Carey Post is an outlaw, and he is drunk. When he sees Matt Dillon on the Dodge City streets, he shoots and wounds the marshal before riding away. Doc Adams patches up Matt, and when he has healed, Matt and Chester Goode ride to Elkader where Matt knows Post lives.
In Elkader, Matt, who has removed his badge to prevent the people from knowing he is a U. S. Marshal, and Chester meet Cicero Grimes, the town drunk. Grimes tells them a U. S. Marshal named Joe Phy arrived in Elkader about a month earlier, and Phy has put a stop to any gunplay. Cicero warns Matt - since he looks like he might be a gunfighter - that Phy will run him out of town.
Sure enough, when Joe Phy sees Matt and Chester, he warns them against any attempts at gun fighting. He tells them he will kill them both if they try to do anything to disrupt the peace in the town. Of course, Matt knows Phy is not a U. S. Marshal, but he does not know why the motivation behind the man's act.
Matt's biggest problem is he wants to arrest Carey Post, but he knows Post will not ride into Elkader if he knows Phy is there. Marshal Dillon needs Post to think it is safe to come into town. That will entail the ending of Phy's authoritarian reign over the town.
Paul Richards returns for another Gunsmoke guest role. Richards has the distinction of being the first character to shoot Matt Dillon in the series premiere "Matt Gets It." This is the third of four appearances Richards makes in the series. He is excellent as the mysterious Joe Phy character and showing the range of characteristics -- the tough façade hiding the more vulnerable man underneath.
Morey Amsterdam makes his only Gunsmoke guest appearance as the character Cicero Grimes. Amsterdam appeared in a few different westerns prior to gaining fame playing the wise-cracking Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s. It is notable that Amsterdam appeared in the episode immediately following the episode where his Van Dyke co-star Rose Marie guested. Amsterdam is surprisingly good in this role. Without the Buddy Sorrell trademark vest and loosened tie, it may take the viewer a bit to recognize the actor.
William Kendis plays the Carey Post character in his only Gunsmoke appearance.
This entertaining story features a unique premise. It is not so much about Marshal Dillon apprehending Post as it is a clever mystery surrounding Joe Phy. However, the story does introduce some questionable elements:
In Elkader, Matt, who has removed his badge to prevent the people from knowing he is a U. S. Marshal, and Chester meet Cicero Grimes, the town drunk. Grimes tells them a U. S. Marshal named Joe Phy arrived in Elkader about a month earlier, and Phy has put a stop to any gunplay. Cicero warns Matt - since he looks like he might be a gunfighter - that Phy will run him out of town.
Sure enough, when Joe Phy sees Matt and Chester, he warns them against any attempts at gun fighting. He tells them he will kill them both if they try to do anything to disrupt the peace in the town. Of course, Matt knows Phy is not a U. S. Marshal, but he does not know why the motivation behind the man's act.
Matt's biggest problem is he wants to arrest Carey Post, but he knows Post will not ride into Elkader if he knows Phy is there. Marshal Dillon needs Post to think it is safe to come into town. That will entail the ending of Phy's authoritarian reign over the town.
Paul Richards returns for another Gunsmoke guest role. Richards has the distinction of being the first character to shoot Matt Dillon in the series premiere "Matt Gets It." This is the third of four appearances Richards makes in the series. He is excellent as the mysterious Joe Phy character and showing the range of characteristics -- the tough façade hiding the more vulnerable man underneath.
Morey Amsterdam makes his only Gunsmoke guest appearance as the character Cicero Grimes. Amsterdam appeared in a few different westerns prior to gaining fame playing the wise-cracking Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s. It is notable that Amsterdam appeared in the episode immediately following the episode where his Van Dyke co-star Rose Marie guested. Amsterdam is surprisingly good in this role. Without the Buddy Sorrell trademark vest and loosened tie, it may take the viewer a bit to recognize the actor.
William Kendis plays the Carey Post character in his only Gunsmoke appearance.
This entertaining story features a unique premise. It is not so much about Marshal Dillon apprehending Post as it is a clever mystery surrounding Joe Phy. However, the story does introduce some questionable elements:
- Since Phy is not really a U. S. Marshal, how does he earn a living? He might be able to get by for a brief time without being paid, but it would not be sustainable for a man who had been a farmer in Ohio before arriving in Elkader.
- How does Phy expect to maintain his charade over the long term? It is only a matter of time before some gunfighter decides to challenge him, especially with the tough guy image he uses to bluff others.
- Why is Marshal Dillon's trickery required? Couldn't Matt simply talk with Phy privately? Needlessly involving Cicero Grimes in the scheme to expose Phy seems not only dangerous, but unethical.
- Why is Matt content to wait in Elkader for Post to show up? He is leaving Dodge with no law enforcement for an extended period. (Chester says they were "pounding around on the prairie for nigh on up to a week" when they arrived in Elkader, and later, he states they have been in Elkader for a week. That is at least two weeks away from Dodge. Assuming Elkader is a week's ride away from Dodge, it will be another week before Matt returns.)