Matt Dillon is severely injured in an exchange of gunfire with an outlaw he was pursuing. The outlaw is killed in the fight. Fortunately for the Marshal, an Indian "hide hunter" finds Matt and nurses his wounds.
Back in Dodge City, Festus Haggen is the acting Deputy U. S. Marshal while Matt is away. An enterprising businessman named Sam Wall has formed Ford County Cattleman's Cooperative with a group of Dodge newcomers, including a man named Eriksson who acts as Wall's muscle. This rogue organization seeks to profit from the seasonal groups of drovers that bring cattle into the town for sale.
When a couple on their way to California arrive in Dodge with Marshal Dillon's horse and a story of burying a big man they found dead in the canyons outside the town, the townspeople conclude Matt is dead. This gives Wall and his "Cooperative" the opportunity to seize control of the town and further impose their Draconian measures to control access to the grazing lands the drovers use around Dodge City.
This story provides one of the more compelling tales of Season 13. I recommend reading reviewer grizzledgeezer's take on this episode for a better thematic analysis.
The guest stars in this episode are up to the typically excellent Gunsmoke standards. John Dehner makes one of his many Gunsmoke appearances as the mastermind Sam Wall. Gunnar Hellstrom directed over thirty episodes of Gunsmoke, all during the time the show appeared in color, but this is the only episode where he is among the cast members. Hellstrom fills the role of Eriksson with the appropriate level of ambitious nastiness.
There are a number of minor characters in the episode, including a group of men from Texas, one of whom is mistaken for a cattle rustler and arrested. The group is led by man named Fry, who is played by Gregg Palmer. Palmer was a frequent Gunsmoke guest. Steve Raines is another actor that fits in that same category of frequents guests. In this episode he appears in one scene as a drover Eriksson shakes down.
Another highlight of this episode is all the Dodge City regulars that appear. Ted Jordan as Nathan Burke, Woody Chambliss as Lathrop, James Nusser as Louie Pheeters, Hank Patterson as Hank, and Kelton Garwood as Percy Crump all have small roles in the story.
In many Gunsmoke episodes of this period, it is rare to see the entire starring cast featured prominently. It is more common for the focus to be on one or two of the stars while the others are either completely absent or only seen briefly. However, this episode features everyone as substantial characters in the story: Kitty Russell, Doc Adams, Festus Haggen, and even Newly O'Brien and Sam Noonan provide vital plot elements.
As this episode follows a few that were arguably not up to the usual standards for the series, it is nice to see an episode that is thought-provoking, full of action, well written, and superbly directed and acted.
Back in Dodge City, Festus Haggen is the acting Deputy U. S. Marshal while Matt is away. An enterprising businessman named Sam Wall has formed Ford County Cattleman's Cooperative with a group of Dodge newcomers, including a man named Eriksson who acts as Wall's muscle. This rogue organization seeks to profit from the seasonal groups of drovers that bring cattle into the town for sale.
When a couple on their way to California arrive in Dodge with Marshal Dillon's horse and a story of burying a big man they found dead in the canyons outside the town, the townspeople conclude Matt is dead. This gives Wall and his "Cooperative" the opportunity to seize control of the town and further impose their Draconian measures to control access to the grazing lands the drovers use around Dodge City.
This story provides one of the more compelling tales of Season 13. I recommend reading reviewer grizzledgeezer's take on this episode for a better thematic analysis.
The guest stars in this episode are up to the typically excellent Gunsmoke standards. John Dehner makes one of his many Gunsmoke appearances as the mastermind Sam Wall. Gunnar Hellstrom directed over thirty episodes of Gunsmoke, all during the time the show appeared in color, but this is the only episode where he is among the cast members. Hellstrom fills the role of Eriksson with the appropriate level of ambitious nastiness.
There are a number of minor characters in the episode, including a group of men from Texas, one of whom is mistaken for a cattle rustler and arrested. The group is led by man named Fry, who is played by Gregg Palmer. Palmer was a frequent Gunsmoke guest. Steve Raines is another actor that fits in that same category of frequents guests. In this episode he appears in one scene as a drover Eriksson shakes down.
Another highlight of this episode is all the Dodge City regulars that appear. Ted Jordan as Nathan Burke, Woody Chambliss as Lathrop, James Nusser as Louie Pheeters, Hank Patterson as Hank, and Kelton Garwood as Percy Crump all have small roles in the story.
In many Gunsmoke episodes of this period, it is rare to see the entire starring cast featured prominently. It is more common for the focus to be on one or two of the stars while the others are either completely absent or only seen briefly. However, this episode features everyone as substantial characters in the story: Kitty Russell, Doc Adams, Festus Haggen, and even Newly O'Brien and Sam Noonan provide vital plot elements.
As this episode follows a few that were arguably not up to the usual standards for the series, it is nice to see an episode that is thought-provoking, full of action, well written, and superbly directed and acted.