Chester has been writing to a mail-order bride who is now coming to Dodge to marry him. What Chester has neglected to tell Matt and Doc is that the picture he sent her wasn't his but the mar... Read allChester has been writing to a mail-order bride who is now coming to Dodge to marry him. What Chester has neglected to tell Matt and Doc is that the picture he sent her wasn't his but the marshal's.Chester has been writing to a mail-order bride who is now coming to Dodge to marry him. What Chester has neglected to tell Matt and Doc is that the picture he sent her wasn't his but the marshal's.
Russell Thorson
- Brady
- (as Russ Thorson)
Benjie Bancroft
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Fred Carson
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Albert Cavens
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Charles King
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Jimmy Noel
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Suzanne Ridgway
- Townswoman
- (uncredited)
Russ Thompson
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Jack Tornek
- Barber
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMilburn Stone's character of 'Doc Adam's is very well read. He makes two references to Sir Walter Scott. He utters a Scott quote: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." And later refers to Chester as a Tin Horn Lochinvar. This Lochinvar was a fictional romantic hero of the ballad Marmion (1808) by Sir Walter Scott.
- GoofsEven though Joel Ashley's character is credited with the first name Linus, throughout the entire show he is referred to as Nate. Nate is the same character he played in the earlier entry The Big Broad (1956).
- Crazy creditsJoel Ashley's character is referred to as "Nate" throughout the episode; however, in the end credits it is listed as "Linus".
Featured review
Chester Gets a Hard Dose of Reality
Chester Goode has been corresponding with a woman from Philadelphia. When she sent Chester her picture, Chester responded by sending her a picture of Matt Dillon. Now the woman is traveling to Dodge City intending to marry the man in the picture.
When Matt notices Chester is in an unusually nervous mood, Chester confesses his dilemma. Matt agrees to meet the woman at the stage depot, but he tells Chester he will have to explain the sticky situation to the woman. When the woman - whose name is Ann Smithwright - arrives, Matt discovers the woman is not the woman in the picture Chester provided. Miss Smithwright sent a picture of her older sister.
Once the awkward circumstances are confronted and resolved, Chester and Ann spend some time together and soon agree to an engagement. They plan to marry and become homesteaders. Unfortunately, Chester and his friends do not know the whole story about Miss Smithwright.
Mary Carver portrays Ann Smithwright in this story. Carver would return for three additional episodes over the run of the series. Her final Gunsmoke appearance takes place in Season 8's "Daddy Went Away" where she again plays a woman with whom Chester develops a romance. The actress later appeared in both McCloud and Stone, two subsequent series that starred Dennis Weaver.
Joel Ashley makes his second Gunsmoke appearance in this episode. He plays a character credited as "Linus," but during the story he is called Nate. In his previous appearance, he played a character named Nate. Ashley appeared in four Gunsmoke episodes over the first four seasons.
Russell Thorson also plays a role in his second Gunsmoke episode. Here he plays a Pinkerton detective named Brady. Thorson can be seen in a total of four Gunsmoke episodes. His last appearance was in Season 10.
This story begins on a lighthearted note with Chester caught in a mess of his own making (numerous sitcoms have used a similar premise), but the story takes a decidedly dark turn as it progresses. This will be true of a few other Gunsmoke installments during the years where Chester was a character on the show. In many ways, Chester Goode was a sad, pathetic character. He was always broke, he repeatedly struggled with romantic relationships, and he clearly relied heavily on Matt Dillon's help to make his way in the world.
There are a few notable incidents in this story:
Dennis Weaver provides a wonderful performance in this episode, as he often would throughout this series and everything he attempted later. His acting range extended far beyond the Chester Goode character. It is understandable why he chose to leave the series and explore other opportunities.
There is not anything in the way of gunfights or threats of violence in this story. That fact also made the original broadcast of this episode unique in the series at this early stage. Even an episode like the earlier "Magnus" included unnecessary blatantly violent events, possibly because the writers and producers thought audiences would not accept a western without such scenes.
When Matt notices Chester is in an unusually nervous mood, Chester confesses his dilemma. Matt agrees to meet the woman at the stage depot, but he tells Chester he will have to explain the sticky situation to the woman. When the woman - whose name is Ann Smithwright - arrives, Matt discovers the woman is not the woman in the picture Chester provided. Miss Smithwright sent a picture of her older sister.
Once the awkward circumstances are confronted and resolved, Chester and Ann spend some time together and soon agree to an engagement. They plan to marry and become homesteaders. Unfortunately, Chester and his friends do not know the whole story about Miss Smithwright.
Mary Carver portrays Ann Smithwright in this story. Carver would return for three additional episodes over the run of the series. Her final Gunsmoke appearance takes place in Season 8's "Daddy Went Away" where she again plays a woman with whom Chester develops a romance. The actress later appeared in both McCloud and Stone, two subsequent series that starred Dennis Weaver.
Joel Ashley makes his second Gunsmoke appearance in this episode. He plays a character credited as "Linus," but during the story he is called Nate. In his previous appearance, he played a character named Nate. Ashley appeared in four Gunsmoke episodes over the first four seasons.
Russell Thorson also plays a role in his second Gunsmoke episode. Here he plays a Pinkerton detective named Brady. Thorson can be seen in a total of four Gunsmoke episodes. His last appearance was in Season 10.
This story begins on a lighthearted note with Chester caught in a mess of his own making (numerous sitcoms have used a similar premise), but the story takes a decidedly dark turn as it progresses. This will be true of a few other Gunsmoke installments during the years where Chester was a character on the show. In many ways, Chester Goode was a sad, pathetic character. He was always broke, he repeatedly struggled with romantic relationships, and he clearly relied heavily on Matt Dillon's help to make his way in the world.
There are a few notable incidents in this story:
- Chester is normally an easy-going, friendly type, but this story reveals he can be a belligerent drunk.
- Matt paints an extremely ugly picture of the realities of homesteading during that time.
- Kitty Russell once again manages to express doubts about any possibilities of marriage in her future. It is interesting how often the writers include references to Kitty's matrimonial interests in this first season.
Dennis Weaver provides a wonderful performance in this episode, as he often would throughout this series and everything he attempted later. His acting range extended far beyond the Chester Goode character. It is understandable why he chose to leave the series and explore other opportunities.
There is not anything in the way of gunfights or threats of violence in this story. That fact also made the original broadcast of this episode unique in the series at this early stage. Even an episode like the earlier "Magnus" included unnecessary blatantly violent events, possibly because the writers and producers thought audiences would not accept a western without such scenes.
helpful•31
- wdavidreynolds
- Dec 15, 2021
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3
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