Obie Tater

Most of the career of Royal Dano consisted of playing various types of of dim-witted, genetically deficient, inbred, web-footed, backwoods hillbillies, mountain folks, or miners. In this episode, Dano plays Obie Tater, an ignorant uncultured miner who might be rich. Dano specialized in mumbling his lines, looking pathetic, and walking with a creepy shuffling gait. Here he focuses on mumbling like he is talking with a piece of sausage in his mouth.

Obie starts out by getting attacked by some bandits looking for his gold. Then he is seduced by a gold-digging saloon gal. Dano played the same role a few years later in an episode of Wanted: Dead or Alive, called "The Matchmaker" (season 2, episode 3, 1959). Marshal Dillon is trying to help Obie (Royal Dano) find the thugs who tried to rob him.

As Dillon takes Obie into the Longbranch Saloon to look around, Obie stops in his tracks. Obie gasps when he sees women, and says "I ain't spoke to a woman in years." Obie has a full beard, and he looks like he has never taken a bath, and is full of lice. The saloon gal that Obie likes says a few nice things to Obie, but she looks at him with a combination of disgust and horror. A day later Obie marries her. He tells Marshal Dillon that it was love at first sight. When Dillon suggests that she might be in it for his money, Obie gets offended. It would have been great if Obie had done the famous Billy Bob Thornton Sling Blade line and said "Obie Taters wants pertaters."

A couple of weeks later, Dillon and Chester ride out to see how Obie is doing, and his wife and her two friends have him cornered in the barn, fighting for his life. Dillon and Chester try to help Obie, and he apologizes to Dillon for not trusting Dillon's advice. At that point the exciting climax is triggered, and all hell breaks loose, including a lynching, gun-fight, violence against women, and more. The ending was chock full of action, drama, and tragedy.

This beautiful co-star has only two credits for her career, but served a much greater role in life, as the wife of Louis L'Amour, who, together with her sons, managed Mr. L'Amour's catalogue! Kathy married L'Amour in 1956, and traveled throughout the world with him, until his death in 1988. She and her son Beau maintain the Louis L'Amour website.

Obie Tater lives alone on a farm near Dodge City. Tater settled there after spending some time prospecting in California. A rumor has spread that Obie found gold in California and is a wealthy man, but he denies such claims.

Two men arrive at Obie's farm with plans to steal his fortune. When he denies having any gold, they lasso him and drag him as a form of torture. Through it all, Tater continues to deny he has any gold.

Later, Obie visits Dodge and meets Ella Mills, a new employee working with Kitty Russell at the Long Branch Saloon. Obie is immediately love struck when he is introduced to Ella, and Ella is a willing participant in a one-sided romance because of the rumors about Obie's wealth. Obie realizes the woman is probably not in love with him, but he loves her. They soon marry, despite reservations expressed by Obie's friends.

Matt Dillon is suspicious of Ella's motives and the coincidence of her arrival in Dodge at the same time as the two men who assaulted Obie. When Matt shares his suspicions with Obie, Obie refuses to accept Matt's assertions and becomes angry with the Marshal.

Versatile actor Royal Dano portrays Obie Tater in this story. Anyone who has watched any television from the 1950s through the 1980s is likely familiar with Dano's extensive work. He was immensely talented and could play the most sinister villain as well as silly, comedic roles. Including this appearance, Dano participated in thirteen different Gunsmoke episodes, and those roles ran the gamut of his acting range.

Kathy Adams fills the role of Ella Mills. Adams was an aspiring actress when this episode was produced, but she met and married author Louis L'Amour which led to her quitting acting. This appearance is one of her only two acting credits.

The two would-be thieves are played by Jon Shepodd and Pat Conway. This episode is Shepodd's only Gunsmoke appearance. His biggest role during his short acting career was as the character Paul Martin for one season of the series Lassie. He was replaced the following season by actor Hugh Reilly.

Pat Conway plays the man named Quade. He appeared in four Gunsmoke episodes. Conway would soon begin starring as Sheriff Clay Hollister in the series Tombstone Territory, which originally aired on ABC, although a third season aired in syndication.

This is a profoundly sad episode, particularly because Obie Tater is such a naïve, trusting, almost childlike character. When Quade and Mitch ride into Tater's farm with intentions of stealing his gold, Obie is friendly and accommodating. When he meets Ella, he refuses to listen to anyone expressing caution. He only wants to think of her as a kind, loving person. He wants to believe the best about everyone.

Dano plays the Obie Tater role perfectly. His wry smile, piercing eyes, and lanky frame combined with the "aw shucks" demeanor Dano uses are quite convincing.

Variations of this theme of a man so trusting that others deceive and use him would be repeated in future episodes of Gunsmoke, as well as a plethora of other series, some which were not westerns. The story also explores the human longing for love, and its ability to diminish material desires, which is a timeless notion.

Here is a sad tale that will pull at the old heart-strings as we have a rancher that has settled outside Dodge by the name of Obie Tater (Royal Dano). It seems that Obie had been out in California and had mined a little gold before making his way back east to Dodge. He spend the gold on a nice stretch of land and is living out his days as a farmer. But the rumor around town is that Obie still has a large amount of gold hidden around his house.

One afternoon two cowboys ride up to Obie's house and are set to rob him. When Obie tells them that he no longer has any money they decide to tie him up and drag him around the prairie. And all the time Obie is telling them he has no gold left.

Three weeks later Obie rides into Dodge and explains to Matt what has happened. They start walking around Dodge in order to see if Obie can identify anyone in town as the two cowboys. They come into the Long Branch where this saloon girl, Ella Mills, takes a shine to Obie. The assault is long forgotten as Obie and Ella start talking and before long they are married.

Marshal Dillon is suspicious of Ella and tells Obie that she may be mixed up with the cowboys. Obie refuses to believe what Matt is saying and the couple ride off to Obie's farm. It is not long before the two cowboys return.

This is a very entertaining, yet sad, episode that was very well played by all the actors. James Arness is settling down in his role and seems comfortable playing the Marshal. Royal Dano, especially at the end, gives a nice performance as the man that was used and abused. Overall a very nice show.

With his mournful voice, sad eyes, and cadaverous body, Royal Dano, doesn't look or sound like anyone else. He was best playing a victim of one kind or another. Here, he plays the hapless Obie Taylor, a lonely farmer said to have brought back a pile of gold from his time in the California gold rush. Trouble is that he denies it in a convincing way and certainly doesn't look like he has a dime. Nonetheless, the hidden gold rumor reaches the usual greedy types and two of them drag Obie, hoping he'll reveal the location. Now the marshal is interested, even as Obie is smitten by comely saloon girl Ella (Kathy Adams) who makes eyes at him.

Final scene gives the inimitable Dano a chance to tug at everyone's heart-strings. I still remember his portrayal of Abe Lincoln on the old Omnibus show, probably the most moving portrayal ever. Anyway, it's a pretty good entry, waiting around to see what will happen to Dano. In passing-- I didn't know Dodge stocked up on Maidenform bra's, but Miss Adams certainly sports an uplift model. In fact, the last shot looks like the two biggest peaks in the flat state of Kansas-- so, hang around, guys.