A young woman comes to Dodge insisting on an escort to Indian country so that the body of her husband, believed to have been killed fighting the Kiowa, may be recovered.A young woman comes to Dodge insisting on an escort to Indian country so that the body of her husband, believed to have been killed fighting the Kiowa, may be recovered.A young woman comes to Dodge insisting on an escort to Indian country so that the body of her husband, believed to have been killed fighting the Kiowa, may be recovered.
Photos
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Indian
- (uncredited)
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- John Dunkel
- Norman MacDonnell(uncredited)
- John Meston(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCorporal Jennings is played by Alan Reed Jr., son of Alan Reed, a TV and movie actor most often remembered as the voice of Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones (1960).
- GoofsAfter Emil Peck accosts Kitty and Doc, Matt shows up while Kitty is buggy-whipping him. Matt doesn't have his hat with him, but a couple seconds later it's in his hands while he's telling Peck he'll go to jail if he doesn't stay out of trouble.
- Quotes
Mady Arthur: Just a minute, Marshal. You don't understand.
Matt Dillon: Yeah, I think I understand. I understand that you're willing to come out here and break an Indian treaty, ruin that young corporal's life, maybe get a few other people killed into the bargain. You said you were poor and your husband was rich. Well, you were right, Mrs. Arthur. Your husband had dignity and respect. That's something you can't buy. Don't worry, Mrs. Arthur. You'll get your money back. We'll testify that your husband's dead.
In this story, we get Mady Arthur, the wife of a Cavalry Officer who was killed in battle with Indians. She is seeking the dead body of her husband, so that she can prove he is dead. Apparently, even though everyone was killed in the battle except for one soldier, the Army has them listed as "Missing in Action." That did not make a lot of sense.
Mady Arthur is played by Joan Hackett, who had a very obstinate and contrary personality in real life, and was known for being hard to direct. She plays a shrill, arrogant, disrespectful, and obnoxious Eastern snob like she was born for the role. She comes into Dodge and demands that the U.S. Army ride into a protected Indian land and dig up her husband's bones.
When that fails, she visits Marshal Dillon and treats him like a tour guide and demands that he break the law and go into the Indian land. She even offers him a bribe. When Dillon tells her that she is violating Federal laws and can cause another Indian uprising, Mady tells Dillon that she is not afraid of U.S. Marshals, and that she always does as she pleases.
Joan Hackett was perfect for this role. Her natural personality was Mady Arthur. The Mady Arthur character has a lot of feminist attitude. She could be a young version of Maude (played by Bea Arthur). Maybe Mady was Maude's great-grandmother?
The supporting cast in this episode was very good. Alan Reed, Jr. plays the young survivor of the massacre. Joan Hackett is constantly playing on his feelings of survivor's guilt, and also seducing him into doing what she wants. Alan Reed Jr.'s father was the voice of Fred Flintstone in the 1960s cartoon.
J. Edward McKinley plays the sleazy and unscrupulous Emil Peck, a fur trapper who offers to help Mady Arthur with the intention of taking her out into the wilderness and stealing her money, among other things.
Rodd Redwing plays the benevolent Indian Chief, Little Bear. Redwing had an incredible career in Westerns, going back to the 1930s. He was also a gunsmith to Hollywood TV and movie studios, and taught most of the Western stars how to shoot for gunfights. He does not say much, but he does a great job showing that he feels sympathy for Mady, and respect for her husband.
Overall, this episode is not great because Joan Hackett is so convincing at being a willful and hateful person that the twist ending is not any surprise. Mady Arthur is easily one of the most selfish and inconsiderate female tourists that ever stepped foot in Dodge.
- Johnny_West
- May 26, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- Stage 5 & Stage 6, Paramount Sunset Lot, 5800 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA(Dodge City Western Street)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3