Stagecoach West (TV Series) Image of a Man (1961) User Reviews

Image of a Man

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 31 October 2023]

A very different and a talky episode of Stagecoach West. Writer Frederick J Lipp is known for his provocative novel Rulers of Darkness which is about American expansionism in Asia.

Maybe that kind of thoughtfulness is brought to this story. Oscar winner Thomas Mitchell plays Ethan Blount. Once a noted lawyer but now a lonely drunk in a corrupt town.

A man called Henchard (John Dehner) calls the shots and owns everyone including Blount. When Henchard's brother Clay (DeForest Kelley) kills a man in front of some prominent witnesses. Henchard wants a public show trial where Blount would act as the prosecutor and lose the case.

Maybe talking to Luke Perry about his situation will give Blount the backbone to stand for justice or get a bullet that would send him to his grave.

The local townsfolk have given up on freedom. They pulled down a statue of justice because under Henchard it does not exist. A statue Blount secretly paid for which has his late wife's face.

One of Henchard's cronies is wary of Blount and the people coming to town to watch the trial. He fears an angry mob could rise and come looking for Henchard.

It is a sort of story written by a writer blacklisted in the 1950s. Lipp was not blacklisted to my knowledge. It has the kind of spirit of films like High Noon. One man decide to stand up to the bullies.

Somebody must have stolen the ending

[kfo9494 · 4/10 · 2 August 2016]

While watching this episode, I kept thinking that the story was going to pick-up near the ending and all the loose ends would be together. But as the ending credits rolled, I was still left with a feeling that I somehow missed the ending of the story. I even checked to see if this episode was part one of a two part story- but unfortunately the showed ended with little, if any, accomplished.

The episode has the great actor Thomas Mitchell playing Ethan Blount that use to be one of the best lawyers around. After his wife and child died, Ethan became a drunk and a laughing stock of the community of Riverton.

There was also a man in town that seemed to run everything and everyone in the area. Drake Henchard had his hand in everything going on inside Rivertown. He controlled the streets and also controlled the law of the town. Nothing was done without the approval of Drake Henchard.

When Drake's brother is accused of murder, he sends for Ethan to prosecute the case. He knows that the drunk Ethan will accept money and do such a sloppy job that his brother will be set free. But with the help of Luke, Ethan may find the guts to finally stand up to injustice.

There are a few things more to this story but most are incidental and of little value. This was a more difficult show to review since most of the interesting subjects were left still open at the end, so closure of the episode was never made. The viewer watched the entire episode only to have a disoriented and lackluster ending. A disappointing show.