With a Smile

This has one of the most powerful endings of any 'Gunsmoke' episode in the entire series. Making this episode one of the best I have seen in a very long time.

The show centers around Major Creed (RG Armstrong) who is a large land and farm owner outside of Dodge City. He has a son named Dal Creed (James Best) that happens to be a weak coward which is totally opposite from his father.

Dal happens up on the Long Branch one evening and tries to strong-arm a saloon girl named Lottie. However Lottie is in a relationship with Pat Kane who just happens to be a ex-worker of the Creed ranch that Dal got fired. Anyway Pat don't take kindly to have his girl roughed up by Dal so they get into a fist fight until broken up by Marshal Dillon.

The next night while Lottie and Pat are leaving the Long Branch, shots ring out and Lottie is killed. Chester happens up to the scene and witnesses Dal getting on his horse and riding off. So Matt and Chester go out to the Creed farm to arrest Dal.

After a guilty verdict with the penalty of hanging, Major Creed uses all his political power to try to get a retrial or pardon. When he tells Dal that all attempts so far have failed - Dal goes into a crying and whining fit that embarrasses all that witness the spectacle. His father apologizes for his son's action and begins to think of a way that his son can die with a smile on his face.

The sheriff where the hanging is to take place tells Dal that his father has paid him and others to fake the hanging. Dal will look like he was hung but will be safe under the boarded up scaffold. Upon hearing this news Dal changes from a crying coward into a arrogant bully. It will be with the flare of arrogance that Dal ascends the steps to the hangman's noose. But all is not the truth.

Whatever the reason, at the end of this episode I knew I had witnessed a great entertaining story. From the script to the acting the entire episode was solid. James Best was perfect as the coward. R.G. Armstrong was a perfect cast as the father figure. Even minor characters such as the sheriff of Hays City was brilliant to the script. One of the most solid shows in the entire 'Gunsmoke' collection.

I was always in love with Sharon Farrell (along with all the men that married her) from adolescence-on. She had a wide range, but her portrayal of wide eyed innocence is spot-on here. Linden Chiles as the noble cowpoke wronged by James Best at his smarmiest. What a cast!!! They play to type but at a perfect pace. It's so good to watch actors trained and practiced in their art! Story: somewhat run of the mill but elevated by the ensemble's performance and great guest stars! Plenty of bits for everyone to do and the director spread it around so no one misses out. Andrew McLaglen was top-notch as is evident here! Nothing touches it today!

This is one of my favorite Gunsmoke episodes! Seen it several times now but luckily i never forget the first time! Not tryna be a 🚨spoiler person🚨 so i'll just say the ending is BRILLIANT! Still recall (during first viewing) how i went from being angry and disappointed in the supposed outcome to THRILLED and, well, AMUSED when i realized what really happened. Absolutely HATED the "Dal" character but now i'm old and i see what a great actor James Best was! imo it was Mr Best who RULED this episode. Actually everyone did a terrific job in their roles but the part of Dal had to be a pussified braggart, a sniveling fool. Now, i can't imagine anyone else in that part. Just wouldn't have worked! So the actors were superb and so was the writing! lol i LOVED the ending so much that i can watch this story over & over! ... siiiiiigh ... but it will NEVER be as AWESOME as the first time!

I really liked this episode. It definitely was not what I expected and of all the episodes this one really stands out as the best. If you have not seen this one you should. Great, I was NOT expecting the ending.

....at playing weak, stupid, evil characters and he made quite a successful career doing it. Both for laughs (Roscoe P Coltrane comes to mind) and for dramatic effect. Which this episode of Gunsmoke did in spades. One the very best from Best!