BreakDown Gunsmoke 55-64: S2 Eps 15 & 16 Puckett's New Year & The Cover Up

In Puckett’s New Year, Matt Dillon and Chester Goode rescue injured buffalo hunter Ira Puckett after he is abandoned on the prairie by his skinner, Jed Larner. As Ira struggles with his disability and seeks revenge, Matt tries to stop him from making a choice that could change his life forever.

In The Cover Up, Matt Dillon investigates a deadly land dispute after Zack Ritter is killed and tensions rise between rival settlers and rancher Sam Baxton. As Matt and Chester uncover clues surrounding the violence, they also encounter Sarah Baxton, a woman trapped in a troubled marriage and a mystery that may hold the key to what is happening. With suspicion growing and more lives at risk, Matt must uncover the truth before the conflict claims another victim. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Welcome back to Breakdown Gunsmoke, where we are diving into classic TV legendary Western. We're covering two episodes each time because we're crazy for gunsmoke. I'm Jeffrey Packard, your guiding fan of all things Dodge City.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

I'm Steve Latshaw, director of the Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine, California. I'm a lifelong fan of Gunsmoke, so I love doing this show. In each episode, we're going to explore plots, characters, and themes that made this TV show a legend. Plus, we'll share some fun facts and angles you might not have noticed before.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

For season two, we're keeping our format but tightening things up a little bit. We'll give you the story, the themes, and a special Dodge City character moment from each episode. So buckle up. We're heading back to Dodge. First up, we're covering Puckett's New Year, which aired January 5th, 1957. The episode opens with Matt and Dylan reflecting on the men who come west seeking a fresh start. Some succeed while others end up at Boot Hill, but new dreamers continue to arrive hoping for a better life. Matt and Chester are traveling across the prairie towards Dodge City during cold weather when they discover an abandoned buckwagon. An armed man inside introduces himself as Ira Puckett, an injured buffalo hunter who says his skinner, Jed Larner, left him behind. Ira's foot is badly injured and he immediately declares that he intends to kill Jed. Matt warns him against acting on those thoughts and brings him in to Dodge for medical care. Doc Adams examines Ira and explains that the injury will require weeks of recovery. Doc tells Matt that Ira will likely walk with a cane but will no longer be able to hunt buffalo. Ira is angry about losing his ability to work and about being left helpless rather than focusing on the injury itself. Matt visits Ira and promises to help him. Ira asks Matt to find Jed Larner, who has a scar across his face. Matt agrees to look for Jed but makes it clear that he wants to prevent a killing, not help Ira carry out revenge. After Ira refuses assistance and continues searching for Jed, Matt eventually encounters Jed at the Long Branch. Matt orders Jed to leave Dodge City. Ira sees Jed leaving town and tries to follow, falling into the street. He tells Matt that he would rather die than live with his disability. Later, Ira returns to Dodge, driving a wagon and carrying a rifle and a cane. He attempts to rob the bank, trying to prove that he is still capable despite his injury. Chester takes control of the wagon and Matt confronts Ira as he leaves the bank. Ira drops the money and Matt places him in jail. While in jail, Ira continues to struggle with his anger and fixation on Jed Larner. Eventually he accepts help and Matt arranges a new job for him as a stage coach guard. Ira's life changes as he begins adjusting to his new circumstances. So my afterthoughts. I love the opening scene with Matt and Chester crossing the prairie. You can feel the cold, the exhaustion, and the miles they still have ahead of them before dodge. Ira Puckett is a tough man who has built his enti his identity around being a Buffalo Hunter and losing that ability shakes his entire sense of self. What I love is that Matt never gives up on him. He sees beyond the anger and helps give Ira a second chance. And the episode reminds us that losing independence and identity can hurt as much as the physical injury itself. And the way the show connects weakness with being a woman is definitely an interesting topic for another episode.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

You know, I I will say this about the cold. I I thought the scenes were effectively written and played, and they did a very, very good job of suggesting that it's it's winter. I thought it was interesting that this was an episode that aired in January, and maybe they were trying to match what the majority of the country was feeling at that time. But being a a a location hound, I the the thing that that kept bothering me was the the large amount of dust that they were were kicking up, and you don't get as much dust in the winter in the desert. And I just I remember watching that and thinking, well, I wonder how hot it was in Saugus when they were shooting this uh that day, and I'm they're having to wear gloves and heavy coats and so forth. But it was I I thought it was well done. I my my quibble with this, and I don't know if it's a quibble, it just like many of the episodes, it goes a different area than what I was expecting. I I thought Grant Withers, the actor, was excellent in his his role as Jed Larner. I mean, he did, he's just in one brief scene, he does so much with his reactions when he's talking to Matt. I mean, the acting is very intense. But I was hoping for some sort of a resolution of the whole battle between him and and Ira and the fact that he left Ira behind. I thought that's where the story was going to go, and there was gonna be some kind of confrontation. And I I gotta admit, I I wasn't disappointed with how the episode ended, but I was disappointed that they didn't do more with Jed Larner, and I I felt that whole thing was just sort of unresolved. I mean, he abandons his friend, he takes a horse, and then Matt just kicks him out of town. And I that was kind of I thought that might have been a more interesting story. It's a minor quibble.

SPEAKER_01 5:55

Well, my dodge moment for this episode, it belongs to Matt Dillon. It's not a big action scene, it's the way Matt refuses to give up on Ira Puckett. Even when Ira is angry and determined to throw his life away, Matt keeps looking for a way to help him. The quiet persistence tells us a lot about who Matt is and the kind of town Dodge City is becoming.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

Some of the themes that really stand out in this episode are new are identity and adaptation. Ira Puckett believes his value comes from being a buffalo hunter. And when that future is taken away from him, he struggles to imagine another life. He can't imagine doing anything else than what he's done his entire life. The episode also explores compassion and second chances and shows how one person's willingness to help can change the direction of someone else's life.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

We also see ideas about pride, independence, and the fear of becoming helpless. Ira isn't only fighting an injury, he's fighting the idea that he has lost his purpose. The episode also raises questions about how society defines strength and weakness, especially through the attitudes of the time period. For character arcs, Ira Puckett begins the episode angry, bitter, and focused on revenge because he believes his life is over. Through Matt's persistence and his own willingness to accept help, he begins to see that losing one's ability does not mean losing his worth. And for Matt Dillon, Matt's role in the story shows his patience and compassion, and he doesn't excuse Ira's actions, but he looks beyond the anger and helps him find a path forward.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

Chester uh continues to provide the practical and human perspective in the story. I I loved his reactions to the journey, especially the cold. I mean, I've been I grew up in the Midwest. I've been in that room, I've been that cold, standing next to a furnace, uh trying to get trying to get as much heat as I could. I loved how Chester violently shoved that log into the the stove, and and Matt was like, Oh, you know, you're gonna break it, you know, if if if you keep doing it. He's just so desperate to get warm. And I I I I loved how Matt said, you're getting soft. But uh he he's also his his reaction to Ira's situation, I think, reminds us of the everyday everyday realities of life on on the frontier. And Doc Adams is presenting representing the reality of change and limitation. He delivers the difficult truth that Ira may never return to his old life. But that truth does become the first step towards finding a new one.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

For Puckett's New Year casting, we have Edgar Staley as Ira Puckett. He lived from 1884 to 1973. He was a veteran stage, radio film, and television actor. He appeared in films such as The Big Street in 42, The Story of Dr. Wassell in 44, The Naked City in 48, which is one of my favorites. He also appeared in the anthology programs, including The Filco Television Playhouse from 48 to 55, and Studio One from 48 to 58.

SPEAKER_02 9:12

This is a very interesting actor. He was 72 years old when he played this part, and he worked a long time. He was born in France. Uh I remember him very well from playing a critical role in one of the greatest and most unusual Westerns ever made. He plays a dying judge opposite Audie Murphy in the very different Western noir thriller, No Name on the Bullet. And um, I don't want to give any spoilers away, but this judge that he plays is dying, and and Edgar plays it, plays him very, very frail. And seeing him in this episode at 72, he was not frail. He was persnickety and and tough as nails, and so it was really interesting seeing him play a part part like this.

SPEAKER_01 10:03

Next we have Grant Withers as Jed Larner. He lived from 1905 to 1959. He was a Hollywood actor whose career began during the silent film era. His notable films include The Oklahoma Kid in 1939, The Lone Ranger in 38, and numerous Westerns throughout the 1930s and 40s. He later appeared on television programs, including The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman from 52 to 58.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

I've been a fan of Grant's for many, many years. He was a big, tall, tough guy. His first uncredited bit was as an officer in Chaplin's The Gold Rush, which is a good place to start. By the mid-30s, he was a leading man in B movies and especially serials. He eventually graduated to character and villain roles. He was a very close friend of John Wayne. Withers, throughout his life, had severe financial problems, and when Wayne was under contract to Republic from 1935 to 1952, he made sure that the studio kept Withers working regular on the payroll. After Wayne left Republic, Withers continued working. The last couple of years of his life, he did mostly guest shots on TV Westerns. He also had a very serious drinking problem. And the last couple of years of his career, not yet at this point when he did this episode, but within a year, his ill uh health is very obvious on screen. He he gained a great deal of weight and had failing health from back problems, and that triggered him to kill himself in 1959 at the age of 54. Dying from an overdose of barbiturates, he left behind a note apologizing for all the people he let down during his Hollywood days. So it's a very sad story, but he's a very he was a very gifted when he within his range, he was a very gifted actor.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

Next we have Richard Deakins for Mr. Botkins. He lived from 1922 to 1984, a familiar television character actor, best known as the bald, bewildered, respectful Melvin Cooley of the Dick Van Dyke Show from 61 to 66, and Fred Rutherford on Leave It to Beaver, 1957 to 1963, and his film credits include Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 56, The Bird, 63, and Bye Bye Birdie, also in 63.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

Yeah, I remember him very well as Mel Cooley on Dick Van Dyke. I mean that that's one of those shows that's in everybody's DNA, I think. Um he had a very memorable role about the same time he did this Gunsmoke episode as a town reverend with a taste for bourbon in a classic Bud Bediger Randolph Scott film called Decision at Sundown. It's well worth checking out.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

Next we have Rocky Shahan for Jim. He lived from 1919 to 1981, an actor and stunt man known for his many Western appearances. His television credits include The Lone Ranger from 49 to 57, Cheyenne from 55 to 63. Rocky notably played Joe Scarlet on Rawhide from 59 to 66, and the adventures of Kit Carson from 51 to 55.

SPEAKER_02 13:15

You know, it's interesting about Rocky. Uh, like a lot of actors that were most likely real cowboys as well, a lot of the guys that worked on Rawhide were regulars on that show, and a lot of them pretty much didn't work again much after that show ended. The same with the guys that were on um Wagon Train. His last appearance that I could find was as a stagecoach driver in a 1969 episode of Guns of Will Sonnet, uh, which I used to watch as a kid. Interestingly enough, his first film appearance was as a stagecoach driver in the 1947 Republic serial Son of Zorro. He served in World War II as a sergeant and as a stunt man, he also doubled uh Western stars Alan Rocky Lane, Ward Bond, and Scott Brady.

SPEAKER_01 14:04

And then we have a, at this point, a series regular Bert Ramsey as the bartender, and we have talked about him lots in previous episodes. Story and script by John Maston, director Andrew McLaughlin, and producer Norman McDonnell. So a little bit uh behind-the-scenes trivia, a little bit more about the real Dodge City. By the 1950s, Dodge City had become a quiet regional community, but its frontier reputation was about to take on a new life. The radio version of Gunsmoke debuted in 1952, followed by the television series in 1955, introducing millions of viewers to a fictionalized Dodge City every week. While the show was filmed in California, it helped make the real Dodge City one of the most recognizable Western towns in America. As interest in Western history grew, local leaders embraced the legacy. Boot Hill Museum, founded in 1947, expanded throughout the 50s with historic buildings and in 1958 began constructing the recreated Front Street that many visitors know today. Over the following decades, additional exhibits, restored structures, and educational programs transformed the museum into one of Kansas's best known historical attractions. Today, Dodge City is a modern community that celebrates both its authentic history and the legends that grew from it. Visitors can explore the recreated Front Street, the original Boot Hill Cemetery site, museums, and historic landmarks that continue to keep the story of the American frontier alive for new generations. There's my free promotional spot for Dodge City, Kansas. I assume their marketing department is thrilled.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

There's a very interesting book that was written, uh it was published, I think, in 1977. It's a book called They Went Badaway. It was written by uh James Horwitz, who I think had been a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. And it was his search for all of his cowboy heroes. Um and he he he went to Tombstone, uh, he went out to Hollywood, he eventually tracked down stars like uh Rex Allen and Tim McCoy and and people like that. And it's a fascinating book that I probab have probably read two to three times a year for um probably 25 years. And I I've I would love to option it as a film because it's a great story, but the the author seems to have disappeared. My point is this one of the places he visited in probably around 1975 was Dodge City. And he's got an entire chapter about it not being what he expected. And at that time, the entire city was devoted to the TV series Gunsmoke. And they even had they had had for several years a giant statue of Matt Dillon holding a gun, but in recent years he remarked that the gun had been removed because some people objected to it. So it's just Matt holding, you know, his hands clutched. But the entire chapter is about he sits down with a local police deputy, and the deputy's talking about the gunsmoke show and how the cast came to visit, and they're nice people. I'll we'll have to share that on a future episode. Um one interesting bit of Old West history comes from Ira's new job as a stagecoach guard. Now the phrase we've all heard the phrase ride shotgun or riding shotgun. That dates back to the stagecoach era. Uh there would be an armed guard sitting beside the driver carrying a shotgun uh to protect passengers, mail, and valuables from highwomen and bandits. And a shotgun because a shotgun is intimidating to a criminal because you can fire a shotgun and take out two or three guys at once. Now, historians debate exactly when this phrase entered everyday language, but the practice was very real. And today, riding shotguns simply means sitting in the front passenger seat of a car. It's a reminder of a time when the person in that seat had a much more dangerous job. And our our locations for this episode, the Melody Ranch Wilderness, as I'm going to call it, and the Soundstage Dodge Street. I'm seeing a lot more of the stage Dodge Street in the this season than I did last season.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

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SPEAKER_02 22:09

Here's a question. Are we doing spoilers?

SPEAKER_01 22:12

You know, most of the time we've just given the whole plot.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

Well, how about this one in particular? Because I have a question for you if if we can. Um do you think because I wasn't clear on this, do you think Sam knew it was his wife and killed her intentionally?

SPEAKER_01 22:33

That's a good question because I think I don't know if he realized she was the one killing those guys, but I feel like she he couldn't trust her and she was completely disposable to him.

SPEAKER_02 22:47

I I thought you know, he's playing he's the actor's playing just an absolute bastard.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

I mean and you and it's interesting there's an arc because when you first see him at the beginning and and he's being threatened by um by the other guy in the bar, I actually had sympathy for him, but the more I see of him on screen, the more I dislike the character. But I saw in the actor's facial expression, no dialogue at the very end, I could see the realization coming to his face that this is it, it's over. I've screwed this up, and and I thought that was very good. A minor technical note, for some reason, a lot of this episode has been looped. The dialogue has been looped. It's it's it's post-production ADR automatic dialogue replacement that they're doing. And I'm not sure why. These are all top-notch actors. Um so I'm I'm assuming maybe it was wind uh noise. They technically they weren't able to get good sound, but so much of it has been looped. Um I thought this was a really excellent mystery story, and I'm gonna get into that in a little bit later. Uh this really kept me guessing, and and I was I was really just pulled along with this episode. And now I'll get to why. Uh this episode's dodge moment for me belongs to Matt. You know, I I loved the scene where he's telling Chester to get three horses uh for Sam, himself, and Matt. And, you know, he's Matt's obviously got a plan. I you know, and I I love the fact that and then he's creating a fake uh a fake person in the cabin. Um he's he's Matt's in full detective mode. It was almost like and I haven't really seen him do this as much before, but it's something they seem to be starting to do maybe in season two, where they're they're there's another phase to Matt's character, and that is a brilliant detective. And he brilliant enough to frequently set up uh uh traps to catch the right the villain, which which is something you see in the great detectives, whether they're Sherlock Holmes or Charlie Chan, it's it's it's a new facet, at least it's new to me that I'm seeing in this. And I I love seeing Matt in in full-blown detective mode. So that's a dodge moment for me. Themes. Uh some themes that stand out here are justice versus revenge. There's a big difference. The dangers of making assumptions. As the mystery unfolds, Matt has to separate facts from accusations before he can uncover the truth.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

The episode also explores faith and integrity through Zach Ritter, along with the consequences of deception. Secrets and half-truths only deepen the tragedy until everything is finally brought into the open. For the character arcs, for Matt, he begins by insisting he doesn't interfere in family matters, but as the violence escalates, he realizes he has to look beyond appearances to uncover the truth and protect the innocent. For Sarah Baxton, Sarah starts as someone trapped in an unhappy marriage, but ultimately becomes part of exposing the truth rather than continuing to live behind her husband's lies.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Sam Baxton allows anger, pride, and selfishness to guide his decisions, but as the evidence closes in, his own actions expose the guilt that he tried so hard to conceal. Zack Ritter. Now, although his time on screen is brief, gifted actor playing Zack Ritter, and his characterization of Ritter leaves a lasting impression. His commitment to living by faith and refusing to carry a gun provides a sh very sharp contrast to the violence that surrounds him.

SPEAKER_01 26:45

For our guest cast of the cover-up, we have Roy Engel as Hoffer. He lived from 1913 to 1980. Prolific character actor who appeared in more than 150 films and hundreds of television episodes. His film credits include The Man from Planet X in 51, Suddenly in 54, and The Desperate Hours in 1955. Television audiences may recognize him from shows including Perry Mason, The Lone Ranger, and Wagon Train.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Roy was one of those character actors who worked constantly. And one of the things I love about this show is that I'm getting to hang out with a lot of these character actors that I see in so many Westerns and other films at the time. So it's it's it's always welcome to see these guys. He had a very brief but memorable role as a very odd blacksmith. He has a little monologue that's absolutely crazy in the Audie Murphy Western Hellbent for Leather. He dabbled, interestingly, I found, briefly as a writer. He penned a 1954 episode of The Cisco Kid called Rodeo.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

We have Vivi Janis as Sarah Baxton. She lived from 1911 to 1988. She was an actress with a background in stage, radio, film, and television. She appeared in films including Kansas City Confidential in 52, The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues, 55, and Man on the Prowl 1957. Her television credits include I Love Lucy, Twilight Zone, and Ben Casey.

SPEAKER_02 28:22

I actually own uh The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues. I will have to check that out again to watch her in that. Her first husband was actor Robert Cummings. Uh, and her second was character actor John Larch, and they remained married until her death. Um she also co-starred with my friend actor James Best in the 1957 thriller Man on the Prowl. That was a movie Jimmy loved doing because, in his words, he played a craze sex killer, and he he loved to play bad guys more than anything on earth. But he, interestingly enough, never got to see the film. But it is out, available on streaming. Um, but well worth checking out. She's this this woman was attractive, but she had a very unusual look, and she had a very intense performing style, very gifted actress.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

Next we have Tyler McVeigh as Zach Ritter. He lived from 1912 to 2003. He was a character actor known for film and television. His film credits include Day of Triumph in 54, Night of the Blood Beast 58, and Attack of the Giant Leeches 59. He also appeared on television programs including Have Gun, Will Travel, and other Western and anthology series.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

This is another Journeyman actor who worked constantly, and yes, he appeared back to back in two of my favorite 50s sci-fi movies, uh, Night of the Blood Beast and Attack of the Giant Leeches, both produced by Roger Corman's brother Gene Corman.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

Next we have Ted Marcuse as Sam Baxton. He lived from 1920 to 1967, a classically trained actor who played intense or villainous characters. He appeared in films including The Naked Street in 55, The Cyclops in 1957. Television audiences may recognize him from appearances in The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, and Star Trek.

SPEAKER_02 30:19

This guy was somebody who showed up on my TV set as a kid in the 60s constantly. Really, really strong actor. He had a very interesting history. He served with distinction in World War II on the USS Tarante, which was a submarine off the coast of South Korea on April 1945. It saw action in a very unusual mission, slipping into a heavily fortified Japanese-held harbor to sink enemy ships while under fire. Her captain was awarded the Medal of Honor. The submarine itself earned two battle stars and a presidential unit citation, and Ted was awarded a silver star for his action. I remember him as a as a television villain mostly on series like The Man from Uncle. He also showed great comic flair for spoofing villains on Get Smart and also on Hogan's Heroes. Tragically, he died very young at age 47. He was killed in a car accident while driving under the influence.

SPEAKER_01 31:23

Next we have Malcolm Atterbury as the liveryman. He lived from 1907 to 1992. He built a career playing memorable character roles. His film appearances include Dragnet in 54, North by Northwest in 59, and The Birds in 63. He also appeared in television programs including The Lone Ranger, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Perry Mason.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

This Malcolm worked constantly. I I you know I watch a lot of content. I'm using that dreaded word content. I watch a lot of television shows and films from this era, from the 50s and 60s, and he pops up everywhere. It's like a good luck charm for filmmakers.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

Our story is by John Maston, script by William N. Robson, director William D. Russell and producer Norman McDonnell.

SPEAKER_02 32:14

William N. Robson had a very brief run as a television and film writer in the 50s. His sole feature film credit that I could find was doing the adaptation of a movie that's a guilty pleasure of mine called The Land Unknown, which is a sci-fi film made by Universal about a helicopter that crash lands on a mysterious island populated by dinosaurs, and it was a heavy influence on the later Jurassic Park films. Well worth checking out. It stars uh Jock Mahoney as the hero.

SPEAKER_01 32:43

I'll keep an eye out for that. A little behind the scenes in the long branch, there they mention Mulligrub. So, what is a mulligrub? So mully grubs is a colorful 19th-century Western insult to call the other patrons a bunch of miserable, sour-faced party poopers. Gunsmoke was highly praised for using accurate, historically authentic Frontier slang. And so when he hurls that word at the men in the Long Branch Saloon, he is mocking them for being gloom-filled killjoys who were ruining the mood, whiny, sullen, or grumpy instead of being lively and drinking, and gutless or weak, as if they are sitting around nursing a stomachache rather than acting like tough frontiersmen.

SPEAKER_02 33:35

I have a couple of people I'd like to call a mulligrub. Now that I I know what it is, I may just I may find a use for that. Uh wide variety of locations in this episode. Uh they use the Melody Ranch Dodge Street, they use the soundstage Dodge Street, uh, they use the Melody Ranch Outbuildings and Wilderness, and they use the Melody Ranch uh Melody Ranch Ranch set.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

Well, thanks for joining us for this double feature of Breakdown Gunsmoke. If you like this podcast, please subscribe and tell the friend right now. Word of mouth keeps the show growing.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

And if you have memories, questions, or favorite gunsmoke moments, please send them our way. We might feature them in a future episode.

SPEAKER_01 34:27

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SPEAKER_02 34:42

So until next time, keep your boots on the ground and your sick shooter at your side.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

Music Western Ride by Sonic in courtesy of Pixabay Free Music.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Additional music, gentle acoustic guitar by Fidel Fortune, courtesy of Pixabay Free Music.