This is another episode that illustrate why the early years of this television Western Wear some of the best TV at the time. Considering this episode was aired in the late 1950s, it is uncompromising. Unlike many shows today, when this show has a character that is said to be evil, the show takes it to its logical end
12 Reviews
Matt Dillon is confronted with Marie Dressler's doppelganger
AlsExGal3 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Two brothers are playing cards at the Long Branch saloon. Andy Tennis is short tempered and mean. Ben Tennis seems to be the accommodating and peacemaking type. Andy accuses the dealer of being crooked, they argue, and Andy shoots the unarmed dealer. Kitty and Ben witness the killing. Matt shows up and even though Andy is holding a gun on him, Matt does get him to drop the gun and go to jail. What is all of this talk at the beginning of the show about Matt Dillon shooting down outlaws? Like I've said in previous reviews, he seems to try and be the peacemaker way past the point of obligation.
The next day into the jail marches Ma Tennis, Andy's mother with a drawn shotgun. She orders Matt and Chester to release Andy and they do. Ma Tennis is a dead ringer for the long departed Marie Dressler, charming elder MGM comedic actress. Let's just say Ma Tennis seems to have none of Ms. Dressler's charms, only her appearance. She tells Matt about how her own husband was hanged when her children were small and she swore that no son of hers would ever hang. Matt lets Ma and Andy leave town and tells Chester they'll wait a week and go out to the Tennis place after they've let their guard down and get the drop on them then and arrest Andy.
Now Ma meant it when she said that none of her sons would hang. But that doesn't mean she particularly minds if either or both of them die of other means. Watch and see what I mean. Recommended if you like Gunsmoke. Heck, recommended if you want to see a dead ringer of 20s and 30s film star Marie Dressler.
The next day into the jail marches Ma Tennis, Andy's mother with a drawn shotgun. She orders Matt and Chester to release Andy and they do. Ma Tennis is a dead ringer for the long departed Marie Dressler, charming elder MGM comedic actress. Let's just say Ma Tennis seems to have none of Ms. Dressler's charms, only her appearance. She tells Matt about how her own husband was hanged when her children were small and she swore that no son of hers would ever hang. Matt lets Ma and Andy leave town and tells Chester they'll wait a week and go out to the Tennis place after they've let their guard down and get the drop on them then and arrest Andy.
Now Ma meant it when she said that none of her sons would hang. But that doesn't mean she particularly minds if either or both of them die of other means. Watch and see what I mean. Recommended if you like Gunsmoke. Heck, recommended if you want to see a dead ringer of 20s and 30s film star Marie Dressler.
The Great Nina
markholl-4847729 October 2021
I won't try to dazzle you here with any flashy words or lure you into some maze of circular logic...just want to report that I thought this was a very fine episode, and enjoyed it very much, this late third season offering. From the clever, witful dialogue between Matt and Doc, the perfectly casted Nina Vareles barking out her strong willed beliefs...just a real great watch.
Don't Mess with Mother
dougdoepke28 July 2007
Strong story with a number of nice twists of the sort that helped establish the series's classic status. Headstrong kid (Ron Hagerthey) kills poker dealer for no good reason. Matt takes him into custody but doesn't figure on the kid's mother (Nina Varela) with the body of a wrestler, a willful personality, and a shotgun she means to use. The ending is powerfully moving, well-staged by director Buzz Kulik.
Writer John Meston reached his peak, I believe, during this 1958 season, as evidenced by the many exceptional scripts he's credited with. Ma Tennis is one of them. She and her boys are original concepts and play forcefully into the best of Gunsmoke's basic theme-- that life on the frontier was grim and took its toll on all who braved the fearsome elements. It was a Darwinian world in which only the strong survive. Ma Tennis is one of those. However, underneath it all, she has her own sense of honor, which is why Matt bends to her. On a lighter note, watch how subtly that fine actor Dennis Weaver as the inimitable Chester reacts to the presence of the imperious Varela. It's minor touches like this that bespeak quality at all levels.
Writer John Meston reached his peak, I believe, during this 1958 season, as evidenced by the many exceptional scripts he's credited with. Ma Tennis is one of them. She and her boys are original concepts and play forcefully into the best of Gunsmoke's basic theme-- that life on the frontier was grim and took its toll on all who braved the fearsome elements. It was a Darwinian world in which only the strong survive. Ma Tennis is one of those. However, underneath it all, she has her own sense of honor, which is why Matt bends to her. On a lighter note, watch how subtly that fine actor Dennis Weaver as the inimitable Chester reacts to the presence of the imperious Varela. It's minor touches like this that bespeak quality at all levels.
A very powerful episode
kfo949427 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
When Andy Tennis shoots an unarmed card dealer at the Long Branch, Matt has no other option but to lock the boy up for murder. But it is not long before Ma Tennis comes riding into town and forces Matt, at shotgun point, to let Andy leave.
A week later Matt and Chester ride out to the Tennis's farm for a possible trouble when they arrest Andy. But they find Ma Tennis above a freshly grave. She tells them that she killed Andy because she did not want to see him hang. But Matt is very suspicious about the story.
This has one of the most powerful ending in any episode of any show. It goes to prove that some mothers will do anything to keep their sons from being convicted of a crime. The ending is rather shocking when Matt and Chester realize that there is a body in the grave and the circumstances surrounding the event. Absolutely enjoyed this episode.
A week later Matt and Chester ride out to the Tennis's farm for a possible trouble when they arrest Andy. But they find Ma Tennis above a freshly grave. She tells them that she killed Andy because she did not want to see him hang. But Matt is very suspicious about the story.
This has one of the most powerful ending in any episode of any show. It goes to prove that some mothers will do anything to keep their sons from being convicted of a crime. The ending is rather shocking when Matt and Chester realize that there is a body in the grave and the circumstances surrounding the event. Absolutely enjoyed this episode.
Truly Despicable Sow of a Woman!
atomicis18 July 2021
She doesn't blink until 2/3rds through the episode... Doc and Matt's interaction before the sow comes into town to break it up is priceless for the dialogue, and the acting as well -- and its resolution when the wench accuses them both of what Doc accused Matt of seconds before!
I won't insert a spoiler like "kfo9494" seems to think is necessary to make a valid review, but any "woman" who is not single-mindedly protective of her children does not qualify for the "woman" noun!!
"Ma Tennis" must miss the Fatherland!
I won't insert a spoiler like "kfo9494" seems to think is necessary to make a valid review, but any "woman" who is not single-mindedly protective of her children does not qualify for the "woman" noun!!
"Ma Tennis" must miss the Fatherland!
"...the meanest I ever ran into was a woman"
wdavidreynolds26 January 2022
Ben and Andy Tennis, two brothers that live on a ranch with their mother near Crooked Creek, are playing cards at the Long Branch Saloon during a visit to Dodge City. Hot tempered Andy has been losing badly and is increasingly annoyed because the dealer repeatedly refers to his youthful appearance by addressing him as "kid" and "young fella." Andy shoots and kills the unarmed dealer.
Matt arrests Andy. The next day, a shotgun-wielding woman walks into Marshal Dillon's office. She orders Marshal Dillon to release her son, or she will shoot. Matt tells Chester to release Andy, and Andy and Ma Tennis leave town.
After about a week, Matt and Chester Goode ride to the Tennis ranch where they find Ma Tennis putting the finishing touches on a grave. She tells Matt she was burying Andy. She says Ben had convinced Andy to surrender and face prosecution. Since she could not tolerate the thought of her son hanging, she shot and killed Andy. When Matt tells her she will face prosecution for murdering her son, she agrees to come into Dodge the next day.
Matt is convinced Ma Tennis did not kill her son, but he is unsure what is going on. Further investigation will reveal some surprises.
Nina Varela shines in the role of the Tennis matriarch. The opera-trained Varela spent most of her acting career on the stage and did not work extensively in films or television. She appeared twice in Gunsmoke episodes -- this installment and the Season 5 entry "Hinka Do" -- and she had parts in a handful of other television shows.
Ron Hagerthy makes his second and final appearance in the series in this story where he plays Andy Tennis. Hagerthy's career consisted primarily of guest roles on television shows. He played the character Clipper King in the series Sky King early in his career. By the late 1960s, his acting career was over.
Corey Allen, who had garnered attention when he portrayed Buzz Gunderson in the film Rebel Without a Cause, makes his only Gunsmoke appearance as Ben Tennis. Allen would become better known for his work as a director of television shows and made-for-television movies.
Once again, John Meston delivers an intriguing look at life on the prairie. At least in Meston's world, the prairie was littered with oddball, individualistic characters that lived by their own moral code and were often hardened by their experiences. Ma Tennis is one of those characters.
I would have liked to have known more about the Tennis family and how Ma Tennis gets into this mess with her sons. The thirty-minute format did not allow for that type of character development.
Matt arrests Andy. The next day, a shotgun-wielding woman walks into Marshal Dillon's office. She orders Marshal Dillon to release her son, or she will shoot. Matt tells Chester to release Andy, and Andy and Ma Tennis leave town.
After about a week, Matt and Chester Goode ride to the Tennis ranch where they find Ma Tennis putting the finishing touches on a grave. She tells Matt she was burying Andy. She says Ben had convinced Andy to surrender and face prosecution. Since she could not tolerate the thought of her son hanging, she shot and killed Andy. When Matt tells her she will face prosecution for murdering her son, she agrees to come into Dodge the next day.
Matt is convinced Ma Tennis did not kill her son, but he is unsure what is going on. Further investigation will reveal some surprises.
Nina Varela shines in the role of the Tennis matriarch. The opera-trained Varela spent most of her acting career on the stage and did not work extensively in films or television. She appeared twice in Gunsmoke episodes -- this installment and the Season 5 entry "Hinka Do" -- and she had parts in a handful of other television shows.
Ron Hagerthy makes his second and final appearance in the series in this story where he plays Andy Tennis. Hagerthy's career consisted primarily of guest roles on television shows. He played the character Clipper King in the series Sky King early in his career. By the late 1960s, his acting career was over.
Corey Allen, who had garnered attention when he portrayed Buzz Gunderson in the film Rebel Without a Cause, makes his only Gunsmoke appearance as Ben Tennis. Allen would become better known for his work as a director of television shows and made-for-television movies.
Once again, John Meston delivers an intriguing look at life on the prairie. At least in Meston's world, the prairie was littered with oddball, individualistic characters that lived by their own moral code and were often hardened by their experiences. Ma Tennis is one of those characters.
I would have liked to have known more about the Tennis family and how Ma Tennis gets into this mess with her sons. The thirty-minute format did not allow for that type of character development.
Don't quite fit
darbski14 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Great acting; good episode even with a number of problems. First, the actress playing Ma Tennis was way too fat to be doing anything like farming or ranching. There wasn't any fat on the people who led that life. Yeah, I know, and I don't mean to be disparaging of anyone's looks or body type, just in reality it was a tough, hard life, and there was no room for comfort food, or laziness. The other thing is that I thought for sure she was gonna kill Andy with the knife she had on her belt when she was in town. No doubt, Andy needed killin'.
Another small thing is that when Ma took Andy out of the jail, they left his handgun behind. so, it almost certainly HAD to be Ben's he was wearing when Matt caught him. Either way, The Marshal's office just took possession of two hip guns, and two shotguns, not to mention a buggy and some horses. The printer who said that Matt was going to be a laughingstock, if he had any brains, thought it over and realized that they owed Dillon a great debt for keeping the peace in Dodge, and the rest of his district. If not, people could call a printer the next time somebody shoots up the town.
Another small thing is that when Ma took Andy out of the jail, they left his handgun behind. so, it almost certainly HAD to be Ben's he was wearing when Matt caught him. Either way, The Marshal's office just took possession of two hip guns, and two shotguns, not to mention a buggy and some horses. The printer who said that Matt was going to be a laughingstock, if he had any brains, thought it over and realized that they owed Dillon a great debt for keeping the peace in Dodge, and the rest of his district. If not, people could call a printer the next time somebody shoots up the town.
Great acting especially Nina as Ma
tpetty-9266818 January 2022
But at the very end when Dillon says something like "yes, Chester I'm putting her in jail this time". I'm wondering if that was irony. Yes Matt washes his face in the stream when he has to, but from time to time he says something that portrays a deeper character.
I Don't See You Laughing
jamdifo1 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
That line said by Dillon was the highlight of the episode. It was his response when a townsperson stated he was going to be the laughing stock of Dodge because a woman got the better of Dillon. Then Dillon said he's going to eat breakfast, clearly perturbed.
Other than that funny exchange with a townsperson(Jack Harris in his only episode, man I wish he was in more episodes), this episode again shows the ineptitude of Chester, and even Dillon. In the end, I couldn't believe Dillon would let Ma tennis talk to her son in a room with a closed door. On top of it, depend on Chester to "check out the room". Hasn't Dillon learned? They acted like Laurel and Hardy in that scene. Of course Ma has a SHOTGUN in the room to kill her son (in revenge of him killing her other son). Chester sure is blind and Dillon still is clueless. No lawman would have lasted 3 months with Chester at their side.
Other than that funny exchange with a townsperson(Jack Harris in his only episode, man I wish he was in more episodes), this episode again shows the ineptitude of Chester, and even Dillon. In the end, I couldn't believe Dillon would let Ma tennis talk to her son in a room with a closed door. On top of it, depend on Chester to "check out the room". Hasn't Dillon learned? They acted like Laurel and Hardy in that scene. Of course Ma has a SHOTGUN in the room to kill her son (in revenge of him killing her other son). Chester sure is blind and Dillon still is clueless. No lawman would have lasted 3 months with Chester at their side.
Chester & Nina should get an Emmy Award
Good_Guy775 July 2022
Incompetent moronic Chester blows it like usual when he fails to notice a shotgun in the room where Nina confronts her killer son.
Dillon backs down when Nina aims a shotgun at him, cause she is more macho man than he is.
The rest of this episode is all talk and not much else. Aside from big fat Nina making Dillon back down, it is pretty boring. I expected the ending, because whenever Chester is in charge of securing a prisoner, that prisoner either gets away, gets a gun and kills someone, or gets killed.
Dillon backs down when Nina aims a shotgun at him, cause she is more macho man than he is.
The rest of this episode is all talk and not much else. Aside from big fat Nina making Dillon back down, it is pretty boring. I expected the ending, because whenever Chester is in charge of securing a prisoner, that prisoner either gets away, gets a gun and kills someone, or gets killed.
Bigger than a Buffalo
Johnny_West30 July 2022
Ma Tennis was a huge, chunky, grotesque bull of a woman. She was stronger than a buffalo, and Marshal Dillon was afraid of her. She only demanded that her kids never hang, and that seemed like a reasonable standard for an illiterate backwoods hag. Unfortunately, even though her lowlife kids did not hang for their crimes, they still met Justice, as most characters do in the early pre-1960s Gunsmoke.
This is a typical John Meston story about the trashy nesters that came out West, and how they lived like animals. No happy endings was the John Meston motto. Not even the undertakers were happy, since most of the people that got killed off on Gunsmoke were poor.
This is a typical John Meston story about the trashy nesters that came out West, and how they lived like animals. No happy endings was the John Meston motto. Not even the undertakers were happy, since most of the people that got killed off on Gunsmoke were poor.
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