Gunsmoke (TV Series) The Photographer (1957) User Reviews

A photographer believes he will always get his picture

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 11 June 2013]

At the beginning of this episode, the whole town has turned out at the Long Branch to see Professor Jacoby's magic box that take pictures. Jacoby is working for a magazine back east and wants some pictures of the old west that people heard about in books. So the photographer sets out to take pictures that will really excite the public along the east coast.

But nearly right from the start there is something queer about this man named Jacoby. At first he seems like a nice fellow then as the story progresses it becomes apparent that this arrogant cameraman will do about anything for a photo that will sell- and I do mean anything.

Sebastian Cabot was a perfect cast as the larger than life Jacoby as he sets his sights on Dodge thinking that he will always be able to get the picture he wants at any cost. A unique story that appeared written exactly like the early west would have been at the first sight of a camera box. A entertaining episode that was fascinating to watch.

Anachronisms abound in this tale with villain so round

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 20 July 2022]

In an episode from just the previous year, "Chester's Mail Order Bride", there was a plot device that I thought curious at the time. Chester had been writing to a young lady back east, and now she was coming to visit, with matrimony being a possible outcome. The problem was that Chester had sent her a picture of the tall and handsome Marshal Dillon rather than one of himself.

But what did they mean by "picture"? This could only mean two things. Prior to photography wealthy people would commission portraits of themselves. I can hardly see Chester hiring an artist and sitting for a portrait, complete with pipe, hunting dog, and family crest. OK, I can see it, and I am bent over laughing at the idea.

That means Chester had sent her a photograph of Marshal Dillon at a time when photography was a novel thing and the resulting clunky tin types were hardly something you'd pop into the U. S. mail and expect to arrive in one piece.

So a year later, along comes this episode with an eccentric photographer bringing to town what appears to be the first camera that the people of Dodge City have ever seen. They react as expected, with wonderment and curiosity. So it is obvious that neither Chester nor Marshal Dillon have ever had a photo taken of themselves. The problem is that the photographer, played by Sebastian Cabot, is so anxious to capture scenes of the wild west that he is willing to stage incidents, and the incidents he wants to stage are increasingly violent. Some Indians who are passing through believe the strange box may steal their soul, and in the case of the photographer they may very well be right. How does this work out? Watch and find out.

I'm sure that when Gunsmoke first came on the air the thought of these episodes being in reruns 65 years later or immortalized in digital format never occurred to anybody, so I am willing to cut the anachronisms some slack, still it is amusing.

Wicked Selfish Photographer

[jamdifo · 7/10 · 17 December 2012]

Well done entry with the fascination with the camera back at that time and with a photographer who is selfish, stubborn, wicked, influential, cunning, inconsiderate, and really racist in how he views Indians, Lawmen, and the West in general.

I found this to be the 1st time I saw Marshal Dillon be sarcastic with someone other than the other 3 stars of the show. Most hilarious when the photographer believes a lawman in the west should have 2 guns at his side but Marshal Dillon states he needs his other hand to blow his nose.

Great acting by the photographer, he gave it all the right touches.

Brutal ending but fitting to the crimes committed in the episode. Makes one think how far would you go to be "immortal".

Novel Premise

[dougdoepke · 3 January 2012]

Imaginative entry. Arrogant photographer Jacoby (Cabot) comes to Dodge to "immortalize" the local characters for the folks back east. Problem is that he'll do most anything to get the photos he wants, causing Matt to cast a wary eye. Then a dead man scalped turns up and the evidence points to Jacoby. But what about the Indians camped outside of town.

Novel episode, especially the photo-taking scene in the saloon that also shows what a fine actress Blake was. The rotund Cabot is perfectly cast as the strong-willed, dislikable Jacoby. Suspense comes from wondering just how far Jacoby will go in his quest for another photo, and what will happen if he does.

Really Good Episode IMO

[atomicis · 10/10 · 1 July 2021]

So much was changing during the time "Gunsmoke" was set, and it's good to see the writers acknowledge that fact. Also the "injuns", who are often portrayed (accurately, at least as thought of during this nascent era) as antagonists were respectfully treated in this installment. Great work by Sebastian Cabot and cool to see "Miss Kitty" looking like the waif she was for the first few seasons.

I truly enjoyed this one!

Ignorance and Arrogance Can Be a Fatal Combination

[wdavidreynolds · 9/10 · 4 January 2022]

Professor Jacoby is a photographer from the Eastern U. S. who has traveled to Dodge City with the intention of taking sensational photographs of gunfighters, American Indians, and any scenes showing violent acts. He intends to send his pictures back east to Harper's Weekly for publication. The people of Dodge are understandably fascinated with the technology required for producing photographs.

Jacoby considers himself an artist, and he considers artistic endeavors to be above the law. Furthermore, he also suffers from delusions of grandeur. He sees himself as a great man and most others as dispensable common people. He is out of his element in a place like Dodge, but his arrogance is such that he cannot see it.

Matt Dillon finds Jacoby's photography amusing at first, but not everyone agrees. A group of Cheyenne hunters arrive in Dodge to sell hides, and Jacoby photographs them. The Cheyenne are not convinced the photography is harmless. When a derelict named Grubby is found murdered and scalped, Marshal Dillon suddenly has his hands full dealing with townspeople convinced the Cheyenne men are responsible and Jacoby's continued picture-taking efforts become increasingly troublesome because, as Jacoby makes very clear, he will do anything for a photograph.

Sebastian Cabot returns for his second and final Gunsmoke appearance. In Season 1 he appeared in the episode "The Queue." In this episode, Cabot is outstanding as the Professor Jacoby character. In both episodes, he portrayed extremely unlikable characters, which is quite the contrast to his later roles as Giles French in the series Family Affair and as Kris Kringle in a remake of Miracle on 34th Street.

Dean Fredericks makes his only Gunsmoke appearance as an aspiring gunfighter named Gart. Fredericks had appeared in an uncredited role in the sci-fi film Them! A few years earlier. James Arness had a starring role in that film. Fredericks would soon begin starring in the short-lived series Steve Canyon, which was a live action version of the popular comic strip. Fredericks does not have much to do here, except stand around.

Ned Glass had recently guest starred in the episode titled "Bureaucrat." He is almost unrecognizable in this story with bushy, unkempt facial hair. Glass appeared in nine different installments of the series between Season 2 and Season 14.

Actor Charles Horvath was about as prolific actor as has existed, but most of his roles were small parts and were often uncredited. He plays the Cheyenne man known as Left Hand in this story. He appeared in one additional Gunsmoke episode in Season 13.

This is one of the better John Dunkel stories. The subject matter is unique, and the reaction to Jacoby's technology is often funny. Cabot's performance stands out, as his smiling, cool demeanor belies the underlying sinister arrogance of his actions. If there is a lesson to be learned in this story, it is that ignorance and arrogant certainty are a dangerous combination.

A minor detail I appreciate about this story is the way Dunkel juxtaposes Chester Goode's fear and Matt Dillon's respect for the Cheyenne people.

Picture This..

[darbski · 9/10 · 6 September 2018]

***SPOILERS*** Yup. The other reviewers did an excellent job; covering the acting and plot set-up. Those of you who have read some of my other reviews know what's coming, though, don't you? Now, I realize that there is only a half hour to tell this story, but the entire handling of the camera, the posing, and the developing of the images is so far off the rails that something should be said about it. And that is what I just did, isn't it? You know... having to stand still for a long time to prevent blurring, the dangerous chemicals used, the shutter release? Too many mistakes. Another small point is that the characters must have been deaf not to hear the Cheyenne riding hard in behind them. Also, the man Gart, did a good job of getting shot by an arrow. Yeah, I'm nit picking, but a Cheyenne arrow loosed at close range by a world class shooter would probably have run clear through the target. It looked like someone pushed it a little farther in his chest (Matt maybe making sure?), but, well, okay. Professor Jacoby getting his brains beaten in? Just desserts, especially after he clearly admitted to killing Grubby. Kitty's photograph? They really dropped the ball on that one. when you have a subject as good looking as Kitty, you take your time and get it right. Jacoby didn't - reason enough for his demise. P.S. - - Matt buried the miscreants, didn't he? Well, then, he was obviously entitled to their guns, money, tack, and horses, wasn't he? Forget about the camera, it was totalled anyway. This episode is a 9.

Say "Cheese!"

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 24 August 2021]

(*Prof. Jacoby quote*) - "Well, I assure you, sir, that I'll be most careful."

"The Photographer" was first aired on television April 6, 1957.

Anyway - As the story goes - Marshal Dillon believes an Eastern photographer may have staged a murder just to capture "the violence of the West".