When Sicilian immigrant Paolo Scanzano kills the outlaw Johnny Hooker, he is first heralded as a hero. However, when the Dodge City residents learn the details of the event -- Scanzano shot Hooker while Hooker was eating -- they begin viewing him as a coward.
This is a familiar trope of the television western: a seemingly mild character somehow kills a notorious outlaw only to be viewed in a negative light by fellow citizens. It also uses a somewhat common dramatic theme of a character who does not -- or will not -- explain the circumstances surrounding the event while others jump to unwarranted conclusions. Scanzano's ignorance of local laws and customs works to his detriment.
In this case, Hooker invaded the Scanzano home and was clearly a danger to the family. He menacingly barked orders to various family members and demanded they accommodate him. Of course, the viewer has the benefit of seeing the events unfold, while the residents of Dodge City must rely only on an incomplete newspaper account and Scanzano's fractured retelling of the details. The fact that Scanzano is an "outsider" to the people of the area probably does not help his cause much.
As is common in this type of story, Hooker's brothers hear of the shooting and decide to travel to Dodge to exact revenge for their brother's death. Since the residents of the town have harshly judged Scanzano, they abide and even encourage the cruel taunting and bullying perpetrated by the Hookers towards Scanzano.
This familiar story benefits significantly from the fine performances of the cast. The great character actor John Dehner adopts an accent and plays the role of Paolo Scanzano. Lee Van Cleef, one of the all-time great western "heavy" types, appears all too briefly as Johnny Hooker. Two other Gunsmoke veterans, Steve Ihnat and Tom Reese play Ben and Wayne Hooker, respectively.
Calvin Clements wrote this episode and was involved in writing over 40 episodes of Gunsmoke over the years. His first was the episode "Jonah Hutchinson" earlier in Season 10. Clements also wrote the James Stewart-Henry Fonda film Firecreek and several episodes of The Rifleman.
I do not view this episode as negatively as some of the other user reviews. While the theme was overused in many western television dramas, the acting in this episode lifts it to above average status, in my opinion.
This is a familiar trope of the television western: a seemingly mild character somehow kills a notorious outlaw only to be viewed in a negative light by fellow citizens. It also uses a somewhat common dramatic theme of a character who does not -- or will not -- explain the circumstances surrounding the event while others jump to unwarranted conclusions. Scanzano's ignorance of local laws and customs works to his detriment.
In this case, Hooker invaded the Scanzano home and was clearly a danger to the family. He menacingly barked orders to various family members and demanded they accommodate him. Of course, the viewer has the benefit of seeing the events unfold, while the residents of Dodge City must rely only on an incomplete newspaper account and Scanzano's fractured retelling of the details. The fact that Scanzano is an "outsider" to the people of the area probably does not help his cause much.
As is common in this type of story, Hooker's brothers hear of the shooting and decide to travel to Dodge to exact revenge for their brother's death. Since the residents of the town have harshly judged Scanzano, they abide and even encourage the cruel taunting and bullying perpetrated by the Hookers towards Scanzano.
This familiar story benefits significantly from the fine performances of the cast. The great character actor John Dehner adopts an accent and plays the role of Paolo Scanzano. Lee Van Cleef, one of the all-time great western "heavy" types, appears all too briefly as Johnny Hooker. Two other Gunsmoke veterans, Steve Ihnat and Tom Reese play Ben and Wayne Hooker, respectively.
Calvin Clements wrote this episode and was involved in writing over 40 episodes of Gunsmoke over the years. His first was the episode "Jonah Hutchinson" earlier in Season 10. Clements also wrote the James Stewart-Henry Fonda film Firecreek and several episodes of The Rifleman.
I do not view this episode as negatively as some of the other user reviews. While the theme was overused in many western television dramas, the acting in this episode lifts it to above average status, in my opinion.