User Reviews

This episode had all the makings of a excellent show but when the credits rolled there seemed to be something lacking. Most of the time when you watch an episode you feel entertained during the allotted time frame but in this show the entire plot seemed for naught. Just did not hold the interest as other episodes.

It begins nice enough when a Southern man, Lee Grayson, arrives in Dodge. Lee fought for the South in the war and is in town to meet a man on a cattle drive. The man, Tom Haskell, was in the Union army and was injured during a battle that Grayson was also in. Grayson could have killed Haskell but chose to let him life. Then we learn from Grayson that Haskell was with General Sherman that invaded Georgia that burned Grayson's house to the ground and also killed his wife. Now Grayson is hunting Haskell to kill him.

There really did not seem like there was much preparation given to this episode. It was a story that was quick and to the point but just did not have the interest value to keep the viewer alert. The actors were the highlight of the show as they seemed well cast for the part played. The show just did not have the interest we expect from a 'Gunsmoke' episode.

NOTE- To answer another reviewer's question concerning the title of this episode-- The script was written by Marian Clark for radio and the copyrighted titled was Groat's Grudge. In the radio version the main character named was Yancey Groat. The name was changed, by John Meston, for unknown reason when writing the teleplay from the original title script.

Another lesser entry in a string of them. Perhaps the producers figured few would be watching during the holidays anyway. Southern gentleman Lee Grayson (Ross Elliot, with a drawl that sort of comes and goes) rides into Dodge and rather imperiously seeks out a plain box coffin, and an overhaul of his old Colt revolver. It seems he's carrying a Civil War grudge against a Yankee officer whose life he spared, but who ended up a thousand miles away burning down his house and killing his wife. If this sounds improbably coincidental, just wait till the doubly improbable climax, which, aside from being implausible, is also very poorly staged. I wish there were something to recommend here, but except for the somewhat promising beginning, this entry remains an eminently forgettable one. (In passing-- Why is the 30 minutes entitled "Groat's Grudge" when the character's name is Grayson? Was there a last minute change from the plebeian Groat to the more aristocratic sounding Grayson. Oh well, given the meagre results, it hardly matters.)