Apprentice Doc (9 Dec. 1961)

A young outlaw finds he has a knack for medicine and turns straight, telling Doc he wants to be his pupil.

Director:

Harry Harris

Writer:

Kathleen Hite

Stars:

James Arness, Dennis Weaver, Milburn Stone

Cast

Episode cast overview:
James Arness	...	Matt Dillon
Dennis Weaver	...	Chester
Milburn Stone	...	Doc
Amanda Blake	...	Kitty
Ben Cooper	...	Pitt Campbell
Crahan Denton	...	Clint
Robert Sorrells	...	Augie

Storyline

Doc is gassed and kidnapped to tend what he thinks is a wounded outlaw. When he wakes up, the young man he speaks to about the wounded man is unusually helpful. When he meets him later in Dodge, all he wants from Doc is to learn about medicine and forget about the two he was riding with, who are now wanted for robbery and murder.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 December 1961 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arness Production Company, CBS Television Network

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

An entertaining episode that ended way too soon

Here is an episode that you wish would have continued on past the one airing of the story. A person in town wanting to study medicine under Doc Adams is a treasure cove of plots and sub-plots that could have continued well past the one showing. In fact an entire season could have been made out of the new doctor learning the trade in the outback of Kansas. Could have even been a good story for a feature film or a reoccurring character that would spark interest with the viewers. But is the case on weekly shows, we get only a small taste of this entertaining story so they can wrap the plot up within the hour time limit. Which in this case is sad.

This episode begins when Doc is kidnapped during the night and taken out to mend a broken leg. A gang of four outlaws led by a brutal robber and murder named Clint had one of the gang members go down with a broken leg. One of the members Pitt Campbell refuses to leave his friend with the broken leg which causes a rift in the gang. So Clint and another go off their own way leaving Pitt and his friend alone with Doc.

When Doc awakes he finds that the leg had already been set and was healing. When asked who mended the leg, Pitt advises that it was him. Since there was little for Doc to do with the patient, Pitt pays Doc for his trouble and sends him on his way. This was contrary to Clint's instructions about killing the Doc after treatment. Doc arrives back in Dodge but does not report the kidnapping to Matt.

A few days later Pitt goes to see Doc with the idea of learning medicine. At first Doc wants nothing to do with the possible criminal- but when Doc sees that Pitt is serious about saving people's lives he changes his mind. And Doc begins showing Pitt the art of medicine.

Here the story becomes so entertaining that you wish it would not end. For some reason you are pulling for outlaw turned doctor to succeed in his desire to help people.

But it will not be long till Clint gets suspicious of Pitt ratting him out. So he makes a visit to Dodge with the purpose of killing Pitt and Doc Adams.

The episode will end in the usual 'Gunsmoke' way. But with the ending the viewer feels a lost for what-might-have-been. A entertaining story that ended way too soon.