"The Rebel" Noblesse Oblige (TV Episode 1960) Poster

(TV Series)

(1960)

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8/10
Murder for Honor
gordonl5613 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
THE REBEL – 'Noblesse Oblige" – 1960 This is episode nineteen of the seventy-six episode run of, THE REBEL. This 1959 to 61 western series starred, Nick Adams as a former Confederate soldier wandering the west.

In this episode, Adams stops at the town of Bannister to see his former commanding officer. The man, Kenneth Tobey, was wounded in the war and is now restricted to a wheelchair. The town is named after Tobey's family and Tobey is the local big-wig.

Adams rides into the town and sees Robert Vaughn nailing up wanted posters. The posters offer 1000 dollars, "dead or alive," for a local man, Newt Schofield, who is wanted for murder. The Town Sheriff, Frank Harding is telling Vaughn to take down the posters. "The man has not even had a day in court yet. This is a the same as a sentence of death, and we are not even sure he did it." Turns out that Vaughn is the younger brother of Tobey. Vaughn invites Adams to come out and stay at the plantation. Tobey is pleased to see his former sergeant and the drinks are laid on. Present is Tobey and Vaughn's sister, Gail Russell. Everyone is telling old war stories etc. when they are interrupted.

At the door are two bounty hunters, Robert Swan and Michael Masters. The two have captured Schofield and are here for the 1000 dollar reward. Tobey tells the men to take the prisoner to the town jail and hand him over to Sheriff Harding. He also hints that there is an extra 500 in it for them if Schofield "were to sign a confession" before the hand over.

Adams really does not like the sound of this and decides to head to town himself. He wants to make sure the prisoner is not mistreated. He takes a diff fork in the road and arrives after the bounty hunters do. Schofield has been beaten to a bloody pulp and has signed a confession.

Adams, being the inquisitive type, looks into the crime that Schofield has been charged with. It seems that the dead man was a beau for Miss Russell's affections. Tobey thought the man below her class and refused him permission to marry his sister.

Needless to say it turns out that Tobey is the murderer. He was defending the "family honour". He had then set up Schofield to take the fall. When Russell hears this, she takes a rifle and shoots Tobey dead.

A quick paced half hour duster that fills the bill entertainment wise. This was the last television appearance of Miss Russell. She died within the year at the young age of 36. Her film work included the westerns, ANGEL AND THE BADMAN, EL PASO and SEVEN MEN FROM NOW. She was also in the noir, THE LAWLESS, NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES, THE TATTERED DRESS and CALCUTTA.
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7/10
Gail Russell and Robert Vaughn
kevinolzak20 July 2016
"Noblesse Oblige" features one of the last performances of lovely Gail Russell, whose aged countenance shows the ravages of alcohol that claimed her life at a too young 36. Johnny Yuma is robbed at gunpoint by a stranger who takes his gun, and rides into the town of Fair Oaks to visit his former Confederate Major, Quincy Bannister (Kenneth Tobey). The title refers to the entire Bannister clan, not well thought of in Fair Oaks, their sense of entitlement propped up by the powerful Quincy, who lives with younger brother Asa (Robert Vaughn) and sister Cassandra (Gail Russell). The Bannisters have a $1000 bounty out on Newt Scofield (N. J. Davis, last of two) for the murder of a local townsman, Johnny identifying Scofield as the same man who stole his gun. At no time is Yuma convinced that Scofield is a murderer, and with all the Bannisters under suspicion it's not long before the killer is revealed. Gail Russell's appearance is actually quite brief, Robert Vaughn, still four years away from THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., is well cast as the upper crust Asa, the unscrupulous bounty hunters played by Robert Swan (third of five) and Mike Masters (first of three). Earl Parker would be back on four occasions.
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