User Reviews

One of the best of Laramie episodes is this one about some tough times in the form of a drought that has hit the region. John Smith at first resists taking his cattle on a long drive to Calgary to market as he has Sherman station to run. But when Willis Bouchey of the home office tells him the Overland Stage is suspending operations it's too late to join the Calgary drive his neighbors have made.

The answer comes in the form of Jim Davis who arrives in Laramie by killing a pair of quitters the way John Wayne did in Red River. Davis is ramroding a cattle drive of his own and Slim Sherman decides to team up with him.

But Davis is far from Duke like heroic. Little things occur on the drive, but the arrival of Russ Conway and what he has to say and what they discover show David to be the really vile and evil creature he is.

Jim Davis had one disastrous movie debut opposite Bette Davis in one of her worst movies Winter Meeting. Fortunately he was most castable in westerns and had many great roles like this Laramie episode in our great American film genre.

One evil man, Jim Davis in this must see Laramie story.

Interesting to see a more real life view of the Sherman ranch, with financial hardship and stock problems, lack of business, bad weather etc. Also gives us a rare glimpse of Jess actually smoking, so stressed and argumentative he and Slim are over what to do. The plot itself is a bit complicated but interesting. After quite a few twists and turns, during which time Jess' eyes are opened to the real character of the man he'd admired (mind you I didn't think the original shooting the episode began with was anything to admire) the villain gets his comeuppance eventually. I suspect they used stock footage of the herd being driven, but nothing lost by that. All in all, a good episode with plenty action.