jimmyg-17790

Custer was never a "major general". He was, at most a brigadier general of the "volunteers" during the civil war. At the end of the civil war he was commissioned as a Lt Colonel and sent west to fight in the Indian wars against the Lakota, Cheyenne, and some other tribes. He was vastly outnumbered. The Indian tribes had Winchester repeating rifles, whereas Custers troups had merely single shot trap door Springfield rifles. It's a matter of KNOW YOUR ENEMY! This episode takes, shall I say, poetic liberties with a lot of the facts. Still, it's rather interesting to see how the writers, director, producer take falsehoods and try to make it interesting. If Custer had shot military men without a proper courts martial he would NEVER have been just "suspended" for 1 year without pay. They would have courts martialed him and most likely stood him in front of a wall, given him a blind fold, cigarette, and shot him!

No, it makes for a rather subpar episode. I like Yancey Derringer, don't get me wrong. I wish they had been able to make more than one season, but since it was a "Desilu" production, I can understand why it didn't go further. I read somewhere that whoever was involved wanted more say in the production; maybe more money. That would figure. Ruin a highly rated TV show because you want more and Jock Mahoney and the writers/producers said NO. Go figure.

I watched this series as a kid. Back then there was also the Rifleman, the Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, etc. What makes this unbelievable is McQueen fanning a "sawed of Winchester?" and at times, like in some other westerns of this ERA using the lever action too much. Who were the directors? Obviously they don't know much about firearms especially the Winchester. Why the large rounds in McQueen's belt? Is his weapon supposed to be chambered in 45-70? With that caliber he would NEVER have more than 3 rounds maybe 4 if he carried with 1 in the chamber, and he would never be able to hold it down. The recoil of the 45-70 is so strong, when the U. S. Cavalrymen used the "trap door Springfield rifles chambered originally in 45-70 they complained of the recoil so much so that the Army toned that cartridge down to a 45-60 or 45-55 later. A 45-70 has a heavy recoil. If the "sawed off" Winchester was chambered in 44-40 then why the big rounds in his belt? Show! That's all. No I can't watch this. It's too unbelievable. It may have McQeen but as far as believability it fails.

One viewer wrote that at night when Martin & Nelson are singing, INSP cuts the second song "Cindy", out and skips to the next scene. INSP does this on virtually everything they air on their channel so they can show more commercials. They have Gunsmoke episides and they do the same with these. Rather disgusting when you realize the episodes had natural breaks in them already for commercials.

I have found these episodes where the Walton boys enter the military, to say the least, rather unrealistic. I never watched these when they first aired on TV. I was serving a career in the U.S. Navy. John-boy is supposed to be a reporter for Stars & Stripes yet he shows up wearing Sargent First class stripes. Jason joins the Army and walks around with long hair as does Ben when he joins the Navy Seabees. This would never happen. First, reporters were never ranked. Second, neither the Army or Navy would allow the long hair. Hollywood I guess, and that's what makes these unbelievable. John, going to see the President, is also not believable. Never happen.

Betty Hutton tries to resurrect her career in this episode. When she made "Annie Get Your Gun, she was a replacement for Judy Garland. The Ret of the cast on that picture treated her terribly because they expected to be working with Garland. In this episode she is out of her element. The rest of the cast tries to carry he through but she comes off as phony. One of the poorest Gunsmoke episodes made.