Take a good story, tight script and wonderful ensemble acting, and you have a great little fable in the ZGT "Stage for Tucson". Led by Eddie Albert, Mona Freeman and John Ericson, this story centers on ferreting out the notorious bandit / killer Bide Turley from among five stagecoach passengers who stopped for breakfast in route to Tucson. Is it likable sales drummer (Albert), the brooding Confederate veteran (Ericson), the shady doctor (Ian MacDonald) or the smooth-talking ladies' man (DeForest Kelley)?
I agree with so much of the previous commenter about this episode. I've always admired Eddie Albert as one of the finest actors working in film and TV. I really did not know as much about lovely Mona Freeman or John Ericson. Both give winning performances and their characters in this story seem well-suited for each other. I will try to catch other programs in which they appear.
Ian MacDonald is possibly most famous as Frank Miller who has one of the most famous showdowns in cinematic history versus Gary Cooper's Will Kane in the classic "High Noon". DeForest Kelley ("Star Trek's Dr. "Bones") makes the most of his role in this tale, as does his wayward lady friend Jaclynne Greene. The rest of the cast includes familiar names and faces from other TV westerns including Rusty Lane, Bing Russell (Kurt's father), Tyler McVey and Lane Chandler. As always, the introduction by Dick Powell was both informative and amusing.