"A Man Called Abraham," a 1967 episode of "Death Valley Days," tells an extraordinary true tale of a former slave named Abraham (Yaphet Kotto) who lives in Apache country in Arizona and functions as a missionary, seeking, so far unsuccessfully when this story begins, to spread the word of the Gospel to the Apaches living there. A sudden turn of events in 1876 finds Abraham a prisoner of a fugitive killer named Cassidy (Rayford Barnes), who forces him to accompany him on a flight through the arid terrain hoping Abraham will be able to find sources of water. A small band of Apaches comes upon them at night and Victorio (Michael Keep), the Apache leader and friend of Abraham, offers to kill Cassidy and free him, but Abraham insists upon staying with the killer, believing it is God's will that he save the man's soul or die trying. Victorio is stunned by Abraham's devotion to his "strange god," but allows the killer to live, although first taking everything from him but his pistol. Thus begins a short but remarkable journey.
It's rare to see such a deeply felt tale of faith in a TV western, especially given the harsh setting and rough-edged characters surrounding Abraham and his little homestead, which he has dubbed Beersheba. Abraham understands the high probability of death in this situation, either at the hands of Cassidy or from lack of food and water, but his belief in God dictates that he accept his fate unquestioningly. Actor Yaphet Kotto conveys Abraham's devotion to his faith with every fiber of his being, giving one of the most moving performances to be found in this series, making for a stirring tale and a stand-out episode of this consistently rewarding anthology series, on par with another recently seen episode that I've reviewed here, "Magic Locket," starring June Lockhart, which was also about one person's commitment to the enhancement of another's soul.
Kotto was still new in his career at this point and would go on to deliver a string of acclaimed character performances in films of the 1970s, including THE LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES, ACROSS 110TH STREET, LIVE AND LET DIE, REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER, BLUE COLLAR and ALIEN, in addition to TV movies like RAID ON ENTEBBE and the miniseries, "Roots." He would focus chiefly on television in the 1980s and '90s, serving as one of the stars of the police series, "Homicide: Life on the Street." Rayford Barnes, who plays Cassidy, is probably best-known for THE WILD BUNCH (1969), in which he played Buck, one of the ill-fated participants in the outlaw band's opening caper. Prior to that, he had frequently appeared in westerns in supporting roles throughout the 1950s and '60s. This is one of the biggest parts of his I've ever seen.
