Mace Gore: The Iconic Gunsmoke Villain from “Seven Hours to Dawn”

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When you think of Westerns on TV, Gunsmoke immediately comes to mind. It’s considered the best classic example of the genre, running for 20 years and over 600 episodes. It truly set the standard for TV Westerns, and was particularly known for having memorable and compelling villains.

Each week, the show typically introduced a new villain for Matt Dillon and the Dodge City lawmen to confront, often featuring guest stars like Jack Elam playing different bad guys. But one character consistently rose above the rest, becoming arguably the greatest villain in Western television history.

John Drew Barrymore, not Elam, played this character – it was his last role on Gunsmoke, and essentially his final significant performance before his career started to fade.

While James Arness had many episodes to refine his iconic Western TV character, Drew Barrymore only had one chance to make Mace Gore a memorable figure. He seized that opportunity, and his performance on Gunsmoke is now considered legendary by fans of the Western genre.

Mace Gore Only Appeared In The Gunsmoke Episode “Seven Hours To Dawn”

Barrymore’s excellent acting made his second appearance on Gunsmoke, in the episode “Seven Hours to Dawn,” stand out as one of the best in Western television history. The episode, which originally aired in 1965 as part of the show’s eleventh season, featured a dangerous bandit named Mace Gore who managed to disarm Matt Dillon and the rest of the law enforcement officers in Dodge City, Kansas.

Sixty years ago, when Gore cleverly disarmed U.S. Marshal Dillon on Gunsmoke, it was a shocking moment for viewers. Dillon, the show’s tough and famous gunslinger, rarely found himself at a disadvantage without his trusty revolver. Gore made a deal: he’d leave peacefully and without hurting anyone, but only if he could take all the stolen goods with him.

Dodge City was in serious danger, and if Gore and his gang succeeded, the town would be destroyed. It was up to Festus Haggen and Doc Adams to come up with a plan to catch the bandits. Surprisingly, they took the lead, showing Marshal Dillon a thing or two instead of always relying on his help.

Despite His One-Off Appearance, Gore Became An Iconic Western Villain

Mace Gore’s single episode on Gunsmoke is now considered iconic. John Drew Barrymore created a truly memorable Western villain, largely due to his intense gaze, intimidating presence, and ability to deliver chilling lines out of nowhere.

Gore was a more cunning and deceptive villain than most of Matt Dillon’s adversaries. He was a talented negotiator who could often convince entire towns to side with him and his gang when they robbed them. His ability to put Dillon at a disadvantage created a real sense of danger that viewers of Gunsmoke hadn’t felt before.

Gore Is Responsible For One Of Gunsmoke’s Greatest Quotes

In the film “Seven Hours To Dawn”, Mace Gore spoke a line that would have been iconic in a classic Clint Eastwood Western. When Matt Dillon tried to resist Gore’s order to drop his weapon, the villain made a chilling threat.

“Don’t touch those guns, Marshal,” he warned Dillon. “If you do, I’ll have to kill you.” Those words proved to be the most threatening spoken throughout the entire 20-year run of Gunsmoke. Mace Gore was a truly terrifying villain – as frightening as they come in Westerns.

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2025-10-31 23:10