Gunsmoke (TV Series) Eliab's Aim (1965) User Reviews

FESTUS, DOC, and QUINT together; enjoy them while you still can.

[lrrap · 9/10 · 23 August 2021]

Except for the too-lengthy scenes of Eliab chasing Festus around out in the wild, this episode is nicely written, very well directed, and all-around enjoyable. There's a dark, serious element that is well-integrated into the plot, but it all works out when Matt makes his brief (but much-needed) appearance toward the end of the show. But there's still plenty more to come.

What's really cool is this: if fans of Gunsmoke REALLY want to immerse themselves in (almost continual) scenes of Doc, Festus, and Quint at their very best, THIS is the episode for you. They are great, as is the comic subplot about the widow Pearl.....seriously on the "make" for the hapless Festus. This is the sort of comic thing that be very annoying if it's not handled with care; fortunately, both writer and director knew exactly how to make it work to enhance the comedy.

Predictably, the musical score draws largely on Fred Steiner's delightful country-fiddlin' "Minnie" cues, rewritten, I suspect, for this episode.

But it's DOC, FESTUS, and QUINT all the way in this one, as charming and whimsical as ever (Burt Reynold's' second-last episode in order of broadcast). Treasure them together while you still can. LR.

A cousin is after Festus's hangy-down ear part.

[kfo9494 · 9/10 · 5 February 2013]

Some of the 'Gunsmoke' purest will find the episode against all things that the series stands. But for me it was a nice hour of entertainment that was as good as any on TV today.

Eliab Haggen, cousin of Festus, makes his way to Dodge City for the task of revenging his father's fate. Seems that Festus shot off some of Eiiab's fathers ear and now he is here to shoot off some of Festus's ear. Not the entire ear but the hangy-down part of the ear.

Well when Festus gets wind of Eliab's visit, it will be a long drawn out affair to avoid getting his lower ear shot off. In the meantime, there will be poker hands and upset feelings as someone gets killed and the suspect is Eliab. Festus can finally feel good that his cousin is in jail-- or can he?

This was a change from the usual episode plot. A funny look into the Haggen clan that was entertaining from beginning to end. I sometimes judge a episode by how you anticipate the next scene-- in this episode if was a thrill waiting to see what comes next. An enjoyable show.

At first I thought this was a Christmas episode...

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 23 February 2023]

... because most Gunsmoke episodes that are this light usually are.

Festus' nephew Eliab comes to Dodge to shoot off part of Festus' ear in retaliation for Festus having bitten off the ear of Eliab's father years ago. Eliab is a crack shot, so Festus is constantly running from Eliab to avoid his titular aim. Oddly enough, Eliab has nothing but good things to say about Festus. This "ear for an ear" business is just a matter of family honor to him.

If this had just been Festus running from Eliab for 50 minutes, it would have gotten tiresome. So injected into the plot is a cross cards dealer, a one of a kind pair of boots and a tall widow attracted to anybody wearing said boots.

Quint has been left in charge in Matt's absence, and although the idea of somebody relentlessly tracking somebody else down in order to maim them sounds serious, Quint doesn't have the heart to jail Eliab because of his childlike demeanor. But then somebody that Eliab was seen quarreling with is found shot dead, and Quint is wondering if Eliab is that harmless after all.

James Arness had said that Burt Reynolds was very talented, but the role of Quint didn't really allow him to use his best quality in his acting - his sense of humor. This is one episode where he does indeed get to use that quality, and you can almost see the Burt Reynolds of the 1970s peek through just a bit.

The last shot

[schappe1 · 8/10 · 25 July 2020]

This happens to be Burt Reynolds' actual last Gunsmoke episode, even though 'Bank Baby' was his last broadcast episode, (per the production numbers in the Barabas' Book on the series). The very last scene features Quint, Doc and Festus on a Dodge sidewalk. Festus is holding a coin, which his nephew Eliab, off screen, shoots out of his fingers, (Festus has introduced a widow looking to marry someone- anyone- to Eliab to get her off of himself and Eliab has just realized what he's done.).

I'm always interested in how these scenes are done and so I watched this one over and over again in slow motion. The first thing i noticed with that both Doc and Quint react to the shot well after it would have driven the coin past them. Maybe that's normal but it looked as if they were responding to a cue rather than a shot and the timing of the sound, which would have been added afterwards was slightly off their cue. I then decided that Ken Curtis had simply let the coin drop into the palm of his hand rather than had a professional marksman shoot it out of his finger. The one thing that challenged this view is a faint trace of something going on a line in subsequent frames past the three of them. But ti seemed to have a downward trajectory, not a flat one, (Eliab had appeared earlier in the scene at street level). I wondered if the coin was a on a string . I also thought perhaps they'd imposed a ghostly image of something flying past Doc and Quint after the scene was shot, to represent the coin flying away. I just don't know.

Of course if we had a message board, we could discuss it at length but we don't so I have to put this on as a review. At least it's something to look for the next time you watch the episode.

Haggens are Winners

[chuck26 · 8/10 · 31 August 2022]

Silly and fun. It's always fun to watch one of Festus's kin come calling around. Especially this one -- a nephew who's out to shoot Festus's ear off (the small 'hangy-down part' -- his earlobe, that is) to settle a grudge/feud.

The episode has an older look to it, but it's newer, produced in 1965.

But this episode does resemble some of the older ones with a bit of fun and humor in it. The episode involves Festus winning a prize pair of boots, avoiding a woman who wants to 'catch' him (especially since he has those boss boots), and of course, Eliab, who just wants to shoot his ear off.

It turns out that Eliab is a dead shot phenom. I'm glad he's not after me...

Meet Another Haggen

[wdavidreynolds · 7/10 · 8 January 2021]

During the 20-year run of Gunsmoke, the viewer learns more about Festus Haggen's family than any other character. In earlier seasons, a few of Chester Goode's family members make their way to Dodge City. Occasionally, old acquaintances of Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell are featured, but there is no Gunsmoke character where more family members are part of an episode than Festus.

In this episode, Eliab Haggen, who is a nephew to Festus, makes his way to Dodge City for the intended purpose of shooting off Festus's ear -- "just the hangy-down part." As a matter of fact, Eliab isn't the only person chasing Festus in this story. Widow Pearl Winton has set her sights on Festus with the goal of marriage, particularly if she can find a job for Festus.

Will Eliab succeed in his quest? Will Widow Winton win Festus over with her ham hocks and greens?

There is an element of seriousness introduced when Jake Craig, a gambler given to drunkenness, is killed by a gunshot "right between the eyes" after he and Eliab had harsh words with one another in the Long Branch. Eliab is immediately suspected, and Quint Asper, who is acting as the law enforcement in Matt Dillon's absence, arrests Eliab.

In an interview years after he left Gunsmoke, Burt Reynolds claimed he co-wrote this episode, although the show officially credits Will Corry as the author. Corry's only other writing credit is for the film Two Lane Blacktop, which starred singer-songwriter James Taylor. Corry appeared as an actor in two Gunsmoke episodes in earlier seasons. In the book "Gunsmoke: A Complete History" by SuzAnne and Gabor Barabas, they note this story was "inspired" by Reynolds and Ken Curtis.

James Hampton plays Eliab Haggen. He played a very similar character named Jeb Willis in the Season 8 episode, "Jeb." Hampton was a friend of Burt Reynolds and would later appear in films starring Reynolds, as well as in an episode of the television series that starred Reynolds, Evening Shade.

One of those films that starred Reynolds, "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing," was directed by Richard Sarafian, who also directed this episode of Gunsmoke. Sarafian directed the cult classic film "Vanishing Point."

Other notable appearances in this episode include Gregg Palmer as Jake Craig and Dee J. Thompson as the Widow Winton. Palmer was a very familiar face in Gunsmoke episodes, as he appeared in over 20 different installments over the years. Thompson was a familiar face in television shows during the time this episode was filmed.

Golly-Bill that was cute

[rerunwatcher · 7/10 · 31 August 2022]

Well, Golly-Bill I liked this episode a right smart. The boy that plays Eliab was also on "Gomer Pyle" one time as a boy the Pyles were feuding with. He also was on the old "Doris Day Show" and "Love American Style". I like Festus centered episodes. This one was cute. The boots that was a key plot point were very nice looking. Matt Dillion does not even show up until about three-fouths of the way through. But I HAVE to ask this question about the "widow woman". If you are a woman who wants a man and you have Burt Reynolds and Ken Curtis who would a woman REALLY choose. Haha, but that just adds to the fun of the episode.