BAT MASTERSON: STAMPEDE AT TENT CITY (TV)
Summary
One in this series of western dramas about the legendary western hero, William Barclay "Bat" Masterson. In this episode, Masterson arrives at the town of Prosper, Nevada, and comes across a man, Clark Benson, herding some horses. Benson claims the horses are all wild, though Masterson notices that they are shod. Entering the town, he observes a man chained to a tree and learns that he stands accused of murder. He seeks out an old flame, Laura, who confesses that she needed him to help her new paramour, Joe, the man at the tree. She swears that he is innocent and says that Benson will hang him before the circuit judge arrives in town for a proper trial. When Masterson confronts Benson, he states that he will be the judge instead and the townsfolk will serve as jury members, revealing that his brother was the one killed. Just then, the horses run through the town again, and Masterson observes that they are branded as well, implying that they are stolen, and he lectures the townspeople for allowing Benson to manipulate them so. Joe's "trial" starts and he maintains his innocence, and Masterson is hit in the head with a rock when he tries to intervene. The noose is prepared, and Joe admits that he quarreled with Benson's brother and threatened to kill him, but denies carrying out the act. He is deemed guilty and sentenced to death, and Laura tells Masterson that he did all that he could, but Masterson gets an idea.
Just as Joe is about to be hanged, Masterson causes another horse stampede through the town and, in the chaos, unties Joe and helps him onto to a horse. As Joe rides away, however, he runs down Benson and tramples him. Safely away from town, Joe says that he and Laura will move on to another town, but Masterson says that he still needs to stand a proper trial and calls him out on attacking Benson unnecessarily, speculating that he may be guilty of murder after all. They fight, and Masterson defeats Joe and takes him back to town. The circuit judge arrives and Masterson tells Laura that his trial will soon start, but she says that she has decided to leave town, and Masterson proposes that they travel along to the next city together. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: October 29, 1958 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:30:00
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:02344
- GENRE: Drama, western
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, western
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1958-1961
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Frank Pittman … Producer
- Andy White … Producer
- Morton Fine … Writer
- David Friedkin … Writer, Director
- Richard O'Connor … Based on the book by
- Gene Barry … Cast, William Barclay 'Bat' Masterson
- William Conrad … Cast, Clark Benson
- James Best … Cast, Joe Best
- Joan Marshall … Cast, Laura Hopkins
- Joseph Breen … Cast, Townsman
- Troy Melton … Cast, Wrangler
- Tommy Vize … Cast, Husky Wrangler