When Merry Florene's brothers return to Dodge to turn in their 103-year-old Uncle Finney for fifty dollars, you know some shenanigans are afoot.When Merry Florene's brothers return to Dodge to turn in their 103-year-old Uncle Finney for fifty dollars, you know some shenanigans are afoot.When Merry Florene's brothers return to Dodge to turn in their 103-year-old Uncle Finney for fifty dollars, you know some shenanigans are afoot.
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Did you know
- Trivia103-year-old Uncle Finney was played by 84-year-old Burt Mustin. Although this was his only appearance in Gunsmoke, he had 197 film acting credits, beginning in 1951 at age 67. Mr. Mustin passed away in 1977 at the age of 92.
Featured review
Lighthearted, Mildly Amusing
I was a kid when Gunsmoke originally aired on CBS. My father was a tremendous fan of the show, and I can remember watching it. Most of my memories involve watching it on Monday nights, after it moved into that time slot following the cancelation at the end of Season 12 and the subsequent resurrection. "Uncle Finney" is one of the episodes I can remember seeing when it first aired, probably because it was a more humorous story than most.
I am not sure who among the Gunsmoke production and writing team arrived at the idea to focus on Merry Florene's family of mostly degenerates as comic characters. We first met them in Season 13's "Hill Girl" episode where Newly O'Brien brings Merry Florene to Dodge City with disastrous results. In the earlier episode, Merry Florene's half-brothers, Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel, are introduced as sinister characters. They abuse Merry Florene, and they wreak havoc in Dodge City before they are arrested.
In this story, Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel have been released from the County Work Farm for "good behavin'," and show up in Dodge City with their Uncle Finney in tow. The brothers are turning their 103-year-old uncle (who will soon turn 104) over to the authorities for the $50 reward offered because the man stole a horse at some point in the past. Matt Dillon has gone to Abilene and left Festus in charge.
Of course, Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel have plans for the $50 reward. They intend to open a saloon in a long-vacant building in Dodge that happens to be located across from the Freight Office. They can supply the saloon with liquor they made. However, the saloon is designed to serve as a front for their more nefarious plan of digging a tunnel under the street in order to rob the Freight Office.
A major aspect of the comedic bent of this episode involves Matt Dillon being away and Festus Haggen acting as the primary law enforcement in the town. Throughout Gunsmoke history, Festus is sometimes portrayed as deceptively shrewd, but at other times the situation calls for him to be more of an in-over-his-head, bumbling deputy. This story requires him to lean more toward the latter type of character, although he remains rightfully suspicious of the intentions of the brothers throughout the tale.
Merry Florene soon arrives in town looking for her half-brothers, because Uncle Finney has gone missing from their home in the hills, and she has a good idea Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel are involved. (One wonders why Merry Florene would return to the hills to live after the incidents in the earlier episode. It is never explained.) The more treacherous aspects of the brothers' personalities from the earlier episode are essentially forgotten in this story. They still do not mind a little larceny, but they are less inclined to engage in assault, battery, and even murder now.
Victor French appears for the last time in the Roland Daniel part. Of course, French would appear in -- and even direct -- several more Gunsmoke episodes before it left the air. Anthony James also reprises his role as Elbert Moses. Lane Bradbury is Merry Florene once again. This is the second of four episodes that features the Merry Florene and Elbert Moses characters. They return later in Season 14's "Gold Town" episode.
Since this episode takes place inside Dodge City, we see a few of the residents: Roy Roberts as Mr. Bodkin, Monte Hale as a Bank Teller, James Nusser as Louie Pheeters, and Ted Jordan as Nathan Burke. Steve Raines, another frequent Gunsmoke guest - although his characters were not usually residents of the town - also makes an appearance as a wagon driver.
Although it certainly is not among the best Gunsmoke offers, this episode succeeds as a light-hearted, mildly amusing story. The acting is once again particularly good.
I am not sure who among the Gunsmoke production and writing team arrived at the idea to focus on Merry Florene's family of mostly degenerates as comic characters. We first met them in Season 13's "Hill Girl" episode where Newly O'Brien brings Merry Florene to Dodge City with disastrous results. In the earlier episode, Merry Florene's half-brothers, Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel, are introduced as sinister characters. They abuse Merry Florene, and they wreak havoc in Dodge City before they are arrested.
In this story, Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel have been released from the County Work Farm for "good behavin'," and show up in Dodge City with their Uncle Finney in tow. The brothers are turning their 103-year-old uncle (who will soon turn 104) over to the authorities for the $50 reward offered because the man stole a horse at some point in the past. Matt Dillon has gone to Abilene and left Festus in charge.
Of course, Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel have plans for the $50 reward. They intend to open a saloon in a long-vacant building in Dodge that happens to be located across from the Freight Office. They can supply the saloon with liquor they made. However, the saloon is designed to serve as a front for their more nefarious plan of digging a tunnel under the street in order to rob the Freight Office.
A major aspect of the comedic bent of this episode involves Matt Dillon being away and Festus Haggen acting as the primary law enforcement in the town. Throughout Gunsmoke history, Festus is sometimes portrayed as deceptively shrewd, but at other times the situation calls for him to be more of an in-over-his-head, bumbling deputy. This story requires him to lean more toward the latter type of character, although he remains rightfully suspicious of the intentions of the brothers throughout the tale.
Merry Florene soon arrives in town looking for her half-brothers, because Uncle Finney has gone missing from their home in the hills, and she has a good idea Elbert Moses and Roland Daniel are involved. (One wonders why Merry Florene would return to the hills to live after the incidents in the earlier episode. It is never explained.) The more treacherous aspects of the brothers' personalities from the earlier episode are essentially forgotten in this story. They still do not mind a little larceny, but they are less inclined to engage in assault, battery, and even murder now.
Victor French appears for the last time in the Roland Daniel part. Of course, French would appear in -- and even direct -- several more Gunsmoke episodes before it left the air. Anthony James also reprises his role as Elbert Moses. Lane Bradbury is Merry Florene once again. This is the second of four episodes that features the Merry Florene and Elbert Moses characters. They return later in Season 14's "Gold Town" episode.
Since this episode takes place inside Dodge City, we see a few of the residents: Roy Roberts as Mr. Bodkin, Monte Hale as a Bank Teller, James Nusser as Louie Pheeters, and Ted Jordan as Nathan Burke. Steve Raines, another frequent Gunsmoke guest - although his characters were not usually residents of the town - also makes an appearance as a wagon driver.
Although it certainly is not among the best Gunsmoke offers, this episode succeeds as a light-hearted, mildly amusing story. The acting is once again particularly good.
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- wdavidreynolds
- May 8, 2021
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3
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