"Wanted: Dead or Alive" The Matchmaker (TV Episode 1959) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
6 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
8/10
Whe Does Old Ugly (But Rich) Charlie Choose?
ccthemovieman-114 August 2007
"Charlie Wright" thinks he's the ugliest man in town. He asks Josh to find him a bride. "And she has to be beautiful," he says. That's the opening scene in this third episode of the second season. Royal Dano plays "Charlie." He is hardly a known name but you'll recognize his face.

This isn't what you'd expect in a western, but you never know what you'll get on this always-interesting old TV show. Randall (Steve McQueen) says "I'm not matchmaker," but Charlie reminds him of the time he helped him out when Jos was down-and-out, so Josh gives it a try. McQueen, as he shows here, could be a subtle comedian when he needed to be. He goes through about every woman in town trying to find someone for Charlie. Some of these actresses, by the way, were really attractive, such as Kasey Rogers and several that did not get any billing here, such as the woman who played "Doris Hardy."

He goes 0-for-6 before taking a break for a beer. His next plan is to telegram a woman named "Amy," played by Fay Spain. Josh pays the woman and her dad who came with her, $200, just to have a dinner date with Charlie and hang around for awhile.

Josh has no luck until he winds up meeting "Mrs. Olson," well, actually "Harriet" played by the woman, Virginia Christine, who was best-known as the Folgers coffee commercial spokesperson of TV fame in the 1960s and '70s. She has a kid, thinks highly of Charlie, and is definitely interested. The problem is, Amy finds out Charlie's got a gold mind and accepts dumb Charlie's marriage proposal on the first date! Now, what's Josh going to do? He knows Charlie is best-suited for the coffee woman, not this scam artist. However, Charlie would rather than the out-of-town woman.

Josh explains the facts of life, er marriage, to Charlie and then we get to see what the latter decides. Hint: the ending is a shocker!

Overall, this was another entertaining episode even though it had no western action, no bad guys, no shootouts, etc. It didn't any of that, just an interesting story with a comedy touch. It's a little silly in parts but it keeps your interest.
15 out of 19 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Good Filler Episode
TheFearmakers25 March 2023
Wanted Dead or Alive is like any cool and tough cowboy show in that there are a certain smattering of fun episodes, and most of them aren't that great, like, for instance, in the first season when Josh helps... um... Santa Claus...

Here though is a great fun episode, a sort of short story the way it pans out in the end, surprisingly but maybe not so since the "homely" character, Royal Dano, isn't that smart to begin with so he's not someone to really care about, like other underdogs that Randall is helping...

But the women make this one: 1950's b-starlet Fay Spain as the beautiful shallow girl and Virginia Christine, as usual playing a tried-and-true woman, who's still kinda cute... she was Burt Lancaster's girl... for a little bit... in THE KILLERS...

Anyhow for a filler episode this one fills time nicely.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Great episode! And I guess not everybody loves pie, lol
SusanJL24 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Great ending. Instead of the expected marriage to the widow, the groom admits the truth. He's marrying his bride for her looks, she's marrying him for his money. And he's okay with that!!! Says "it's a draw" lol. Very inventive & funny episode.
5 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Another missed opportunity for Josh Randall
danrs00000821 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I enjoyed this story where Josh reluctantly agrees to help find a beautiful wife for his friend Charlie. This episode without a doubt had the biggest line up of great looking ladies of any episode in the series.

First, Kasey Rogers who later played Larry Tate's wife on Bewitched. It wasn't until I saw her on this show as Rudy Todd that I realized what a beauty she was.

Next, we have our literal gold digger Amy Williams played perfectly by knockout Fay Spain. There were two other lovely ladies shown, but they were given no lines and are not listed in the credits.

The lady that I really want to focus on is Virginia Christine who played the widowed mother Harriet Meecham. She is unfairly presented here as an old undesirable woman. Virginia was really not that much older than the other two actresses named. When Josh was talking to her about Charlie he mentions her delicious pies. Her face beams with the prettiest smile! The truth is that Virginia Christine was as beautiful an actress as these others, and her character Harriet Meecham was a fine looking widow woman.

In my opinion Josh Randall makes a habit of walking (or running) away from some great opportunities. Here he has a ready made family available , but he heads for the hills.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Fay Spain Lights a Fire!
Johnny_West6 April 2020
The career of Royal Dano consisted of playing various types of of dim-witted, genetically deficient, inbred, backwoods hillbillies, mountain folks, or miners. In this episode, Dano plays Charlie Wright, a dirty, ignorant, dim-witted miner who might have struck it rich. This character is identical to one that Dano played in the episode "Obie Tater" on the first season of Gunsmoke.

Charlie is sad because he stinks, he is dumb, and nobody wants to marry him except and old widow woman with a ten year old son who is always in trouble. Charlie does not want to be a step-father, or marry any old women. He wants to find a young woman to spark with and have kids. He is willing to pay for her, and so he hires Josh Randall to be his wing-man and matchmaker.

Randall tries all over town to find Charlie a girl, but even though he is rich, he is such a filthy pig that nobody wants him. The fact that he is dumber than a stump does not help. So Randall telegraphs for a gold-digging tramp that he remembers, and she happens to be the gorgeous Fay Spain.

Spain and her pimp/Daddy come to town, and Charlie immediately proposes marriage, since he has not been with any human female in years. The sheep in the barn are all sore, and they want him to find a wife too. Fay Spain is desperate enough for the loot, but the only monkey wrench in the wedding plans is the guy who hustles her, and pretends to be her Dad. What to do?
4 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Off beat episode. Josh on marriage.
ebertip11 June 2019
Josh hires Amy Williams to be nice to Charlie (Royal Dano) with Amy saying: if there is one thing I can give a man it's confidence.

Note the humor/prescience in the Folgers woman (Harriet) offering Josh coffee (and then cherry pie). But Charlie hates cherry pie.

Charlie to Josh: you've got a reputation for succeeding at your work.

Josh to Charlie: I never go to weddings; they make me cry.

Later, Charlie to Josh: to you marriage is a crime.

And, at the end, Harriet to Josh: I've got a pot of coffee on.
2 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed