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 1.17 [--]
"The Judgment"
NBC Broadcast - 16 January 1963

Revue Studios Production
Executive Producer Roy Huggins
Produced by Frank Price
Story by Bob & Wanda Duncan
Based on the screenplay by Lawrence Roman
Directed by Earl Bellamy

Starring:
(shown on the ride-in)
Lee J. Cobb as Judge Henry Garth
Doug McClure as Trampas
Gary Clarke as Steve Hill
and
James Drury as The Virginian

Guest Stars
Clu Gulager as Jake Carewe
Patricia Barry as Alice Finley

End Credits (complete)

Co-Starring
Roberta Shore as Betsy
John Kerr as Oliver Smith
David McClean as Burt Adams
Gilbert Green as Mercer
Patrick McVey as Clyde Carey

With
Regis Toomey as Joseph Denton
John Litel as Finley
Conlan Carter as Lennie Carewe
Steven Darrell as Johnson
Steve Harris as Billy Carewe
Harlen Warde as The Hotel Owner
George Wallace as Wilkie Carewe
Charles Wagenheim as Piney
Walter Woolf King as The Doctor
Robert G. Anderson as Harvey Carewe
Lillian Bronson as Mrs. McCleary
Chris Alcaide as The Cowhand
Wilton Graff as Arnold Tucker
Mark Tapscott as Hartley
Michael Keith as Williams
Thomas McBride as The Preacher

#:
'The Virginian' Theme - Percy Faith

#
Director of Photography - Benjamin H. Kline A.S.C.

#
Art Director - George Patrick
Film Editor - Richard Belding
Editorial Dept. Head - David J. O'Connell
Music Supervision - Stanley Wilson
Set Decorators - John McCarthy & James M. Walters
Color Consultant - Alex Quiroga
Color Processing - Consolidated Film Industries

#

Assistant Director - Charles DeHaven III
Sound - Joe Lapis
Costume Supervision - Vincent Dee
Makeup - Leo Lotito Jr
Hair Stylist - Florence Bush
The title 'The Virginian' by permission of EMKA LTD.

Detailed Synopsis:
'We'll build a great big house at Shiloh and you'll have a pony of your own'.
Judge Henry Garth to five-year-old Betsy.
Friends gather at Shiloh ranch to urge Judge Henry Garth to once again stand
for acting Judge in Medicine Bow. Betsy's curiosity is aroused and she
listens in on the conversation. As Garth's colleagues leave he calls Betsy
into the room and produces a gun from it's wooden case.
'You don't remember the promise I made you do you?', asks Judge Garth of
Betsy. 'Of course not, you were only five at the time. Jake Carewe brought
this revolver into Medicine Bow ten years ago'.
The story resumes ten years earlier as we see the Carewe brothers entering
Medicine Bow en route from Montana with the intention of securing the release
of brother Billy from jail and the gallows.

Garth is dating Alice Finley with intentions of marrying her, but unknown to
the Judge see is secretly seeing Sheriff Burt Adams.

Jake Carewe (Clu Gulager) tries to persuade Judge Garth to set aside the
verdict on his brother but Garth refuses to give in to his demands with the
result that Lenny Carewe threatens the safety of Betsy. The Carewe brothers
follow this by threatening the townspeople of Medicine Bow. Sheriff Adams
attempts to arrest them but is badly beaten up with the assistance of their
recently arrived cousin, Harvey Carewe.
As a result of the Carewe's intimidation the frightened citizens want Garth
to set aside the verdict on Billy Carewe.

Deputy Sheriff Denton tells Garth of Alice's infidelity. A shocked Garth
confronts Alice who admits her feelings toward Sheriff Adams. Meanwhile the
bloodied Sheriff decides to quit Medicine Bow.
'You may be a spineless two bit lothario, but you're still sheriff of this
town and I'll see you act like it', rages Judge Garth.
Adams unphased by Garth's remarks hands in his badge.

With a desire to see the Carewe's safely behind bars Garth's attempts to
gather six deputies. But his efforts are in vain.
"God help this town', exclaims the depressed Judge.
Judge Garth decides to send five-year-old Betsy, who had been staying at a
boarding house run by family friend Mrs. McCleary, out of town for her own safety.
The Carewe's lawyer Oliver Smith asks for a retrial based on prejudice but
his request is denied by Judge Garth who passes sentence the following day.
To the dismay of the Carewe clan William Homer Carewe is sentenced to hang,
the execution to be carried out with immediate effect. An angry Jake Carewe
takes his gun to shoot at Judge Garth but the Judge reacts quickly and kills
Carewe in self defence. It will be his final act as Judge.
The disillusioned Carewe clan leave Medicine Bow with the bodies of Jake and
Billy straddled over their horses.
Returning to the present, Judge Garth places the gun that killed Jake Carewe
back in it's wooden case and returns it to his desk drawer. His days as an
acting Judge ended, once and for all, ten years ago. (pag)

Comments and Observations:
This episode is notable for the appearance of a pre-Sheriff Ryker Clu
Gulager and the first credit for producer Frank Price who would go on to
become Executive Producer on the show and head Universal TV production.
The episode's screenplay origins are evident in a 'B' western script about an
outlaw family seeking 'justice' for their murderous brother. In an untypical
early episode, neither The Virginian, Trampas or Steve make an appearance.
We learn that Betsy is fifteen years old in the series and Henry Garth was
serving as acting Judge in Medicine Bow ten years previous. While Judge Garth
owned Shiloh ranch at this time the main house wasn't built and Betsy lived
at a boarding house, run by Mrs. McCleary, in town.
The five-year-old Betsy has blonde hair and calls Judge Garth 'daddy'. Mrs.
McCleary, talking to Betsy about Judge Garth, calls him 'your father'. Yet
another continuity error, unless Betsy wasn't aware she was adopted at this age. (pag)

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Main Contributor for this episode: Paul Arnold Green [pag]