When Steven Downing saves Kitty Russell's life by pushing her away from an out-of-control wagon, she takes an interest in the young man. Downing is being transported to another county where he has been tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to hang.
The problem with this whole scenario is the county where Downing was tried and convicted is one of those seemingly ubiquitous areas in the Old West where one wealthy man essentially rules the area. Only a few episodes earlier, it was a man named Henry Wade in "The Long Night." In this story, it is a man named Bob Mathison.
Downing was tried and convicted for killing Mathison's wife, although the trial was hardly what would normally be considered fair nor the outcome any sort of true justice. Downing managed to escape, and Mathison placed a $5,000 bounty on his head. A bounty hunter named Jarvis captured Downing. They stop in Dodge City on their way to their destination.
Jarvis makes a huge blunder when he chooses to go into the Long Branch Saloon. After Kitty learns the details of Downing's plight, she sends a telegraph to Matt Dillon, who is away from Dodge City once again, requesting the Marshal do what he can to get a new trial for Downing in a more impartial town that is not controlled by Mathison. Kitty then engages Jarvis in a card game where she cheats and takes everything Jarvis has, including custody of Downing.
Jarvis is bitter over his losses, and he sends word to Mathison that Downing is in Dodge. Mathison has the judge under his control to sign a death warrant for Downing to be executed immediately whenever he is captured. Mathison and his men then head for Dodge.
The story now becomes a race against time between Matt obtaining an order for a new trial and getting back to Dodge, and Mathison and his men capturing Downing and hanging him.
Jon Voight, who had participated twice previously in Gunsmoke episodes, makes his last Gunsmoke appearance as Steven Downing. Voight was a young man when this episode was produced. He had a knack for being able to portray characters who were likeable and vulnerable.
Ramon Bieri often played villains in television dramas. He fills the role of the bounty hunter named Jarvis here. Kenneth Tobey, who could play all manner of characters, portrays Bob Mathison with the proper level of dogged determination when it comes to seeing that Downing is hanged.
Ned Glass had participated in eight episodes of the series going all the way back to the second season. This ninth appearance is his last. Here he plays one of Louie Pheeters's drinking friends, Pink Simmons who ends up being an integral part of the plot.
This is an extremely well-acted episode with some nice plot elements. The card game where Kitty takes Jarvis to the proverbial cleaners is one of the first times I can remember the Kitty Russell character portraying a card sharp and using her "talents" to cheat someone.
However, there is an especially puzzling part of the story that does not fare well under scrutiny. Why is it so important that Marshal Dillon physically arrives back in Dodge City with the judge's order for a new trial? It would seem news of the new trial order could have easily been sent by wire to Dodge to supersede the death warrant Mathison was able to obtain. In the end, this comes across as a poor attempt to add a thrilling element to the story, but the viewer can easily predict what is going to happen.
In the end, the performances by Voight and Amanda Blake lift this penultimate Season 14 episode above any questionable portions of the story.
The problem with this whole scenario is the county where Downing was tried and convicted is one of those seemingly ubiquitous areas in the Old West where one wealthy man essentially rules the area. Only a few episodes earlier, it was a man named Henry Wade in "The Long Night." In this story, it is a man named Bob Mathison.
Downing was tried and convicted for killing Mathison's wife, although the trial was hardly what would normally be considered fair nor the outcome any sort of true justice. Downing managed to escape, and Mathison placed a $5,000 bounty on his head. A bounty hunter named Jarvis captured Downing. They stop in Dodge City on their way to their destination.
Jarvis makes a huge blunder when he chooses to go into the Long Branch Saloon. After Kitty learns the details of Downing's plight, she sends a telegraph to Matt Dillon, who is away from Dodge City once again, requesting the Marshal do what he can to get a new trial for Downing in a more impartial town that is not controlled by Mathison. Kitty then engages Jarvis in a card game where she cheats and takes everything Jarvis has, including custody of Downing.
Jarvis is bitter over his losses, and he sends word to Mathison that Downing is in Dodge. Mathison has the judge under his control to sign a death warrant for Downing to be executed immediately whenever he is captured. Mathison and his men then head for Dodge.
The story now becomes a race against time between Matt obtaining an order for a new trial and getting back to Dodge, and Mathison and his men capturing Downing and hanging him.
Jon Voight, who had participated twice previously in Gunsmoke episodes, makes his last Gunsmoke appearance as Steven Downing. Voight was a young man when this episode was produced. He had a knack for being able to portray characters who were likeable and vulnerable.
Ramon Bieri often played villains in television dramas. He fills the role of the bounty hunter named Jarvis here. Kenneth Tobey, who could play all manner of characters, portrays Bob Mathison with the proper level of dogged determination when it comes to seeing that Downing is hanged.
Ned Glass had participated in eight episodes of the series going all the way back to the second season. This ninth appearance is his last. Here he plays one of Louie Pheeters's drinking friends, Pink Simmons who ends up being an integral part of the plot.
This is an extremely well-acted episode with some nice plot elements. The card game where Kitty takes Jarvis to the proverbial cleaners is one of the first times I can remember the Kitty Russell character portraying a card sharp and using her "talents" to cheat someone.
However, there is an especially puzzling part of the story that does not fare well under scrutiny. Why is it so important that Marshal Dillon physically arrives back in Dodge City with the judge's order for a new trial? It would seem news of the new trial order could have easily been sent by wire to Dodge to supersede the death warrant Mathison was able to obtain. In the end, this comes across as a poor attempt to add a thrilling element to the story, but the viewer can easily predict what is going to happen.
In the end, the performances by Voight and Amanda Blake lift this penultimate Season 14 episode above any questionable portions of the story.
