Matt saves suspected 18 year old cattle thief Steve Elser, from a would be lynch group, and tries to help him find a job, but discovers he might be a hopeless case.Matt saves suspected 18 year old cattle thief Steve Elser, from a would be lynch group, and tries to help him find a job, but discovers he might be a hopeless case.Matt saves suspected 18 year old cattle thief Steve Elser, from a would be lynch group, and tries to help him find a job, but discovers he might be a hopeless case.
K.L. Smith
- Pence
- (as Ken L. Smith)
Russell Thorson
- Bowers
- (as Russ Thorson)
John George
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
James Nusser
- Wilkins
- (uncredited)
Bert Rumsey
- Sam, Bartender
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJames Nusser makes his first appearance on Gunsmoke as a wounded clerk. He will make seven guest appearances before being cast as the regular town drunk Louie Pheeters.
Featured review
A Troubled Young Man is Given Another Chance
A young man named Steve Elser walks into the Long Branch Saloon and buys a drink. Kitty Russell notices him and senses he is in trouble. Elser indirectly tells Miss Kitty some men are after him. When they hear horses approaching, Kitty ushers Else to her room and instructs him to lock himself inside.
A cowboy named Pence leads a group of men into the Long Branch. They want to lynch Elser for cattle theft, but they choose to wait for the kid to come out of Kitty's room. Kitty fetches Matt Dillon. The Marshal takes Elser into custody.
After talking with Elser, Matt agrees to release him with the understanding Elser will find a job. The Marshal wants to help the boy, because he sees some of his younger self in Elser. Doc Adams gives Matt's actions his endorsement.
As Matt and everyone will learn, a person cannot be helped unless they are willing to accept the kindness.
Brett Halsey plays the Steve Elser character in his sole Gunsmoke appearance. Halsey's acting career has been quite diverse. He was considered a heartthrob sort when he made this appearance and would be chosen to portray the hip character Paul Templin in the Roy Huggins series Follow the Sun on ABC in the early 1960s. He later found some measure of success in Europe, mostly in Italian films, before he returned to the United States and accepted roles in numerous television dramas and some films. Halsey's performance in this story is impressive.
Michael Granger makes his only Gunsmoke appearance as a troublemaker named Hander.
Actor Russell Thorson appears in the first of four Gunsmoke episodes where he was part of the cast. He plays the rancher Bowers in a small part. Pence, the ranch foreman, is played by K. L. Smith in the first of six appearances in the series.
Watch for a scene where James Nusser plays a man who is shot by Hander. The role is uncredited in this episode, but with the introduction of the one-hour episodes in Season 7, Nusser would begin appearing as the Dodge town drunk, Louie Pheeters for several seasons.
In 1955, television audiences were accustomed to shows where the good guys always won, the heroes were always right, and the stories ended with all wrongs made right. This episode bucks that trend at every turn.
There is nothing especially compelling or profound about this story, but it is an example of the so-called "adult western" approach to which Gunsmoke aspired.
A cowboy named Pence leads a group of men into the Long Branch. They want to lynch Elser for cattle theft, but they choose to wait for the kid to come out of Kitty's room. Kitty fetches Matt Dillon. The Marshal takes Elser into custody.
After talking with Elser, Matt agrees to release him with the understanding Elser will find a job. The Marshal wants to help the boy, because he sees some of his younger self in Elser. Doc Adams gives Matt's actions his endorsement.
As Matt and everyone will learn, a person cannot be helped unless they are willing to accept the kindness.
Brett Halsey plays the Steve Elser character in his sole Gunsmoke appearance. Halsey's acting career has been quite diverse. He was considered a heartthrob sort when he made this appearance and would be chosen to portray the hip character Paul Templin in the Roy Huggins series Follow the Sun on ABC in the early 1960s. He later found some measure of success in Europe, mostly in Italian films, before he returned to the United States and accepted roles in numerous television dramas and some films. Halsey's performance in this story is impressive.
Michael Granger makes his only Gunsmoke appearance as a troublemaker named Hander.
Actor Russell Thorson appears in the first of four Gunsmoke episodes where he was part of the cast. He plays the rancher Bowers in a small part. Pence, the ranch foreman, is played by K. L. Smith in the first of six appearances in the series.
Watch for a scene where James Nusser plays a man who is shot by Hander. The role is uncredited in this episode, but with the introduction of the one-hour episodes in Season 7, Nusser would begin appearing as the Dodge town drunk, Louie Pheeters for several seasons.
In 1955, television audiences were accustomed to shows where the good guys always won, the heroes were always right, and the stories ended with all wrongs made right. This episode bucks that trend at every turn.
There is nothing especially compelling or profound about this story, but it is an example of the so-called "adult western" approach to which Gunsmoke aspired.
- wdavidreynolds
- Dec 2, 2021
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content