Here’s a breakdown of the information about Bruce Dern’s appearances on “Gunsmoke” from the provided text:
* First Appearance: Bruce Dern first appeared in “Gunsmoke” playing Doyle Phleger, a gunslinger attempting to collect a bounty on Matt Dillon.
* Second Appearance: Later in season 11, he returned as Judd Print, a father who commits murder during a camping trip.
* Recurring Villain: These first two roles established a pattern of Dern playing villainous characters on the show. He whent on to play villains twice more.
* Final Appearance (Highlighted): His final appearance, in season 12, episode 3 (“The Jailer“), is considered by the author to potentially be his best.He played another villain in this episode, alongside Bette Davis.
* Foreshadowing: His “Gunsmoke” roles foreshadowed the type of “wild and unpredictable menace” he would bring to his film villains, specifically mentioning a cattle rustler who defeated “the Duke” (likely John Wayne).
