Ep 38. The Great Lounsberry Scoop
- TVPG
- June 24, 1960
- 25 min
The Great Lounsberry Scoop is the thirty-eighth and final episode of Season 8 of the popular Western anthology series Death Valley Days. Set in the California Desert in the late 1800s, the show features dramatic reenactments of true stories from the area's history.
In this episode, we meet H.L. Lounsberry, a journalist who has come to the town of Calico to cover the wild west. Lounsberry, played by actor Patrick O'Neal, quickly gets caught up in the excitement and danger of the area. He is determined to make a name for himself by getting a big scoop, but he soon discovers that it's easier said than done.
The episode centers around the aftermath of a stagecoach robbery. Lounsberry is on the scene and sees that the local sheriff is hesitant to take action. He convinces the sheriff to let him help, and together they hatch a plan to catch the robbers.
Lounsberry comes up with a clever ruse that he thinks will flush out the robbers. He publishes a fake news story in his newspaper, claiming that there is a large shipment of gold traveling through the area. The hope is that the robbers will be foolish enough to come out of hiding and attempt another robbery.
Meanwhile, tensions are running high in Calico as the townspeople become increasingly fed up with the lawlessness and lack of justice in the area. They take matters into their own hands and form a vigilante group, hoping to catch the robbers themselves.
As the episode unfolds, we see Lounsberry navigate the complicated relationship between the vigilantes and the sheriff. He tries to keep them working together while also maintaining his journalistic integrity. Throughout it all, he remains determined to get his big scoop and make a name for himself.
The Great Lounsberry Scoop is a thrilling finale to a successful season of Death Valley Days. It showcases the challenges and dangers of life in the Wild West, as well as the bravery and resourcefulness of the people who lived there. It's an entertaining and engaging episode that captures the spirit of the show.
