Associate Producer Frank Paris turned out a darn' good script for this show, giving Dennis Weaver a belated but appreciated chance to shine.
Solid plot, excellently directed. The final scene is subtly designed so that Chester is exonerated of any wrong-doing, while still allowing him to keep his word to the dying man. Of course, it's Polly who's still on Chester's mind, as is clear when he briefly refers to her in his final speech, but then corrects himself. It's also at this exact moment that Wilbur Hatch's very effective musical cue tells us what's on Chester's mind. Well done.
Wilbur Hatch was music director of "I Love Lucy" and as such composed many of the little ditties that served as transitions between scenes, etc. But he was capable of much more, and every dramatic score of his I've heard has been inventive and very sophisticated, including "Tell Chester".
I must say that the role of Tao, the old Indian (oops---native American) servant-woman was a very effective touch. I realize the "woke" crowd will yowl in pain at this hopelessly clueless (1963) casting-- a white actress playing an ethnic role-- but that's just too bad. Actress Sara Taft was very convincing, especially running around barefoot with the buckskin and white wig.
And WOW!--Wade REALLY got the short end of the bargain....paying $200 to a supposedly ruthless gunman who can't kill a man with two shots at a distance of about 8 feet. Nice try anyway.
All-in-all, ANOTHER STRONG SEASON 8 SHOW. LR