User Reviews

I found this episode to be highly entertaining and not for the fact that Charles Bronson was in the cast but because it was a interesting story with a spectacular ending.

The story sets up well as two men have been having a feud for some time. Ben Tiple (Bronson) and Will Gibbs are the two involved. Gibbs accused Tiple of rustling cattle a few years back and has a dislike for him ever since. When Gibbs ends up shot in the back people in Dodge believe that Tiple was the murderer.

In comes Joe Spangler a friend of Gibbs. Spangler is a rough person that tends to beat his son, Andy, whenever the mood arises. Once while beating the young boy in the street for losing a rifle, Matt has to intervene and knock some sense into Spangler. Anyway Spangler believes that Marshal Dillon has not arrested Tiple because they are friends and vows to take the law into his own hands. Then comes the ending......

A well written script that entertained throughout. A story that when the credit rolled the viewer felt pleased for watching. Somehow you felt it was going to be a better life for the character in the story. An entertaining episode.

Matt's really put to the test here when it looks like his friend is guilty of murder. The climax comes quickly as it usually does in these 30 minute shows. The ending had a twist that I certainly didn't see coming.

"Lost Rifle" is a predictable story bolstered by the presence of Charles Bronson, making his second and final appearance on the series, since the first season's "The Killer." Doing a sympathetic turn as Ben Tiple, hellraising buddy of Matt Dillon, repaying their friendship by performing the occasional odd job free of charge, and followed around by a devoted teenage boy, Andy Spangler (Paul Engel). Matt comes to Ben's aid when Will Gibbs (Tom Greenway) tries to rile him up, continuing a three year old feud that began when Will accused Ben of rustling his cattle. A short time later, Matt and Chester discover Will's dead body, shot in the back, which is not the way Ben would have shot him. Joe Spangler (Lew Gallo), Andy's father, convinced that Ben is guilty, is determined to take charge if Matt does not. Doc and Kitty make only token appearances.

Average episode distinguished by presence of Charles Bronson in a rare--for the time--good guy role. Tough guy Gibbs is feuding with Tiple (Bronson) but then Gibbs turns up shot in the back. Town thinks Tiple did it and pressures Matt to arrest his friend. Matt doesn't think so, but what's he to do.

The premise of Matt having to arrest a friend is a fairly familiar one for the series. The ending, however, shows how imaginative head writer Meston was in finding fresh poignancy in the theme. Note how Bronson and the towering Arness appear together in a full-body two-shot, accentuating Bronson's relative shortness (5'8"). I suspect that such diminishing camera angles did not happen once Bronson achieved super-star status. But like many shorter super-stars, Bronson projected a much bigger image than physical size.