A grizzly old man, Bodie Tatum, finds out that he only has days to live. His final wish is to be reunited with the family he abandoned years ago.A grizzly old man, Bodie Tatum, finds out that he only has days to live. His final wish is to be reunited with the family he abandoned years ago.A grizzly old man, Bodie Tatum, finds out that he only has days to live. His final wish is to be reunited with the family he abandoned years ago.
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Jay W. MacIntosh
- Gwenn
- (as Jay Macintosh)
Bruno the Bear
- Bear
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Jim Byrnes
- Norman MacDonnell(uncredited)
- John Meston(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
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Featured review
A Dying Man Tries to Reconcile Past Transgressions
A tough, old outlaw named Bodie Tatum lives with a Cheyenne woman and their baby boy somewhere outside Dodge City. As Tatum is returning to the place he shares with Kata -- his companion -- he encounters a bear. The bear mauls the man before he manages to shoot it a few times, and it runs away. The incident leaves Tatum severely injured.
Kata takes Tatum to Dodge City to see Doc Adams, but the man has suffered extensive internal injuries. Doc delivers the news that Tatum will never recover from the injuries and only has a few days to live at the most.
When Kata hears the news, she sends word to Tatum's three grown daughters. The daughters hold their father in disdain, as he left them and their mother when they were younger. Their mother was heartbroken, and the daughters hold their father responsible for the grief he caused their mother and for sending her to an early grave.
Tatum regrets his past actions, but he is wise enough to realize he cannot change what has been done. He only wishes to make peace with his daughters and be buried in Spearville next to his wife's grave.
This presents problems on a couple of fronts. The women do come to visit their dying father, but they are initially opposed to the idea of making sure his last wishes are granted. Many of the citizens of Spearville hate Tatum and the previous damage he did there. They do not want Tatum buried in their cemetery.
Tatum, who still has warrants for his arrest pending, agrees to surrender to Matt Dillon. The Marshal is aware that Tatum is dying and decides to accompany him to Spearville, but there will be challenges along the way, especially from the Spearville residents that do not want him there.
This episode features another stellar performance by Gene Evans, one of ten in the series, as he plays the character Bodie Tatum. Sandra Smith, Shelia Larken, and Jay MacIntosh play Tatum's daughters. This story marks the only Gunsmoke appearance by MacIntosh, but both Smith and Larken had appeared previously.
Actress Anakorita portrays Tatum's Cheyenne companion, Kata. Her acting career only included a few roles. This is her sole Gunsmoke appearance.
This episode includes the final appearance in the series by actor Kenneth Tobey. He appeared in three other episodes. Tobey's association with James Arness goes all the way back to the 1951 film The Thing from Another World. Actor Jeff Pomerantz also appears for the last time in the series as the Spearville sheriff, Dirk Mitchell.
Lloyd Nelson was a script supervisor for 79 Gunsmoke episodes, but he also played small parts in eleven different installments. Watch for him here in the part of a clergyman. Nelson would later serve as script supervisor for several prominent films, including several films with Clint Eastwood.
The bear that attacks Bodie Tatum early in the story is the same bear that played Gentle Ben in the 1960s series of that name. The animal also had a recurring role as "Fairchild" on The Beverly Hillbillies.
This story is clearly meant to warm the old heartstrings, but it fails to generate much in the way of interesting content. The idea that someone could suffer such serious internal injuries and still make a long wagon trip to another town does not make much sense, and the wisdom of even attempting such a journey is questionable.
Much of the story is spent in tedious conversations. Tatum talks with each of his daughters. Tatum talks with Marshal Dillon. Tatum talks with Kata. Occasionally, someone from Spearville shows up to warn the group to stay away.
The only involvement of the regular Gunsmoke stars comes from the Doc Adams character in his diagnosis of Tatum's terminal condition, and the Matt Dillon character, who escorts the group from Dodge to Spearville. This is another story where the Gunsmoke setting is not important.
The theme of a dying man reflecting on his past mistakes and wanting to make amends as much as possible is nothing new. Unfortunately, there is little in this episode, other than some fine performances, to recommend.
Kata takes Tatum to Dodge City to see Doc Adams, but the man has suffered extensive internal injuries. Doc delivers the news that Tatum will never recover from the injuries and only has a few days to live at the most.
When Kata hears the news, she sends word to Tatum's three grown daughters. The daughters hold their father in disdain, as he left them and their mother when they were younger. Their mother was heartbroken, and the daughters hold their father responsible for the grief he caused their mother and for sending her to an early grave.
Tatum regrets his past actions, but he is wise enough to realize he cannot change what has been done. He only wishes to make peace with his daughters and be buried in Spearville next to his wife's grave.
This presents problems on a couple of fronts. The women do come to visit their dying father, but they are initially opposed to the idea of making sure his last wishes are granted. Many of the citizens of Spearville hate Tatum and the previous damage he did there. They do not want Tatum buried in their cemetery.
Tatum, who still has warrants for his arrest pending, agrees to surrender to Matt Dillon. The Marshal is aware that Tatum is dying and decides to accompany him to Spearville, but there will be challenges along the way, especially from the Spearville residents that do not want him there.
This episode features another stellar performance by Gene Evans, one of ten in the series, as he plays the character Bodie Tatum. Sandra Smith, Shelia Larken, and Jay MacIntosh play Tatum's daughters. This story marks the only Gunsmoke appearance by MacIntosh, but both Smith and Larken had appeared previously.
Actress Anakorita portrays Tatum's Cheyenne companion, Kata. Her acting career only included a few roles. This is her sole Gunsmoke appearance.
This episode includes the final appearance in the series by actor Kenneth Tobey. He appeared in three other episodes. Tobey's association with James Arness goes all the way back to the 1951 film The Thing from Another World. Actor Jeff Pomerantz also appears for the last time in the series as the Spearville sheriff, Dirk Mitchell.
Lloyd Nelson was a script supervisor for 79 Gunsmoke episodes, but he also played small parts in eleven different installments. Watch for him here in the part of a clergyman. Nelson would later serve as script supervisor for several prominent films, including several films with Clint Eastwood.
The bear that attacks Bodie Tatum early in the story is the same bear that played Gentle Ben in the 1960s series of that name. The animal also had a recurring role as "Fairchild" on The Beverly Hillbillies.
This story is clearly meant to warm the old heartstrings, but it fails to generate much in the way of interesting content. The idea that someone could suffer such serious internal injuries and still make a long wagon trip to another town does not make much sense, and the wisdom of even attempting such a journey is questionable.
Much of the story is spent in tedious conversations. Tatum talks with each of his daughters. Tatum talks with Marshal Dillon. Tatum talks with Kata. Occasionally, someone from Spearville shows up to warn the group to stay away.
The only involvement of the regular Gunsmoke stars comes from the Doc Adams character in his diagnosis of Tatum's terminal condition, and the Matt Dillon character, who escorts the group from Dodge to Spearville. This is another story where the Gunsmoke setting is not important.
The theme of a dying man reflecting on his past mistakes and wanting to make amends as much as possible is nothing new. Unfortunately, there is little in this episode, other than some fine performances, to recommend.
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- wdavidreynolds
- Sep 9, 2021
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