JOHNNY RINGO "Killer, Chose a Card" 1960
JOHNNY RINGO was a western series that ran for 38 episodes during 1959-60. The series starred Don Durant as the title character with Karen Sharpe, Mark Goddard and Terence De Marney as series regulars. The series follows Durant, (Ringo) a former gunfighter who decides to go straight. He becomes the Sheriff in the small town of Velardi in the Arizona Territory. The series was one of several (Rifleman, Wanted Dead or Alive, Shotgun Slade) with a "gimmick gun". Durant carries a special LeMat revolver equipped with a shotgun barrel under the six gun barrel.
This episode is the 35th of the series.
Sheriff Don Durant and his Deputy, Mark Goddard, are called out of town to help an old friend of Durant. The friend, Lurene Tuttle, is about to go to the rope over the murder of a man. Tuttle runs the local saloon and has rubbed more than a few of the local business types the wrong way.
While no one actually saw Tuttle murder the man, many had heard her threaten the man. The town Marshall, Whit Bissell tells Durant that there was a quick trial and that she goes for the long fall in 24 hours.
Durant dives in and starts questioning the family and friends of the dead man. This just turns up more suspects besides Tuttle for the killing. Durant is sure that Tuttle is telling the truth about being innocent.
Durant has the five most likely suspects collect that night at the jail. He has enlisted the help of the local Marshall, Bissell in a plan to prove that Tuttle is not guilty. Durant tells the five men that they are going to hang Tuttle that night. Durant wants the men to draw cards to see who will be the hangman.
Durant then arranges for Tuttle to grab a gun from the Marshall. She turns the gun on herself and shoots. The five men are then hustled out to the saloon to write up statements of what they witnessed. As they are doing this, Tuttle appears on the staircase dressed up like a ghost. She starts wailing that she has returned to haunt the real killer.
Dabs Greer, her own bartender, caves and admits to being the killer. Durant grabs the man up and hands him over to Marshall Bissell. The other men all feel like heels over trying to hang an innocent woman. The gun Tuttle had turned on herself was of course loaded with blanks. The bartender, Greer had been trying to gain control of the saloon.
Not great, but it is by no means a waste of time. Former actor turned director Don Taylor helms the episode. The look of the episode is quite sharp with film noir specialist, George Diskant handling the cinematography duties.
JOHNNY RINGO was a western series that ran for 38 episodes during 1959-60. The series starred Don Durant as the title character with Karen Sharpe, Mark Goddard and Terence De Marney as series regulars. The series follows Durant, (Ringo) a former gunfighter who decides to go straight. He becomes the Sheriff in the small town of Velardi in the Arizona Territory. The series was one of several (Rifleman, Wanted Dead or Alive, Shotgun Slade) with a "gimmick gun". Durant carries a special LeMat revolver equipped with a shotgun barrel under the six gun barrel.
This episode is the 35th of the series.
Sheriff Don Durant and his Deputy, Mark Goddard, are called out of town to help an old friend of Durant. The friend, Lurene Tuttle, is about to go to the rope over the murder of a man. Tuttle runs the local saloon and has rubbed more than a few of the local business types the wrong way.
While no one actually saw Tuttle murder the man, many had heard her threaten the man. The town Marshall, Whit Bissell tells Durant that there was a quick trial and that she goes for the long fall in 24 hours.
Durant dives in and starts questioning the family and friends of the dead man. This just turns up more suspects besides Tuttle for the killing. Durant is sure that Tuttle is telling the truth about being innocent.
Durant has the five most likely suspects collect that night at the jail. He has enlisted the help of the local Marshall, Bissell in a plan to prove that Tuttle is not guilty. Durant tells the five men that they are going to hang Tuttle that night. Durant wants the men to draw cards to see who will be the hangman.
Durant then arranges for Tuttle to grab a gun from the Marshall. She turns the gun on herself and shoots. The five men are then hustled out to the saloon to write up statements of what they witnessed. As they are doing this, Tuttle appears on the staircase dressed up like a ghost. She starts wailing that she has returned to haunt the real killer.
Dabs Greer, her own bartender, caves and admits to being the killer. Durant grabs the man up and hands him over to Marshall Bissell. The other men all feel like heels over trying to hang an innocent woman. The gun Tuttle had turned on herself was of course loaded with blanks. The bartender, Greer had been trying to gain control of the saloon.
Not great, but it is by no means a waste of time. Former actor turned director Don Taylor helms the episode. The look of the episode is quite sharp with film noir specialist, George Diskant handling the cinematography duties.
