Doc is sworn to secrecy to protect a cruel gang guilty of murder.Doc is sworn to secrecy to protect a cruel gang guilty of murder.Doc is sworn to secrecy to protect a cruel gang guilty of murder.
- Director
- Writers
- Charles Marquis Warren(uncredited)
- John Meston(uncredited)
- Norman MacDonnell(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFirst of ten appearance on "Gunsmoke" by character actor Claude Akins
Featured review
The Orneriest Doc Adams
Three men abducted twenty-four-year-old Hank Worth, son of wealthy, fiercely independent Dodge City area resident Jake Worth. The men planned to hold Hank for $20,000 ransom. When the young man tried to escape, one of the abductors shot him in the back. The kidnappers convinced Doc Adams to travel thirty-five miles from Dodge to tend to Hank's injuries. Unfortunately, the wound is lethal, and even Doc cannot save the young man's life.
After Hank dies, Jack and Rudy, two of the kidnappers, want to kill Doc so he cannot identify them. Harry, who leads the trio, knows Doc is the only doctor within one hundred miles in any direction. In a mildly surprising bit of ethical behavior, Harry agrees to let Doc go free if Doc will swear not to reveal their whereabouts or identities. (Harry does mention he fears he might need a doctor at some point and realizes there is not another doctor within a reasonable distance.) Doc agrees to their terms and returns to Dodge.
Back in Dodge City, Doc tells Matt Dillon about the incident, but he refuses to violate his promise and identify the perpetrators. Soon, Jake Worth rides into Dodge and tells Marshal Dillon Hank is being held for ransom. Jake is willing to pay the ransom, but he wants Matt to help make sure Hank is returned safely. Of course, Matt already knows Hank is dead.
The Marshal suggests he and Jake attempt to retrieve the money. When they ride to where the money was left per the kidnappers' instructions, the money is missing, and they find Hank's dead body propped against a tree. Now Jake wants revenge. He insists Matt tell him the identity of the person with the knowledge of who was responsible for Hank's death. Matt cannot share that information with Jake without endangering Doc.
Doc devises a plan to lure the kidnappers into town by spreading the word that he violated his promise. Jake Worth is angry at Matt, and the kidnappers are determined to kill Doc because they think he lied to them. These two points of contention provide the tension in this story.
Claude Akins makes the first of ten Gunsmoke appearances in this episode. He plays the leader of the kidnappers named Harry. His partners, Rudy and Jack, are played by actors Dick Paxton and Tom Carney, respectfully, in their only Gunsmoke roles. Paxton's acting career was all but over by 1960, but Carney had a more extensive resume with numerous small parts in television dramas.
Versatile actor Robert Middleton portrays Jake Worth in this episode. Middleton primarily played heavies and authority figures in films and television shows. He returned for two more episodes in the Gunsmoke series.
Jake Worth's two older sons, Jeff and Ed, are played by actors Ray Boyle and Will J. White. Both were known for playing dozens of small roles in both films and television. Boyle played Morgan Earp in several episodes of the series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.
This is the first episode in the series that features Milburn Stone in the Doc Adams role as a key, central character. According to sources involved in the early episodes of the series, Stone did not initially care much for James Arness. Arness enjoyed playing practical jokes on the set, and Stone considered it unprofessional. As time went on, the two became close friends. It is interesting to see how angry and belligerent Doc acts toward Marshal Dillon in this story.
Long time Gunsmoke viewers are accustomed to seeing ornery, grumpy Doc, especially when he was dealing with Festus Haggen in later episodes. In this story, he is even more irascible and obstinate than normal. However, the devotion the character always displayed toward his profession is noticeably clear this early in the long life of the series.
This episode contains a frequent first-season attribute: often when the Matt Dillon character is talking to someone, he stares into the distance away from the person he is addressing. I assume this was a technique favored by Charles Marquis Warren, who directed most of the first season episodes. There is such a scene in this episode where Doc is telling Matt about the experience with the kidnappers and Hank Worth's death. Matt addresses Doc, but instead of looking in Doc's direction, he stares straight ahead as if he is talking to someone off camera. I have always thought this was a strange quirk of the early episodes.
After Hank dies, Jack and Rudy, two of the kidnappers, want to kill Doc so he cannot identify them. Harry, who leads the trio, knows Doc is the only doctor within one hundred miles in any direction. In a mildly surprising bit of ethical behavior, Harry agrees to let Doc go free if Doc will swear not to reveal their whereabouts or identities. (Harry does mention he fears he might need a doctor at some point and realizes there is not another doctor within a reasonable distance.) Doc agrees to their terms and returns to Dodge.
Back in Dodge City, Doc tells Matt Dillon about the incident, but he refuses to violate his promise and identify the perpetrators. Soon, Jake Worth rides into Dodge and tells Marshal Dillon Hank is being held for ransom. Jake is willing to pay the ransom, but he wants Matt to help make sure Hank is returned safely. Of course, Matt already knows Hank is dead.
The Marshal suggests he and Jake attempt to retrieve the money. When they ride to where the money was left per the kidnappers' instructions, the money is missing, and they find Hank's dead body propped against a tree. Now Jake wants revenge. He insists Matt tell him the identity of the person with the knowledge of who was responsible for Hank's death. Matt cannot share that information with Jake without endangering Doc.
Doc devises a plan to lure the kidnappers into town by spreading the word that he violated his promise. Jake Worth is angry at Matt, and the kidnappers are determined to kill Doc because they think he lied to them. These two points of contention provide the tension in this story.
Claude Akins makes the first of ten Gunsmoke appearances in this episode. He plays the leader of the kidnappers named Harry. His partners, Rudy and Jack, are played by actors Dick Paxton and Tom Carney, respectfully, in their only Gunsmoke roles. Paxton's acting career was all but over by 1960, but Carney had a more extensive resume with numerous small parts in television dramas.
Versatile actor Robert Middleton portrays Jake Worth in this episode. Middleton primarily played heavies and authority figures in films and television shows. He returned for two more episodes in the Gunsmoke series.
Jake Worth's two older sons, Jeff and Ed, are played by actors Ray Boyle and Will J. White. Both were known for playing dozens of small roles in both films and television. Boyle played Morgan Earp in several episodes of the series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.
This is the first episode in the series that features Milburn Stone in the Doc Adams role as a key, central character. According to sources involved in the early episodes of the series, Stone did not initially care much for James Arness. Arness enjoyed playing practical jokes on the set, and Stone considered it unprofessional. As time went on, the two became close friends. It is interesting to see how angry and belligerent Doc acts toward Marshal Dillon in this story.
Long time Gunsmoke viewers are accustomed to seeing ornery, grumpy Doc, especially when he was dealing with Festus Haggen in later episodes. In this story, he is even more irascible and obstinate than normal. However, the devotion the character always displayed toward his profession is noticeably clear this early in the long life of the series.
This episode contains a frequent first-season attribute: often when the Matt Dillon character is talking to someone, he stares into the distance away from the person he is addressing. I assume this was a technique favored by Charles Marquis Warren, who directed most of the first season episodes. There is such a scene in this episode where Doc is telling Matt about the experience with the kidnappers and Hank Worth's death. Matt addresses Doc, but instead of looking in Doc's direction, he stares straight ahead as if he is talking to someone off camera. I have always thought this was a strange quirk of the early episodes.
helpful•71
- wdavidreynolds
- Nov 22, 2021
Details
- Runtime30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
- 4:3
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content