User Reviews

Here they are:

1.) Rough-and-tough (self-appointed) Preacher (Whitmore) comes to Dodge with his lovely young daughter. 2.) Young, violent miscreant named Dingo (John Saxon) puts the moves on her; her father intervenes. Dingo will continue to circulate as the plot develops. 3.) Drunken rowdies in Dodge led by Wally (LQ Jones) accidentally cause a young boy to be run over. 4.) Whitmore convinces the boy's parents that his recovery is due to divine intervention, but Doc Adams says it was a standard medical treatment issue (I thought the episode might develop this idea: spiritualism vs medicine, but it was dropped).

5.) The Preacher decides to conduct a "temperance" campaign and wipe out booze in Dodge 6.) Kitty (and later Wally and friends) decide to fight back 7.) The Preacher's daughter enlists the kindly Festus to assist in the campaign, creating additional conflict 8.) A huge street brawl breaks out at the preacher's meeting. 9.) Kitty decides to take the young girl under her wing, dress her up and show her (and her dad) what it's like to be an attractive young lady.

All of this leads to a big confrontation between Preacher and Dingo (the conflict with which the story began). It's very dramatic, and the final scene between Whitmore and his daughter is beautifully written. Also intriguing is the fact that the ending remains unresolved: will Dodge go dry? Tune in next week to see if the Long Branch survives the fire-and-brimstone of Preacher Amos.

James Whitmore is his typically powerful self; you never quite know what's on his mind when he flashes that big, steely grin: maybe kindness and tolerance, maybe volcanic rage. Fascinating interchanges between Whitmore and (alternately) Dingo/Matt/Miss Kitty/Festus.

The cinematography (and direction) are also first-rate; the richness of the B&W photography in the final night scenes in the street are bold and awesome to behold.

In the end, I felt that the lack of focus in the middle of this show, as one sub-plot led to another, deflating some of the tension and pace; fortunately, things pulled back together at the end. Whitmore's final march into the street to confront the weasely Dingo...and its aftermath...provided some mighty satisfying, exciting, and touching drama.

PS-- it was the NECKLACE that Whitmore ripped from his daughter's neck and stuck in his breast pocket that made all the difference in the end. Very cool idea...we all thought it was the Good Book that saved him, until he noticed the necklace/locket (or what was left of it). LR.

Taking nothing away from this show but it just did not capture the flare of some of the previous episodes. But with that said it was still a fine written show with excellent acting.

A temperance preacher named Amos Campbell (James Whitmore) and his young daughter Bess ride into Dodge with the idea of putting an end to drinking in the town. Needless to say it does not sit to well with some of the locals, especially Kitty Russell.

Preacher Campbell has already had some run-ins with some of the locals including Dingo (John Saxton) when he tried to take advantage of young Bess. And now his preaching has stirred the winds of change making him a marked man with all the cowpokes that come to Dodge to wet their thirst. With danger lurking, Kitty will have to make sure that her people are also heard above the roar of the preacher's platform.

There really was not much more going on in this episode. There was a semi side-plot where Preacher Campbell seems to be suffocating Bess and will not let her grow-up, but it really did not help the story. This was a nice concept but needed more activity to keep the viewer into the plot. However the acting was great. Amanda Blake was at her best in this show which is always good for the viewer. Ms Blake, James Whitmore and John Saxton made this average show- better. Nice watch.

"Brother" Amos Campbell is a traveling preacher who has adopted the cause of temperance. Campbell and his daughter Bess arrive in Dodge City about the same time as a bunch of rowdy cowboys. The raucous behavior of the cowboys results in a young boy being injured. Although the boy's injuries are not serious and Doc Adams is able to take care of him, Campbell claims his prayers have miraculously healed the boy.

Campbell begins a campaign to outlaw alcohol inside the town -- a campaign he has completed successfully elsewhere. The preacher has learned how to exploit the democratic process. He uses his charismatic powers of persuasion to convince a large number of citizens to vote for temperance and depends on the fact that many of the people that are more supportive of the free consumption of alcohol will not bother to vote.

Naturally, Campbell's efforts are at odds with Kitty Russell as the owner of the Long Branch Saloon. Kitty doesn't help matters when she gives Bess a makeover.

There isn't much in the way of tension or conflict to make this story all that interesting. Even in the tamed-down version of Dodge City portrayed on Gunsmoke, there isn't much chance of making alcohol illegal there. It would destroy the town's economy.

James Whitmore was always good at playing characters that were overbearing and stubbornly insistent on forcing their ideas on others. His performance as Amos Campbell is the highlight of the episode. Julie Sommars is the timid Bess Campbell. Sommars enjoyed a long career primarily in television for over four decades.

L.Q. Jones makes the third of his seven Gunsmoke appearances as one of the hard-drinking, fun-loving cowboys. Jones usually played a heavy, and it is a bit unusual to see him in a lighter role.

The prolific actor John Saxon -- who had quite a career in films of all types and television -- plays a character named Dingo who is clearly designed to introduce some conflict into the story, but his character seems to be more of a mild nuisance than any real threat.

Amanda Blake delivers another strong performance as Miss Kitty here, and Ken Curtis primarily offers some comic relief as Festus Haggen, but most of the other regular cast members do not have much to do.

I know every episode can't be a winner but so many don't have to be a loser like this one. This episode to me was very silly. I guess with a face like James Whitmore you get thrown into a career of over the top parts like this one. I'll never forget him playing in a movie as a white man that puts make-up on his face and body to become a black man to show the plight of the black man in 1964. That movie was based on a true story. Look it up. The Movie is called Black Like Me.