User Reviews

James Arness most powerful performance to date is the main ingredient to this episode. And it all begins with the end of the cowboy round-up which will lead all the cowboys around the area to ascend into Dodge for a wild night. The only person standing for the law will be Marshal Dillon.

We also get another glimpse of the local businessmen that believe that they can control the Marshal's actions by forming a group and demanding their way of thinking. As usual Matt is not keen on their idea of deputizing twenty of their own men because he knows that will only lead to trouble.

But an old friend of Matt's named Zel comes to town and wants to help since Chester is laid up with sprained ankles. Matt agrees to let Zel help and deputizes him. But with the local businessmen planning a surprise for the Marshal, it could be a surprise that could get way out of hand.

James Arness does a great job of showing his human emotion in a way that has not been seen in previous episodes. One of the better scripts in the entire series which will have the viewer entertained to the fullest. Great show.

Being an avid Gunsmoke watcher, I feel this was one of the series's best. A close up shot of Matt Dillon, a very different side of him here. He is a bit more raging here than before. Sam Peckinpah, the director of Straw Dogs has done the screenplay of this episode. This particular episode kept me hooked till the end. Matt Dillon and his emotions played a major role here. We see the different side of Dodge City too. The reason why Gunsmoke is different from other westerns is because of James Arness and Dennis Weaver. A well directed episode and is bound to keep you hooked right till the end. Gunsmoke deserves attention!!

Folks want to know why was Gunsmoke different from all the other 1950's era TV westerns? This episode is a strong statement why.

Based in many respects on the real life tragedy that befell Wild Bill Hickok, this episode relates the dangers a law man in the west faced, and how a gunfight can end in ways completely unexpected, and even tragic.

The tragedy affects Dillon so much that he embarks on a vengeance campaign that even has Kitty Russell criticizing him.

The final scene is among the most powerful there can be.

This is an episode that put Gunsmoke on an entirely different level, and it should be watched by all generations. And indeed, from 1955 to 1975, people flocked to watch this series, for future exposes into a grittier and far more realistic look at life.

The cattle sale season has ended in Dodge City, and the cowboys are ready to blow off some steam at something they call the Round Up. It is a lucrative event for the Dodge merchants, but the drinking, partying, and raucous activity present challenges for Matt Dillon.

The situation is further complicated when Chester Goode sprains both ankles in an incident where he either falls or is dropped (depending on who is telling the story) from a second story window. Chester claims he fell, but everyone seems to know Chester was dropped from the window by a couple of card sharks.

A group of local businessmen led by a store owner named Ed Summers and the proprietor of a saloon and gambling house named Ray Torp visit Marshal Dillon to encourage him to add at least twenty more deputies to deal with the anticipated crowds. Matt refuses their request. He argues that adding several deputies will only encourage more violence -- "The worst slaughter Dodge has ever seen."

Later, Kitty Russell informs Matt of talk around Dodge that Torp and some of his men met the previous night and cut cards to determine who would kill the Marshal. Torp wants Matt eliminated so the town will be more open. The enterprising businessman hopes to choose his own deputies who will give him the opportunity to control the drinking and gambling in the town.

Zel Blatnick is an old friend of Matt's. He suddenly arrives in Dodge and volunteers to act as a deputy for Matt during the Round Up. At first Matt refuses the help, but Zel convinces the Marshal to allow him to help.

The Round Up event will result in unintended consequences for many of the people involved and include a fatal mistake by Marshal Dillon.

The Dodge City businessmen are played by some notable familiar actors. Jacques Aubuchon makes the second of four Gunsmoke appearances in this presentation where he plays the Ray Torp character.

Barney Phillips plays Ed Summers. Phillips appeared in eight Gunsmoke episodes. He can be seen in five series installments as Bill Pence, who was the sole owner of the Long Branch Saloon before Kitty bought a half interest. Phillips was the last actor to play the Bill Pence character

John Dierkes plays Sam Rydell in his first Gunsmoke appearance. He would return for three additional episodes.

Actor Michael Hinn portrays the Zel Blatnick character in this story. Hinn was a frequent guest on television dramas in the 1950s and 1960s, and most of those roles were in westerns. He appeared in a total of ten Gunsmoke episodes.

This is another John Meston story with the screenplay written by Sam Peckinpah. However, in this case Peckinpah sticks closely to Meston's version without adding much in the way of his trademark touches. Meston was still heavily involved in radio broadcasts, and it is probably a safe bet that he was consulted for the television episodes, especially as Charles Marquis Warren's involvement lessened and Norm MacDonnell took on more of the production responsibilities.

The only major change in Peckinpah's translation is the resistance by the Dodge City merchants to Matt's decision to close Front Street. In Meston's original version, Matt's actions come across as more natural and seem to be accepted by the townspeople. (Or at least Meston's story does not address resistance from the Dodge townspeople.) In Peckinpah's script, it is clear Matt is acting more emotionally. He goes on an anger-fueled rampage, and the merchants and citizens resent his heavy-handed response to the situation. In the television screenplay, even Kitty tells Matt he is going too far and acting unfairly.

James Arness plays the Matt Dillon role with a greater degree of emotion than he has to this point in the series. It is refreshing to watch these early episodes and see Arness grow into the role.

Repeatedly in these earlier seasons of the series, the citizens of Dodge are at odds with Matt Dillon's actions in the town. As the series progressed, the citizens of the town became increasingly friendly. During the meeting with the town businessmen, the Matt Dillon character even addresses how no one is ever happy with the way he does his job.

This is not just an intriguing, entertaining story, it is also one of the more important of the early seasons in the development of the Gunsmoke world and the Matt Dillon character.

About half-way through, I guessed this was a Sam Peckinpah script—the shifty merchants, the roistering cowpokes, but mainly because of the major twist that was certainly a departure for the day. Looks like Peckinpah got his start with early Gunsmoke, but even then, he had a strong sense of a perverse reality he was able to get on screen. I credit much of that boldness to head writer Meston who must have backed him up in some manner.

Unfortunately—to me, at least—the story's powerful potential is undercut by an over-the-top performance by Michael Hinn in the key role of Zel, Matt's long-time friend. The role, however, calls for quieter dignity, qualities Matt would naturally respond to. Yet, Hinn's Zel is pitched about 3-decibels too high to get the kind of compelling effect the role needs. Seeing the biblically imposing John Dierkes in the cast makes me think he would have been perfect for the part, someone who could make us feel the tragedy instead of just observing it.

Anyway, it's still a powerful story twist, giving Arness one of his few chances to really emote and show a side of the marshal rarely seen in the early entries.

Honestly maybe it just goes over my head. Maybe I need an appreciation for Sam Peckinpah. I don't know. I just know my gut reaction to the episode was that it wasn't good. Matt Dillon was out of character, from my perspective. The script seemed forced and odd. It just doesn't feel like an episode of Gunsmoke. Do I like the fact Dillon actually shows emotion? Sure. But none of it felt natural to his character. Because of the rather melodramatic and artificial feel of the show I figured it was one of the very first episodes. But no, it is from season two.

Tastes differ of course. This did not appeal to me.