This is such a grand episode and just packed with big names and top shelf writing. The story is such a sad one and it is played out with George Kennedy, Burt Reynolds, and a beautiful Katherine Ross. This story has been spelled out by others and I can't add anything more. I can join the others and say this is a great episode and well worth the time to view.
11 Reviews
A sad but entertaining story about a father and daughter
kfo949419 January 2013
Here is a sad family tale of a father that refuses to let his 19 year old daughter grow up and does not see that it could cost him everything he has in life.
Cyrus Degler (George Kennedy) has a daughter named Susan (Katharine Ross) that is seeing Quint. This relationship is much to the displeasure of Cyrus who expresses his emotion by horse whipping Quint and telling him that he will kill him if he continues to see his daughter.
Back at the house Cyrus tells Susan that since her mother died years ago, she is all that he has in her life and wants to protect her. When Susan tells him that she will continue to see Quint, he picks up the horse whip again- but this time Susan pulls a rifle off the wall and points it at her Dad. Cyrus backs off and then telegraphs his kin folk named Praylie Degler to come to Dodge. Praylie is the member of the clan that takes care of matters when requested.
When Praylie arrives in Dodge his intention is to kill Quint. But with Festus and the Marshal suspicious, it will be difficult to complete the task.
After a strange explosion at the blacksmith shop, Matt tells Praylie to leave town. But he heads to Cyrus's house to get get paid for his services. But instead of taking the money owed, he robs Cyrus of all the money he has in life. Susan comes in and again take the rifle off the wall- this time to protect her father. But this time things will be far different and lives changed.
An excellent script and well acted. Was entertaining throughout the entire show which keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. A great watch for any viewer.
Cyrus Degler (George Kennedy) has a daughter named Susan (Katharine Ross) that is seeing Quint. This relationship is much to the displeasure of Cyrus who expresses his emotion by horse whipping Quint and telling him that he will kill him if he continues to see his daughter.
Back at the house Cyrus tells Susan that since her mother died years ago, she is all that he has in her life and wants to protect her. When Susan tells him that she will continue to see Quint, he picks up the horse whip again- but this time Susan pulls a rifle off the wall and points it at her Dad. Cyrus backs off and then telegraphs his kin folk named Praylie Degler to come to Dodge. Praylie is the member of the clan that takes care of matters when requested.
When Praylie arrives in Dodge his intention is to kill Quint. But with Festus and the Marshal suspicious, it will be difficult to complete the task.
After a strange explosion at the blacksmith shop, Matt tells Praylie to leave town. But he heads to Cyrus's house to get get paid for his services. But instead of taking the money owed, he robs Cyrus of all the money he has in life. Susan comes in and again take the rifle off the wall- this time to protect her father. But this time things will be far different and lives changed.
An excellent script and well acted. Was entertaining throughout the entire show which keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. A great watch for any viewer.
This episode packs lots of star power...
AlsExGal22 January 2023
... for you have Katharine Ross five years before raindrops are falling on her head, George Kennedy three years before he won best supporting actor for Cool Hand Luke, and then there is Burt Reynolds who will be a headliner in films all during the 1970s.
In this episode, blacksmith Quint (Burt Reynolds) is seriously seeing Susan (Katherine Ross). Her dad, Cyrus, is furious about their dating. For once it seems it is not racism associated with Quint being half Comanche. Instead, Cyrus doesn't want anybody to take his daughter away from him. He somehow feels that because he spent his life raising her, she owes him her time as an adult taking care of him. Susan's mother died when she was seven.
Realizing he can't handle this situation, Cyrus calls his relative Praylie to "get rid " of Quint. But what they have here is a failure to communicate. Praylie considers killing the same as getting rid of Quint. Cyrus just wanted him scared away. Praylie is further agitated that Cyrus didn't tell him that Quint has powerful allies in Festus and Marshall Dillon. This disagreement turns tragic and violent. I'll let you see exactly what I mean by that.
I'm really starting to like the Festus/Quint friendship. This week there is a humorous scene between the two of them - and doc -in the Long Branch on the subject of making the perfect ham.
In this episode, blacksmith Quint (Burt Reynolds) is seriously seeing Susan (Katherine Ross). Her dad, Cyrus, is furious about their dating. For once it seems it is not racism associated with Quint being half Comanche. Instead, Cyrus doesn't want anybody to take his daughter away from him. He somehow feels that because he spent his life raising her, she owes him her time as an adult taking care of him. Susan's mother died when she was seven.
Realizing he can't handle this situation, Cyrus calls his relative Praylie to "get rid " of Quint. But what they have here is a failure to communicate. Praylie considers killing the same as getting rid of Quint. Cyrus just wanted him scared away. Praylie is further agitated that Cyrus didn't tell him that Quint has powerful allies in Festus and Marshall Dillon. This disagreement turns tragic and violent. I'll let you see exactly what I mean by that.
I'm really starting to like the Festus/Quint friendship. This week there is a humorous scene between the two of them - and doc -in the Long Branch on the subject of making the perfect ham.
Great Episode
colbertadrian8 July 2020
Always good acting with the regulars, but this episode had great guest acting, the exchange between George Kennedy and Katherine Ross really showed her skills and she could hold her own with a veteran actor like George Kennedy, the episode was well written with many layers to it.
Tragic Story, Excellent Cast
wdavidreynolds14 December 2020
Quint Asper and a beautiful young woman named Susan Degler have fallen madly in love. Susan's father, Cyrus Degler, a former man from "the hill country" (like Festus Haggen) owns a ranch near Dodge City. Cyrus has grown very possessive of Susan, especially in recent years since his wife died and Susan has grown older. He cannot stand the thought of his daughter marrying and leaving him alone. This puts him at odds with Quint. While Cyrus uses the excuse of not wanting his daughter to marry a "half breed," it is obvious Quint's ethnicity has little to do with his objections.
The situation spirals out of Cyrus's control, as it becomes increasingly apparent he is losing his daughter. Cyrus chooses to take the drastic step of "sending for" Cousin Praylie. Cousin Praylie is someone who "fixes" situations. Anytime someone in the Degler family is in trouble, they call Cousin Praylie for help. According to Festus, Praylie "does the dirty work" for the Deglers.
Cyrus sets a chain of events in motion that will lead to a horribly tragic outcome.
There is nothing especially unique about this tragedy of a couple in love facing protests from other family members. As a matter of fact, George Kennedy, who plays the Cyrus Degler role in this episode and the Gunsmoke writers would explore a similar theme in Season 11's episode "Harvest." Cyrus Degler in this episode and Ben Payson in the Season 11 episode are essentially the same person. The only very minor complaint regarding this episode is the outcome is predictable.
(Pretty much any time a major cast member engages in a romance during this time in television history, the story inevitably leads to tragedy.)
The thing that lifts this episode above the norm is the acting. Kennedy, Royal Dano as Praylie, and Katherine Ross as Susan each deliver the goods with their respective performances. Kennedy and Dano were no strangers to Gunsmoke, each appearing in several episodes. This marks the first of two appearances by Katherine Ross, both during Season 10. Of course, Ross would go on to star in The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
Dano's performance here is particularly noteworthy, as it again demonstrates his range as an actor. In distinct roles he convincingly played characters that were kind and gentle, silly and funny, and mean and despicable, as he does here.
This episode must rank in the top ten tragic Gunsmoke episodes. This is also one of the few episodes of the series that features Burt Reynolds as a central character. Reynolds appeared in several episodes during the brief time he was on the show, but he was usually just a supporting character. Reynolds appeared in a few more episodes before leaving the series, but I tend to think of this episode as a fitting end to the Quint Asper character on the show. In a much later episode, Matt reveals that Quint left Dodge. It makes sense that he might want to leave the town after the tragic events in this story.
The mini side story about Doc Adams and his ham adds some needed levity to this heavy episode. The scene in the Long Branch where Doc, Festus, and Quint are delighting in the cured ham while Kitty questions what all the fuss is about is funny. Aged, "country" ham is an acquired taste, for sure.
Veteran actor Charles Morton is especially amusing as a Long Branch patron who helps himself to some of Doc's ham while Doc is distracted. Morton's career began in Vaudeville. He was cast as a leading man in a few silent films in the late 1920s, but his career did not fare as well after that. He appeared in numerous films and television shows during an extensive acting career, but most of his parts were small and/or uncredited. He appeared in ten different Gunsmoke episodes prior to his death in 1966, always in an uncredited part.
(Footnote: As the father of a pretty daughter close to Susan Degler's age, I disagree with other reviewers who call Cyrus's behavior toward his daughter "creepy." He is definitely overly protective of Susan, and one gets the distinct impression that no man would measure up to what he wants for his daughter. While I am not overprotective of my daughter - I actually LIKE her boyfriend - I can understand how Cyrus feels. This story is a nice reminder that one should be careful about how they treat things they treasure, especially other human beings.)
The situation spirals out of Cyrus's control, as it becomes increasingly apparent he is losing his daughter. Cyrus chooses to take the drastic step of "sending for" Cousin Praylie. Cousin Praylie is someone who "fixes" situations. Anytime someone in the Degler family is in trouble, they call Cousin Praylie for help. According to Festus, Praylie "does the dirty work" for the Deglers.
Cyrus sets a chain of events in motion that will lead to a horribly tragic outcome.
There is nothing especially unique about this tragedy of a couple in love facing protests from other family members. As a matter of fact, George Kennedy, who plays the Cyrus Degler role in this episode and the Gunsmoke writers would explore a similar theme in Season 11's episode "Harvest." Cyrus Degler in this episode and Ben Payson in the Season 11 episode are essentially the same person. The only very minor complaint regarding this episode is the outcome is predictable.
(Pretty much any time a major cast member engages in a romance during this time in television history, the story inevitably leads to tragedy.)
The thing that lifts this episode above the norm is the acting. Kennedy, Royal Dano as Praylie, and Katherine Ross as Susan each deliver the goods with their respective performances. Kennedy and Dano were no strangers to Gunsmoke, each appearing in several episodes. This marks the first of two appearances by Katherine Ross, both during Season 10. Of course, Ross would go on to star in The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
Dano's performance here is particularly noteworthy, as it again demonstrates his range as an actor. In distinct roles he convincingly played characters that were kind and gentle, silly and funny, and mean and despicable, as he does here.
This episode must rank in the top ten tragic Gunsmoke episodes. This is also one of the few episodes of the series that features Burt Reynolds as a central character. Reynolds appeared in several episodes during the brief time he was on the show, but he was usually just a supporting character. Reynolds appeared in a few more episodes before leaving the series, but I tend to think of this episode as a fitting end to the Quint Asper character on the show. In a much later episode, Matt reveals that Quint left Dodge. It makes sense that he might want to leave the town after the tragic events in this story.
The mini side story about Doc Adams and his ham adds some needed levity to this heavy episode. The scene in the Long Branch where Doc, Festus, and Quint are delighting in the cured ham while Kitty questions what all the fuss is about is funny. Aged, "country" ham is an acquired taste, for sure.
Veteran actor Charles Morton is especially amusing as a Long Branch patron who helps himself to some of Doc's ham while Doc is distracted. Morton's career began in Vaudeville. He was cast as a leading man in a few silent films in the late 1920s, but his career did not fare as well after that. He appeared in numerous films and television shows during an extensive acting career, but most of his parts were small and/or uncredited. He appeared in ten different Gunsmoke episodes prior to his death in 1966, always in an uncredited part.
(Footnote: As the father of a pretty daughter close to Susan Degler's age, I disagree with other reviewers who call Cyrus's behavior toward his daughter "creepy." He is definitely overly protective of Susan, and one gets the distinct impression that no man would measure up to what he wants for his daughter. While I am not overprotective of my daughter - I actually LIKE her boyfriend - I can understand how Cyrus feels. This story is a nice reminder that one should be careful about how they treat things they treasure, especially other human beings.)
Star-studded, well-acted and written episode
jimdarcangelojr20 June 2020
Gunsmoke was such an amazing vehicle for talent - this episode is one of the best in which, beyond the usual Gunsmoke core (Matt, Doc Festus, and Kitty), you had near-future major stars George Kennedy and Katherine Ross on screen with Birt Reynolds. Very entertaining episode on so many levels! a must-watch!
Katherine Ross, George Kennedy, and Royal Dano - WOW
LukeCoolHand14 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best episodes of Gunsmoke by far. Also I think that most channels run the show uncut as the commercials are very short. I appreciate that. Two channels are running the black and white episodes only and I had never seen them before. That makes this pandemic bearable to be stuck at home and have a very good series to pass the time away. Couldn't have come at a better time.
George Kennedy as the unhinged father, Katherine Ross as his daughter, and Royal Dano thrown in as a terrible person. How could this episode be bad ? The scene where Ross confronts her father (Kennedy) with a rifle and tells him "I'm not your wife" is worth the price of admission alone. Great acting. 2nd time viewing today and I think I enjoyed it more the 2nd time than the 1st a few months ago. Great watch and will watch it again as one of those you can watch over and over Some other episodes I can watch over and over are Sweet and Sour, Caleb, No Hands, Mayblossom, Marry Me, The Gallows, Obie Tater, The Lady, and many, many others.
George Kennedy as the unhinged father, Katherine Ross as his daughter, and Royal Dano thrown in as a terrible person. How could this episode be bad ? The scene where Ross confronts her father (Kennedy) with a rifle and tells him "I'm not your wife" is worth the price of admission alone. Great acting. 2nd time viewing today and I think I enjoyed it more the 2nd time than the 1st a few months ago. Great watch and will watch it again as one of those you can watch over and over Some other episodes I can watch over and over are Sweet and Sour, Caleb, No Hands, Mayblossom, Marry Me, The Gallows, Obie Tater, The Lady, and many, many others.
Royal D. STEALS THE SHOW aka "The Ham on the Operating Table"
lrrap29 March 2021
One of Gunsmoke's most unusual "comic relief" scenes---the gourmet smoked ham that we first see on Doc's operating table. For a few seconds, we think that it's a HUMAN body part...but ultimately, the hunk-a-ham ends up over at the Long Branch for a fun feast with Doc, Festus, Quint, etc. The scene actually made me hungry. But then, trouble walks in the door....
And speaking of HAM (fans of Mr. Kennedy: get ready to hit the "NOT USEFUL" button....), George Kennedy nearly ruins this episode for me; he just doesn't have the acting chops for this kind of role; his line delivery is phony and ill-at-ease. He's nowhere near the class of actor as, say, James Arness or Royal Dano--who is positively TERRIFYING in this show. Man, what an ominous, threatening, inhuman dude! Now THAT"S a fine actor--totally poised and technically solid.*
So I deduct one rating star for Kennedy but restore it for Dano. The plot is pretty standard and predictable--which is fine, since the script is written well. Great shot of Festus and Quint DIVING out of the blacksmith shop as it EXPLODES--try it in SLO-MO! Also-- (NON-Spoiler alert)--there are two deaths during the final climatic scene--one looks very fake (director should have re-filmed it), the other really cool. Also, Ken Curtis and Burt Reynolds make a great team. LR
* (A friend and I had the great pleasure of meeting with Royal Dano in his Santa Monica home in September, 1988. I was in town to meet with Ray Bradbury re: a musical project, and called Royal cold out of the phone book. I had a videocassette of "Face of Fire" ('59) which he appeared in but didn't own a copy of. So he invited my friend and me over. A THREE-HOUR chat, during which he talked on like an excited kid---and he recalled EVERY DETAIL of his career, too, from his stage debut in "Finians' Rainbow" (1947) to the present. My only regret is that we didn't have a recorder to capture our talk. His wife kept peeking around the corner saying "Royal, your dinner's getting cold.." What a night!)
And speaking of HAM (fans of Mr. Kennedy: get ready to hit the "NOT USEFUL" button....), George Kennedy nearly ruins this episode for me; he just doesn't have the acting chops for this kind of role; his line delivery is phony and ill-at-ease. He's nowhere near the class of actor as, say, James Arness or Royal Dano--who is positively TERRIFYING in this show. Man, what an ominous, threatening, inhuman dude! Now THAT"S a fine actor--totally poised and technically solid.*
So I deduct one rating star for Kennedy but restore it for Dano. The plot is pretty standard and predictable--which is fine, since the script is written well. Great shot of Festus and Quint DIVING out of the blacksmith shop as it EXPLODES--try it in SLO-MO! Also-- (NON-Spoiler alert)--there are two deaths during the final climatic scene--one looks very fake (director should have re-filmed it), the other really cool. Also, Ken Curtis and Burt Reynolds make a great team. LR
* (A friend and I had the great pleasure of meeting with Royal Dano in his Santa Monica home in September, 1988. I was in town to meet with Ray Bradbury re: a musical project, and called Royal cold out of the phone book. I had a videocassette of "Face of Fire" ('59) which he appeared in but didn't own a copy of. So he invited my friend and me over. A THREE-HOUR chat, during which he talked on like an excited kid---and he recalled EVERY DETAIL of his career, too, from his stage debut in "Finians' Rainbow" (1947) to the present. My only regret is that we didn't have a recorder to capture our talk. His wife kept peeking around the corner saying "Royal, your dinner's getting cold.." What a night!)
George Kennedy a bad Dad again
Johnny_West23 March 2024
George Kennedy was usually a bad father on TV shows. A wooden lack of expression and a monotone robotic voice made it hard to know if he had any feelings. Condemning his kids for whatever they were happy doing made it hard to like him as a Dad.
In this episode, Kennedy is upset that his super hottie daughter (Katherine Ross) is sparking with Quint Asper (Burt Reynolds). Reynolds was another actor who had a hard time emoting. He could smile or frown, but that was about as far as it got.
So these two guys are fighting with each other over Ross, and along comes Royal Dano, another guy that had zero range of expression. Normally Dano played dim-wits, hill-people, miners, etc.
This time Dano plays the tough hill-man from the Dagler family tree. Kennedy is his cousin, and called him down to Dodge so he can kill Quint, the man his daughter loves. Not very great family values.
Festus knows Dagler, and he gets added to the mix of tough characters. This was back when Festus was a tough hill-man himself, before the last years, when the writers watered him down into a goof-ball.
Reynolds and Ross are going to elope, but even though Quint can see that trouble is brewing, he wants to do it on his own time. Ross wants to go sooner, because she is knows her Dagler family, and that all hell is about to break loose.
Unfortunately Quint leads his girlfriend into a major family conflict and then leaves her hanging there, and she pays the price. Not a great moment for Quint. He should have protected Ross, and he should have had a bright moment by taking out Dano, the bad guy.
In this episode, Kennedy is upset that his super hottie daughter (Katherine Ross) is sparking with Quint Asper (Burt Reynolds). Reynolds was another actor who had a hard time emoting. He could smile or frown, but that was about as far as it got.
So these two guys are fighting with each other over Ross, and along comes Royal Dano, another guy that had zero range of expression. Normally Dano played dim-wits, hill-people, miners, etc.
This time Dano plays the tough hill-man from the Dagler family tree. Kennedy is his cousin, and called him down to Dodge so he can kill Quint, the man his daughter loves. Not very great family values.
Festus knows Dagler, and he gets added to the mix of tough characters. This was back when Festus was a tough hill-man himself, before the last years, when the writers watered him down into a goof-ball.
Reynolds and Ross are going to elope, but even though Quint can see that trouble is brewing, he wants to do it on his own time. Ross wants to go sooner, because she is knows her Dagler family, and that all hell is about to break loose.
Unfortunately Quint leads his girlfriend into a major family conflict and then leaves her hanging there, and she pays the price. Not a great moment for Quint. He should have protected Ross, and he should have had a bright moment by taking out Dano, the bad guy.
daddy was creepy.
gimmesummdapp-8069914 December 2020
Good episode but unsettling. the way george kennedy obsessed over katherine ross is down right cringy. royal dano is always excellent. burt reynolds is a bit too blase and nonchalant towards the man who's charged to kill him.
Great Review By irrap
janet-conant13 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I decided to watch this again and remembered some of it. My first impression was that Kennedy was miscast as the obsessive father because he wasn't convincing as irrap said. I expected him any minute to burst out laughing and use that hayseed accent and dance around. Imagine an actor like John Anderson playing Ross's daddy? That guy could do anything. Speaking of great acting, I loved the memory of meeting up with the great Royal Dano. That small part in the beginning of Moby Dick was eerie and foreboding. I've been blown away by his career and loved him in The Rifleman but imagine he invites you over for a visit. You are one lucky dude, irrap. If there was one actor I could listen to it's Royal. What a voice. Even though Big Valley was rather hokey I enjoyed him greatly in Ladykiller as a cold blooded killer.
This episode shows us who could capture a character and who couldn't. Ross was effective but Reynolds sort of phoned it in. If I were a guy I'd have shown more passion about that beautiful girl.
Maybe if Kennedy played the hired killer and Dano the obsessive father it would have worked better. When Kennedy said 'God forgive me' at the grave he almost redeemed himself. Always love Festus and I laughed out loud when Festus and Quint see the short fuse on the keg and take time to look at each other!
Can you imagine George Kennedy won an Oscar for Cool Hand Luke and Dano not even an Emmy!!
This episode shows us who could capture a character and who couldn't. Ross was effective but Reynolds sort of phoned it in. If I were a guy I'd have shown more passion about that beautiful girl.
Maybe if Kennedy played the hired killer and Dano the obsessive father it would have worked better. When Kennedy said 'God forgive me' at the grave he almost redeemed himself. Always love Festus and I laughed out loud when Festus and Quint see the short fuse on the keg and take time to look at each other!
Can you imagine George Kennedy won an Oscar for Cool Hand Luke and Dano not even an Emmy!!
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