User Reviews

Chester receives a letter advising that his Uncle Sunday Meechum from Waxahatchie, Texas is set to visit. This is much to the chagrin of Chester since Uncle Sunday is a known crook and swindler that nearly all the family want no contact. But even worse a line in the letter says he plans to stay with Chester until he can raise money to go to California.

Chester is so upset that he takes on odd jobs trying to raise money to get Uncle Sunday to move out west even before his arrival. After nearly burning down Quint's place, and a disaster at Jonas's story and the pool hall, he runs into a man named Burt Cury that wants information about town activities. Chester notices that Cury is a bandit from the first place and wants nothing to do with him.

When Uncle Sunday arrives he has a young woman named Ellie that he claims is his niece. Everything goes well until Chester overhears Ellie talking to Burt Cury about robbing the bank. Uncle Sunday and Ellie have been a team but now she is wanting to run away with a younger man, so she agrees after the bank job she would run away with Cury taking all the money with them.

Chester confront Uncle Sunday about the plan but Sunday swears his life of crime is over. The next scene shows Uncle Sunday holding a gun to bank manager Bodkins and Ellie emptying out the safe. Will Chester let them get away?

While watching I thought this was going to end much like many other shows on many other channels. However a nice surprising twist holds up the plot and makes for a good watch. With good actors and a nice script this show held it own.

Note- First episode that had Chester and Quint in the same show and in the same scenes.

Henry Beckman made a career of playing incorrigible old guys until the 1970s, when he began to act more his age as a tv detective. Here he was just turned 41 at the time this 1962 episode of "Gunsmoke" aired, so barely two and a half years older than his "nephew" Dennis Weaver, and just seven years older than the young bandit he was being thrown over for, Ed Nelson. Joyce Bulifant, as the young temptress of all three men, was 25, but hardly seemed that old with her girlish tones -- a speaking voice very reminiscent of the singing voice of then current pop star Sue Thompson ("Sad Movies", "Norman", "James, Hold the Ladder Steady").

The plot seemed pedestrian through much of the show, and Chester's early incompetence was a bit much, but the performances were overall superior and the twist ending was worthy of a Hitchcock film. It made me laugh out loud. It was notable for Henry Beckman as Uncle Sunday, Burt Reynolds as Quint, and Jim Arness skillfully under playing Matt. Sometimes the writers come up with small gems and this was one, hard to do with 30 shows a year. Of course, you need good supporting actors and the regulars such as Quint and Mr. Jonas did their parts along with Beckman and Bulifant. This is why Gunsmoke was such a high rated show for so many years.