Here's a fun clip from the "Gunsmoke" episode "The Innocent." Barry Atwater is Pa Yewker, a human vulture who is hosting Festus (Ken Curtis) and missionary Eileen Heckart at his family hideout while Festus fixes a broken wagon wheel that has delayed their trip to her new school. Festus knows that Atwater and his sons plan to kill them and use the repaired wagon to transport stolen hides, but the good woman can't see anything but charitable intentions in the outlaws. (The fact that they're listening spellbound as she reads them Bible stories might have given her the wrong impression.) When Heckart tries to offer dinner to Festus, they tell her he isn't hungry so he can keep working. What follows is a classic "Festus" moment where his attempt to stay anonymous is foiled by the well-meaning Heckart, who has a more idealistic expectation of the revelation's effect on the Yewkers than Festus has. Atwater's reading of the simple line "Sorta" is priceless.
Link to this comment:
All Comments (1)