Ep 21. The Sharpshooter

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp was a popular television show that aired from 1955 to 1961. It chronicled the life of the legendary Wyatt Earp, one of the most famous lawmen of the Old West. Season 2 episode 21, titled The Sharpshooter, originally aired on March 19, 1957, and tells the story of a talented marksman who is hired to assassinate Earp.

In this episode, Earp is serving as the Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, and is tasked with protecting a courtroom full of witnesses who are set to testify against members of a notorious gang. The gang is determined to eliminate these witnesses before they can testify, and so they hire a sharpshooter named Johnny Masters to take out Earp, the only man standing in their way.

Masters is played by guest star Lee Van Cleef, who delivers a memorable performance as a cold-blooded killer with a deadly aim. He spends the episode stalking Earp from a distance, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Meanwhile, Earp is doing his best to protect the witnesses while also keeping an eye out for any signs of danger.

As the tension builds, Earp and his deputies begin to suspect that there is a sharpshooter in town, and they launch a search for Masters. They eventually corner him in a hotel room, but Masters manages to talk his way out of trouble and escapes.

Despite this setback, Earp remains determined to catch Masters before he can carry out his deadly mission. He enlists the help of an old friend and fellow lawman, Bat Masterson, who arrives in Dodge City with a plan to flush Masters out of hiding.

The final showdown between Earp and Masters is a tense and thrilling one, with both men displaying their skills as marksmen. In the end, it is Earp who emerges victorious, outwitting and outshooting Masters in a dramatic climax that culminates in a hail of gunfire.

Throughout the episode, we see Earp grappling with the moral complexities of his job as a lawman. He is forced to make tough decisions that sometimes put him at odds with the people he is charged with protecting. At one point, he even questions whether or not it is worth risking his life to protect witnesses who may not be entirely innocent themselves.

Overall, The Sharpshooter is a classic episode of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp that showcases the series' blend of action, drama, and historical accuracy. It is a testament to the enduring appeal of Earp as one of the most iconic figures of the Old West, and to the talents of the show's writers, directors, and actors in bringing his story to life on the small screen.