Reviews

With Mr. Botkin out of town, his obviously poor-choice replacement Mr. Papp agrees to loan a gambler $20,000 to cover a bet. The gambler - a well-dressed man named Shaneways - requesting (more like demanding) the loan is involved in a poker game and needs the money immediately because his opponent in the card game has only given him twenty minutes to raise the money to cover the bet. When Shaneways shows Papp his hand, which includes four aces, Papp reluctantly agrees to the loan. After all, it is highly unlikely Hook, Shaneways's opponent, will have a hand that can beat four aces.

Matt witnesses the exchange between Papp and Shaneways and is understandably suspicious. He urges Papp to exercise caution, but Papp foolishly views the risk of losing the money negligible, and the 20% return Shaneways promises has the banker seeing dollar signs. Of course, Papp is wrong. When the cards are revealed, Hook has a straight flush (the 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of hearts), which beats four-of-a-kind.

Shaneways assures Papp and the Marshal he has the money to repay the loan and will have the money sent to the bank as soon as possible. Papp is in a panic, and Dillon is suspicious.

Later, Doc Adams tells Matt he remembers a situation years earlier similar to these events when Doc was a physician on the Tennessee Belle riverboat. (It is revealed in this episode that Doc was not only a riverboat doctor at one time, but he had also spent time in New Orleans.) This revelation naturally does nothing to alleviate Matt's concerns. Matt rightly suspects the men involved in the card game are working together and scamming the bank.

Raymond Bailey returns for the second and final time in a Gunsmoke episode. He plays the Shaneways character here. He had previously guest starred as the mysterious liar General Parsley Smith in the first season episode named after his character. Of course, Bailey would soon go on to star for years as the money-obsessed banker Milburn Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies.

Joseph Kearns portrays the hapless banker Mr. Papp. This is the first of four Gunsmoke episodes where Kearns participated. In Season Four, Kearns played Dobie, the manager of the Dodge House, in two episodes and, in a bit of a twist when thinking about his role here as Papp, played banker Botkin in one episode. Kearns was best known for portraying Mr. Wilson on the comedy series Dennis the Menace. Tragically, Kearns suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1962 while the third season of Dennis the Menace was in production and passed away.

Alan Dexter plays Hook, the man that held the winning hand in the sham card game. This was the first of three Gunsmoke roles for Dexter. Both additional roles would take place after the series expanded to the one-hour format.

The other man involved in the con-game is known only as Varden, and he is portrayed by obscure actor Gordon Mills. This appearance is the second and last in the series for Mills, who had no acting credits after 1960.

I have an affinity with this episode, because banking and cybersecurity are personally important. A common theme in any scam is the scammer often offers a sure-fire, too-good-to-be-true opportunity. Another classic common theme is the scammer will pressure the intended victim to make a quick decision. Shaneways uses both techniques to get Papp to agree to the loan.

One questionable aspect to this story is Marshal Dillon's surprising ability to discern the three men are working together, although there is little initial evidence of their involvement. It makes sense for Matt to suspect Shaneways, but how he initially ties Hook and Varden into the scam seems sudden and unwarranted.

The coincidence of Doc Adams just happening to know about a similar scam perpetrated several years earlier in a location far away from Dodge is a little too convenient. The crooks have developed a clever, effective scheme, but their actions after pulling off the scam are stupid. Once they decide to take Doc hostage, they ruin any chance they had of getting away.

There are some great scenes in this episode. Chester tries a new coffee-making technique, but Matt is reluctant to try it. The scene out on the prairie between Doc and Shaneways is fun with Shaneways so sure of his position...until he isn't.

In the end, this story has its flaws, but there is enough intrigue to warrant a recommendation.

A strange, old woman dressed in black who says her name is Amy Slater walks into Matt Dillon's office and tells the Marshal she has come to Dodge City to die, and Marshal Dillon will kill her. Later, after Matt and Chester Goode eat at Delmonico's, the mysterious woman begins shooting close to the Marshal's feet with a rifle in an apparent attempt to entice Matt into firing back and killing her. She insists that Matt has somehow wronged her in the past when they were both in Dakota Territory.

Later still, Amy enters the Long Branch Saloon where Matt and Kitty Russell are sitting at a table drinking whiskey. She points a pistol at Marshal Dillon and, once again, begins talking about how Matt has ruined her life when he killed someone named Jim. When she fires the pistol, it explodes in her hand.

Amy is moved to Doc Adams's office, where the good doctor treats her wounds. Matt waits there to hear Doc's prognosis. Doc thinks she will be okay. Matt and Doc discuss what can be done with the woman, as the Marshal feels a strong sense of responsibility for her welfare while the mystery of her hatred for Matt remains.

Jeanette Nolan returns for her second Gunsmoke role in this episode where she plays Amy Slater. Nolan's first appearance in the series was in "Potato Road" earlier in Season Three. Nolan would eventually appear in eight different Gunsmoke episodes in some notable parts. She played Festus Hagen's Aunt Thede in a Season Ten episode, and she portrayed "Dirty Sally" Fergus in three episodes in Seasons 16 and 17 and in the only Gunsmoke spinoff series Dirty Sally in 1974. Nolan appeared in numerous films and over 300 television shows in her prolific acting career. In the 1930s and '40s, she provided the voices for many different characters on radio. She was married to actor John McIntire - who curiously never appeared on Gunsmoke although he seemingly appeared in every other television show of that era - for over fifty years. Both of her children, Holly and Tim, appeared in Gunsmoke episodes.

Actor Lou Krugman plays Emmett Gold in this episode. Krugman would make three additional appearances in Gunsmoke episodes.

The screenplay for "Amy's Good Deed" was written by Kathleen Hite. This is Hite's fourth writing contribution in the series. She would eventually be involved in writing 42 different episodes.

I find it difficult to review this story without introducing some spoilers, so be warned. "Amy's Good Deed" is an enjoyable story that is captivating enough. I find Amy's rather sudden transition from intense hatred toward Dillon - serious enough that she was willing to commit murder or suffer her own death - to befriending him to be a bit spurious. It is interesting to learn that Amy was mistaken all along about what really happened that led to her hating the Marshal, but Matt had been deceived as well. Although Matt (and thereby, the viewer) learns the truth, he is content to allow Amy to continue to remain ignorant about her brother's actions and eventual death.

Matt Dillon was often an extremely tough lawman out of necessity, but his compassionate nature is sometimes on display, as is the case with this episode.

Marshal Matt Dillon is on foot in a remote, mountainous area with little water, apparently pursuing an outlaw. Matt comes upon a man sitting alone in a rocky area. Matt draws his gun and warns the man not to make any sudden moves. He says he is not sure the man is the person he is pursuing. When the man, whose name is Lorca, goes for his gun, Matt shoots the gun out of his hand and takes him prisoner. It is not immediately apparent, but the two men are mistaken about the nature and intent of the other. Lorca thinks Marshal Dillon is pursuing him because he killed three men in the area. Matt thinks Lorca is responsible for killing a friend who was a Marshal.

As the pair make their way presumably toward Dodge City, or a town where Lorca can be jailed, Lorca further explains the three men he killed worked for a sheep rancher named John Tyson. The only water in the barren desert area is located in a place where Tyson and his men will be searching for Lorca.

Tyson has created a small empire in the area where his sheep ranch exists, and he rules with a proverbial iron fist. He immigrated to the United States from Australia and fought off cattlemen to establish his dominance. Almost everyone that lives in the area fears Tyson. The rancher is intent on finding Lorca and avenging the death of his ranch hands. (We eventually learn he has other reasons for wanting Lorca dead.)

Most of the local folks refuse to help Matt. Fortunately, there are a few people that object to Tyson's methods and are willing to aid, including the local doctor, "Doc" William Lacey.

Tyson's daughter, Laurel, desperately wants to escape her father's harsh authoritarianism. She provides horses for Dillon and Lorca. Laurel soon joins the pair as they attempt to flee Tyson and his men.

This story is a typical cat-and-mouse scenario where Tyson and his men doggedly pursue Lorca, Marshal Dillon, and Laurel Tyson. Along the way, Matt, Lorca, and the viewer meet a few interesting characters and learn the reasons the situation has reached the point it has. This theme is repeated a few times over the twenty-year run of the show.

Mario Alcade is particularly good in the role of the Lorca character. Watching the Lorca character's transformation from a typical "bad guy" to a more sympathetic character is one of the more fascinating aspects to this story. Alcade was never an extremely prolific actor, although he did appear in several television shows and films before his sudden death from a ruptured appendix at the relatively young age of forty-four. Alcade was also a writer and wrote an episode of the television series The Fugitive. This is his only Gunsmoke appearance.

Diana Muldaur also makes her only Gunsmoke appearance in this episode as the defiant daughter Laurel Tyson.

Shug Fisher makes one of his twenty-seven Gunsmoke appearances in one of his more unusual roles as the mysterious, innocent, aboriginal sheep herder known only as Chengra.

A couple of actors that will be familiar to fans of The Rifleman series play roles in this story. Paul Fix, who played Marshal Micah Torrance on The Rifleman, portrays Doc Lacey in this story. Joe Higgins, who played various characters on The Rifleman -- but most notably played the Nils Swenson character -- appears near the end of this episode in a small role.

Walter Baldwin makes his only Gunsmoke appearance as an older man who refuses to provide horses to Dillon out of fear of retribution from John Tyson. Fans of The Andy Griffith Show may recall Baldwin was the first actor to portray Floyd the Barber in an early episode of that series prior to Howard McNear taking over the role.

This is an intriguing story, and it is well acted, as is usually the case with Gunsmoke. Matt Dillon and John Tyson are both prominent men of power. When they oppose one another, something must give.

However, there are several aspects to this story that are never explained. Why was Matt on foot at the beginning? Who was he pursuing? He knows about the death of his Marshal friend, but how does he know, and what led him to be where he is at the beginning?

This is another of those episodes where the Matt Dillon character is featured in a setting away from Dodge City. In the one scene set in Dodge City, Festus Haggen tells Doc Adams, Kitty Russell, and Thad Greenwood that Matt is overdue from a mission to "pick up a prisoner for Kansas City," but that does not explain why Matt is on foot in a remote desert area when the story begins. The explanation for how Matt went from picking up a prisoner to being stranded in a desert area with no horse is never provided and leaves the viewer in the dark. (I wondered if some of the background information was cut by networks to allow more commercial time, but I went to the original episodes on DVD, and the background information is not included in the full, original episode, either.)

Another curious aspect of this story is where exactly John Tyson's ranch is located. It is apparent Matt has no previous knowledge of Tyson. The landscape of the area shown in the story certainly does not look like Kansas. It must be west of Dodge City because Smitty, the man that runs the train depot, tells Matt there is an eastbound train due in two hours, and Matt responds that the eastbound train is what he needs.

The omission of these story details does not significantly detract from the remainder of the story, but it is confusing. The heavy-handed editing that some networks apply to the episode can add to the confusion.

Nat Sieberts, a wealthy Dodge City rancher, is engaged to marry Polly Troyman in Dodge City. Polly is from a southern plantation family, and her brother Henry hates Sieberts. Henry does not want Sieberts to marry his sister. Nat and Henry almost face off before Matt Dillon steps in and prevents any bloodshed.

There is also a woman in Dodge named Beulah that is obviously in love with Sieberts. Beulah is a poor woman, possibly slow-witted, probably promiscuous, and is treated with disdain by many of the Dodge residents.

The wedding takes place. As the newlyweds are riding away, Sieberts is shot. Marshal Dillon investigates.

Wayne Morris plays Nat Sieberts in his only Gunsmoke guest appearance. Morris was a decorated World War II pilot. His promising acting career deteriorated after his return from the war. He appeared in several b-grade westerns and started accepting roles in television dramas -- mostly westerns. He suffered a fatal heart attack in 1959 at the relatively early age of 45.

A young June Lockhart portrays Beulah. Television fans that recognize Lockhart from her roles as Ruth Martin on Lassie, Maureen Robinson on Lost in Space, or Dr. Janet Craig on Petticoat Junction may be surprised to see Lockhart portraying this odd character. She is excellent in the role.

Gail Kobe has a small part as Polly Troyman in this, her first Gunsmoke involvement. She would later play larger roles in three additional episodes of the series.

Barry McGuire, who was actually born in Caldwell, Kansas, appears as Henry Troyman in this episode. He would return for one additional episode in the series.

Bill Erwin plays the preacher who marries Nat and Polly in an uncredited part. The familiar character actor had played a preacher earlier in Season 3's "Romeo" episode.

David S. "Sam" Peckinpah wrote the screenplay for this episode, as he did for ten other John Meston stories in the early years of the series. This is the last screenplay Peckinpah provided for Gunsmoke. (Note: IMDB credits Peckinpah as the screenplay writer for the upcoming episode "Bottleman," but Peckinpah was not the author of that screenplay.) Peckinpah makes some significant changes to Meston's story, especially in the resolution.

In Meston's original version, Beulah is referred to as "Crazy Beulah," and the character is more blatant about her obsession with Siebert (The "s" is added to the Siebert name in the television version of the story). The relationship with Siebert is not at all mutual. After she shoots Siebert, Beulah boasts about it and tells Marshal Dillon she despises the man. There is no mention in Meston's version of Matt arresting Beulah or Siebert paying her bail. Instead, Matt puts her on a train bound for St. Louis, where she has family, while Siebert recovers at the Troyman home where Polly takes care of him.

Peckinpah rearranges the story so that Beulah is less forthcoming about shooting Sieberts. When she finally confesses, it is clear she still cares for the man. Sieberts, who never seems especially excited about marrying Polly, gives the Troyman family money to return to their plantation and try to revive it. He has the marriage annulled and chooses to remain in Dodge. It is implied that some future relationship between Sieberts and Beulah is possible, although Sieberts tells Matt he will not marry again.

Meston's original story is the more conventional tale, while Peckinpah's screenplay is -- not surprisingly -- more ambiguous and more sympathetic to the Beulah character. (Ambiguity is a frequent part of Peckinpah's writing.)

Since this is the last screenplay Peckinpah wrote for the series, it is worth mentioning that he authored a story titled "The Sharpshooter" for Gunsmoke, but it was rejected by the producers. He reworked the story and submitted it to the producers of Zane Grey Theatre. It was aired as an episode of that anthology series. Peckinpah and director/producer Arnold Laven later proposed a series based on the episode using the premise of a father and young son establishing a ranch in the Old West. ABC agreed to air the series, and The Rifleman was born. A slightly altered version of "The Sharpshooter" was aired as the first episode of the series. The relationship between the famed writer/director and The Rifleman was brief, however. Peckinpah thought the violence depicted should be more realistic, and he thought the brutality of the period should be more explicitly portrayed, particularly in how it impacted the Mark McCain character. The ABC network and the producers of The Rifleman did not share Peckinpah's vision, and he left the show.

Peckinpah also wrote for other westerns, including Have Gun - Will Travel, Broken Arrow, and a few episodes of Zane Grey Theatre other than the aforementioned "The Sharpshooter." One of those episodes was titled "Trouble at Tres Cruces," and it served as the pilot for Peckinpah's brilliant but short-lived series The Westerner starring Brian Keith. The Season 1 Gunsmoke episode "The Queue" was the first writing credit Peckinpah received.