Once a Haggen (1 Feb. 1964)

Bucko, a close friend of Festus, is accused of murdering a man to whom he lost at poker. When his alibi witness lies out of fear, Bucko is sentenced to hang, and Festus, who'd begun to see the marshal as a friend, vows Bucko won't swing.

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writer:

Les Crutchfield

Stars:

James Arness, Dennis Weaver, Milburn Stone

Cast

Episode cast overview:
James Arness	...	Matt Dillon
Dennis Weaver	...	Chester
Milburn Stone	...	Doc
Amanda Blake	...	Kitty
Ken Curtis	...	Festus
Slim Pickens	...	Bucko
Elizabeth MacRae	...	April
John Hudson	...	Curley
Kenneth Tobey	...	Fickett
Roy Barcroft	...	Pop
Howard Wendell	...	Judge

Storyline

Festus, playing a poker game at the Long Branch, loses to a traveling salesman. When he turns up dead and robbed, they suspect a close friend of his as evidence, found at the scene, doesn't help nor do their remarks as they were leaving: about robbing him.

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1964 (USA)

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arness Production Company, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Festus: [gets his hands free from the ropes the mob tied them with] I've got my hands loose.
Bucko: Good you can wave good-bye to them.

User Reviews

Slim Pickens and Ken Curtis work great together in this show.

Festus and his friend Bucko are playing poker at the Long Branch. Festus uses all his money on the last pot and Bucko asks to use a Mexican dollar that he uses as buttons but they refuses. Anyway one man wins the pot and places the money in his wallet.

Later that evening the hotel clerk calls Matt over to investigate noises. Matt goes into the room and finds the man who won at poker dead from three stabs wounds. His money has been taken and the person escaped by the window. Matt also finds a Mexican dollar button and sets out to arrest Bucko.

Bucko cannot remember what happened last night but Festus tells the Marshal that they went to Pop Schiller's place after the poker games and drank beer and Pop would back the story up. However Pop tells the Marshall that only Festus was there last night Bucko was a no-show.

Bucko is found guilty of murder and is set to hang. But a female named April, who happens to be Festus's girlfriend, comes over to talk with Pop and gets him to confess that Bucko was actually there the night of the murder.

But all this may be mute when Festus breaks Bucko out of jail but ends up being tied up in the hands of an angry mob that wants to see them hang. Marshal Dillon has got to find out the facts or it will be too late.

Slim Pickens and Ken Curtis work great together in this episode. We also get to hear some find singing from Curtis and some funny lines from Pickens. Perhaps not the most interesting story but was well played and entertaining. Good watch.