Jealousy

I did enjoy the "jealousy" angles to this episode.

Am not sure it paid off too well though.

As I said, I did enjoy the emotional content in each of the 3 guest stars. In some way or another, each of the three expressed their own inner jealousy. For that reason, I gave it 7 stars for attempting that in a 30 minute episode.

It was a bit like some psycho drama played in the old West. I would have expected this drama in, say, the Twilight Zone rather than Gunsmoke.

But I give them kudos for trying.

Dillon's old friend, Cam, comes to town with a new wife, to set up a faro game at the Long Branch. Trouble is that nasty little man Lonnie has a grudge against Dillon, and so he starts rumors that Matt is romancing Cam's new wife. Naturally Cam's anger at Matt builds as the rumors build, thus threatening the old friendship.

Good chance to catch Jack Kelly shortly before he co-starred with Jim Garner in the classic Maverick series. Teleplay is by Sam Peckinpah who cut his screen writing teeth on Gunsmoke. It's not one of his best, but neither is it a bomb. Matt does bend the law at the end, but it's not incredible that he would given the relationships involved. Good Boot Hill prolog that gives the episode thoughtful resonance.

A great episode from start to finish. Just from the stills I could tell it was another Peckinpah gem. He did magic with every one of his screenplays. Framing, composition, the angles and shadows and a complete absence of visual goofs, prove he spent as much time behind the viewfinder as he did behind the typewriter. The dialog is not stilted or clumsy as many TV shows of the time Gunsmoke invluded) often suffer from. It is a shame Sam didn't have more TV credits. And Jack Kelly - he is always in fine form as a slick- if not sleazy - character. As a bounder he is tops . . . No wonder he was chosen as Bart Maverick .;-)