When a man suspected of murder can't establish his alibi, Matt arrests the man. After the prisoner draws a gun on Chester and escapes, evidence suggests he might not be guilty.When a man suspected of murder can't establish his alibi, Matt arrests the man. After the prisoner draws a gun on Chester and escapes, evidence suggests he might not be guilty.When a man suspected of murder can't establish his alibi, Matt arrests the man. After the prisoner draws a gun on Chester and escapes, evidence suggests he might not be guilty.
- Director
- Writers
- Gil Doud
- John Meston(uncredited)
- Norman MacDonnell(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThere actually is a town named Coldwater in Kansas. It's about 60 miles north and west of Dodge City, Kansas. It remains a small town to this day. As of 2010 the population was 828.
- GoofsThe victim and Matt's suspect obviously knew each other, so the victim could have identified him by name. This doesn't seem to occur to Matt.
Featured review
The Perils of Certainty
Sam Noonan, the bartender at the Long Branch Saloon, finds a seriously injured Earl Haney behind the saloon. Haney had been dealing faro at the Long Branch. Before he dies, Haney provides a description of the culprit. The description fits Jim Bostick.
(This may be the first time in the series Sam's last name is used. It is mentioned a couple of times in this episode.)
Marshal Dillon finds Bostick involved in a card game in town. When Matt questions the suspect, he admits he did not care for Haney, but he insists he did not kill the man. Matt sees Bostick's attitude toward Haney as further proof of his guilt and arrests him. Bostick claims he was playing cards most of the night with witnesses, but there was a brief time he left to see Doc Adams about an upset stomach. Doc is out of town, and Matt is unable to verify Bostick's claim. When Chester tries to put Bostick in a jail cell, the suspect locks Chester in the cell and escapes. Since Bostick flees, the Marshal is further convinced he must be guilty of Haney's murder.
Matt and Chester pursue and catch Bostick, but Bostick continues to insist he did not kill Haney. Bostick refuses to be taken into custody. He goes so far as to begin to draw his gun on the Marshal, but he is no match for the Marshal. Matt shoots him in the shoulder. The wound is not fatal.
The question of Bostick's guilt remains unanswered.
Mike "Touch" Connors portrays Jim Bostick. This is the only Gunsmoke guest appearance for Connors. The actor would soon begin starring in the series Tightrope, but it only lasted one season. A few years later, he would star as Private Detective Joe Mannix in the popular series Mannix. Seeing him in this early role adds to the appeal of the episode.
The recognizable Cyril Delevanti makes the second of eight appearances in the series with this episode. He appears briefly as a driver Matt questions.
This isn't a bad episode, but the story is predictable. It is reminiscent of a Perry Mason episode where the viewer KNOWS the person arrested for the murder is the one party involved that must not be guilty.
The Jim Bostick character is poorly developed. He does not appear to be a stupid person, yet he announces where he wants to go, and then casually makes his way there (Coldwater) after he escapes from jail. Did he think Matt would not come after him? When Matt and Chester easily catch him, he foolishly chooses to fight. If he was so convinced of his innocence, why couldn't he just wait for Doc to return and verify his alibi?
The title of the episode refers to Matt's actions, but the Marshal did what he was supposed to do. He arrested a suspect in a murder. The suspect escaped custody, Matt pursued him. The suspect resisted arrest and was shot and re-captured as a result. It is not the Marshal's job to determine guilt or innocence.
Early in the episode, Chester mentions Bostick spends a lot of time gambling at the Alafraganza. This is a rare mention of one of the many saloons named in the radio version of the series. In the real Dodge City of the latter half of the 19th century, there were several saloons and gambling houses. In early episodes, there are references to other saloons in Dodge, and The Lady Gay was frequently mentioned. The Bull's Head was featured prominently in later seasons, but there is never any reference to other saloons other than the Long Branch and Bulls Head.
(Note: In the radio programs, Kitty worked at a Saloon known as the Texas Trail, not the Long Branch.)
(This may be the first time in the series Sam's last name is used. It is mentioned a couple of times in this episode.)
Marshal Dillon finds Bostick involved in a card game in town. When Matt questions the suspect, he admits he did not care for Haney, but he insists he did not kill the man. Matt sees Bostick's attitude toward Haney as further proof of his guilt and arrests him. Bostick claims he was playing cards most of the night with witnesses, but there was a brief time he left to see Doc Adams about an upset stomach. Doc is out of town, and Matt is unable to verify Bostick's claim. When Chester tries to put Bostick in a jail cell, the suspect locks Chester in the cell and escapes. Since Bostick flees, the Marshal is further convinced he must be guilty of Haney's murder.
Matt and Chester pursue and catch Bostick, but Bostick continues to insist he did not kill Haney. Bostick refuses to be taken into custody. He goes so far as to begin to draw his gun on the Marshal, but he is no match for the Marshal. Matt shoots him in the shoulder. The wound is not fatal.
The question of Bostick's guilt remains unanswered.
Mike "Touch" Connors portrays Jim Bostick. This is the only Gunsmoke guest appearance for Connors. The actor would soon begin starring in the series Tightrope, but it only lasted one season. A few years later, he would star as Private Detective Joe Mannix in the popular series Mannix. Seeing him in this early role adds to the appeal of the episode.
The recognizable Cyril Delevanti makes the second of eight appearances in the series with this episode. He appears briefly as a driver Matt questions.
This isn't a bad episode, but the story is predictable. It is reminiscent of a Perry Mason episode where the viewer KNOWS the person arrested for the murder is the one party involved that must not be guilty.
The Jim Bostick character is poorly developed. He does not appear to be a stupid person, yet he announces where he wants to go, and then casually makes his way there (Coldwater) after he escapes from jail. Did he think Matt would not come after him? When Matt and Chester easily catch him, he foolishly chooses to fight. If he was so convinced of his innocence, why couldn't he just wait for Doc to return and verify his alibi?
The title of the episode refers to Matt's actions, but the Marshal did what he was supposed to do. He arrested a suspect in a murder. The suspect escaped custody, Matt pursued him. The suspect resisted arrest and was shot and re-captured as a result. It is not the Marshal's job to determine guilt or innocence.
Early in the episode, Chester mentions Bostick spends a lot of time gambling at the Alafraganza. This is a rare mention of one of the many saloons named in the radio version of the series. In the real Dodge City of the latter half of the 19th century, there were several saloons and gambling houses. In early episodes, there are references to other saloons in Dodge, and The Lady Gay was frequently mentioned. The Bull's Head was featured prominently in later seasons, but there is never any reference to other saloons other than the Long Branch and Bulls Head.
(Note: In the radio programs, Kitty worked at a Saloon known as the Texas Trail, not the Long Branch.)
helpful•71
- wdavidreynolds
- Dec 21, 2021
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3
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