An aging pastor is determined to erect a church for the Indians on the reservation but is met with bigotry from the citizens of a nearby town.An aging pastor is determined to erect a church for the Indians on the reservation but is met with bigotry from the citizens of a nearby town.An aging pastor is determined to erect a church for the Indians on the reservation but is met with bigotry from the citizens of a nearby town.
Photos
- Newly
- (credit only)
- Indian
- (uncredited)
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe day this episode aired, Broadcasting Magazine came out with a list of series likely to be canceled - with "Gunsmoke" heading the list even though its highest-rated episode of the year had aired the previous week. This was due to poor demographics: too many rural and overage viewers, with the younger urban viewers watching The Rookies (1972).
- Quotes
[Festus hears the congregation singing Bringing in the Sheaves in the local church. He enters and walks down the center aisle toward Reverend Atkins. The organist stops playing and the singing drops off]
Reverend Atkins: What do *you* want?
Festus: Just for the time bein' I'll figure 'at you don't know about last night.
Reverend Atkins: What are you talking about? What happened last night?
Festus: I'll guarantee you they's some o' your flock here knows what happened last night.
Reverend Atkins: Whatever is bothering you, this is neither the time nor the place.
Festus: I figure this here's the mainest place, Reverend. You don't go trompin' on a man's dreams and not get called for it.
[turns and faces the congregation]
Festus: Now... I ain't no preacher. I ain't had me no school learnin' a-tall. Whatever I'm fixin' to say here might not be the fit and proper words, but I figure you'll all get what I mean. I wanna tell you about a man. Worked hard all his life apreachin' the Gospel, mostly to a bunch of folks that never done no practicin' on it 'ceptin' on Sunday, just like I figure a lotta you folks does. Now this here man tried to do good all his life. One day he got old. 'N' them that run his church figured he wasn't worth a hoot to nobody, so they run 'im off. But he didn't figure he was done by a long shot. So he went to look around everyplace atryin' to figure out somebody that he could help. Finally come clean out here wantin' to buildin' a church for the Injuns. Whether he was crazy or whether he wasn't, that's what he wanted to do. He done it all by his own self. Spent every last penny he had to do it. And I figure he had a right to give it a whirl, to try it. Come right here to your town o' Nescatunga. Wantin' to do good. He got himself good an' tromped on by some o' you righteous, God-fearin' Christians. Now all of you didn't strike them matches that set his church on fire last night, but you was a-eggin' on the ones that done it. The mainest one is your preacher, Atkins here.
Reverend Atkins: Marshall, I want you to understand I had nothing to do with whatever happened last night. I didn't know about it until right now.
[Festus turns to face the preacher]
Festus: Reverend, I figure there's a right and there's a wrong. Appears to me a lot o' your flock here don't know which is which. Ahelpin' them decide which is which is a preacher's job. Or ain't nobody never told you that?
[turns back to the congregation]
Festus: That's all I got to say.
[Festus exits the church]
This is a powerful episode that portrays a minister seeking to bring Christian salvation to Comanche living on a federal reservation in Kansas. The Comanche are most known for their activities in New Mexico and Texas, but significant numbers lived in southwestern Kansas.
This episode bravely illustrates the social prejudices and animosities prevalent not only during the time period in question, but also the time that Gunsmoke aired. So desperate were the people living in the nearby Kansas town to thwart the minister's efforts, that they many times violated the tenets of their faith by their actions.
The way the episode unfolds shows both excellent writing and acting.
Ken Curtis had more than a few Gunsmoke episodes where he got the lion's share of the acting, and the veteran never disappointed. This was another fine turn by Curtis, and a tour de force by David Wayne, as the resolute minister who's sense of duty carried him through to the end.
The main message is that people all share a common sense of humanity, including the ability to be, in various degrees, charitable, honorable, as well as dishonest and even evil. People are best seen as individuals, and not according to social stereotypes or group prejudices.
As the Gunsmoke series neared its twenty year end, it was nice to see quality episodes such as this one bring it to a close.
- kenstallings-65346
- Jul 28, 2018