A naive missionary woman teacher gets help from Festus in order to get to her rural job. But a group of hillbillies has other plans for the traveling pair.A naive missionary woman teacher gets help from Festus in order to get to her rural job. But a group of hillbillies has other plans for the traveling pair.A naive missionary woman teacher gets help from Festus in order to get to her rural job. But a group of hillbillies has other plans for the traveling pair.
Photos
Amanda Blake
- Kitty
- (credit only)
Buck Taylor
- Newly
- (credit only)
Lee de Broux
- Zeal Yewker
- (as Lee De Broux)
Robert B. Williams
- Phelps
- (as Robert Williams)
Stephen Burnette
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Jack Lilley
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Jimmy Noel
- Shotgun Guard
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFifth and final appearance of Barry Atwater. Seventh and final appearance of Anthony James. Both actors credited as various characters.
Featured review
Eileen Heckart Cannot Save Poorly Executed Story
Festus Haggen is helping Dodge City's Mr. Jonas by delivering a wagon load of goods to someone who plans to establish a mission school. Festus assumes the missionary is a man and is quite surprised when he discovers the missionary is a determined, naïve woman named Athena Partridge Royce.
Festus -- being the chivalrous type -- does not think Athena should be attempting the two-week trip to the location of the school alone and chooses to join her. They soon encounter a group of Kiowa on the warpath. Festus fears the Kiowa will attack them, but the Kiowa are not seeking Festus and Athena. Athena shows no fear and surprises Festus by communicating with the Kiowa and generously providing them with some of the porridge she had prepared. (A porridge Festus had previously refused to eat.)
When a wheel is damaged on their wagon, a group of mean, ornery men from the hill country named Yewker decide to rob them. Fortunately, the Yewkers are as stupid as they are evil. They are not willing to repair the wagon wheel and have to wait for Festus to make the repairs. To entertain themselves, the Yewkers force Ms. Royce to read Bible stories to them.
This is the fifth and final Gunsmoke appearance for Barry Atwater, and the seventh and final episode for Anthony James. All of the appearances by James occurred in Seasons 13, 14, and 15. James was a veteran of both television and film roles. He holds the notable distinction of having both his first (In the Heat of the Night in 1967) and last (Unforgiven in 1992) major film roles occur in films that won the award for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The other members of the Yewker clan are played by Lee de Broux, another Gunsmoke veteran, and Tom Nolan in his only Gunsmoke appearance.
Eileen Heckart fills the Athena Partridge Royce role. Her only other Gunsmoke guest-starring involvement was as a strong, determined woman in Season 10's "The Lady." This episode was obviously meant as a vehicle for Heckart to shine, and she does an admirable job.
Eddie Little Sky and Manuel Padilla, Jr. Play small, key parts as members of the Kiowa tribe. Little Sky appeared in eleven different Gunsmoke episodes, and Padilla can be seen in four different stories over the course of the series.
Too much of this episode involves Festus arguing with Athena and the Yewker men sitting around with blank, nearly lifeless expressions on their faces which is obviously intended to make them appear to be more imposing. There is a large amount of time-killing "filler" in the story, especially as the Yewker men force Athena to read to them. The resolution of the situation with Festus and Ms. Royce is a surprise with implications of divine providence. There are also some puzzling, unexplained issues with the Yewker characters once the story ends.
Most of the regular cast members are absent throughout this episode, although Matt Dillon and Doc Adams appear near the end. Those final scenes in Dodge City are amusing and arguably the best part of the episode.
There was potential with this story. It includes another outstanding cast and a good mix of humor and drama. Unfortunately the story never manages to deliver on its promising premise.
Festus -- being the chivalrous type -- does not think Athena should be attempting the two-week trip to the location of the school alone and chooses to join her. They soon encounter a group of Kiowa on the warpath. Festus fears the Kiowa will attack them, but the Kiowa are not seeking Festus and Athena. Athena shows no fear and surprises Festus by communicating with the Kiowa and generously providing them with some of the porridge she had prepared. (A porridge Festus had previously refused to eat.)
When a wheel is damaged on their wagon, a group of mean, ornery men from the hill country named Yewker decide to rob them. Fortunately, the Yewkers are as stupid as they are evil. They are not willing to repair the wagon wheel and have to wait for Festus to make the repairs. To entertain themselves, the Yewkers force Ms. Royce to read Bible stories to them.
This is the fifth and final Gunsmoke appearance for Barry Atwater, and the seventh and final episode for Anthony James. All of the appearances by James occurred in Seasons 13, 14, and 15. James was a veteran of both television and film roles. He holds the notable distinction of having both his first (In the Heat of the Night in 1967) and last (Unforgiven in 1992) major film roles occur in films that won the award for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The other members of the Yewker clan are played by Lee de Broux, another Gunsmoke veteran, and Tom Nolan in his only Gunsmoke appearance.
Eileen Heckart fills the Athena Partridge Royce role. Her only other Gunsmoke guest-starring involvement was as a strong, determined woman in Season 10's "The Lady." This episode was obviously meant as a vehicle for Heckart to shine, and she does an admirable job.
Eddie Little Sky and Manuel Padilla, Jr. Play small, key parts as members of the Kiowa tribe. Little Sky appeared in eleven different Gunsmoke episodes, and Padilla can be seen in four different stories over the course of the series.
Too much of this episode involves Festus arguing with Athena and the Yewker men sitting around with blank, nearly lifeless expressions on their faces which is obviously intended to make them appear to be more imposing. There is a large amount of time-killing "filler" in the story, especially as the Yewker men force Athena to read to them. The resolution of the situation with Festus and Ms. Royce is a surprise with implications of divine providence. There are also some puzzling, unexplained issues with the Yewker characters once the story ends.
Most of the regular cast members are absent throughout this episode, although Matt Dillon and Doc Adams appear near the end. Those final scenes in Dodge City are amusing and arguably the best part of the episode.
There was potential with this story. It includes another outstanding cast and a good mix of humor and drama. Unfortunately the story never manages to deliver on its promising premise.
helpful•23
- wdavidreynolds
- Jun 15, 2021
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3
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