Three Graves

The always entertaining Jack Lemmon stars in this episode as a bit of a con-artist, but likable guy, named Cass Kendall. He has just rode in to Three Graves town limits where he learns that everyone in town is forbidden to carry a gun. It seems that years ago the town basically lynched three people only to find out they were innocent. Since everyone in town had a hand in the killing, they agreed to do away with guns because of the terrible mistake that was made.

Cass Kendall has a plan where he will become the leader of the town with no guns. He first talks some roughs into coming to town and start demanding protection money from all the merchant's. His true plan is to run the roughs out and then he will be the one getting the money for protection. But it does not go as plan when a gunslinger, Pyke Dillion, rides into town and moves in on Cass's action. Pyke is the one that wants to run Cass out of town. It comes down to either breaking the law and having a gunfight with the quick draw villain or leaving the citizens under the control of Pyke.

Even though Jack Lemmon did a fine with the character, there were times when the script called for him to have a nasty trait. Perhaps it was me but Jack, the fine actor that he is, just does not come across as someone that can play rough characters. It seemed almost unnatural. However by the end, the script had return to expectations and the viewer had witnessed an entertaining episode. We can even over-look the final scene when Cass amateurishly rollings on the ground to avoid a pit-fall-- we settle for the good watch.

This is something different, a story with a narration through it, a story has seen through the eyes of a man named "Cass Kendall" who is played by the famous actor Jack Lemmon.

Lemmon was 32 years old at the time and hadn't reached the fame he would in a short time, but he was still a terrific actor and got good recognition for his role as "Ensign Pulver" in "Mister Roberts," prior to doing this TV episode.

Lemmon had a believable role in here with very credible dialog, which had a touch of humor, too. For awhile, it was hard to figure out if "Kendall" was a good guy or a bad guy. Soon, it becomes apparent.....or does it? Lemmon keeps you guessing.

Providing the Oscar-winning actor some able assistance is Frank Ferguson as "Mayor T.J. Barnett." Ferguson is a name you may not know, but you sure know his face if you're old enough to have watched a lot of TV shows in the '50s and '60s. Nan Leslie plays the mayor's daughter and she, too, acted in many TV westerns. James Best has a short role as "Pike" and is very effective.

I remember Jack Lemmon in another western: COWBOY, directed by Delmer Daves, where he played a tenderfoot turned a tough man with a gun, and if I compare with here, I admit that both stories are not so far one to the other. I agree with another review, which says that Lemmon is not always convincing here, but because we - and he too - are used to see him playing different characters, I mean no characters of this kind; and HE - too - was used to play different kinds of characters. That's why we hardly believe in his character, here. An unknow actor maybe would have been more convenient for this "gentle" man turned tough one.