Gunsmoke – “Celia”

by Ted Davis

Original Air Date: February 23, 1970

Directed by: Phillip Leacock

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Big-city jezebel Celia Madden (Melissa Murphy) partners with devious and heartless Martin Blake (Frank Marth) to run an expensive mail-order-bride con on credulous and softhearted blacksmith Ben Sommars (Cliff Osmond), depriving him of his considerable savings. But when all hope — and money — seem to be lost, and after the savvy warnings of good friend Newly O’Brien (Buck Taylor) have been ignored, it appears that maybe Ben isn’t as dumb as he looks and maybe, just maybe, Celia isn’t as mercenary as she acts.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): Ben and Celia visit the farm he plans to buy with his savings, and he promises to introduce her to Angie. It turns out, to Celia’s surprise, that Angie is a cat living on the property, who is out hunting during their stopover, but her three tabby kittens are in their nesting box. Two of the kittens are tussling with each other, and the third kitten is barely visible.

Gunsmoke - Celia - tabby kittens in box
Gunsmoke - Celia - tabby kittens in box
Gunsmoke - Celia - tabby kittens playing in box animated gif

Celia can’t resist one of the kittens and lifts it out of the box to briefly stroke and pet.

Gunsmoke - Celia - Melissa Murphy holding tabby kitten with Ben Cliff Sommars
Gunsmoke - Celia - Melissa Murphy holding tabby kitten with Ben Cliff Sommars
Gunsmoke - Celia - Melissa Murphy holding tabby kitten with Ben Cliff Sommars animated gif

Final Mewsings: Celia’s warm response to the kittens was a clear indication that there was some good in her, after all.

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