When fast-talking killer Charlie Hacker escapes from Matt in Texas, Matt follows him right into Mexico without extradition papers and has to deal with corrupt officials there.When fast-talking killer Charlie Hacker escapes from Matt in Texas, Matt follows him right into Mexico without extradition papers and has to deal with corrupt officials there.When fast-talking killer Charlie Hacker escapes from Matt in Texas, Matt follows him right into Mexico without extradition papers and has to deal with corrupt officials there.
Andy Albin
- Station Agent
- (uncredited)
Eumenio Blanco
- Cantina Barfly
- (uncredited)
John Breen
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Noble 'Kid' Chissell
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Alphonso DuBois
- Bartender
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Antony Ellis
- Norman MacDonnell(uncredited)
- John Meston(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis 2-parter has the first appearance of Gene Evans. He will appear in seven more stories, including another 2-parter.
- Quotes
Lt. Julio Chavez: [laughing] You don't know how to take a joke.
[laughing]
Matt Dillon: I stay around with you very long, I'm liable to die laughing.
Featured review
Part One of the First Two-Part Gunsmoke Episode
When Marshal Dillon gets word that an outlaw named Charlie Hacker has been seen in Texas, Matt sets out to arrest the man. This isn't just a professional matter for Dillon; Hacker killed one of Matt's good friends during a robbery five years earlier. Chester warns Matt about Texas being outside the territory assigned to the Marshal, but Matt is determined to go.
This is all strange enough for a law man that was such a stickler for law and order, but at this point, the story gets even stranger. Matt has no trouble locating Hacker's farm. He informs Hacker he is under arrest, and Hacker appears to have no interest in fighting. He helps take care of Matt's horse and invites Matt into his house for some food.
The strangest part of all of this is how nonchalant Matt acts toward Hacker. Matt considers Hacker a dangerous killer. Matt hates him enough to pursue him at great cost, and yet the Marshal treats Hacker as if he can be trusted. It is no surprise when Hacker hits the Marshal with a chair and escapes on a horse. Among the many things in this episode that makes no sense, one cannot help but wonder why a ruthless murderer like Hacker didn't just kill Dillon when he had the chance. Hacker and Dillon are alone in the middle of nowhere. Hacker could kill Dillon, bury him, and if anyone came around asking about the Marshal, Hacker could say he never saw him. There would be no evidence to incriminate Hacker.
Fortunately for all of us diehard Gunsmoke fans, Hacker chooses to leave Matt alive and heads for Mexico. Matt goes in pursuit, but when he crosses the border, he now has absolutely no authority. He meets a Lieutenant in the Mexican army named Julio Chavez. Chavez demands payment from Matt for passage into Mexico, and he insists he must accompany the Marshal.
All of these events establish the foundation for the story: Dillon's pursuit of Hacker while being forced to deal with all the distractions Lt. Chavez introduces, including bringing a woman along for his own comfort.
(So, what about the territory Marshal Dillon is *supposed* to be overseeing? The whole reason U. S. Marshals were assigned territories was to provide some kind of oversight over diverse areas. Yet Matt abandons his territory for an extended period to essentially act like a bounty hunter.)
The entire premise of this episode is too implausible to fully redeem Part 2 but it does include some entertaining moments.
This is one of earliest, extended "Matt only" episodes, and it is the first two-part episode in the series. (This is notable, because there was a time not too many years earlier when the television studios did not think people would watch a show that filled more than a thirty-minute time slot.) While the story begins in Dodge City, it quickly shifts to Texas and Mexico (and includes some great location shots). Television seasons were long during the days this episode was made, and the Gunsmoke producers would occasionally give the regular cast a break with episodes that take place away from Dodge.
Gene Evans was always good playing tough, rugged characters. His portrayal of the poetry-quoting Charlie Hacker is very good. It is difficult to not like the character and see him as a villain. Gilbert Roland is fine as the Mexican lieutenant, although the character falls into the "corrupt Mexican official" stereotype. Roland's Lt. Chavez at times appears to be as much of a villain as Hacker. Anna Navarro's character is pretty much an annoying waste.
There are some really good scenes in this episode. The scene where Matt arrives at the U. S.-Mexico border is outstanding with several nice little details. The conversation between Chavez and the Mexican soldier takes place entirely in Spanish. (There are other scenes where various characters engage in their true language, too.) Too often in older television shows, the discussion between the two characters would have been conducted in accented English for the audience's benefit. The soldier playing with the tarantula on a makeshift leash is amusing. The way Chavez takes advantage of Dillon being a stranger in a strange land is unexpected.
This is all strange enough for a law man that was such a stickler for law and order, but at this point, the story gets even stranger. Matt has no trouble locating Hacker's farm. He informs Hacker he is under arrest, and Hacker appears to have no interest in fighting. He helps take care of Matt's horse and invites Matt into his house for some food.
The strangest part of all of this is how nonchalant Matt acts toward Hacker. Matt considers Hacker a dangerous killer. Matt hates him enough to pursue him at great cost, and yet the Marshal treats Hacker as if he can be trusted. It is no surprise when Hacker hits the Marshal with a chair and escapes on a horse. Among the many things in this episode that makes no sense, one cannot help but wonder why a ruthless murderer like Hacker didn't just kill Dillon when he had the chance. Hacker and Dillon are alone in the middle of nowhere. Hacker could kill Dillon, bury him, and if anyone came around asking about the Marshal, Hacker could say he never saw him. There would be no evidence to incriminate Hacker.
Fortunately for all of us diehard Gunsmoke fans, Hacker chooses to leave Matt alive and heads for Mexico. Matt goes in pursuit, but when he crosses the border, he now has absolutely no authority. He meets a Lieutenant in the Mexican army named Julio Chavez. Chavez demands payment from Matt for passage into Mexico, and he insists he must accompany the Marshal.
All of these events establish the foundation for the story: Dillon's pursuit of Hacker while being forced to deal with all the distractions Lt. Chavez introduces, including bringing a woman along for his own comfort.
(So, what about the territory Marshal Dillon is *supposed* to be overseeing? The whole reason U. S. Marshals were assigned territories was to provide some kind of oversight over diverse areas. Yet Matt abandons his territory for an extended period to essentially act like a bounty hunter.)
The entire premise of this episode is too implausible to fully redeem Part 2 but it does include some entertaining moments.
This is one of earliest, extended "Matt only" episodes, and it is the first two-part episode in the series. (This is notable, because there was a time not too many years earlier when the television studios did not think people would watch a show that filled more than a thirty-minute time slot.) While the story begins in Dodge City, it quickly shifts to Texas and Mexico (and includes some great location shots). Television seasons were long during the days this episode was made, and the Gunsmoke producers would occasionally give the regular cast a break with episodes that take place away from Dodge.
Gene Evans was always good playing tough, rugged characters. His portrayal of the poetry-quoting Charlie Hacker is very good. It is difficult to not like the character and see him as a villain. Gilbert Roland is fine as the Mexican lieutenant, although the character falls into the "corrupt Mexican official" stereotype. Roland's Lt. Chavez at times appears to be as much of a villain as Hacker. Anna Navarro's character is pretty much an annoying waste.
There are some really good scenes in this episode. The scene where Matt arrives at the U. S.-Mexico border is outstanding with several nice little details. The conversation between Chavez and the Mexican soldier takes place entirely in Spanish. (There are other scenes where various characters engage in their true language, too.) Too often in older television shows, the discussion between the two characters would have been conducted in accented English for the audience's benefit. The soldier playing with the tarantula on a makeshift leash is amusing. The way Chavez takes advantage of Dillon being a stranger in a strange land is unexpected.
helpful•42
- wdavidreynolds
- Nov 11, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- Stage 3, CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA(Dodge City Western Street)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3
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