User Reviews

While the story is simplistic, the regular casts makes this a fun watch, as Gunsmoke could have too many back to back dark unhappily ever after episodes, viewers need a break from such harsh reality every now and again and this episode did just that.

In this humorous episode Doc Adams gets caught up in a lover's triangle when Minnie (Virginia Gregg) comes in for some medical help and then stays when she becomes smitten with the unmarried doctor. All this is much to the pleasure of Chester, Kitty and Matt and they get a big kick seeing Doc trying to avoid love-struck Minnie.

But when Minnie's husband comes riding into town to get his woman, things turn from humorous to serious in a blink of an eye. Minnie tells her husband, Jake, that she is leaving him because she has a lover in Dodge. Jake is determined to find out who has been courting his wife and to kill him.

A funny episode that was a joy to watch. I have never been a fan of Virginia Gregg but in this show she plays the part of a outback country wife perfectly. Her performance is what made the entire episode enjoyable. From her rather slight glances at Doc, to her feather in her hat- she was excellent. Not an original script but a story that was fun to watch.

Alan Hale Jr, or in his latter years, just "Alan Hale," would embark on a 3-hour tour aboard the USS Minnow 3 years after his stay in Dodge City only to become shipwrecked on an uninhabited island with Bob Denver, Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells. Being stuck on this island with Tina Louise and Dawn Wells for 3 years begged the question, "Ginger or Mary Ann?" Guess Alan Hale Jr should have never gotten the HALE out of Dodge.

Wow. i am sincerely surprised that some reviewers didn't like this episode. i thought every actor who was onscreen did an excellent job! Sure i understand that we don't all share the same sense of humor BUT for instance, this exchange (i watch the entire episode in anticipation of these few lines!):

MISS KITTY: "You see, uh, well women are always welcome in here it's just that, well, some LADIES might not approve!" MINNIE: "Well, YOU look like a lady to me! I'M STAYIN'!" DILLON: "GOOD FOR YOU, Minnie!" (casually sips his beer 🍺) DOC: (spinning around to angrily peer up at Matt) "You shut up! Now listen Minnie ..."

OMGOSH it happened so quickly! Lost count how many times i hit rewind and perused it again! Laughing out loud every single time! One of my favorite (blink and you missed it) short bursts of humor from a Gunsmoke (or ANY) program! Everyone involved was just "on it" that day! imho this show is worth watching just for that part but truly, this entire episode is both FUN and soo FUNNY! So cool to see Doc as the star of the show! He nailed it, absolutely SUPERB! 🎭

(*Minnie Higgins quote*) - "I fell off a horse. Got scratched up some."

Crude and common, Minnie Higgins is a pure prairie woman.

Minnie comes to Dodge to have a bullet wound in her arm taken care of.

When Minnie meets Doc Adams she becomes quite infatuated by him. But her husband, Jake is mighty jealous and he challenges Doc to a gunfight.

Never liked Alan Hale, Jr. or Virginia Gregg. Alan Hale had absolutely no acting skills. I have no idea how he ended up in Hollywood. Here he is a Buffalo hunting buffoon who is looking for his wife. She occasionally runs off to find love, because she ain't getting any from the fat Skipper.

This story was done numerous times, not just in every Western TV series, but in almost every other TV show of this era. Apparently women of the 1950s/60s were tired of being married to fat slobs like the Skipper.

Virginia Gregg plays The Skipper's wife. Long before Gilligan was on the bottom, it was Virginia Gregg that kept the wood warm for the Skipper. Gregg had all the personality of a shrew. In most appearances, she was the mean old harpy. Here she is very coquettish with Doc Adams, and she tries hard to be a likable woman.

One thing I did not like about this episode is that the Skipper beats on Virginia Gregg and is verbally and physically abusive to her. There is an attitude by Chester and the rest of the cast that it was OK, because she was a trashy hillbilly. Perhaps that reflected the attitude of the 1950s era, but it seems very harsh that Marshal Dillon does not step in and punch out the Skipper.

The highlight of this episode is Doc Adams performance as an elder gentleman who is somewhat flattered by the attentions of the dirty hillbilly hag, and yet defensive of the ridicule it brings from Chester, Miss Kitty, and Marshal Dillon. Doc gets a lot of good lines, and any time Doc Adams has substantial screen time, it is a good episode.

I have the entire 30 minute series of "Gunsmoke." Just watching it brings me back to a simpler time where there was justice.

As the series progressed, James Arness was put in charge of the production and he delivered somewhat inferior quality episodes.

The first sight of the main character Minnie shows her walking her horse through town. She's an annoying ragamuffin character and is accompanied by an opening musical motif of flutes and clarinets.

The overly fancy musical flourishes in this episodes were not appreciated by this viewer.

Then, grizzled Buffalo hunter Alan Hale Jr., the skipper from Gilligans Island, rides into town looking for his wife Minnie. He is dressed in a big wooly vest and angry.

Now I can't separate myself from his role of the skipper and this unfortunately takes away from the viability of the episode, through no fault of the producers. But the overly ornate music continues and the episode wears out its welcome rather quickly.

The show was near the end of the 7 year run as a 30 minute TV show and about to go to an hour format. It was shows like this one that made me feel that the producers had run dry and were running for the bus.

But of course the show reincarnated itself an an hour-long and it went on for 20 years...