User Reviews

Episode Listed on METv as Kitty held Hostage ! I will always Remembered The lead Gunman as the Character Frank Nitti to on the Untouchables with Robert Stack as Eliot Ness !

Not one of writer Meston's better scripts. The Gunther brothers kidnap Kitty during a bank robbery and hold her hostage, while an anxious Matt and Chester trail them out of town. Jed's (Gordon) one mean hombre, while brother Billy (Conway) is a little on the slow side. So Kitty is in a bad spot.

The whole story revolves around rescuing Kitty, which does generate suspense. But there's no trademark character development or complexity. Then too, events lead up to a thoroughly pedestrian climax. All in all, it's the kind of story that I suspect most screenwriters could do in their sleep. It's also the kind of story you could find on any one of the many lesser western series of the day.

Upon reading the plot, I thought this could be one of the better episode in the season. However I was not really impressed with this show. The only thing I found interesting in this episode is- somewhere in the show Matt does not give his familiar warning like "Hold it!", "Stop" or any number of warnings phrases. Matt shoots first and ask questions later.

Anyway, Matt has word that the Gunther Brother, that rob banks, are heading toward Dodge. Matt goes to talk with Mr Botkins about hiring security. On his way he runs into Kitty and she walks with him to the bank. Before Matt gets through talking with the bank manager, the Gunther boys rob the bank and take Kitty hostage in order to get out of town.

The Gunther boys consist of hardcore bandit Jed and his simple minded brother Billy. As soon as they are out of Dodge, Matt and Chester ride out to bring Kitty back no matter how far it takes them.

Perhaps I was expecting too much from the episode. It did have a lot of action but the story just did not have anything new that separates it from so many other shows with the same plot.

One gripe I have about Gunsmoke. On many episodes, Matt, or Chester, or Kitty, or Doc are all or one or 2 of them are held captive by a thug or thugs. The thugs will kill one of them at the drop of a hat. What do they do? They talk back to the thugs which could make the thugs kill one of them. In one episode Matt is tied up and can't do a thing but is talking very rough to a thug. In this episode Kitty is held captive by 2 thugs. What does she do ? She talks rough to them and later throws hot coffee in one of the thug's face. In real life that thug would have shot her or at least given her a beating. But this is fantasy TV, not real life. Still I love this show but this thing of talking back while held captive happens too often and I consider it a writing flaw that is very common throughout the series.

Jed Gunther and his intellectually impaired younger brother Billy have made their way to Dodge City with the intention of robbing the bank. (Of all the towns scattered throughout the Midwest, why criminals would choose to rob a bank in the town where Matt Dillon is present is puzzling.)

As luck would have it, Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell had stopped at the bank on their way to Delmonico's for breakfast just before the Gunthers entered.

Note: In earlier episodes, the signage on the bank labeled it as "Botkin's Bank." In this episode, the signs read, "Dodge City Bank," and "Bank of Dodge City." However, Matt refers to it as "Botkin's Bank' early in the episode.

Second note: Kitty makes an obscure reference to eggs that have not been "water glassed." She is saying the eggs are fresh. Water glassing eggs is an old technique used to preserve eggs for an extended period by covering them in water mixed with either sodium silicate (hence, the term "water glassed") or lime. People would not have refrigerated eggs in the late 1800s, and water glassing allowed eggs to be stored for longer periods. Delmonico's must have acquired some fresh eggs, and Kitty wants to enjoy them.

The Gunthers take Kitty hostage, and Jed takes Matt's gun. He assures Matt if he attempts to follow them, he will shoot Kitty with Matt's gun. Matt faces the challenge of capturing the brothers while preventing harm to Kitty.

Bruce Gordon, who usually played a heavy of some type, makes the first of three appearances in the Gunsmoke series in this story. He portrays Jed Gunther, another of those depraved types John Meston often includes in his stories. This episode was filmed shortly before Gordon would begin playing gangster Frank Nitti on The Untouchables.

Pat Conway makes his first Gunsmoke appearance since he played a character in the early Season 1 entry "Obie Tater." Conway plays Bill Gunther in this story. Conway was starring in the series Tombstone Territory during the time this episode was produced.

William Keene takes a turn at playing Mr. Botkin in his only Gunsmoke appearance. Fans of The Andy Griffith Show will recognize Keene as the pastor of the church in Mayberry over several episodes of that series.

This story marks the first of a few different abductions for the Kitty Russell character over the course of the series. Amanda Blake does what she can with the material provided.

Unfortunately, this story is too formulaic, and it never manages to generate much in the way of suspense or intrigue. The characters are caricatures. They lack any humanity or nuance. There is never much doubt about the outcome, and even that is handled in an abrupt manner. If not for the choice Matt makes in resolving the situation, this could have been a script better suited to a series like The Lone Ranger than Gunsmoke.