FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE "A Spray of Bullets" 1955
Dick Powell headlines this episode of the top flight anthology series, FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE. This series ran for 130 episodes between 1952 and 1956. Each week, one of either, Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, David Niven or Ida Lupino would be the lead in the episode. This one is episode is the 5th episode of season 4.
In this episode, a western, Dick Powell rides into a small town and ties up his horse. A local, Raymond Hatton, recognizes him as a fast with the gun Lawman. Hatton figures there is going to be trouble in town, as just a few hours earlier Robert J. Wilke had ridden into town. Wilke is also a fast gun, but he is anything but a law abiding type.
The town Sheriff, Art Space is soon a calling. It turns out that Sheriff Space and Powell are friends. They had worked together years before. Powell and Space's daughter, Jean Howell had been an item for a while. Powell tells Space that he is no longer a Lawman. He is just in town on a personal matter. He did not even know that Space and Howell where in town. He also adds that he wants nothing to do with gunman Wilke.
We now find out that Powell is in town to see an eye doctor. His sight is going and everything over 20 yards away is a blur. This is why he quit being a lawman. Now Powell and Wilke bump into each other. Wilke asks Powell to have a drink with him. Powell says maybe later. Wilke wonders why the man is in town.
Local, Raymond Hatton, tells Wilke that he saw Powell pay a visit to the eye doctor. This of course gets Wilke to thinking. While Wilke is pondering this bit of info, Powell is paying his former girl, Howell a visit. He tells the pretty Howell that he is there to get a set of glasses. He wants nothing to do with gun play anymore. He is willing to settle down.
Needless to say this plan goes south in a hurry. Gunman Wilke decides to call Powell out for a draw down. He figures that killing Powell will help his reputation has a top drawer gun hand. Wilke intends to keep a fair distance between himself and Powell. Guns are pulled and Powell, the quicker of the two, fans his gun and sprays lead towards the blur. The smoke clears and Wilke is face down in the dust, gun beside him. It looks like Powell lucked out. He walks off arm and arm with Howell.
There are shades of Liberty Valance here as the viewer finds out that maybe someone else had fired the killing shot.
This is a top notch episode all around. The always villainous Robert Wilke, as usual, is in great form as the gunman. Long-time actor Raymond Hatton started out in 1912, and was on screen till 1967 with over 500 film and television credits to his name.
Dick Powell headlines this episode of the top flight anthology series, FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE. This series ran for 130 episodes between 1952 and 1956. Each week, one of either, Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, David Niven or Ida Lupino would be the lead in the episode. This one is episode is the 5th episode of season 4.
In this episode, a western, Dick Powell rides into a small town and ties up his horse. A local, Raymond Hatton, recognizes him as a fast with the gun Lawman. Hatton figures there is going to be trouble in town, as just a few hours earlier Robert J. Wilke had ridden into town. Wilke is also a fast gun, but he is anything but a law abiding type.
The town Sheriff, Art Space is soon a calling. It turns out that Sheriff Space and Powell are friends. They had worked together years before. Powell and Space's daughter, Jean Howell had been an item for a while. Powell tells Space that he is no longer a Lawman. He is just in town on a personal matter. He did not even know that Space and Howell where in town. He also adds that he wants nothing to do with gunman Wilke.
We now find out that Powell is in town to see an eye doctor. His sight is going and everything over 20 yards away is a blur. This is why he quit being a lawman. Now Powell and Wilke bump into each other. Wilke asks Powell to have a drink with him. Powell says maybe later. Wilke wonders why the man is in town.
Local, Raymond Hatton, tells Wilke that he saw Powell pay a visit to the eye doctor. This of course gets Wilke to thinking. While Wilke is pondering this bit of info, Powell is paying his former girl, Howell a visit. He tells the pretty Howell that he is there to get a set of glasses. He wants nothing to do with gun play anymore. He is willing to settle down.
Needless to say this plan goes south in a hurry. Gunman Wilke decides to call Powell out for a draw down. He figures that killing Powell will help his reputation has a top drawer gun hand. Wilke intends to keep a fair distance between himself and Powell. Guns are pulled and Powell, the quicker of the two, fans his gun and sprays lead towards the blur. The smoke clears and Wilke is face down in the dust, gun beside him. It looks like Powell lucked out. He walks off arm and arm with Howell.
There are shades of Liberty Valance here as the viewer finds out that maybe someone else had fired the killing shot.
This is a top notch episode all around. The always villainous Robert Wilke, as usual, is in great form as the gunman. Long-time actor Raymond Hatton started out in 1912, and was on screen till 1967 with over 500 film and television credits to his name.