Note: In syndication, the title shown for this episode is "The Bullet: Part I."
Dr. Galen "Doc" Adams returns to Dodge City after leaving for an extended period for some additional medical education. When an angry hide cutter named Amos Potter shoots Matt Dillon in the back, Doc finds the bullet is precariously lodged in the Marshal's spine. Doc insists removing the bullet without causing permanent injury -- or possibly death -- is beyond his abilities. He recommends taking Dillon by train to Denver, where there is a doctor that specializes in spinal surgery.
Kitty Russell, Newly O'Brien, and Festus Haggen all join Matt and Doc for the trip to Denver. As was the case for Season 16's "Snow Train" two-part episode, there are several other passengers who have their own agendas.
Of particular concern is a shipment of Army gold on board the train bound for Fort Carson. One of the passengers, an outlaw named Jack Sinclair, who has a damaged hand thanks to Matt Dillon, leads a gang that plans to block the tracks and stop the train to steal the gold shipment. Sinclair is not aware Dillon and the entourage from Dodge is on board.
Veteran actor Eric Braeden returns to Gunsmoke for the second time. He appeared in a total of five episodes of the series, but three of those were this three-part story. Braeden plays the one-handed Jack Sinclair character.
A good portion of Sinclair's gang is played by veteran Gunsmoke guest stars, most who played villains. Sam Melville makes the last of his ten series appearances in these episodes as the character named Nebo, who is on board the train with Sinclair. John Crawford played twelve different characters over the course of the series. He appears as Blanchard in this story.
Actor Pepe Callahan portrays Secos. Callahan had previously appeared in Season 16's "The Noonday Devil." Mills Watson makes one of his thirteen Gunsmoke appearances as the gang member named Pony. Robert Sorrells plays the character known as Concho. He appeared in fourteen different episodes. Eddie Firestone is back in one of his eleven Gunsmoke appearances as the boot loving Orely.
Katherine Justice is a familiar television face from around the time this episode was produced. She previously appeared in Season 16's "Luke" story. In this episode, she appears as Beth Tilton, a pretty, conniving prisoner of a Pinkerton agent.
Another recognizable actor, Robert Hogan, portrays the Army Captain Darnell. He only appeared in one other Gunsmoke episode, Season 10's "Old Man." Much later in his career, Hogan played the character Louis Sobotka in Season 2 of The Wire.
Siam Barbara Allen is an actress that appeared in several television shows during the time this episode aired. This episode is her only Gunsmoke involvement. She was a longtime girlfriend of Richard Thomas, who starred on The Waltons. She played John Boy Walton's girlfriend in a couple of episodes that series.
Argentina native Alejandro Rey plays a priest named Father Sanchez in his only Gunsmoke role. Father Sanchez questions his effectiveness as a priest.
Fans of Westerns films and television shows have certainly seen actor Walter Sande. He appeared in seven episodes of Gunsmoke. In this story, he plays a Pinkerton detective train passenger named Caldwell who is escorting his prisoner Beth Tilton to Denver. In the 1930s and 1940s Sande appears in uncredited roles in countless films. As the television industry developed and became increasingly popular, he found roles on about every TV Western. This Gunsmoke role was one of his last, as he suffered a fatal heart attack late in 1971.
Finally, the train conductor and Kelliher, the engineer, are played by veteran character actors Warren J. Kemmerling and Harry Carey, Jr. The accent Carey, Jr. Uses and his facial hair render him almost unrecognizable. Kemmerling appeared in seven Gunsmoke stories, while Carey, Jr. Appeared in twelve.
Part one ends expectedly with many more questions than answers. Sinclair and his men have the train and the gold. After Festus is caught trying to steal a horse, Sinclair orders the train searched. The gang is about to discover Matt and Doc in the freight car.
Dr. Galen "Doc" Adams returns to Dodge City after leaving for an extended period for some additional medical education. When an angry hide cutter named Amos Potter shoots Matt Dillon in the back, Doc finds the bullet is precariously lodged in the Marshal's spine. Doc insists removing the bullet without causing permanent injury -- or possibly death -- is beyond his abilities. He recommends taking Dillon by train to Denver, where there is a doctor that specializes in spinal surgery.
Kitty Russell, Newly O'Brien, and Festus Haggen all join Matt and Doc for the trip to Denver. As was the case for Season 16's "Snow Train" two-part episode, there are several other passengers who have their own agendas.
Of particular concern is a shipment of Army gold on board the train bound for Fort Carson. One of the passengers, an outlaw named Jack Sinclair, who has a damaged hand thanks to Matt Dillon, leads a gang that plans to block the tracks and stop the train to steal the gold shipment. Sinclair is not aware Dillon and the entourage from Dodge is on board.
Veteran actor Eric Braeden returns to Gunsmoke for the second time. He appeared in a total of five episodes of the series, but three of those were this three-part story. Braeden plays the one-handed Jack Sinclair character.
A good portion of Sinclair's gang is played by veteran Gunsmoke guest stars, most who played villains. Sam Melville makes the last of his ten series appearances in these episodes as the character named Nebo, who is on board the train with Sinclair. John Crawford played twelve different characters over the course of the series. He appears as Blanchard in this story.
Actor Pepe Callahan portrays Secos. Callahan had previously appeared in Season 16's "The Noonday Devil." Mills Watson makes one of his thirteen Gunsmoke appearances as the gang member named Pony. Robert Sorrells plays the character known as Concho. He appeared in fourteen different episodes. Eddie Firestone is back in one of his eleven Gunsmoke appearances as the boot loving Orely.
Katherine Justice is a familiar television face from around the time this episode was produced. She previously appeared in Season 16's "Luke" story. In this episode, she appears as Beth Tilton, a pretty, conniving prisoner of a Pinkerton agent.
Another recognizable actor, Robert Hogan, portrays the Army Captain Darnell. He only appeared in one other Gunsmoke episode, Season 10's "Old Man." Much later in his career, Hogan played the character Louis Sobotka in Season 2 of The Wire.
Siam Barbara Allen is an actress that appeared in several television shows during the time this episode aired. This episode is her only Gunsmoke involvement. She was a longtime girlfriend of Richard Thomas, who starred on The Waltons. She played John Boy Walton's girlfriend in a couple of episodes that series.
Argentina native Alejandro Rey plays a priest named Father Sanchez in his only Gunsmoke role. Father Sanchez questions his effectiveness as a priest.
Fans of Westerns films and television shows have certainly seen actor Walter Sande. He appeared in seven episodes of Gunsmoke. In this story, he plays a Pinkerton detective train passenger named Caldwell who is escorting his prisoner Beth Tilton to Denver. In the 1930s and 1940s Sande appears in uncredited roles in countless films. As the television industry developed and became increasingly popular, he found roles on about every TV Western. This Gunsmoke role was one of his last, as he suffered a fatal heart attack late in 1971.
Finally, the train conductor and Kelliher, the engineer, are played by veteran character actors Warren J. Kemmerling and Harry Carey, Jr. The accent Carey, Jr. Uses and his facial hair render him almost unrecognizable. Kemmerling appeared in seven Gunsmoke stories, while Carey, Jr. Appeared in twelve.
Part one ends expectedly with many more questions than answers. Sinclair and his men have the train and the gold. After Festus is caught trying to steal a horse, Sinclair orders the train searched. The gang is about to discover Matt and Doc in the freight car.
