User Reviews

Keith Lavery is a young buck that thinks his next travels will result in some get-rich-quick scheme that will be the talk of the town. He also has a criminal record for theft and has received probation.

In the meantime his young wife, April, has been working at the Long Branch since Lavery has been away on one of his trips. When they meet his is being chases by a man claiming that he stole a horse. But through an event where he saves Marshal Dillon's life the charges are dropped.

Lavery then believes that it is time to settle down and start taking care of his wife, so he get a job at Hubert's Tannery. Everything is going well until his two old friends come to town wanting Lavery to resume his life as a crime partner. With his friends in town it will only be a matter of time before trouble will find Lavery. A choice will be made but it will not be the best option.

At first I thought the script may have been lacking. But it appears that the two actors Anthony Costello (Lavery) and Judi West (April) were not a good combination. There was no chemistry or likability concerning these actors. Plus the storyline about April being pregnant did not make any sense since Lavery had been gone for sometime. It was a nice story that could have been better with some chemistry between the actors.

Any Gunsmoke episode that isn't centered around one of the main characters is usually a notch down from an average episode. That's the case here but a below average Gunsmoke episode is still a very good watch. The ending was a little too syrupy for me but still very enjoyable.

Keith Lavery is a bit of a loser who has run afoul of the law in the past and is now on probation. He tends to follow hunches that he hopes will help him gain fame and fortune. His latest idea is to go to the Dakotas and make a fortune in the gold mines.

Keith's wife, April, works for Kitty Russell at the Long Branch Saloon. She is pregnant, but she avoids telling her husband because she realizes there is not much hope for their future together if Keith insists on following the latest lofty idea.

Lavery exchanged a horse with a man named Arno, but Arno accused Lavery of horse theft when he realized the mare Lavery exchanged was slightly injured. If Keith goes before a judge to face the charges, he risks having his probation revoked, and he will have to serve five years in prison.

Meanwhile, a drunk trapper causes trouble at the Long Branch. Matt Dillon comes to the rescue, dispenses some justice with his fists, and warns the trapper he will be permanently banned from Dodge City if he shows up again causing trouble. Lavery sees this incident from April's upstairs room at the Long Branch.

Later, the trapper returns with a rifle. As Lavery watches from the window again, he sees the trapper aim his rifle at an unsuspecting Marshal Dillon. Lavery shoots the trapper from the window, saving the Marshal from injury and possible death.

After this incident, Matt takes an interest in helping Lavery. When he questions Arno about the horse stealing charges, Arno admits it was an exchange instead of a theft and agrees to drop the charges. Matt then encourages Lavery to settle down and take an available job at the Hubert's Tannery in Dodge. After April expresses doubts about their future in a candid conversation with Keith, he agrees to abandon the plans for going to the Dakotas and take the job at the tannery.

Lavery does well working for Mr. Hubert at the tannery, but Two of Lavery's former partners-in-crime soon arrive in Dodge. They threaten to ruin any recent positive strides Keith has made in life.

Anthony Costello plays the part of Keith Lavery. Costello appeared in two Gunsmoke episodes - this story, and the episode titled "Luke." Both episodes were part of Season 16. Costello's promising acting career ended tragically when he died of AIDS in 1983. He was one of the earliest known celebrity deaths from the disease.

Beautiful actress Judi West portrays April Lavery. West's big break in Hollywood come when she appeared in Billy Wilder's film The Fortune Cookie with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in 1966. She married actor John Rubenstein around the time this Gunsmoke episode was made, and they are the parents of actor Michael Weston. West and Rubenstein divorced in 1989. This 1971 Gunsmoke appearance was her only for the series and her last in anything until she appeared in a small part in an episode of The Love Boat in 1979.

Karl Swenson appears for the ninth and final time in a Gunsmoke episode. He plays the role of Mr. Hubert.

Actors Ken Swofford and David Carradine play Lavery's two former partners Harry and Clint. Swofford guest starred in twelve Gunsmoke episodes between season 13 and 20.

David Carradine is the son of actor John Carradine, making them one of a small group of fathers and sons that both appeared in the series. John's appearances took place in the first and fifth seasons when the episodes were still thirty-minute stories. David Carradine has the distinction of being the only actor to appear in films by renowned directors Ingmar Bergman, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino. This is Carradine's only Gunsmoke involvement. He began starring in the series Kung Fu soon after this episode was filmed.

David Huddleston appears in the first of his four Gunsmoke roles. He plays the character Arno in this story.

This is another forgettable story that is only tangentially related to Gunsmoke. It is set primarily in Dodge City, and the regular cast is present. But none of the regulars have any vital importance to the story. It could have just as easily taken place in the world of Bonanza, The Big Valley, Wagon Train, The Virginian, or many other Westerns. There are too many episodes of this type in Season 16.