"Brother" Amos Campbell is a traveling preacher who has adopted the cause of temperance. Campbell and his daughter Bess arrive in Dodge City about the same time as a bunch of rowdy cowboys. The raucous behavior of the cowboys results in a young boy being injured. Although the boy's injuries are not serious and Doc Adams is able to take care of him, Campbell claims his prayers have miraculously healed the boy.
Campbell begins a campaign to outlaw alcohol inside the town -- a campaign he has completed successfully elsewhere. The preacher has learned how to exploit the democratic process. He uses his charismatic powers of persuasion to convince a large number of citizens to vote for temperance and depends on the fact that many of the people that are more supportive of the free consumption of alcohol will not bother to vote.
Naturally, Campbell's efforts are at odds with Kitty Russell as the owner of the Long Branch Saloon. Kitty doesn't help matters when she gives Bess a makeover.
There isn't much in the way of tension or conflict to make this story all that interesting. Even in the tamed-down version of Dodge City portrayed on Gunsmoke, there isn't much chance of making alcohol illegal there. It would destroy the town's economy.
James Whitmore was always good at playing characters that were overbearing and stubbornly insistent on forcing their ideas on others. His performance as Amos Campbell is the highlight of the episode. Julie Sommars is the timid Bess Campbell. Sommars enjoyed a long career primarily in television for over four decades.
L.Q. Jones makes the third of his seven Gunsmoke appearances as one of the hard-drinking, fun-loving cowboys. Jones usually played a heavy, and it is a bit unusual to see him in a lighter role.
The prolific actor John Saxon -- who had quite a career in films of all types and television -- plays a character named Dingo who is clearly designed to introduce some conflict into the story, but his character seems to be more of a mild nuisance than any real threat.
Amanda Blake delivers another strong performance as Miss Kitty here, and Ken Curtis primarily offers some comic relief as Festus Haggen, but most of the other regular cast members do not have much to do.
Campbell begins a campaign to outlaw alcohol inside the town -- a campaign he has completed successfully elsewhere. The preacher has learned how to exploit the democratic process. He uses his charismatic powers of persuasion to convince a large number of citizens to vote for temperance and depends on the fact that many of the people that are more supportive of the free consumption of alcohol will not bother to vote.
Naturally, Campbell's efforts are at odds with Kitty Russell as the owner of the Long Branch Saloon. Kitty doesn't help matters when she gives Bess a makeover.
There isn't much in the way of tension or conflict to make this story all that interesting. Even in the tamed-down version of Dodge City portrayed on Gunsmoke, there isn't much chance of making alcohol illegal there. It would destroy the town's economy.
James Whitmore was always good at playing characters that were overbearing and stubbornly insistent on forcing their ideas on others. His performance as Amos Campbell is the highlight of the episode. Julie Sommars is the timid Bess Campbell. Sommars enjoyed a long career primarily in television for over four decades.
L.Q. Jones makes the third of his seven Gunsmoke appearances as one of the hard-drinking, fun-loving cowboys. Jones usually played a heavy, and it is a bit unusual to see him in a lighter role.
The prolific actor John Saxon -- who had quite a career in films of all types and television -- plays a character named Dingo who is clearly designed to introduce some conflict into the story, but his character seems to be more of a mild nuisance than any real threat.
Amanda Blake delivers another strong performance as Miss Kitty here, and Ken Curtis primarily offers some comic relief as Festus Haggen, but most of the other regular cast members do not have much to do.