CBS PLAYHOUSE 90: INVITATION TO A GUNFIGHTER (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic anthology series. In an Old West border town, Matt Jeffers, an ex-Confederate rifleman, tries to run the Medford family out of North Forty, a farm he claims belongs to him. The townsfolk refuse to help the Medfords when Jeffers shoots into their home. Mr. Medford visits Harris Clayton, the town banker, and says that he cannot endure living there any longer and must leave. However, Clayton says he still owes him debts to pay back the loan he took out to settle into North Forty, and that he must now hold a public auction to sell all the Medford family possessions. Kyle Bickford, the local sheriff, asks his daughter Julie to start printing up signs for the auction. Sheriff Bickford and many other townsfolk have lingering hostility towards Matt due to his service to the Confederacy, but Julie is romantically involved with him and claims that Matt deserves to live at North Forty. That night, Matt tries to steal some blankets and ammunition from the general store, but is cornered by Tuttle, the store owner. However, Tuttle cannot bring himself to shoot Matt. Matt warns that there could be dire consequences if the auction goes forward as planned before leaving. The auction begins and Sheriff Bickford sets up deputies to provide extra security. Despite his measures, the townsfolk are too frightened to place any bids on the Medford's possessions. Eventually Clayton shakes them out of their fear, but Matt emerges from a haystack and holds up the proceedings with a shotgun. One of the deputies' guns goes off accidentally, mortally wounding a woman in the crowd. Matt escapes in the ensuing confusion. Julie witnessed what happened, but her father and everyone else are convinced that Matt is the one who pulled the trigger. At a town meeting it is decided that Matt must be punished, and Clayton proposes the idea of hiring a profession gunman to kill him. Julie pleads with them to reconsider, but no one listens and they put forward the money to hire the gunman. Sheriff Bickford insists that he is capable of bringing Matt in himself, but when he sees that they are serious about the gunman idea he relinquishes his badge, feeling old and useless. That night, Julie tells Matt about the gunman, but he feels he cannot leave as his family is buried on North Forty and he has nowhere else to go. He knows about the town's hatred for him due to his role in the Civil War, but he is still proud to have fought with the Confederacy, lamenting over his many friends who perished in the war. He also recounts the day when the South surrendered and how emotionally devastating it was. The hired gunfighter, known only as "Dancer," arrives in town and immediately makes himself at home in a rooming house. Julie visits him to try to dissuade him from going after Matt, but he declines. He realizes that Julie is in love with Matt and makes unwanted advances on her. She refuses and leaves. Soon Dancer asserts his authority throughout town, essentially forcing the townsfolk to give him anything he wants. Matt talks in secret with Bickford, who laments that even after his many years of service as sheriff the town was quick to dismiss him. Matt hopes that the governor can help him legitimize his claim to North Forty, although Bickford doubts it. Matt asks Julie to help him write out a letter to the governor, and she agrees. Their romantic interlude is interrupted when Dancer arrives. Matt hides as Julie lets him in and he makes advances on her again. Matt emerges and fires warning shots at Dancer. He forces him to leave his gun behind as he ejects him from Julie's home. Dancer warns that the next time they meet, he will kill Matt. After a few days, the townsfolk grow frustrated with Dancer's seeming reluctance to complete his job, and his refusal to pay for anything. Dancer arrives at the saloon and brutalizes Clayton before ordering everyone except Bickford out of there. Clayton and a few others plot to ambush Dancer and get revenge on him. Dancer tells Bickford that he is only remaining in town so that he can retrieve his gun from Matt and kill him in revenge. He recounts his first kill, when he murdered a man for stealing money from him. Bickford tries to demonstrate his skill with a gun, but is inebriated and can't hit anything. Dancer is easily able to hit his targets, and runs the weeping Bickford out of the saloon. Dancer then visits the general store to purchase a dress for Julie while Clayton and the others lie in wait. They ambush Dancer but he manages to kill one man and seriously wound Clayton, escaping from the confrontation unscathed. Soon the townsfolk are scared to come outside as Dancer wanders around the seemingly deserted town. Matt is brought to see the infirm Clayton, who offers him the deed to North Forty if he kills Dancer. However, Matt refuses to kill someone in order to secure his land and gives back the deed. Bickford arrives as well to beg Clayton to give him back his sheriff's badge. Dancer arrives at Julie's place and asks her to put on the dress he got for her. When she refuses and tears the dress he threatens her, cutting her cheek with a pair of scissors. Sheriff Bickford, outraged, appears and challenges Dancer to a draw. Dancer outdraws him and shoots him dead; Julie is overcome with grief. After Sheriff Bickford's funeral, Matt talks to Julie. He can tolerate Dancer no longer and vows to kill him, but Julie is sick of all the killings and decides that she has to pack up and leave town. She prepares to leave but Dancer stops her, asking her to forget about her father and come away with him instead. She runs off and Dancer is surrounded by townsfolk. Unafraid, he claims that he owns the town now. Matt emerges with a gun trained on Dancer, intent on running him out of town. Dancer tries to pull a trick on Matt and shoot him, but Matt gets the first shot and kills Dancer. Matt and Julie silently walk past Dancer's dead body. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: March 7, 1957 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:30:00
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:45386
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1956-1960
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – American Gas Association
- TV – Commercials – Ban deodorant
- TV – Commercials – Bufferin pain relief
- TV – Commercials – Marlboro cigarettes
- TV – Commercials – Royal typewriters
- TV – Commercials – Singer sewing machines
- TV – Commercials – Trushay skin lotion
- TV – Commercials – Vitalis hair tonic
CREDITS
- Martin Manulis … Producer
- Arthur Penn … Director
- Hal Goodman … Writer, Based on a story by
- Larry Klein … Writer, Based on a story by
- Leslie Stevens … Writer
- Russel Trost … Music by
- Clifford Lang … Theme Music by
- Jack Palance … Host
- Gilbert Roland … Cast, Dancer
- Pat O'Brien … Cast, Sheriff Kyle Bickford
- Anne Bancroft … Cast, Julie Bickford
- Ray Collins … Cast, Harris Clayton
- Hugh O'Brian … Cast, Matt Jeffers
- Milton Parsons … Cast, Tuttle
- Adam Williams … Cast, Medford
- Don Beddoe … Cast, McKeever
- John Shay … Cast, Hollard
- Paul Brinegar … Cast, Baxter
- Ann Barton … Cast, Mrs. Medford
- Joe Perry … Cast, Deputy Blue