Gunsmoke (TV Series) The Way It Is (1962) User Reviews

What Makes Kitty Tick.....

[lrrap · 8/10 · 18 August 2014]

Once again the team of writer Kathleen Hite and director Harry Harris delivers an excellent episode that transcends even Gunsmoke's usual high standards. You really feel like you are watching REAL people involved in REAL situations when Hite 'n Harris are at their best.

Kathleen Hite can always be relied upon to give the viewer some pretty interesting insights into the "fairer sex"; Kitty's opening scenes here... having hit a wall in her relationship with Matt, absolutely unyielding in her anger and frustration, absolutely unwilling to listen to reason, and determined to take it out on ALL of her menfolk friends, not just Matt....well, let's just say that, from a man's standpoint, Ms. Hite really nails it-- spot on-- and leave it at that.

So who should stumble into Kitty's life but big old, hulking (but wounded) Claude Akins. As Kitty's concern started to turn into something more...um....heated....I said to myself "Claude is either a homicidal maniac or a big, lovable teddy bear who's going to say goodbye to Kitty at the end of the show". I'm no spoiler---you'll have to watch the show yourself to see which prediction came true.

Along the way, Harris' direction keeps the actors completely true, subtle and convincing. Amanda Blake displays the full range of her acting chops and, under Harris' guidance, turns in a superb performance. Brava! And James Arness, though absent for most of the show, still manages to dominate with his powerful, yet understated authority, warmth, and goodness.

Add to it a wonderfully tuneful musical score by Van Cleave (the romantic theme of which hearkens back to the composer's gorgeous sentimental theme he wrote for Twilight Zone's "I Sing the Body Electric" earlier in '62), and you have a mightily entertaining 50 minutes of classic TV drama.

LR

Kitty finds out that Matt is really a good person to have around

[kfo9494 · 9/10 · 28 November 2012]

In this episode we have Ms Kitty as a mad angry woman and all because of Matt. Matt has informed her that he cannot take her to the Floyd County Social Dance because he has to go to Topeka for work related activities. Needless to say, Kitty is not happy to be put off time and time by Matt. Kitty is so mad that even Chester and Doc cannot escape her angry mood.

While Kitty is riding out in the prairie trying to get rid of some anger, she stumbles across Ad Bellum (Claude Akins) who has been injured. She takes him to a neighboring farm and nurses him back to health. Kitty takes a shine to Ad and the two seem to have a wonderful relationship.

Ad Bellum follows Kitty back into town and ask to take her to the County Social. Everything seems to be going real good until a man comes up and ask Kitty to dance. For some reason Ad becomes so jealous that he punches the man in the face. He claims between the whiskey he was drinking and the knock on his head caused a moment of lapse in his thinking and apologized to Kitty for the display. After another display by Ad, Kitty can see that Ad has a hot temper. When she tells him that she is leaving Ad tells Kitty that no women talks to her like she just talked. Ad has angry streak that is so bad that he threats to kill Kitty.

When Matt arrives back in Dodge, Ad is determined to have it out with the Marshal. Kitty is now his girl and the Marshal is going to have to deal with the situation even if it cost everyone's life.

A nice episode that entertains us all. We get to see into the relationship of Matt and Kitty- and if you listen real hard and hope for the best- at the end you hear the words 'I love you'. The words were never spoken but is clear as the sun in the summer sky. Good Watch.

When the bird in hand is a free bird...

[AlsExGal · 9/10 · 15 October 2022]

... which is what Kitty has in the person of Matt Dillon. This episode probably has more information about the relationship between Kitty and Matt than we've had in the eight seasons of Gunsmoke so far.

The episode begins with Kitty Russell descending the stairs at the Long Branch. She's angry. Her red hair radiates through a black and white TV image she is so mad. She mounts her horse and goes out for a ride on the prairie. She returns and her mood has not improved. It turns out that she is mad because, once again, her plans with Matt have blown up in her face - He has to travel for his work and won't be able to take her to the Ford County Sociable. Matt follows her upstairs and much is revealed about their relationship. Apparently there have not only been other sociables that never were, but at least one trip the two were planning to take together. And for Matt to be so mono syllabic he says how much he regrets them not being able to do the things that they planned, but he does have a job to do. He says it well and empathetically and does not sound like Dudley Do RIght when he says it, yet Kitty is unmoved.

After Matt leaves town for his business trip, Kitty packs a bag and goes to visit friends for a few days, but on the way there finds a man who has fallen and hit his head. She takes the man to her friends' house and goes and gets Doc to tend to the man's wounds. Well it turns out this man is a wanderer but is alone in the world. He also has a great romantic way about him and is not hard on the eyes. Even sitting here in the 21st century I have to wonder - Hmm. A 30 something good looking intelligent man who has managed to NOT be taken - What's wrong?

Is there something wrong? Is Matt on the way out, at least for awhile? Will Matt return to Dodge and find a wanted poster for this guy indicating he escaped from a mental hospital and is a known lady killer? Watch and find out.

Kitty does act badly towards her friends - even to kindly Doc. Perhaps it is because none of them - Matt, Doc, Chester - consider her more than one of the guys, but then she has been spending the last eight years acting like one, and that is probably necessary if you are the owner of a saloon in a wild cowtown like Dodge City.

The photography was interesting here too, several beautiful shots of the western landscape, and the beginning of the episode with Kitty walking stiffly down the Long Branch stairs in a well done tracking shot and the end with her walking stiffly up those same stairs. Director of Photography Fleet Southcott certainly got to show off his talent here.

Real Life

[oldclassicslover · 10/10 · 30 September 2020]

This was so real. There are really men out there like this, but it usually takes longer for them to show their true stripes. I loved how Ed's badness helps Kitty see how wonderful a man Matt really is. But I think Matt should have taken Kitty's statement that Ed made her feel like a woman to heart, and not continue to string her along for 20 years without so much as a single "I love you" ever uttered.

Claude Akins and Amanda Blake didn't need Matt and Chester for this one

[kathykb · 10/10 · 16 May 2022]

The two leads, this time Claude Akins and Amanda Blake, turn in excellent performances in this one. It was good to see Akins get a chance to shine as the charismatic handsome stranger. And Miss Kitty gets a chance to be the star of the show instead of as she puts it, one of the boys. I hadn't seen this one before and it was well worth the effort to find it.

Nive episode

[maskers-87126 · 9/10 · 12 October 2018]

With depyh,of story and real character development. K Hite always writes well for women and the producers are wise to see this and feature it. How people can still question a romantic relationship between Matt and Kitty is beyond me.me !