THE LONER- "The Vespers" – 1965 This is the second episode of the Rod Serling produced western series, THE LONER. The series ran 26 episodes during 1965-66. Lloyd Bridges is an ex US Army soldier working his way west after the Civil War.
Bridges rides into a small town and heads for the town church. The minister, Jack Lord, is a man Bridges knew from the late war. Lord had saved Bridges life after Bridges had been badly wounded.
Lord had then become a gunman of some note before finally finding god. Now he refuses to have anything to do with violence. He is married to Joan Freeman. They are expecting their first child.
Bridges tells Lord that a group of killers from Lord's past are coming to exact some revenge. It seems Lord killed the two brothers of the gang's leader, Ron Soble. Bridges had heard of the plan and had come to warn Lord. "I owed you my life from the war." Says Bridges.
Lord says he will wait and talk to the man, but he will not take up arms to defend himself. Bridges decides to stick around to see if he can help. Several hours later, Soble and his four gunmen ride in.
Lord is having an evening service for the townsfolk. Soble says he will give him five minutes to make his peace with God. Then he is going to kill him even if he has to shoot up the church.
Lord starts the service and sure enough, five minutes later Soble and his boys start blasting at the church. Bridges exits through the side door and returns fire, killing two of the gunmen. Bridges then catches a round in his gun arm knocking him out of the fight.
Lord's wife, Joan Freeman comes out of the church to plead with Soble for Lord's life. Soble coldly shoots the pregnant woman in the shoulder. Lord sees this and quickly grabs up Bridges pistol. He calmly walks towards Soble and his men firing with deadly accuracy. He kills the two remaining hired guns and then dispatches Soble.
He throws the pistol away and rushes to his wife. The town doctor is with her. He says it is only a flesh wound and she will recover.
The episode was directed by TV veteran, Leon Benson. Bridges and Benson had worked together on Bridges earlier series, SEA HUNT.
The episode was written by Serling. (b/w)
Bridges rides into a small town and heads for the town church. The minister, Jack Lord, is a man Bridges knew from the late war. Lord had saved Bridges life after Bridges had been badly wounded.
Lord had then become a gunman of some note before finally finding god. Now he refuses to have anything to do with violence. He is married to Joan Freeman. They are expecting their first child.
Bridges tells Lord that a group of killers from Lord's past are coming to exact some revenge. It seems Lord killed the two brothers of the gang's leader, Ron Soble. Bridges had heard of the plan and had come to warn Lord. "I owed you my life from the war." Says Bridges.
Lord says he will wait and talk to the man, but he will not take up arms to defend himself. Bridges decides to stick around to see if he can help. Several hours later, Soble and his four gunmen ride in.
Lord is having an evening service for the townsfolk. Soble says he will give him five minutes to make his peace with God. Then he is going to kill him even if he has to shoot up the church.
Lord starts the service and sure enough, five minutes later Soble and his boys start blasting at the church. Bridges exits through the side door and returns fire, killing two of the gunmen. Bridges then catches a round in his gun arm knocking him out of the fight.
Lord's wife, Joan Freeman comes out of the church to plead with Soble for Lord's life. Soble coldly shoots the pregnant woman in the shoulder. Lord sees this and quickly grabs up Bridges pistol. He calmly walks towards Soble and his men firing with deadly accuracy. He kills the two remaining hired guns and then dispatches Soble.
He throws the pistol away and rushes to his wife. The town doctor is with her. He says it is only a flesh wound and she will recover.
The episode was directed by TV veteran, Leon Benson. Bridges and Benson had worked together on Bridges earlier series, SEA HUNT.
The episode was written by Serling. (b/w)