Kitty's Rebellion

Originally Aired: September 28, 1958 Gunsmoke #338, "Kitty's Rebellion," presents a collision between Old South propriety and Western frontier reality when young Billy Critt arrives in Dodge City from Louisiana. The well-mannered Southern gentleman comes bearing greetings from his sister Lucy, an old childhood friend of Kitty Russell's. When Marshal Matt Dillon escorts Billy to find Kitty at the Long Branch Saloon, the young man is shocked to discover his family friend working in such an establishment. Despite his polite manners, Billy makes clear his disapproval, believing that a lady of Kitty's quality deserves better surroundings. The situation escalates when Billy takes Kitty to supper and rowdy cowboys from the Long Branch interrupt their meal with crude comments. Billy's Southern sense of honor compels him to defend Kitty's reputation, setting up a dangerous confrontation. Matt tries to explain Western ways to the headstrong young man, but Billy's rigid notions of propriety and his determination to protect Kitty's honor threaten to lead him into serious trouble in a town where he doesn't understand the rules.