You best know him as Lester Jenkins on “227” or police officer “Smitty” Smith on “Sanford and Son,” but in 1975, late actor Hal Williams also scored a guest-starring role in one of the last episodes of the greatest Western TV shows ever produced: “Gunsmoke.” That episode — titled “Hard Labor” — served as the 20th episode of the show’s 20th and final season.
Directed by Bernard McEveety, the plot centered on Marshal Matt Dillon (played by James Arness) after he is unjustly convicted of murder by the corrupt Judge Flood (played by actor John Colicos) and sentenced to a life of grueling work in a hidden silver mine operating as a forced-labor camp.
Williams plays Widge Spott, a former slave who works for Flood as a cook in the mines. When Matt organizes a breakout attempt alongside fellow captives like Dan Fifer (Ben Piazza) and Elton (Kevin Coughlin), Widge shifts his allegiance. During their escape, he helps outgun Judge Flood and his right-hand thug Osuna (Gregory Sierra) and assists in bringing the bad guys back to Dodge City to face justice.
Reviewers on IMDb consider Hal Williams to be one of the highlights in his episode of Gunsmoke
Fans reviewing “Hard Labor” on IMDb, which has a solid 7.7 rating, praise Williams for standing out in a crowded cast. One IMDb user, who gave the episode a perfect 10, described the action as “superb” and noted that “Williams was never better.” Even though their review of the overall episode was mixed, docking points for it being too predictable, another IMDB user echoed a similar sentiment, stating that Williams played “the most intriguing character in this story,” noting that his character had the most depth.
“Hard Labor” aired just weeks before the genre-defining Western show hung up the spurs and ended its historic 20-season run in March 1975. But for Williams, his pit stop on “Gunsmoke” was merely an early milestone in a long, prolific career. Shortly after his trip through the Old West, Williams landed a role as Lester DeMott in ABC’s sitcom “On the Rocks,” and went on to star as Sergeant L.C. “Ted” Ross in the movie and television versions of “Private Benjamin,” ultimately securing his place in sitcom royalty as Mary Jenkins’ devoted husband, Lester Jenkins, on NBC’s hit ’80s comedy “227.”
