Paladin is anonymously hired to travel to town where the notorious quick-draw sheriff is mysteriously retiring. The question is who has hired him and why.
Episode has neat wrinkle since Paladin plans to lose a showdown. But chief interest may be in his two co-stars. Domergue (Ria) was long time Howard Hughes squeeze who also starred in a number of sci-fi epics, including This Island Earth (1955). Sorry to say Paul Richards (sheriff) is largely wasted here. His specialty was quirky neurotic types where his array of nervous tics can create real tension and unpredictability. Here his role is more or less conventional that any number of lesser actors could execute. Though the premise is a promising one, the narrative doesn't really play up the suspenseful element of what the sheriff will do. But that character defining sequence with shooting around the hapless young horses is like nothing I've seen before and really works
Episode has neat wrinkle since Paladin plans to lose a showdown. But chief interest may be in his two co-stars. Domergue (Ria) was long time Howard Hughes squeeze who also starred in a number of sci-fi epics, including This Island Earth (1955). Sorry to say Paul Richards (sheriff) is largely wasted here. His specialty was quirky neurotic types where his array of nervous tics can create real tension and unpredictability. Here his role is more or less conventional that any number of lesser actors could execute. Though the premise is a promising one, the narrative doesn't really play up the suspenseful element of what the sheriff will do. But that character defining sequence with shooting around the hapless young horses is like nothing I've seen before and really works
