Matt jails the wife-abusing Sam Baxton on suspicion of murdering two squatters on his land, but after Baxton gets locked up, a third squatter is murdered.Matt jails the wife-abusing Sam Baxton on suspicion of murdering two squatters on his land, but after Baxton gets locked up, a third squatter is murdered.Matt jails the wife-abusing Sam Baxton on suspicion of murdering two squatters on his land, but after Baxton gets locked up, a third squatter is murdered.
- Director
- Writers
- William N. Robson
- John Meston(uncredited)
- Norman MacDonnell(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaA namesake of the character "Eric Hoffer" is the real-life Eric Hoffer (July 25, 1902 - May 21, 1983), an American philosopher. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983.
- Quotes
Doc Adams: Well, I can't sit around neglecting my other patients waiting for you to get shot.
Marshal Matt Dillon: Might make more money that way.
Doc Adams: The only way I could make any more money around here is to have your job.
Marshal Matt Dillon: Ha! And you wouldn't get rich that way, either.
Ornery rancher Sam Baxton is drinking in the Long Branch. After he hears Hoffer's threats, he tells Hoffer both he and Ritter are illegally squatting on portions of 10,000 acres that he (Baxton) owns. Of course, both the Hoffers and Ritters legally own the land they occupy, but Baxton is greedy.
Ritter arrives soon after Baxton leaves. Hoffer fires his pistol at Ritter, but the shot creases Matt's arm instead of hitting the intended target. Matt takes Hoffer's gun away and tells Chester to lock him in jail.
Ritter appears to practice one of the non-violent Mennonite-based religious traditions and refuses to press charges against Hoffer. The Marshal frees Hoffer.
The next morning, someone shoots and kills Ritter on the land Ritter occupies. Jed Bates - yet another homesteader - rides into Dodge and tells the Marshal and Chester Goode about finding Ritter murdered. Matt and Chester ride to Hoffer's farm to arrest him for Ritter's murder, but they find Hoffer dying from a shotgun blast like the blast that killed Ritter. With his dying breath, Hoffer tells Matt that Sam Baxton shot him.
Matt and Chester arrest Baxton, but when another homesteader is murdered while Baxton is in jail, doubts are raised about Baxton's guilt. Matt decides to set a trap to try to lure the murderer.
Tyler McVey plays the Sam Baxton character in his third Gunsmoke appearance. He had appeared in two episodes from Season 1, including the pilot, "Hack Prine." The character is a quintessential John Meston creation - a greedy man who cares nothing about other people, including his loving, long-suffering wife, Sara. McVey returns for three additional Gunsmoke guest appearances, all during the seasons where the episodes were aired in thirty-minute installments.
Vivi Janiss portrays Sara Baxton in her only Gunsmoke television role, although she appeared in some of the radio episodes. Kitty Russell tells Matt early in this episode that she and Sara worked together at The Oasis Saloon in Abilene years earlier.
(Kitty drops some not-so-subtle hints about her life as a woman who works in a saloon during the scene with Matt.)
Theodore (Ted) Marcuse appears in this episode as Zack Ritter. This is Marcuse's only Gunsmoke role.
Longtime Gunsmoke fans will recognize actor Roy Engel, who appeared in eleven episodes of the series. His first appearance was in Season 1's "Prairie Happy" (which also included Tyler McVey), and his last was in Season 18's "Eleven Dollars." Engel plays Ari Hoffer in this story.
Malcolm Atterbury is another familiar Gunsmoke guest. His appearance as Jed Bates is already his fourth in the series. Atterbury also appeared in the first episode aired, "Matt Gets It."
I credit John Meston and Norman MacDonnell for making Gunsmoke such a unique, outstanding series. This is one of those gritty episodes that demonstrates their brilliance. There is no neat, feel-good resolution to many of these stories. Meston was a student of the Old West, and he manages to provide his interpretation of life during those times in these thirty- and sixty-minute segments without glossing over the often-brutal circumstances.
One minor complaint with this story is the resolution is meant to be a surprise, but the earlier details telegraph the ending. Despite this attribute, the story is still better than average.
- wdavidreynolds
- Jan 2, 2022
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3