Gunsmoke 52/05/03 002 Ben Thompson Written by Herb Purdum With Larry Dobkin, Michael Ann Barrett, Harry Bartell, Sam Edwards, Don Diamond, Bob Griffin The following is reprinted with permission of its author, Stewart Wright: The following is a plot summary of the first Missing GUNSMOKE 1952 episode. Ben Thompson 05/03/1952 Script by Hugh Purdum EPISODE NOTES: A few early GUNSMOKE episodes had no titles on the scripts. The script for this episode was simply labeled GUNSMOKE #2. This episode was assigned the title "Ben Thompson" at an unknown, later date; perhaps by Norman Macdonnell. PLOT: Lassiter, a notorious gunman, is killed in a gunfight with Matt Dillon. Vi, his irate widow, lets Dillon know that she plans to ruin the Marshal's reputation before she has him killed. Sometime later, Texas, a drunk who Dillon disarmed and put in jail, has some news. Three gunmen: Ben Thompson, Tom Tom Henderson, and Nueces Smith are coming to Dodge to kill the Marshal. Apparently, Vi Lassiter has hired them to discredit and kill Dillon. The three outlaws commit several unsolved, petty robberies around Dodge and Thompson leaves vague notes signed by "Ben" that taunt Dillon, but do not provide adequate information to find the gunmen. A young drunk, egged on by Nueces, claims to be Ben and publicly belittles the Marshal. Dillon knocks out the young braggart and is taking him to jail when Thompson gets the drop on Matt. Thompson takes Dillon's gun and knife and makes Matt leave the unconscious young man with Henderson. Then Ben forces the Marshal to walk with him to the edge of Dodge. As Thompson mounts his horse, he tells Matt where he can find him later that evening and orders him to come alone. When Matt gets back to town, he finds out that the young man has been killed, stabbed in the back with the Marshal's knife. Dillon knows that he must go after Thompson and his gang to clear his name and that he cannot expect a fair fight from the outlaws. Texas volunteers to go with Matt. Dillon refuses his offer and informs him that he has figured out that Texas is really a lawman, a Texas Ranger. Texas confirms Matt's assumption and admits that he is after Thompson. Dillon reconsiders and allows the Ranger to follow him at a distance. At the outlaws' hideout, Matt tells Vi Lassiter that she didn't really know her husband. At one time, Matt and Lassiter were friends. Lassiter was an outlaw and a gunman, who was obsessed with proving that was faster with a gun than Dillon. Unlike the men she hired, her husband faced the men he killed. Matt informs her that Thompson had an unconscious boy murdered to make Matt look guilty. When Vi confronts Thompson, he admits to the murder and informs her that she is no longer giving the orders. Ben tells Vi that he wants her and that she'll get use to his ways. Nueces tries to take the Marshal and Dillon kills him. Texas knocks out Henderson who was going to shoot Dillon in the back. Thompson uses Vi as an unwilling shield until he reaches his horse. Texas is wounded when he tries to stop Ben's escape. Dillon corners the outlaw leader in some rocks when Thompson's horse goes lame. Matt then uses ricochet shots to convince Ben to surrender. Back in Dodge, Matt lets the recovering Texas know that he has ordered Vi out of Dodge. When the Ranger asks why he didn't kill the no good Thompson, Matt replies, Let's just say I don't like having to shoot a man, Texas. Somehow, to me. . . it just isn't any fun. Comment: It is unfortunate that this episode is among the Missing GUNSMOKE broadcasts because the story is extremely well-written and provides significant insight into Matt's character. Matt has the following narration after killing Lassiter: I couldn't tell anyone, but the bitterness icing my stomach made me sick as I remembered Lassiter as a friend. . . . now dead by my gun. Then I got over it. . . I always got over it. The frontier code was a harsh one. . . . and I knew my job was one that had to be done if the West was ever to see peace. As long as killers like Lassiter lived, I would carry a gun. . . . and use it. It was the way it had to be. Sometimes a man's dying was the end of it. . . sometimes the beginning of something worse. These words describe the motivation of Matt Dillon as well as any I have ever read or heard.