- Incident at Dry Creek - 1965 This is episode 9 of the 1965-66 western series, A MAN CALLED SHENANDOAH. This 34 episode series starred Robert Horton as an amnesia victim. He travels the American south-west looking for clues to his identity.
Horton is down to his last buck and a half when he rides into a small Arizona town. He sees a poster at the Sheriff's office that a Deputy is needed. Horton goes in to apply for the job.
The Sheriff, Leif Erickson, hires him for $35.00 a month and $10.00 up front. The offer is quickly withdrawn when Horton asks Erickson about a man Horton is looking for. It seems the man is one of a local outlaw gang. "If he is a friend of yours, I don't want anything to do with you!" Horton tries to explain that the man might have some info for him. Erickson shows him the door.
Horton heads down the street to the local gunsmith's. The gunsmith is out, but his daughter, Nina Shipman, offers to help. He explains his pistol cylinder is sticking. Also in the shop is, Michael Burns, a young man who has just picked up a shotgun. He offers his hand to Horton to shake and tells him that Shipman is good with guns.
A short time later, Horton is heading towards the saloon for a cold one. He sees Sheriff Erickson enter. Seconds later several shots ring out, Erickson staggers out into the street and collapses. Three men follow him out. One points his pistol at the fallen Erickson. Horton quickly draws and shots the man dead. A brisk exchange of rounds begins with another of the trio being killed. The third manages to escape on horseback.
Horton has the town doc called to tend to Erickson. Erickson tells Horton he 'can" have the job if he still wants it. Horton agrees and fills in for Erickson while he recovers from the shoulder wound.
One night, Horton is out doing a walk through of the town. Out of corner of his eye he sees someone on a roof. The person is trying to break into the upstairs of the bank.
Horton calls for the person to stop. The fellow drops out of sight, then pops up again, and starts spraying lead. Horton replays in kind. When the shooting stops, Horton sprints into the Hotel and up the stairs. He boots in the door of the room that leads to the roof beside the bank. What he finds is the boy he had met at the gunsmiths. The boy is dead from a bullet wound.
Horton is joined by the dead boy's father, Kelly Thordsen, and Sheriff Erickson. Horton tells both about what happened. "Where is this gun you said he had!" Bellows Thordsen. "You killed my boy and I will get even!" Several days later, after Thordsen has been whipping up the town folk. Erickson suggests that maybe Horton should leave. Horton shakes his head. He will prove what happened. He checks around and finds that Thordsen had been fired from a job at a local mine. Horton questions the mine boss and is told that Thordsen was rather chummy with several outlaw types.
Horton pays Thordsen a visit and soon beats a confession out of him. It was Thordsen who had exchanged the shots with Horton. The boy, Burns had been caught in the crossfire. They were planning on robbing the bank.
Horton drags the man to jail and fires him in a cell. He then hands his badge to Erickson. Back on the trail again to look for another clue to who he is, or who he was.
The director of this nice little episode was well known film-noir and western helmsman, Joseph H. Lewis. Noir fans know him as the director of, SO DARK THE NIGHT, MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS, CRY OF THE HUNTED, THE BIG COMBO and GUN CRAZY. Lewis also directed, TERROR IN A Texas TOWN, THE HALLIDAY BRAND, A LAWLESS STREET and 7TH CAVALRY. He then moved to television with series like, THE RIFLEMAN, BONANZA, GUNSMOKE, DANIEL BOONE and THE BIG VALLEY. (b/w)
