Customer Reviews

Return to Dodge

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I applaud the release of any Gunsmoke-related production on DVD, including this 1987 made-for-TV reunion movie. Gunsmoke, the longest running western, or drama for that matter, in TV history, was complex and textured and dealt with mature themes with unforgettable characters that became part of our culture. I grew up watching the series, which debuted as a half-hour black and white show, then progressed to one hour and eventually was filmed in color.

Gunsmoke richly deserves a serious DVD release of its episodes, not merely a release of a TV movie here or there.

Few need to be told what his western depicted, it's the story of Marshall Matt Dillon (played to perfection by James Arness), who tamed the lawless Dodge City, Kansas, not only with his gun but with his courage, sense of honor, justice and irreproachable integrity behind the badge.

Along the way, we meet Matt's friends, Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake), owner of the Longbranch Saloon and Matt's long-time love, Doc Adams (Milburn Stone, and Deputy Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver) and later Deputies Festus Hagen (Ken Curtis) and Newly O'Brien (Buck Taylor.) Weekly guest stars represented the cream of the acting crop for decades!

While this TV-Movie reunites Arness, Blake and Taylor, much of the familiar Dodge landscape has changed: Matt has retired and lives as a mountaineer and O'Brien is Marshall. The plot centers around a continuation of a much earlier TV episode, with guest star Steve Forrest reprising his role as the villianous Will Mannon, whom Dillon had previously stopped and arrested.

Now released from prison, Mannon has returned to Dodge for revenge. He holds Miss Kitty hostage to lure the retired lawman back into town to die.

A suspenseful story, Arness' portrayal of Dillon in this TV movie was much less familiar than the TV version, giving Dillon a driven, haunted, almost tragic appearance of a man who had left -- or lost -- everything he had ever cared about. THis is definitely a different Matt Dillon.

The TV movie weaves clips from the episode on which it is based throughout the production.

The "reunion" film only featured a handful of the actors who made "Gunsmoke" a staple for two decades: James Arness as stalwart hero "Matt Dillon," Amanda Blake as enigmatic and beautiful "Miss Kitty," and Buck Taylor as dependable deputy "Newly O'Brian. Flashback sequences feature Milburn Stone as cantankerous "Doc" and Ken Curtis as the always-amusing "Festus."

A rousing good entertainment, the movie also stars Steve Forrest as Will Mannon, a totally conscience-free villain seeking revenge on Dillon and a sexual dalliance with "Red," as her refers to Blake's character.

With exteriors filmed in Canada and a great score, "Return to Dodge" will make one pine for the days when the inhabitants of Dodge City ruled the television screens of America.

This is an excellent movie! It's got plenty of action and suspence and it will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time.The plot is about a man named Logan(He was in a previous "Gunsmoke" episode,I THINK, and he comes to seek revenge on Matt for stopping his gunslingingness and crime. Matt defeats Logan and tries to take him back to Dodge. However, Some bad guys bushwack Matt. Matt does a good job of beating them, but Logan stabs Matt in the back. Matt falls into a conoe and drifts away, and Logan...Well...let's just say the felas didn't like him to well. A man finds Matt and takes him to Dodge. Newly,Buck Taylor,(He's hardly changed a bit), takes Matt to Doc's old office.(Milburn Stone died before this movie was made.) Miss Kitty comes to his side, but when he's well he finds his friend, Jake Flagg is in trouble with the law for something he didn't do. Meanwhile, Will Mannon, is released from prison.(Formerly, he was an outlaw who came to Dodge to kill Matt and terrorized everyone in Dodge. If you didn't see the Episode "Mannon" you should either see it first or read my review. Mannon had a draw with Matt and shot him down, but afterwards Matt yelled Mannon's name and as Mannon turned around to shoot him, Matt got him.) In this Movie, Mannon kills the prison warden to get Jake in trouble. When Matt gets back, Mannon and Matt face each other one last time. The movie did get the plot in whicth why Kitty left wrong, but she left the show one season, before it was canceled. Nobody really aged in this film exceped Mannon, but that's okay. There are flashbacks on the past that explain things,EXCEPED MATT'S DRAW WITH MANNON! UGH! Anyway, you know enough,ENJOY(It's worth the money. Get it while you can. It won't be here forever!)

As only a casual fan of the original series I may not be able to compare and contrast this movie as well as some others but the producers of this tv film seem to have covered all their bases.

First of all the story was very well done. By basing the movie on one of the original tv shows the viewers were given a sense of continuity that some movies that are based on previous tv shows don't have. Also, the story itself, while not all that original, was well written and suspenseful. Out of the 5 GUNSMOKE movies that were made I felt that this one was the best.

Secondly, this movie did a fine job of bringing back the original cast members. Amanda Blake as "Kitty" and Buck Taylor as "Newly O'brien" helped to give this movie an authentic feel. Having said that it would have been nice if Dennis Weaver as "Chester" and or Ken Curtis as "Festus", both served as deputy under Marshall Dillon, had made an appearance in the movie.

Lastly, while the movie overall was a good one it seemed to me that James Arness portrayed Matt Dillon less like the character in the original series and more like the mountain man character of "Zeb Macahon" in his other western series HOW THE WEST WAS WON. Still this movie is a good view and those who like James Arness or GUNSMOKE will appreciate it.

Personally, I thought they should have let everyone age a little in this film...after all, it was later in their lives. There is a critical error in the plot: The writers have confused past history; Kitty left Dodge City because Matt was shot down (again) in the street (The Badge) but returned at the end of the episode. The movie shows the shooting as a flashback and links it incorrectly to the film's story line. I love Gunsmoke. These errors matter.

Gunsmoke - Return to Dodge -- The links between two TV series (Gunsmoke and How The West Was Won) are many: actor - James Arness, music - Jerald Immel, producer - John Mantley, writer - Jim Byrnes, director - Vincent McEveety. Indeed, as this story begins, Matt Dillon is a retired marshall and mountain trapper. Mannon, a former foe of Matt Dillon (played by Steve Forrest), returns to Dodge to seek revenge on Matt. Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell also returns. Other subplots are woven into this story that contains breathtaking scenes of the great outdoors. Beautiful scenery, a rich story -- this TV movie is totally entertaining. It deserves a rating higher than five stars. Color. First aired on CBS in 1987 as a two-hour reunion movie for Gunsmoke.

Just watched the Gunsmoke movie collection and all three movies are excellent. Return To Dodge is my favorite, but Last Apache is damn good too. All three movies hit the mark. Arness had seen better days, but his performance is top notch in all of these. He looks older than the mountains he rides past, but I liked him more as Matt in these movies than on the Gunsmoke show. The show was classic, but Arness' personality and character got better with age. Too bad all five Gunsmoke movies aren't in this set, but Return and Last Apache are the must haves for my collection. I agree with the critic who wished these were all in one box, but I'm glad to have 'em on DVD. This is a fantastic set.

Tell me the truth - is it necessary to go to Canada for such great scenery?

Such beautiful country was used as a backdrop for our Legendary Matt Dillon as he upholds the law.
I know not much attention was paid to Earl Holliman's character as he tried to warn Dillon about Mannon's hunting down all who put him in prison.

I got a kick out of our bumbling blue coat as he tries to follow Holliman's character [can't remember his name] into the mountains. There we find that an Indian village with his woman and daughter.

Dillon finds his old mountain buddy, only to end up in a shoot out with some scalawags after Holliman's bounty. Holliman tells Dillon about Mannon looking for him.

On his way to Dodge, Dillon runs into sheriff Newly O'Brien and learns that Will Mannon has Miss Kitty as a hostage.
Sounds like she took off twelve years ago after Mannon assaulted her.

The movie was strong and in keeping with Dillon's image - strength of character and Miss Kitty [by her own decision] still left out in the cold, emotionally.

Ah well, it was great to revisit these characters and to get lost in the beautiful mountains of Canada.

Definitely Recommended - especially for those who enjoyed the programs.

This film, with several aged and wrinkled actors along with younger ones, draws in part on an early episode of the Gunsmoke TV series in which a gunslinger is captured by Marshal Matt Dillon, sentenced by a judge, and sent to prison. The outlaw is released from prison after serving his sentence but, before he leaves, tells another inmate, a friend of Matt, that he intends to kill Matt, who is no longer a marshal. This other prisoner escapes prison because he wants to warn Matt and is chased by a young inexperienced army lieutenant and several bounty hunters. The gunslinger kills the prison warden and the judge who sentenced him. He comes to Dodge looking to murder Matt. While in Dodge, he beats up Kitty, which is probably a euphemism for rape, and recalls that he did the same thing to Kitty before he went to prison. Matt hears about the gunslinger being in Dodge and comes to confront him.

The story line, acting, and action are good. Despite their age, the actors act with vigor. There are several subplots that add interest. These include the escaped prisoner being suspected for the murder of the warden, rather than the gunslinger; the unusual (sexual?) relationship between Matt and Kitty and Matt's inability to satisfy Kitty, he only wants to be friends; a budding romance between the lieutenant and the escaped prisoner's daughter; the kidnapping of the escaped prisoner's wife; and several gun fights.

I am perhaps the biggest Gunsmoke fan ever- have watched all episodes dozens of times. This attempt at a Movie however was horrible, very disappointing and to be truthful, quite shameful. I felt really bad for James Arness for being forced to participate in this drool. And poor Miss Kitty- what can I say. Don't watch this or you will see these actors very differently- forever.