Gunsmoke: Old West Stories

Originally Aired: August 27, 1955

Doc Quits: A Fraud’s Cure and a Town’s Wake-Up Call

After a heartbreaking failure to save a dying man, Doc Adams decides to hang up his shingle for good—just as a new doctor, Jameson Betchell, rolls into Dodge with flashy promises and a greedy price tag. While Doc sinks into quiet retirement, Betchell charms the town and begins practicing dangerous, outdated treatments. But when a young boy nearly dies from Betchell’s cruelty and an elderly woman succumbs to a reckless bleeding, the townsfolk start to see the truth. In a dramatic showdown, Matt Dillon and a humbled community urge Doc to return—just in time to stop Betchell from doing more harm.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Doc Quits episode,” “Dr. Jameson Betchell fraud,” “Doc Adams retires Dodge,” “Matt Dillon medical conman,” “1955 Gunsmoke radio drama,” “Crumley case death,” “frontier medicine ethics,” “Doc Adams returns”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Lawrence Dobkin (Jameson Betchell), James Nusser (Jake Worth), Frank Cady, Ann Morrison

When a cavalry patrol is slaughtered by Comanches, all eyes turn to Amos Cartwright—the scout who led them there and the only man to return alive. The town of Dodge seethes with suspicion, especially Will Bailey, whose brother lies among the dead. Amos, once married into the Comanche tribe, now finds himself hated by both sides. As tensions explode and Bailey is found murdered, Marshal Dillon rides into hostile territory to bring Amos back for justice. But before he can face the gallows, a silent war party emerges on the horizon—led by Cartwright’s Comanche brother-in-law. In the end, Amos must make the ultimate choice, and the Comanche deliver their own brand of justice.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Indian Scout episode,” “Amos Cartwright Comanche scout,” “Bailey brother revenge,” “Marshal Dillon cavalry ambush,” “Comanche war party drama,” “1955 Gunsmoke radio western,” “Indian justice radio drama,” “Cold Creek patrol massacre”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Howard McNear (Doc), Lawrence Dobkin (Amos Cartwright), Harry Bartell (Will Bailey), Barney Phillips, Joseph Kearns

A stranger rides into Dodge claiming to be Billy Crail, the long-lost son of an aging ranch owner. But Marshal Dillon recognizes him from a wanted poster as Johnny Red, a notorious outlaw. When “Billy” convinces his mother of his identity, Matt faces a moral dilemma: expose the truth and break her heart, or let the charade continue. But everything changes when a stagecoach robbery leads Matt to the Crail ranch—only to find a brutal murder, a deadly shootout, and a revelation that Billy may not have been lying after all. In the end, the truth costs a woman her life and a man his chance at redemption.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Johnny Red episode,” “Billy Crail Dodge City,” “Matt Dillon family deception,” “Johnny Red outlaw return,” “Crail ranch murder,” “1955 Gunsmoke radio drama,” “Stagecoach robbery western,” “Marshal Dillon identity crisis”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Virginia Gregg (Mrs. Crail), Sam Edwards (Johnny Red/Billy Crail), Vic Perrin (Ponca), Paul DuBois (Nate Barger), Lawrence Dobkin (Jake)

Originally Aired: August 6, 1955

Innocent Broad: A Fiancé’s Secret and a Gunman’s Threat

Seventeen-year-old Linda Bell arrives in Dodge to reunite with her fiancé Lou Paxton, only to find herself entangled in a dangerous scheme. Marshal Dillon intervenes when a drunken passenger named Bassett harasses her on the stagecoach ride, but the trouble doesn’t end there. As secrets unravel, it’s revealed that Paxton is hiding his past and planning a desperate robbery to pay off a vengeful former partner—Bassett. When the heist fails and both men meet violent ends, Matt is left to break the truth to Linda, who came west chasing love and found something far more sobering.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Innocent Broad episode,” “Linda Bell Dodge City story,” “Marshal Dillon stagecoach drama,” “Lou Paxton outlaw fiancé,” “Bassett gunman plot,” “1955 Gunsmoke radio western,” “John Meston script,” “Matt Dillon saves girl”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Eleanor Tannen (Linda Bell), Lawrence Dobkin (Lou Paxton), Paul DuBois (Joe Bassett), Vic Perrin

Originally Aired:

July 30, 1955

Tap Day for Kitty: The Prospector’s Proposal

When a love-struck old prospector named Nip Colors rolls into Dodge with a bag of gold and his heart set on marrying Kitty, he quickly becomes the talk of the town. Despite Kitty’s firm rejection, Nip insists she’s the only gal for him—and makes it his mission to win her over. His delusion spirals into chaos when a drunkard confronts him, leading to an accidental shooting that stuns the Long Branch. As Marshal Dillon sorts out the aftermath, Kitty is left to reckon with the strange, touching, and ultimately unsettling affection of a man who simply couldn’t take no for an answer.

Keywords:

“Gunsmoke Tap Day for Kitty episode,” “Nip Colors loves Kitty Russell,” “Marshal Dillon stops wedding proposal,” “funny prospector radio story,” “1955 Gunsmoke radio western,” “Kitty Russell character episode,” “Dodge City drama”

Cast:

William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), John Dehner (Nip Colors), Michael Ann Barrett (Saloon Girl), Virginia Gregg (Landlady)

When Ben Tolliver leaves his job without pay and takes a prized stud he personally broke, old Jake Creed calls it theft—and vows to shoot Ben on sight. Marshal Dillon tries to cool things down, but Creed refuses legal help, choosing revenge instead. As tensions rise, Creed sneaks into Dodge and cripples Ben’s beloved horse. Enraged and grief-stricken, Ben sets out for the Creed ranch with blood in his eyes. But when Matt catches up, he finds Creed already dead—killed in a tragic accident while breaking a mustang alone. The gunfight never happens, but the damage has already been done.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Ben Tolliver’s Stud episode,” “Jake Creed horse theft story,” “Matt Dillon stops revenge killing,” “crippled horse western drama,” “John Meston radio script,” “July 1955 Gunsmoke radio,” “Marshal Dillon and Chester”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Sam Edwards (Ben Tolliver), Eleanor Tannen (Nancy Creed), James Nusser (Jake Creed)

Originally Aired: July 16, 1955

20-20: The Last Shot He Could See
When Troy Carver, an aging Arizona gunfighter and old friend of Marshal Matt Dillon, rides into Dodge chasing a wanted killer, Matt quickly notices something’s wrong—Troy’s vision is failing, and he refuses to admit it. Determined to take outlaw Lee Poland alone, Troy’s pride blinds him more than his failing eyesight ever could. But Matt can’t sit by while his friend walks into a sure death. In a final showdown, Matt breaks his promise and intervenes—saving Troy’s life and forcing him to confront a truth he’s long denied: a gunfighter who can’t see is already finished.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke 20-20 episode,” “Troy Carver gunfighter blindness,” “Lee Poland outlaw showdown,” “Matt Dillon breaks promise,” “John Meston western radio drama,” “July 1955 Gunsmoke episode,” “Marshal Dillon friendship story”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Vic Perrin (Troy Carver), Joseph Cranston (Lee Poland), James Nusser, and others.

Originally Aired: July 9, 1955

Uncle Oliver: Blood Ties and Broken Promises

When Viney Stang and his fast-talking Uncle Oliver arrive in Dodge, their prairie simplicity hides a dangerous edge. After Viney jokingly suggests he’d kill Chester to get his job, Chester is ambushed and shot in the head. As Matt hunts for Viney, suspicion grows, but the truth takes a tragic turn—Oliver, trying to protect his nephew, had planned the shooting himself. In the end, Matt guns down Oliver in a deadly confrontation, leaving Viney stunned, broken, and begging only to go home.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Uncle Oliver episode,” “Viney Stang Chester shooting,” “July 1955 Gunsmoke radio,” “Matt Dillon family loyalty story,” “John Meston western drama,” “tragic ending Gunsmoke,” “Oliver Stang radio episode”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Vic Perrin (Viney Stang), Harry Bartell (Oliver Stang), with supporting roles by the Gunsmoke radio company.

Episode Title: General Parsley Smith: The Lies That Saved a Town
Originally Aired: July 2, 1955

General Parsley Smith: The Lies That Saved a Town
An eccentric Civil War “general” arrives in Dodge, loudly accusing the town’s new banker of being a crook. Though dismissed as a harmless liar, Parsley Smith’s warnings grow louder—and more disruptive. Marshal Dillon tries to keep the peace, but suspicions mount as the banker’s shady associates come to light. When the general takes justice into his own hands and exposes a plot to rob the town blind, his lies reveal an unexpected truth—and end in a final, tragic twist.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke General Parsley Smith,” “Drew Holt Gunsmoke bank plot,” “July 1955 Gunsmoke radio,” “John Meston Gunsmoke script,” “Marshal Matt Dillon classic western,” “Chester Proudfoot and Doc Adams,” “old general western radio drama”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Vic Perrin (General Parsley Smith), John Dehner (Drew Holt), Joe Duval (Ed Nash), Harry Bartell (Mr. Botkin)

Originally Aired: June 25, 1955

The Army Trial: A Heart Full of Promises

In this tragic and unforgettable episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon is forced to intervene when dreams of freedom and love collide with the harsh discipline of army law.

Jed Cook, a weary army sergeant stationed at Fort Dodge, deserts his post, desperate to start a new life with his fiancée, Della Masters. But their dreams crumble when Matt recognizes Jed during a chance encounter on the open prairie and arrests him for desertion.

Jed faces a court-martial, sentenced to two years of hard labor. Della, furious and heartbroken, vows that nothing—not the army, not the law—will stand between them. As Jed is being transported to Leavenworth, he escapes into the vast Kansas frontier, determined to reach the place he and Della had planned to reunite.

Matt knows Della holds the key to finding Jed. Despite Della’s stubborn defiance and threats, he follows her trail into the wilderness. But by the time Matt finds Jed, it’s too late—Jed has been captured and tortured by Indians, left dying in the dust.

In a heart-wrenching final moment, Della realizes that all her desperate plans only cost them the life they dreamed of. As she buries Jed on the open prairie—“about as far west as he’ll ever get”—Della is left to confront the bitter consequences of love, impatience, and a world that does not bend for broken hearts.

A devastating portrait of dreams crushed by duty, The Army Trial stands among Gunsmoke’s most emotionally wrenching episodes.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke The Army Trial episode,” “Jed Cook Della Masters story,” “Matt Dillon army desertion arrest,” “June 1955 Gunsmoke radio,” “tragic love story western,” “marshal tracks down deserter,” “John Meston emotional Gunsmoke drama.”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Vivi Janiss (Della Masters), Lawrence Dobkin (Jed Cook), Harry Bartell (Lt. Dussman), Jim Nusser (Moss Grimmick).

Originally Aired: June 18, 1955

The Reed Survives: A Murder Grown in the Heat

In this haunting and psychological episode of Gunsmoke, the relentless summer heat of Dodge City breeds suspicion, jealousy, and ultimately, death.

Lucy Middlecamp, once a dance hall girl and now the wife of the stern preacher Ephraim Hunt, secretly comes to Marshal Matt Dillon, pleading for help. She fears her husband will kill her. While outwardly pious and respected, Ephraim is privately cruel, accusing Lucy of leading him into sin and threatening her life under the guise of righteousness.

Complicating matters is Booth Rider, a young drifter working on the Hunt ranch. Matt warns Booth to leave town, sensing danger, but Booth, infatuated with Lucy, refuses. Soon, under Lucy’s manipulative urgings, Booth is drawn deeper into a deadly trap.

When Ephraim Hunt arms himself and returns to the ranch, a violent confrontation erupts. Booth, goaded by Lucy’s fear and flattery, shoots Ephraim dead. But Matt Dillon, too late to stop the tragedy, quickly realizes the ugly truth: Lucy orchestrated the killing without ever lifting a finger.

She preyed on Booth’s emotions, planted fear in Ephraim’s heart, and left Booth to do her bidding. With no proof against her, Matt can only watch as Lucy prepares to leave Dodge, free and unpunished.

A brutal meditation on manipulation, guilt, and the weakness of good men, The Reed Survives paints a chilling portrait of how evil often wins—not with guns, but with whispers.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke The Reed Survives episode,” “Lucy Middlecamp Ephraim Hunt story,” “Booth Rider manipulated into murder,” “June 1955 Gunsmoke radio drama,” “Matt Dillon investigates murder,” “John Meston psychological Western,” “marshal helpless against true evil.”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Michael Ann Barrett (Lucy Middlecamp Hunt), Sam Edwards (Booth Rider), Ralph Moody (Ephraim Hunt), Edgar Barrier.

Originally Aired: June 11, 1955

Trust: A Deal Sealed in Blood and Iron

In this tense and character-driven episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester are caught in a deadly standoff not just with an outlaw—but with the fragile idea of trust itself.

After tracking a fugitive named James Nation across the rugged plains, Matt and Chester lose their horses and find themselves stranded with Nation on foot, hoping to flag down a passing stagecoach. When the stage finally arrives, it’s clear that danger rides inside: one of the passengers, a surly man named Simmer, is not who he claims to be.

Simmer is actually Art Carp, a ruthless road agent planning to rob the stage of its $50,000 treasure. And when the passengers are stranded at a remote swing station, Carp makes his move, taking them hostage at gunpoint.

It’s Nation—the fugitive Matt was arresting—who changes everything. Given a chance to escape, Nation instead risks his life to help Matt and Chester. With nerves of steel, Nation turns Carp’s own arrogance against him, disarming the outlaw and winning back his own honor in the process.

For his bravery, Matt does something unheard of: he trusts a prisoner with a gun, letting Nation help guard Carp on the way back to Fort Donner.

A gripping tale of second chances, human decency, and the rare bond between enemies, Trust is a standout testament to the rough morality of the Old West.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Trust episode,” “June 1955 Gunsmoke radio,” “Matt Dillon James Nation fugitive,” “Art Carp stagecoach robbery,” “Chester and Matt hostage crisis,” “John Meston Gunsmoke script,” “trust between marshal and outlaw.”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Vic Perrin (James Nation), Joseph Kearns (Art Carp), John Dehner (Fly), Clayton Post (Wells), James Nusser (Stock Tender), with music by Rex Koury and production by Norman Macdonnell.

Originally Aired: June 4, 1955

Jealousy: A Wound Deeper Than Bullets

In this emotionally charged episode of Gunsmoke, a dangerous spiral of suspicion, betrayal, and violence grips Dodge City as jealousy tears a young couple apart—and nearly costs more than one life.

Cam Durbin, a reformed gambler and old friend of Matt Dillon, arrives in Dodge with his beautiful new wife, Tilda. But beneath Cam’s calm surface simmers an uncontrollable jealousy, easily fanned into flames by the conniving dealer Lonnie Pike. When Pike begins feeding Cam malicious lies about Tilda and Matt, Cam’s growing distrust threatens not only his marriage but Matt’s life.

Matters escalate when Cam, poisoned by jealousy, vows to face Matt in a gunfight. Desperate to save her husband from his own worst instincts, Tilda takes justice into her own hands—shooting Lonnie Pike in a crowded saloon.

As Tilda faces arrest and prison, and Cam faces the wreckage of his own pride and mistrust, both realize the true cost of suspicion. Only the truth—and forgiveness—can save them now.

A powerful exploration of loyalty, manipulation, and the destructive power of jealousy, Jealousy is a poignant standout in the Gunsmoke canon.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Jealousy episode,” “Cam and Tilda Durbin story,” “Matt Dillon Lonnie Pike conflict,” “June 1955 Gunsmoke radio,” “marshal defends his honor,” “John Meston jealousy drama,” “tragic love story Dodge City.”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Vic Perrin (Cam Durbin), Virginia Gregg (Tilda Durbin), Harry Bartell (Lonnie Pike), Don Diamond.

Originally Aired: May 28, 1955

Cow Doctor: A Debt Paid in Pride

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon and Doc Adams find themselves facing the ultimate test of compassion—and pride—in the Kansas frontier.

When young Jerry Pitcher rides into Dodge searching desperately for Doc, Matt and Kitty are shocked. Jerry’s father, Ben Pitcher, is known for his deep hatred of doctors, refusing even emergency care in the past. But something must be seriously wrong if he’s willing to send for help.

Doc and Matt travel to the remote Pitcher homestead—only to discover the patient isn’t Ben at all, but one of his cows suffering from colic. Furious at being tricked, Doc treats the animal anyway. But while Doc is away, a true emergency erupts back in Dodge: a woman bleeds to death from a simple injury because Doc wasn’t there to save her.

Enraged, Doc confronts Ben Pitcher, who retaliates with violence, stabbing Doc with a knife. Gravely wounded, Doc barely survives thanks to Matt’s rough but life-saving stitches. As Doc recuperates, a desperate Jerry returns to Dodge again—this time to plead for Doc to save his father, who is now deathly ill.

Despite everything, Doc insists on going back to treat the man who nearly killed him. Risking his own life, he saves Ben Pitcher. In the end, true to form, Pitcher refuses to pay Doc—because his cow died. Yet in a rare, heartfelt moment, Jerry tells Doc he’s proud to have him in their home.

Doc smiles. It’s the best payment he could have asked for.

Keywords: "Gunsmoke Cow Doctor episode," "May 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Doc Adams stabbed by Ben Pitcher," "Matt Dillon stitches Doc Adams," "Doc saves enemy's life," "Jerry Pitcher loyalty," "John Meston Gunsmoke script classic."

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), John Dehner (Ben Pitcher), Vivi Janiss (Mrs. Pitcher), Sam Edwards (Jerry Pitcher)

Originally Aired: May 21, 1955

The Liar from Blackhawk: Truth Drawn at Gunpoint

In this unforgettable Gunsmoke episode, Dodge City meets a different kind of outlaw—one whose deadliest weapon is a lie. Hank Shin arrives in town with a towering reputation as a feared gunman, claiming he once killed three men at once in a saloon up in Blackhawk. Citizens are quickly cowed by his bravado, but Marshal Matt Dillon remains skeptical.

While Matt is away on business in Abilene, Hank's legend grows unchecked. However, those who look closer, like Kitty and Doc, notice something odd—Shin seems more desperate than dangerous, a man clinging to a reputation he knows he can’t truly defend.

When an armed drunk challenges Hank in the Long Branch, Shin shoots him down, but it leaves the so-called gunman shaken, not emboldened. Hank’s world finally collapses when Al Janes, a real gunfighter from New Mexico, rides into town. Fearing for his life, Shin throws away his gun and begs Matt to tell the town he’s no longer a fighter.

But it’s too late. On a dusty Dodge City street, Al Janes confronts Hank. Mistaking a frightened movement for a draw, Janes guns him down—only to learn too late that Shin was unarmed. In his dying words, Hank confesses that he never killed anyone in Blackhawk—the men killed each other while he hid.

A brutal and tragic tale about false reputations, cowardice, and the devastating consequences of living a lie, The Liar from Blackhawk is Gunsmoke at its most psychologically sharp and emotionally devastating.

Keywords: "Gunsmoke The Liar from Blackhawk episode," "Hank Shin fake gunfighter story," "May 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon exposes false hero," "Al Janes gunfight Dodge City," "John Meston Gunsmoke script," "tragedy of false reputation."

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Vic Perrin (Hank Shin), Paul Dubov (Al Janes), Barney Phillips (Davey), with special appearances by the Gunsmoke radio company.

Originally Aired: May 14, 1955

Robber Bridegroom: The Man Who Took Her Twice

In this sweeping tale of abduction, deception, and unexpected love, Gunsmoke delivers one of its most memorable emotional rollercoasters. When Marshal Matt Dillon learns that a stagecoach carrying $50,000 in gold has been held up—and a young woman taken along with it—he wastes no time tracking the outlaw across the vast Kansas plains.

The woman is Laura, the reluctant fiancée of wealthy and arrogant businessman Franklin J. Reeves. Though Reeves plays the part of the desperate groom-to-be, Matt quickly senses something off about him. As the trail grows cold, it becomes clear that Laura’s disappearance may not just be about stolen gold—but about freedom stolen long before.

Eventually, Matt catches up to the outlaw: Jack Fitch, a rough-edged but principled man who surprises everyone by returning both Laura and the gold. And when the truth comes out—that Reeves blackmailed Laura’s father into promising her hand—Matt begins to understand why Laura may not have fought too hard to get away.

In a final twist, Fitch agrees to stand trial for the robbery—but not before he and Laura marry, ensuring she can’t be forced to testify. Whether born from outlaw boldness or genuine love, it’s a union that leaves Matt Dillon unsure whether he’s helped deliver justice—or simply made room for a second chance.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Robber Bridegroom episode,” “Matt Dillon stagecoach robbery,” “Franklin Reeves and Laura,” “Jack Fitch and forced marriage,” “May 1955 Gunsmoke radio,” “John Meston Western drama,” “marshal helps outlaw romance.”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Lawrence Dobkin (Franklin Reeves), Gene Bates (Laura), Frank Gerstle (Jim Buck), Harry Bartell (Jack Fitch), Clayton Post.

Originally Aired: May 7, 1955

Potato Road: A Harvest of Madness

In one of the grimmest and most psychologically chilling episodes of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester find themselves trapped in a dusty patch of prairie where logic, law, and sanity are long gone.

When a peculiar young man named Budge Griff shows up in Dodge, he calmly announces that his father has killed a stranger and needs to be arrested. But when Matt and Chester accompany him to his family’s remote sod hut, they find no body—only a twisted household ruled by cruelty, delusion, and starvation.

The Griff homestead is a place of rot and decay. Budge’s mother is oddly cheerful yet utterly detached from reality. His father, Pa Groke, is a deranged would-be outlaw who boasts of a plan to rob the Dodge City bank—and execute Matt and Chester in the process. The two lawmen are taken prisoner, locked in a dark, moldy potato cellar with nothing to eat but rotten peels.

When Groke's own son unexpectedly kills a neighbor, tensions explode. But it's not until Budge brings Matt and Chester a meager pot of scraps that the tide turns. The lawmen overpower him and use him as leverage—only for Groke to coldly shoot his son, proving that even family means nothing in his warped mind.

In the end, it's Chester who saves the day with a well-thrown rock, but not before the family's dreams of blood and robbery have fully unraveled. And when Ma Groke emerges with a shovel to bury Budge, we learn the tragic truth: Budge wasn't Groke's son at all—just another casualty in a life crushed by poverty, fear, and abuse.

Potato Road is a bleak yet powerful portrait of frontier madness, painted with unforgettable performances and a haunting final line.

Keywords: "Gunsmoke Potato Road episode," "May 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon bank robbery plan," "Budge Griff homestead trap," "Marshal Dillon prisoner episode," "Pa Groke outlaw story," "John Meston psychological Western."

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Virginia Gregg (Ma Groke), Vic Perrin (Budge Griff), with supporting performances by the Gunsmoke radio company.

Episode Title: Reward for Matt: A Bounty on the Badge

Originally Aired: April 30, 1955

Reward for Matt: A Bounty on the Badge

In one of the most harrowing and emotional episodes of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon becomes the target of a deadly manhunt—not by outlaws, but by ordinary people desperate for cash. After Matt kills rancher Mel Hornby in self-defense, Hornby’s bitter widow swears revenge. Fueled by hatred and pride, she offers a $1,000 reward to anyone who can prove Matt Dillon is dead—no questions asked.

Word spreads quickly. Posters go up around Dodge. And as Matt continues his duties, he’s forced to look over his shoulder every moment. Drifters, cowhands, even kids start watching him with dangerous curiosity. One of them—a desperate, dirt-poor boy of fifteen—takes a shot and dies trying.

Haunted by the boy’s death, Matt confronts Mrs. Hornby, only to be met with cold indifference. But as the blood continues to spill, something begins to shift. The breaking point comes when the boy’s grieving mother arrives—Mrs. Reeves—revealing that her son only did it to survive. Her husband was Jake Reeves, the same man Hornby had murdered weeks earlier.

In a rare moment of humility, Mrs. Hornby sees the human cost of her vendetta. She quietly withdraws the reward and walks away, leaving Matt to face the town—and himself.

A gripping tale of guilt, vengeance, and the burden of justice, Reward for Matt stands as a powerful meditation on what happens when the lawman becomes the hunted.

Keywords: "Gunsmoke Reward for Matt episode," "April 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon bounty on his head," "Mrs. Hornby revenge plot," "fifteen-year-old bounty hunter," "Jake Reeves murder connection," "John Meston radio drama."

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Jeanette Nolan (Mrs. Hornby), Sam Edwards (the boy), Helen Kleeb (Mrs. Reeves).

Originally Aired: April 23, 1955

Born to Hang: Justice Denied and Delivered

In one of Gunsmoke's most morally complex episodes, Marshal Matt Dillon must stop a lynching, prevent a revenge killing, and wrestle with the limits of law and justice in the untamed frontier.

The episode opens with Joe Digger narrowly escaping death after being falsely accused of horse theft and nearly hanged by a vigilante mob led by Glick and Hank Pate. Rescued by Roble, one of the more decent men in the posse, Digger survives—but he is forever changed.

Dillon, learning of the incident, warns Digger to leave justice to the law. But Digger, traumatized and stripped of his dignity, issues a warning of his own: unless Dillon arrests the men responsible, he’ll take justice into his own hands.

As Dillon tracks Glick to his ranch and attempts a lawful arrest, Glick’s wife slips him a gun. Glick tries to escape and is killed in the process. But the real reckoning comes later, when Digger finds and kills Pate in Dodge City—just after the stroke of midnight.

Dillon arrives seconds too late. When he tries to arrest Digger for murder, Digger draws on him—and pays the ultimate price.

Born to Hang is a stark meditation on justice, vengeance, and the cost of survival. It shows that in the rugged world of Dodge City, even the innocent may die with guilt, and sometimes, the guilty never get to hang.

Keywords: "Gunsmoke Born to Hang episode," "April 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon lynching story," "Joe Digger horse theft plot," "Glick and Hank Pate vigilantes," "Western radio drama revenge," "John Meston Gunsmoke script."

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Joseph Kearns (Roble), John Dehner (Joe Digger), Lawrence Dobkin (Glick), James Nusser (Hank Pate).

Originally Aired: April 16, 1955

The Gypsum Hills Feud: Blood for Blood

In this rugged and emotionally charged episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester ride through the rough country southeast of Dodge—Gypsum Hills—only to stumble into the middle of a long-running feud between two stubborn frontier families: the Peeveys and the Cades.

It begins when Matt is nearly ambushed by a mysterious shooter. Tracking the assailant leads him to Alvin Peevey, a hard, isolated man living with his wife and father in a small, worn-out homestead. Peevey denies any wrongdoing, but when he and his wife return the next day hauling a wagon with a dead man’s body—claiming they simply found it—Matt knows there’s more going on.

Enter Jack Cade and his wife Ellen, rifles in hand, out for revenge. The dead man, Ben Cade, was their son—and they’re convinced Peevey is the killer. But as the tension builds and the guns come out, Matt uncovers a deeper truth. It was neither Peevey nor Cade who fired the fatal shot—it was Matt himself, in self-defense, after being fired on from ambush by a man he believed to be Peevey.

The feud, built on years of blood and blame, comes to a tragic yet peaceful end as the two grieving fathers agree to bury their sons side by side—closing a violent chapter in the Gypsum Hills and choosing coffee and conversation over killing.

Keywords: "Gunsmoke The Gypsum Hills Feud episode," "April 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon frontier justice story," "Peevey vs. Cade family feud," "Ben Cade death mystery," "John Meston Gunsmoke script," "Western drama about forgiveness."

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), John Dehner (Jack Cade), Vic Perrin (Alvin Peevey), B.B. Janis (Liza Peevey).

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In this emotionally raw and deeply tragic episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon is drawn into the life of Ann Cabot, a refined young woman who travels all the way from Connecticut to Dodge City in search of a man she once loved—Jack Shomer. But the Jack she’s come to find is no longer the man she knew.

Once filled with ambition and dreams of building a life on the frontier, Shomer has been broken by the land and by failure. Now a hopeless alcoholic living in a shack by the river, he’s consumed by guilt, shame, and self-loathing. When Matt, Doc, and Chester find him and sober him up, they offer him one more chance to redeem himself—to face Ann and tell her the truth.

But before he can summon the courage, tragedy strikes. Ann is found unconscious in the street, the victim of a brutal assault by the town bully, Hank Grote. Though Shomer briefly finds the resolve to confront Grote—handing over his gun to fight barehanded—his victory is hollow. He returns to Doc’s to see Ann, only to find she has died from the injury.

Crushed by regret and the knowledge that he waited too long, Shomer confesses the truth: he wasn’t trying to defend Ann—he was hoping Grote would kill him to spare him the shame of facing her. The episode ends on a devastating note as Shomer, emotionally destroyed, walks off to seek the only comfort he knows—another drink.

A powerful story about redemption, cowardice, and the price of waiting too long, Skid Row stands as one of Gunsmoke’s most heartbreaking episodes.

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Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Eleanor Tannen (Ann Cabot), Harry Bartell (Jack Shomer), Barney Phillips (Hank Grote).

In one of the most psychologically powerful episodes of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon confronts the personal cost of his badge after capturing the brutal outlaw Jack Brand. The victory comes at a steep price—three men lie dead, and Matt’s conscience begins to unravel under the weight of so much bloodshed.

Despite Chester and Doc’s efforts to reassure him, Matt becomes haunted by the violence he’s been forced to carry out. Even Brand, locked in a cell, mocks him as a man who kills without feeling. Then Joe Stanger—an old acquaintance of Brand’s—arrives in town and begins goading Matt, daring him to draw, calling him a killer to his face. When Matt doesn’t respond, Stanger leaves, smug in his belief that the legendary lawman has lost his nerve.

Matt, overwhelmed by guilt and self-doubt, submits his resignation to the War Department and walks away from his duties as Marshal. For the first time in years, he experiences peace—until Chester rides out to tell him that Stanger has returned and murdered a saloon girl in cold blood.

Now, Matt must make a choice: hold to his vow of peace, or stop the killer no one else is willing—or able—to face. In a gut-wrenching decision, he straps on his gun one last time, knowing that some men are born to carry the burden others cannot.

A standout story in the Gunsmoke canon, Bloody Hands explores the moral toll of justice, and the tragic reality that peace sometimes comes only through force.

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Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Howard McNear (Doc), Lawrence Dobkin. 

In this cunning and character-rich episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon investigates a seemingly simple case of mistaken identity that unravels into a far-reaching horse theft scheme. When rancher Emmett Bowers is accused of stealing a horse, tempers flare in Dodge City. The accuser, Charlie Disher, claims the horse is one of 17 stolen from his ranch on the Canadian River—and he’s got the brand registration to prove it.

The investigation reveals that Bowers unknowingly purchased several of Disher’s horses from a drifter named Vic Lowry, who has vanished without a trace. As more townspeople realize they’ve been swindled, a posse threatens to take justice into their own hands. But Matt, determined to avoid a lynching, asks for one week to resolve the case his own way.

With Chester keeping Disher distracted and Matt patiently waiting for the final horses to surface, a trap is laid. When a new buyer brings the last two stolen horses into Dodge, Matt sets a clever ruse in motion—leading him and Chester to a remote cabin, where the truth behind the horse theft is revealed in a violent and tragic confrontation.

Horse Deal is a tale of deception, patience, and poetic justice on the frontier, showcasing Matt Dillon’s moral authority and strategic thinking in the face of rising mob justice.

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Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Harry Bartell, James Nusser, Vic Perrin, Sam Edwards, Joe Cranston.

Originally Aired: March 19, 1955

The Mistake: A Costly Error:

In this tense episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon makes a critical misjudgment that leads to tragic consequences. When a saloon dealer named Earl Haney is found brutally beaten and robbed in an alley, he manages to identify his attacker before succumbing to his injuries. The culprit, he claims, is a tall man with red hair—a description that immediately points to gambler Jim Bostick.

Matt wastes no time in arresting Bostick, despite the man’s protests and claims of an alibi. But before Doc Adams can confirm Bostick’s whereabouts, the accused man escapes jail, riding hard for Coldwater. Determined to bring him back, Matt and Chester pursue him across the prairie, certain they’ve got their man.

But just as they catch up to Bostick and haul him back to Dodge, a second murder takes place under eerily similar circumstances. This time, the real killer unknowingly exposes himself, bragging about how easy it was to strike again while Matt was out chasing the wrong man.

Realizing his error too late, Matt is forced to let Bostick go, grappling with the weight of his mistake. The episode ends on a somber note, with Matt acknowledging that even lawmen aren’t infallible—and that justice, once delayed, can sometimes come at a terrible price.

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Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, John Dehner, Lawrence Dobkin, James Nusser.

In this riveting episode of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon watches as the frontier legal system is twisted into a weapon of injustice. When Homer Tisdale, a starving homesteader, is accused of stealing a handful of potatoes, Matt refuses to jail him. But days later, Homer is charged with a far worse crime—robbing the stage office and murdering Charlie Reynolds.

Despite his protests of innocence, Homer is swiftly put on trial before the newly arrived Judge Stokes, a man whose interest in whiskey far outweighs his interest in the law. With two supposed eyewitnesses—storekeeper Van Walcott and stage agent Jay Buford—testifying against him, the outcome seems inevitable. But the true injustice unfolds when Homer’s court-appointed lawyer refuses to mount any defense at all.

As Matt investigates, he realizes that the real criminals are the very men accusing Homer. Walcott, Buford, and Judge Stokes are all part of a conspiracy to steal $10,000 from the stage office—and pin the crime on a man too poor and powerless to fight back. In a dramatic climax, Matt corners the conspirators, exposing their plot and arresting the corrupt judge in a rare act of frontier justice.

This episode is a gripping examination of power, corruption, and the resilience of one man standing against a broken system.

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Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Lawrence Dobkin, Vic Perrin, John Dehner, Harry Bartell.