Before He Flew Solo

I had posted a belated Media Alert this afternoon, halfway through a re-run of Gunsmoke I stumbled on that was airing on TV Land.  The description was an episode I'd seen a few years ago which I enjoyed so, even though it was half over, I tuned in to watch.  It was called, "Whelan's Men," and concerned a gang that robs Dodge City when Matt Dillon is away, and waiting around until he returns to kill him, on a grudge by the boss.  In the interim, Miss Kitty gets them involved in a game of poker and...whups them bad.  It builds to a final big pot in which the town and Matt's life is up for stakes..

I mention this because when watching this time, I did a double-take when I saw one of the gang sitting at the table.  The episode was shot in 1973, and in just four years that actor's career was going to take off in a galaxy far, far away.

I tried to get the Media Alert posted in time, but knew that most people wouldn't see it in time to watch the young Harrison Ford.  (And then it turned out that things glitched and the Media Alert didn't even get posted.)

But better than a Media Alert, here's the whole episode!  The full show is fun, but you can fast forward though things just to get your Harrison Ford Fill.

As I said, the episode is fun, and there's even some pretty good snappy dialogue.

Kitty [raising her bet and goading the bank robber]:  What's the matter, Whelan? You're hesitating. Afraid of losing your money?  [With a bitter sneer]  It's not like you earned it.

Whelan:  You got a problem with that??

Kitty:  Why should I?  I'm winning.

Here's the whole thing.