(TV Series)

(1959)

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8/10
A Native American US Marshal
gordonl5611 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
LAW OF THE PLAINSMAN – "Full Circle" – 1959 This was the second outing of the thirty episode run of the 1959-60 western series, LAW OF THE PLAINSMAN. This series starred Michael Ansara as a Native American U.S. Marshall.

Ansara hits a small town looking for a man wanted on a 4 year old murder charge. He has no description of the gunman other than a name, Pete Falen, and that he has a long scar on his right elbow.

Ansara visits the local Sheriff, Lyle Bettger, to see if he has any info. Betteger is unable to help. Bettger and his wife, Gail Kobe, ask Ansara to join them for supper.

This get-together is interrupted before it starts by a call from out in the street. Wayne Rogers, the town Deputy, is the one calling. Bettger and Ansara enter the street and join Rogers. The Deputy is facing a rather nasty looking gunman. The gunman, Joel Ashely, is telling Rogers that his old gang is coming to pay him a visit.

Rogers it seems is a reformed outlaw. Bettger tells Ashley to get out of town. "I'll have no gun-play here." Now Ansara steps up and asks Ashley to show him his right elbow so he can check for a scar.

Ashley goes for his piece instead. Ansara beats him to the draw and wings him in the gun hand. He checks to see if Ashley is his man. Not finding a scar, he sends him out of town.

Ansara walks Bettger back to the jail-house. He has noticed that though the man wears his gun on the left, he is right handed. Plus he is always rubbing his right elbow. A few more questions seem in order.

Bettger turns out to be the gunman Ansara is looking for. Bettger has also turned over a new leaf after falling in love with wife, Kobe. He had changed his name from Falen and become the town Law. The only people that know of his past are Rogers and Kobe. Ansara decides to mull this over for a night before deciding what course of action to take.

Needless to say, Roger's old gang now shows. The 6 men want him dead for running out on them. They are meet by Bettger, Rogers and Ansara. The gang's leader, Joe Perry, makes the first move starting a rapid exchange of rounds.

Perry is the first to go down, followed 3 of his gang and Bettger. The remaining gang members ride hell bent for leather out of town.

Ansara picks the badge off Bettger and hands it to Rogers. He says to Rogers and Kobe, "My report will state that the man I was looking for was the bandit, Perry" No need to soil Bettger's good name here." Not a bad duster if you ask me.

The director was, Jerry Hopper. His work included many television shows and the feature films, THE ATOMIC CITY, SECRET OF THE INCAS, PONY

EXPRESS, ALASKA SEAS, NAKED ALIBI, SMOKE SIGNAL and THE SQUARE JUNGLE. (b/w)
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10/10
He's a man
mitchrmp28 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I wonder how it would really work if they had an Apache Indian for a Marshal back then. Would they really get the respect Sam was given? Not once through this entire episode was Sam referred to as an Indian, yet in this time of history, Indians were seen as heathens and less then men. Throughout the whole entire episode, Sam was called a man. Even the outlaws when they faced him called Sam a man. Not once was his race brought up.

As far as the story goes, this was another excellent episode. Outlaws can turn good, and when they do they deserve a break. I think it was obvious to Sam that the Sheriff was indeed Pete Falon from the very beginning. Why didn't he call him on it then? And the ending was nothing but...WOW...I love Sam.
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6/10
Full Circle
Prismark1015 November 2023
Full Circle is a story of redemption. Deputy Marshal Sam Buckhart goes to Clay Junction looking for an outlaw named Pete Falon.

He knows nothing much about the outlaw apart from a scar on his right arm after a serious injury.

Only when he arrives there Sheriff Max Chaffee has troubles of his own. His deputy is threatened by a gang. It seems Deputy Frank Anderson was once an outlaw. His former gang members are far from pleased.

Max Chafee knows claims not to know about Falon but wants to keep the town clean. He found a good woman in Clay Junction and got married.

Sam finds himself forming an alliance with these two against the gang. Even though Max keeps itching his right arm and he is a right handed man who fires his gun with the left hand.

Parts of the story are so cheesy. The Sheriff with a serious itch problem. A reformed deputy getting hassled. Sheriff Max Chaffee did not got for an easy life or keep his head down.
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