalped."

James Arness is really one angry dude here and he lets it rip with the guns, ambushing the whites pretending to be Pawnees. Very good acting. It's quite action-packed finale.

This episode is unique in that Matt Dillon is shown wanting to get the bandits at any cost and be darn with the rules of law enforcement. It will be Marshal Dillon that opens fire on six men entering his zone without identifying himself or even giving a chance for the bandits to surrender. Something that is non-existent in later episodes.

What is going happening around Dodge is that families are being killed and scalped which leads the people to believe that the Pawnee Indians are on the warpath. But when Matt and Chester ride out to investigate with the Fort Dodge Cavalry, what Matt sees make him believe that it is not Indian but white men killing these families.

Matt suggest to the inexperienced Cavalry Captain is that Chester and him will be used as bait in order to see if they can draw the bandits out of hiding. But in using themselves as bait their life will be mortal danger as the bandits have already killed entire families including boys and girls in order to gain their loot.

A nice view into the human side of Matt Dillon. Even with the questionable acting by some member in the cast the show held up well. A different view of life in the wild untamed west. Good watch

One of the best episodes of the 2nd season. I love it when the bad guys get their 'just desserts, everyone does. Matt & Chester get into some wholesale slaughter of some very evil men and if you are like me you will find yourself cheering when the bad guys get theirs. Matt laments not being able to gun them all down.