Bat Masterson
A Lesson in Violence
TV Flash files “A Lesson in Violence” as hour 94 of 108 in the TV Flash guide — Bat Masterson (1958–1961) on NBC, season 3, episode 20, aired 1961-02-23, 30 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S03E20: listed hour 94 of 108 in the Bat Masterson guide, hour 20 of 34 in season 3. It aired 1961-02-23 (30 min). The listed hour before it is “Bullwhacker's Bounty” (S03E19). Next is “Run for Your Money” (S03E21).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
In response to an urgent telegram offering a large salary, Bat rides to a remote Texas ranch where he is to drive a herd of 2000 cattle to Abilene. As he arrives he finds that the Grant family believes he's a hired killer and pays for it.
Viewer FAQ
Where does A Lesson in Violence sit in the Bat Masterson guide?
S03E20 is listed hour 94 of 108 — hour 20 of 34 in season 3, season 3 episode 20.
When did Bat Masterson S03E20 air?
A Lesson in Violence aired 1961-02-23 and is listed at 30 minutes.
Where should I start?
Start with Barry's derby and cane. The dandy-lawman brief is visual immediately; style is the premise, not a subplot.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Bat Masterson gave Gene Barry a derby, a gold-tipped cane, and a dandy lawman who fought with style. Urban polish in a cowboy field; fashion as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. Watch it now as the western that dressed up — proof the genre could sell a natty hero instead of another dusty hat.
The merch is the cane. Bat Masterson (NBC, 1958–1961) gave Gene Barry a derby, a gold-tipped cane, and a dandy lawman who fought with style — **108 episodes, three seasons**, urban polish in a cowboy field, fashion as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. Frank Pittman and Andy White. Loosely inspired by the historical Bat Masterson's colorful career. Natty hero instead of another dusty hat. The cane was not a joke; it was the brand. Rex will toast the West. The chart toasts a **dressed-up SKU** that diversified…
Filed against
- Gene Barry as Bat Masterson
Gene Barry's Bat Masterson wore a derby and a gold-tipped cane into a 1950s cowboy field — a dandy lawman who fought with style when the genre usually sold dust. Urban polish as a plot point and a toy-aisle winner. TV Flash files him as…