When a family man lawfully kills a murderous outlaw by shooting him in the back, some people in town start to physically abuse him.When a family man lawfully kills a murderous outlaw by shooting him in the back, some people in town start to physically abuse him.When a family man lawfully kills a murderous outlaw by shooting him in the back, some people in town start to physically abuse him.
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Patti Cohoon-Friedman
- Wendy Milligan
- (as Patti Cohoon)
- Director
- Writers
- Ron Bishop
- Norman MacDonnell(uncredited)
- John Meston(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
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- GoofsWhen the kids come to see Wendy, she goes up on the porch to see her parents. There is a reflection in the front door window of a man in a white shirt.
Featured review
Cowardly or Courageous?
A farmer named John Milligan tries to get a loan at the bank in Dodge City, but the loan is refused. Shortly after Milligan leaves the bank empty-handed and still broke, the Jack Norcross gang robs the bank. As the gang leaves, Norcross tosses one of the bundles of money to Milligan. During the getaway, Festus Haggen injures one of the thieves. Matt Dillon is out of town, of course. Festus and Newly O'Brien assemble a posse to go after the criminals.
Outside Dodge, Norcross sends the rest of the gang on their way so he can find a place to care for the injured man. They find a shack and take refuge there.
Some of the members of the posse are reluctant to continue to pursue Norcross and the gang because he has a reputation as a Robin Hood type who is known to distribute some of the loot to the lesser fortunate.
(This is an odd sentiment for the time. The deposits of banks today are protected by government agencies. If a bank is robbed, the depositors do not have to worry that their funds are in any kind of danger. This was not as true during the late 1800s. Banks at that time operated more independently, and the robbery of a local bank could result in depositors losing funds. One would think the citizens of Dodge City would not be sympathetic to a thief who robs their local bank.)
Some of the posse manages to capture the gang and recover the money, but Norcross is in the shack tending to his injured partner. John Milligan had tried to join the posse, but they left him behind with his slower farm horse. Milligan happens upon the shack where Norcross is located. Although Milligan is extremely frightened, he sneaks up to a window in the shack, draws his gun, closes his eyes, and fires several times. Norcross is shot in the back and killed shortly after his injured partner had succumbed to the gunshot wound he acquired during the robbery getaway.
(Milligan's shooting of Norcross would be considered murder in most circumstances. Norcross is the proverbial sitting duck, and Milligan opens fire with no warning. However, Norcross had a "dead or alive" bounty on his head. Matt Dillon accepts Milligan's actions as legal and warranted under the circumstances.)
Festus, Newly, Nathan Burke and the other posse members hear the shooting, and find Milligan standing over the two dead men. Upon the discovery both men were shot in the back, Milligan is labeled a coward and ostracized by many of the Dodge citizenry.
Harry Morgan makes his second appearance in the series. This time, he plays the lead character John Milligan. Morgan performed this role following his recurring portrayal of Officer Bill Gannon on the late 1960's Dragnet reboot and his iconic performance as Colonel Sherman T. Potter in M*A*S*H. He also began playing the character Doc Amos B. Coogan in the short-lived series Hec Ramsey with Richard Boone around the time this story was filmed.
Actress Lynn Carlin joins the guest cast here as Janet Milligan, John's wife. Young actress Patti Cohoon returns following the two-part season debut episode "The River" to play the Milligan's daughter Wendy.
Familiar actor Joseph Campanella appears for the second and final time in the series with this episode. Here he plays the outlaw Jack Norcross, and he does so with a weird, unnecessary southern accent. Charles Macauley appears for the first time as the banker named Dofeny. Macauley returns later in Season 18 as the same character in the episode titled "Talbott." Sorrell Booke participates in his only Gunsmoke role as the schoolteacher Gerald Pandy. Booke is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the character Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg on the Dukes of Hazzard and The Dukes series in the 1980s.
The plot of this story -- a man normally consider gentle and non-violent kills a notorious outlaw only to find himself shunned by the community because of the way the outlaw was killed -- is a common trope in the Westerns genre. Almost every Westerns series explores this theme in some form. In fact, Gunsmoke has explored this theme previously, particularly in Season 10's "The Pariah" episode. (There may be other examples, but this one immediately comes to mind.)
Although this episode is built on a story that is in no way unique, the treatment here is nuanced. A good portion of the story dwells on the profound impact the incident has on Milligan and his wife and daughter, which is, in a word, brutal. Many of the people involved consider Milligan a coward, but his responses demonstrate great courage. The performances by the guest stars are excellent, especially Harry Morgan's contribution.
There are a few problematic aspects to this story, however. As the bandits ride away following the robbery, Festus fires at their backs and even hits one in what will eventually be a fatal wound. Yet, when the Milligan character shoots Norcross in the back, his actions are viewed as cowardly. No one ever accuses Festus of being a coward. (I suppose an argument could be made that Festus was shooting at fleeing robbers, while Milligan was shooting at a stationary individual. It should also be noted that everyone assumes Milligan killed both men from the window of shack, and Milligan is not sure.)
The handling of the material often leaves something to be desired. For example, there is an animal featured prominently in the story, and it is immediately obvious where the portion of the story involving the animal is going. There are other aspects of the story that are telegraphed throughout, and it comes across as condescending and perhaps a little lazy.
While the episode is set in and around the Dodge City area, this is another example of a story that has minimal involvement by the regular Gunsmoke stars. They are tangentially involved, but not vital to the story details.
The desire to end the episode on a positive note comes close to ruining the story. If the last couple of minutes would have been edited out of the episode, it would be much better.
Outside Dodge, Norcross sends the rest of the gang on their way so he can find a place to care for the injured man. They find a shack and take refuge there.
Some of the members of the posse are reluctant to continue to pursue Norcross and the gang because he has a reputation as a Robin Hood type who is known to distribute some of the loot to the lesser fortunate.
(This is an odd sentiment for the time. The deposits of banks today are protected by government agencies. If a bank is robbed, the depositors do not have to worry that their funds are in any kind of danger. This was not as true during the late 1800s. Banks at that time operated more independently, and the robbery of a local bank could result in depositors losing funds. One would think the citizens of Dodge City would not be sympathetic to a thief who robs their local bank.)
Some of the posse manages to capture the gang and recover the money, but Norcross is in the shack tending to his injured partner. John Milligan had tried to join the posse, but they left him behind with his slower farm horse. Milligan happens upon the shack where Norcross is located. Although Milligan is extremely frightened, he sneaks up to a window in the shack, draws his gun, closes his eyes, and fires several times. Norcross is shot in the back and killed shortly after his injured partner had succumbed to the gunshot wound he acquired during the robbery getaway.
(Milligan's shooting of Norcross would be considered murder in most circumstances. Norcross is the proverbial sitting duck, and Milligan opens fire with no warning. However, Norcross had a "dead or alive" bounty on his head. Matt Dillon accepts Milligan's actions as legal and warranted under the circumstances.)
Festus, Newly, Nathan Burke and the other posse members hear the shooting, and find Milligan standing over the two dead men. Upon the discovery both men were shot in the back, Milligan is labeled a coward and ostracized by many of the Dodge citizenry.
Harry Morgan makes his second appearance in the series. This time, he plays the lead character John Milligan. Morgan performed this role following his recurring portrayal of Officer Bill Gannon on the late 1960's Dragnet reboot and his iconic performance as Colonel Sherman T. Potter in M*A*S*H. He also began playing the character Doc Amos B. Coogan in the short-lived series Hec Ramsey with Richard Boone around the time this story was filmed.
Actress Lynn Carlin joins the guest cast here as Janet Milligan, John's wife. Young actress Patti Cohoon returns following the two-part season debut episode "The River" to play the Milligan's daughter Wendy.
Familiar actor Joseph Campanella appears for the second and final time in the series with this episode. Here he plays the outlaw Jack Norcross, and he does so with a weird, unnecessary southern accent. Charles Macauley appears for the first time as the banker named Dofeny. Macauley returns later in Season 18 as the same character in the episode titled "Talbott." Sorrell Booke participates in his only Gunsmoke role as the schoolteacher Gerald Pandy. Booke is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the character Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg on the Dukes of Hazzard and The Dukes series in the 1980s.
The plot of this story -- a man normally consider gentle and non-violent kills a notorious outlaw only to find himself shunned by the community because of the way the outlaw was killed -- is a common trope in the Westerns genre. Almost every Westerns series explores this theme in some form. In fact, Gunsmoke has explored this theme previously, particularly in Season 10's "The Pariah" episode. (There may be other examples, but this one immediately comes to mind.)
Although this episode is built on a story that is in no way unique, the treatment here is nuanced. A good portion of the story dwells on the profound impact the incident has on Milligan and his wife and daughter, which is, in a word, brutal. Many of the people involved consider Milligan a coward, but his responses demonstrate great courage. The performances by the guest stars are excellent, especially Harry Morgan's contribution.
There are a few problematic aspects to this story, however. As the bandits ride away following the robbery, Festus fires at their backs and even hits one in what will eventually be a fatal wound. Yet, when the Milligan character shoots Norcross in the back, his actions are viewed as cowardly. No one ever accuses Festus of being a coward. (I suppose an argument could be made that Festus was shooting at fleeing robbers, while Milligan was shooting at a stationary individual. It should also be noted that everyone assumes Milligan killed both men from the window of shack, and Milligan is not sure.)
The handling of the material often leaves something to be desired. For example, there is an animal featured prominently in the story, and it is immediately obvious where the portion of the story involving the animal is going. There are other aspects of the story that are telegraphed throughout, and it comes across as condescending and perhaps a little lazy.
While the episode is set in and around the Dodge City area, this is another example of a story that has minimal involvement by the regular Gunsmoke stars. They are tangentially involved, but not vital to the story details.
The desire to end the episode on a positive note comes close to ruining the story. If the last couple of minutes would have been edited out of the episode, it would be much better.
helpful•22
- wdavidreynolds
- Sep 8, 2021
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