Gunsmoke: The Long Ride

The now retired Marshal Matt Dillon is at his ranch enjoying the wedding of his daughter when a posse comes to arrest him for the murder of a man. Assuming that he has been confused with another man, Dillon accompanies the posse back to town to straighten things out, but he realizes that there is a reward of $5,000 for his head.

Dillon escapes from the two men who arrested him when it becomes obvious that they plan to kill him for the reward. Still having faith in the law, he rides to the nearest town and sends for the nearest Circuit Court Judge who he feels can give him a fair trial. But local Sheriff Meriweather is a timid man without the gumption to stand up to a violent posse being led by the son of the murdered man, Jules Braxton Jr.

Taking to the open prairie, Dillon eludes the posse by taking a short cut through Ute Indian territory; which the posse cautiously detours around. Dillon meets John Parsley, a mildly disgraced former preacher, and saves him from a charge of horse stealing from the Ute's. "Uncle Jane Merkel" runs an isolated horse-trading post and is the nearest safe haven. It becomes obvious there is a stalled romantic relationship between Parsley and Jane. Parsley feels he abandoned his faith to join a "Gold Rush" stampede, and sticks by Matt's side to prove himself.

Collie Whitebird, the youngest member of the gang that actually committed the murder, has been shot and left to die by his confederates. Taking him back to Jane's, Matt supervises the necessary amputation of Whitebird's leg. His condition is still serious, and Matt needs a live witness to prove his innocence.

Two gang members are left and Dillon kills one in a necessary saloon shoot out, being careful not to hit the woman he was in bed with. Another outlaw, captured alive, tries to escape and is accidentally killed when he and Parsley wrestle for a shotgun and it is accidentally fired. This leaves it up to a grateful Whitebird, who may or may not survive the bumpy journey back to civilization.

The posse arrives at Jane's place after Matt and his party have left. When she refuses to sell them fresh horses at any price, they murder her. Parsley notices her favorite horse among the pursuing posse, senses what has happened, and angrily attacks them. Parsley is killed, but the ensuing shoot out cuts the posse's numbers by half.

Matt's daughter and son-in-law have followed him against orders, but find themselves hamstrung in their efforts to help. His daughter finally decides to break into the office of the dead man's attorney and discover that the son leading the posse was about to be disinherited. The son launches a final desperate attack on the doctor's office where Whitebird is being treated, but Matt's daughter and Dr. Strader prove to be more than adequate shots. When the son takes Matt's daughter hostage, Dillon calmly kills him with a trick shot.

Matt returns to Jane's ranch and supervises burying she and Parsley side by side. Whitebird receives a sympathy release in return for his testimony.

The film won its time-slot with a 10.2/19 rating/share, and ranked 43rd out of 88 programs airing that week.[2]

• Gunsmoke: The Long Ride at IMDb