Gunsmoke (TV Series) The Constable (1959) User Reviews

Dillon Gets Tough

[jamdifo · 8/10 · 20 September 2013]

I never saw Dillon beat up so many men in one episode. Three total in this one, where he slugged them over the head with his gun. He really gets tough in this episode. But amazingly, he kills no one.

This is a good episode. It shows what would happen to the town if Dillon isn't running it his way. This is another episode where the business people don't want to lose money and think Dillon is too hard. They hire a constable played by Strother Martin (in another great role on Gunsmoke), who is way over his head trying to keep the peace. Its quite comedic. John Larch plays the trail boss effectively.

The accidental killing of one of the businessmen brother was a little too convenient. The ending of the confrontation between Dillon and Larch was very smart. Dillon earned way more than he gets paid in this episode.

The bottom line versus the thin blue line

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 6 November 2016]

Cowboys driving cattle northward from Texas often make a stop in Dodge, but this group is particularly rambunctious. They get out in the street shooting their guns in the air - and through windows - when they are confronted by Marshal Dillon. He has to hit one over the head with his gun to get the rest to settle down. Dillon's rules are pretty lax - the cowboys can drink and gamble all they want, just no shooting or bothering women in the town limits. Apparently trail boss Rance thinks this is just too much and confronts Dillon about it. When he gets nowhere he goes to the business men of the town and tells him that his trail northward will bypass Dodge from now on, and he'll spread the word to other trail bosses to do the same.

The captains of commerce, not wanting to miss out on the free spending and drunk cowpokes, tell Dillon that they are hiring a constable to take care of Dodge from now on, that he can continue to police the territory outside of Dodge. Unfortunately the constable they hire takes the job just because he is broke (Strother Martin as Dillard), and doesn't even carry a gun. He thinks he can just talk it out with these drunken cowpokes.

Dillon has told the businessmen he will do nothing in Dodge unless they come to him and ask him to. Meanwhile talking gets the constable nowhere who winds up unintentionally getting drunk with the cowpokes while one cowpoke shoots another over a game of cards and then threatens Doc when he tries to treat the victim, and a stray bullet from the cowpokes blowing off steam hits and kills somebody. Meanwhile another group of cowboys eat a fine meal and refuse to pay, asking the restaurant owner what exactly he intends to do about it.

How will this all work out? Watch and find out. I will tell you this much. Matt doesn't completely keep his promise to do nothing. When Doc is threatened at gunpoint for wanting to look at the cowboy who has been shot, Matt does come and cover Doc while the gunshot victim is carried to Doc's office.

This episode does show that these boom towns of the west boomed precisely because the townfolk - and visitors for that matter - could count on some semblance of law and order. You take that away and you have nothing but chaos.

Marshal Dillon at his best..

[kfo9494 · 10/10 · 17 August 2013]

This is one of those episode that made 'Gunsmoke' on of the best western TV series of all time. Plus it really shows the ability of James Arness when he has to be as tough as nails to get his point across to some rowdy cowboys. Just an all around good show.

It begins when a Texas cattle drive stops outside of town. The cowboys believe they can come into Dodge and do about anything they want. However, someone forgot to tell them that Marshal Dillon enforces the law and when a few get out of hand Marshal has to knock some heads and place people in jail.

The trail boss, Rance, comes and talks with the town leader and advises that they will stop coming to Dodge because of Marshal Dillon. Well the leaders tell Matt that he is not needed in town as they are going to hire their own man to run the city. And you can already guess where this is leading when Matt sits in his office while a meek Constable tries to keep peace with the rowdy Texas cowboys.

One of the better episodes seen in some time. James Arness is great as he is given the chance to really show his tough side. Was impressed with actors Strother Martin, as the mild Constable, and John Larch, as the trail boss. Both men looked perfectly cast for the parts which really enhanced the viewer's watch. Even the extras that were cast as the drunk cowboys made this show enjoyable to watch. This is a show that makes the series so entertaining. Great show!

Shades of Wyatt

[darbski · 10/10 · 18 September 2017]

**SPOILERS** Yes, in this excellent episode Matt displays exactly what it was that Wyatt Earp used to keep the peace. It was a technique called "Buffaloing". It is widely believed that he would crack a cowboy upside the head with the barrel end of a six gun. I seriously doubt this claim.

If you just think about it, why would he risk bending, or even tweaking the barrel of an expensive, and very necessary tool of his trade? I think what he did was pull it, turn it, and smack the offender with the butt end of the weapon. Wyatt only had to kill one Texas cowboy in his time in Kansas, and this is why. This technique saved a lot of lives, at the expense of a few headaches. Kudos to Mr. Earp; and, of course, Matt Dillon.

Matt's Not Needed?

[csmith-99615 · 10/10 · 29 April 2020]

As consistent as the characters are on Gunsmoke, the same can't be said forever the townsfolk. Most of the time they're 100% behind the Marshall. But in this episode they decide they don't need him because for some reason he doesn't let a rowdy group of cow hands shoot up the town for no apparent reason. It's hard to understand their reasoning. In almost every scene bottles of whiskey are being shredded by bullets, chairs and tables are being destroyed and stray bullets abound. But the leading "business men" in Dodge flat out tell Matt they don't want him to control these derelicts. The end result is predictable but sometimes I wonder how Matt puts up with the good people of Dodge City Kansas.

Dodge Is A No-Good Town

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 9 March 2021]

(*Marshal Dillon quote*) - "I guess I was a little too busy to keep track."

Dodge businessmen want Marshal Dillon to lay off harassing the Texas trail cowboys who have come to town to let off some steam.

A meek constable named Dillard Bann is hired to keep the rowdy cowboys in line.

When things get out of hand, Dillon is called upon to enforce the law.