Harve Daley and Mitch Hansen are a couple of bronco-busting cowboys that drift from ranch to ranch engaging in their chosen profession. They are currently working for a rancher named Simeon Reed near Dodge City. The two have been taking turns breaking horses. The last is a beautiful white horse that no one has been able to tame. It is Harve's turn to ride. When he tries to ride the horse, he is thrown, and the horse kicks Harve in the head.
Harve shrugs off the injury. When the pair tries to collect the money they are owed, the ranch foreman only pays half of the amount they were promised. The foreman tells the cowboys they will have to talk to Mr. Reed about any discrepancy in the wages paid.
Harve and Mitch ride into Dodge City to find the rancher in the hopes of getting the money they are due. While they are in the Long Branch Saloon, Harve collapses, but he quickly recovers. Doc Adams happens to be in the saloon and sees what happens. He briefly examines Harve and encourages him to come to his office.
Doc examines Harve and discovers he has suffered a subdural hematoma. Doc explains to Mitch that Harve's condition will deteriorate and eventually result in death. Harve only has a few days left to live. Mitch asks Doc not to share this news with Harve.
Mitch pays Zoe, a woman that works in the Long Branch, to spend some time entertaining Harve. The two soon begin to fall in love and make plans to marry before Mitch tells Zoe about Harve's fate.
Gary Busey steals the show with his portrayal of the Harve Daley character. His characterization results in a complex individual that is innocent, wise, and eminently likeable. He knows he cannot be a bronco buster for many more years, and he has dreams of settling on land in Montana where he intends to raise horses. This is Busey's only appearance in the series, but it is one of the best in a long history of great performances by Gunsmoke guests. Busey, who first moved to Hollywood to pursue a music career, would soon draw rave reviews -- and a Best Actor nomination by the Motion Picture Academy -- for his portrayal of Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story. Incidentally, in December 1988, Busey suffered serious brain trauma when he crashed his motorcycle. The accident resulted in permanent brain damage, but Busey was eventually able to resume his acting career.
Actor John Beck appeared in three Gunsmoke episodes. He plays the Mitch Hansen character in this story, his last for the series. Lynn Benisch (credited as Lynn Benesch) portrays Zoe. This is the only appearance in the series for the little used actress.
Gregg Palmer appears for the last time in a Gunsmoke episode as the rancher Simeon Reed. Palmer was a veritable Gunsmoke veteran with parts in twenty-one different episodes.
The Gunsmoke regulars have little to do in this episode. Milburn Stone has the most screen time, but even that is minimal. This story is built around the Harve, Mitch, and Zoe characters.
This marks the last of forty-five Gunsmoke episodes directed by Vincent McEveety and the final of thirty-four written by Jim Byrnes.
This episode is a must-see for Busey's performance. It also represents the last high-quality story in the history of the series, as the last two episodes broadcast were lacking in content. However, I would hesitate to consider this among the best episodes in Season 20, much less in the entire run of the series. While it is not a bad story, it does not offer much beyond Busey's outstanding acting. The viewer knows where the story is headed early in the episode, and the lack of involvement by the regular cast is noticeable. As with the earlier Season 20 episode "Thirty A Month and Found" this story does expose the tough, often brutal aspects of the life of a cowboy. The portrayal of Harve's injury does not ring true, though. It is not likely anyone suffering the injury described would have been able to function as well as Harve does throughout most of the story.
CBS selected this episode for the final Gunsmoke broadcast of the twenty-season run of the series. It originally aired in March 1975, but it was not the final first-run episode broadcast. That distinction goes to "The Sharecroppers." CBS re-ran "The Busters" on September 1, 1975, and that was the last regular season Gunsmoke CBS broadcast.
Harve shrugs off the injury. When the pair tries to collect the money they are owed, the ranch foreman only pays half of the amount they were promised. The foreman tells the cowboys they will have to talk to Mr. Reed about any discrepancy in the wages paid.
Harve and Mitch ride into Dodge City to find the rancher in the hopes of getting the money they are due. While they are in the Long Branch Saloon, Harve collapses, but he quickly recovers. Doc Adams happens to be in the saloon and sees what happens. He briefly examines Harve and encourages him to come to his office.
Doc examines Harve and discovers he has suffered a subdural hematoma. Doc explains to Mitch that Harve's condition will deteriorate and eventually result in death. Harve only has a few days left to live. Mitch asks Doc not to share this news with Harve.
Mitch pays Zoe, a woman that works in the Long Branch, to spend some time entertaining Harve. The two soon begin to fall in love and make plans to marry before Mitch tells Zoe about Harve's fate.
Gary Busey steals the show with his portrayal of the Harve Daley character. His characterization results in a complex individual that is innocent, wise, and eminently likeable. He knows he cannot be a bronco buster for many more years, and he has dreams of settling on land in Montana where he intends to raise horses. This is Busey's only appearance in the series, but it is one of the best in a long history of great performances by Gunsmoke guests. Busey, who first moved to Hollywood to pursue a music career, would soon draw rave reviews -- and a Best Actor nomination by the Motion Picture Academy -- for his portrayal of Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story. Incidentally, in December 1988, Busey suffered serious brain trauma when he crashed his motorcycle. The accident resulted in permanent brain damage, but Busey was eventually able to resume his acting career.
Actor John Beck appeared in three Gunsmoke episodes. He plays the Mitch Hansen character in this story, his last for the series. Lynn Benisch (credited as Lynn Benesch) portrays Zoe. This is the only appearance in the series for the little used actress.
Gregg Palmer appears for the last time in a Gunsmoke episode as the rancher Simeon Reed. Palmer was a veritable Gunsmoke veteran with parts in twenty-one different episodes.
The Gunsmoke regulars have little to do in this episode. Milburn Stone has the most screen time, but even that is minimal. This story is built around the Harve, Mitch, and Zoe characters.
This marks the last of forty-five Gunsmoke episodes directed by Vincent McEveety and the final of thirty-four written by Jim Byrnes.
This episode is a must-see for Busey's performance. It also represents the last high-quality story in the history of the series, as the last two episodes broadcast were lacking in content. However, I would hesitate to consider this among the best episodes in Season 20, much less in the entire run of the series. While it is not a bad story, it does not offer much beyond Busey's outstanding acting. The viewer knows where the story is headed early in the episode, and the lack of involvement by the regular cast is noticeable. As with the earlier Season 20 episode "Thirty A Month and Found" this story does expose the tough, often brutal aspects of the life of a cowboy. The portrayal of Harve's injury does not ring true, though. It is not likely anyone suffering the injury described would have been able to function as well as Harve does throughout most of the story.
CBS selected this episode for the final Gunsmoke broadcast of the twenty-season run of the series. It originally aired in March 1975, but it was not the final first-run episode broadcast. That distinction goes to "The Sharecroppers." CBS re-ran "The Busters" on September 1, 1975, and that was the last regular season Gunsmoke CBS broadcast.