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Welcome to Gunsmoke: Old West Stories, a podcast that takes you back to the rugged plains of 1870s Dodge City, Kansas. Rediscover the timeless tales of bravery, justice, and survival in the American frontier with our re-broadcasts of the classic Gunsmoke radio program. First airing on April 26, 1952, Gunsmoke was celebrated as the first adult western radio show, renowned for its superb storytelling and exceptional production quality. Join Marshal Matt Dillon, portrayed by the incomparable William Conrad, as he faces the challenges of maintaining law and order in a tumultuous town. Alongside him are unforgettable characters like Chester Proudfoot (Parley Baer), the steadfast deputy; Kitty (Georgia Ellis), the resilient saloon owner; and Doc Adams (Howard McNear), the town’s compassionate physician. What sets Gunsmoke apart is not just its stellar cast and engaging plots but the immersive sound effects that bring each scene to life. Every gunshot, horse gallop, and whisper of the wind transports you directly to the heart of the Old West. Whether you're a longtime fan or a new listener, Gunsmoke: Old West Stories promises to deliver gripping adventures and a nostalgic journey through one of radio’s most iconic series. Tune in and let the legends of Dodge City captivate your imagination.

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Check latest episodes from Gunsmoke: Old West Stories podcast

Letter of the Law (Series Finale)

2026/08/23

Originally Aired: June 18, 1961 Gunsmoke #480, "Letter of the Law," Marshal Matt Dillon faces a moral dilemma when Judge Rambo sends him a court order to evict Brandon Teak from his homestead near Wagon Mound. Teak failed to properly register his land deed, and now land speculator Lee Sprague has filed a claim on the property. The situation is complicated by the fact that Teak, once known as a dangerous gunman around Abilene, has reformed since marrying his wife Sarah, who is expecting a child any day. Teak has hung up his gun and proven up the land, building a good life for his family. Despite Sarah's pleas for her husband to keep his promise to avoid violence, the marshal must enforce the letter of the law. When Dillon confronts Judge Rambo in Wichita about the timing and fairness of the eviction, the judge shows no sympathy for Teak's circumstances, insisting that sentiment has no place in the law. Dillon refuses to carry out the eviction, believing Teak deserves the land he's worked so hard to improve. The conflict escalates when the judge sends Deputy Sheriff Jim Haley from Wichita to enforce the order by any means necessary.

Doc's Visitor

2026/08/22

Originally Aired: June 11, 1961 Gunsmoke #479, "Doc's Visitor," opens with an unexpected guest arriving in Dodge City. Dr. William Weber has traveled from Philadelphia to find Doc Adams with surprising news: Doc's old friend from medical school, Dr. Henry Wilson, has died and left his prestigious clinic to Doc. Dr. Weber explains that Wilson wants Doc to take charge of the Philadelphia clinic, offering him modern equipment, research opportunities, access to medical libraries, and a comfortable life far removed from the harsh frontier. The offer represents everything Doc dreamed of when he first entered medicine, a chance to practice with the latest methods and advanced techniques. The proposal weighs heavily on Doc's mind as his daily routine in Dodge continues. While Dr. Weber observes, Doc tends to young Billy's broken arm and must rush off to treat a bleeding gunshot victim at the jail. The contrast between the sophisticated world of Philadelphia medicine and the crude realities of frontier doctoring becomes stark. Doc finds himself torn between the comfortable, well-equipped practice of his dreams and the harsh but necessary medical work he performs daily in Dodge City.

Cows and Cribs

2026/08/21

Originally Aired: June 4, 1961 Gunsmoke #478, "Cows and Cribs," Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester Proudfoot set out to bring Ed Thorpe, his wife, and their baby to Dodge City after Doc Adams reports the family has spotted fever. On the way, they encounter Joe and Mrs. Nadler, struggling homesteaders on the verge of starvation. Joe has been forced to butcher a branded calf, and his wife desperately hoes barren ground with no seed to plant. Matt notices Joe's callous attitude toward his childless wife and their sick neighbors, but Mrs. Nadler's gentle nature and concern for the Thorpe baby moves him. The situation turns tragic when the Thorpes both die during the journey, leaving their infant orphaned. Ma Smalley takes charge of the baby, and Mrs. Nadler hopes to adopt the child, but she and Joe need help establishing their homestead first. When Matt discovers Joe spending money on expensive boots instead of seed for his wife's garden, he gives the self-centered husband an ultimatum that will determine whether the Nadlers deserve custody of the orphaned child.

The Sod-Buster

2026/08/20

Originally Aired: May 28, 1961 Gunsmoke #477, "The Sod-Buster," presents a comedic case of mistaken identity that threatens to turn serious. When Marshal Matt Dillon rides out of Dodge to track down a wanted killer named Cliff Meadows, he leaves Chester in charge of watching over the cantankerous Doc Adams. Into town rolls Sedge Wilker, an ornery sodbuster with a chip on his shoulder, along with his eager daughter Bessie May. After a contentious first meeting on the porch outside the Dodge House, Chester manages to smooth things over by posing as Dodge's marshal, and the Wilkers mistake his temporary authority for the real thing. The situation grows more complicated when Matt returns with his dangerous prisoner Meadows in tow, and Bessie May takes a romantic interest in Chester, insisting he take her on buggy rides while he's trying to guard the jail. Chester finds himself caught between maintaining his accidental deception to the persistent Wilkers and managing his actual duties as deputy. With a killer locked up in the jail and Bessie May refusing to take no for an answer, Chester's white lie threatens to unravel at the worst possible time.

Chester's Rendezvous

2026/08/19

Originally Aired: May 21, 1961 Gunsmoke #476, "Chester's Rendezvous," Chester Proudfoot's encounter with a mysterious young woman sparks an unexpected romance. When Chester retrieves a windblown bonnet on the dusty streets of Dodge and returns it to Em Feeney sitting in a wagon, he's immediately taken with her. Despite her father's gruff interruption, Chester can't get the girl out of his mind. After seeking advice from Miss Kitty about the propriety of calling on someone he's only just met, Chester gets his hair cut and rides out to the isolated place north of town where Em and her father are staying. Em welcomes Chester's visit, and her father reluctantly allows the call as long as Chester leaves before nightfall. The urgency in their situation becomes apparent as Em's father mentions someone named Luke who's expected any night, and it's clear they're planning to move on to California soon. Chester, smitten and oblivious to any potential danger, misses Marshal Dillon's weekly gun inspection to spend time with his new lady friend, much to Doc's amusement and Matt's mild concern about Chester "kiting around all over the countryside."

The Lady Killer

2026/08/18

Originally Aired: May 14, 1961 Gunsmoke #475, "The Lady Killer," brings Marshal Matt Dillon face to face with a puzzling death when rancher Grant Lucas is shot and killed at the Grand Hotel. Grant had come to Dodge City early to testify against Cy Welsh in an upcoming trial for land fraud, a case that seems open and shut with both Grant and Matt as witnesses. When Matt arrives at the scene, saloon girl May Towmy claims she shot Grant in self-defense, insisting he broke her hotel window trying to steal a valuable diamond brooch she'd foolishly told him about earlier that day. Though the story troubles Matt, he has little choice but to accept her version of events. As the trial approaches, suspicions deepen when Cy Welsh shows surprising confidence despite facing certain conviction. Doc and Chester encounter Cy at the stable, where he coldly dismisses Grant's death and boasts that he'll make the marshal look like a fool in court. Meanwhile, May's behavior grows increasingly suspicious as she makes contact with mysterious strangers, and fragments of whispered conversation suggest a deadly conspiracy may be unfolding with Matt Dillon himself as the target.

Mas Justice

2026/08/17

Originally Aired: May 7, 1961 In Gunsmoke #474, "Mas Justice," a deadly feud erupts over wild horses on the open range near Dodge City. When brothers Reed and Jakey Sayle rope some wild colts, old man Sloat and his son Jazz claim the horses are theirs and ride onto the Sayle property to take them. Gunfire breaks out, leaving Reed badly wounded and Jazz Sloat shot by the boys' mother, Ma Sayle. With one son bleeding and facing the vengeful Sloat family, Ma makes an unprecedented decision - she sends Jakey to Dodge City to fetch both Doc and Marshal Matt Dillon, something the fiercely independent family has never done before. Matt rides out to the Sayle place with Chester and Doc, but the situation escalates when they discover the Sloats have returned to finish what they started. A tense shootout unfolds as Matt confronts the armed Sloats, resulting in casualties on both sides. Now Matt must sort out the competing claims and determine who fired first in this range dispute that has turned into a blood feud between two hardscrabble frontier families.

Ex-Urbanites

2026/08/16

Originally Aired: April 30, 1961 Gunsmoke #473, "Ex-Urbanites," finds Doc Adams and Chester returning to Dodge from Hays City when they discover a wounded wolfer named Nage Gillard near a remote water hole. Doc immediately sets to work to save the dying man, but Nage's partners—his brother Pitt and Jesse Turnbull—arrive with shocking orders: leave Nage to die. When Doc refuses, the confrontation turns violent. Chester manages to hold off the hostile partners, but not before Pitt stabs Doc in the side. Despite his own serious wound, Doc must perform surgery on Nage, only to have the man die anyway. Now stranded on the prairie miles from Dodge, Chester faces the daunting task of saving Doc's life. With Nage's vengeful brother likely to return and no medical training to guide him, Chester must extract the bullet from Doc himself while defending their makeshift camp. As Doc's fever rises and his condition deteriorates, Chester struggles to keep them both alive long enough to make it home, all while watching for Pitt Gillard's inevitable return.

Father and Son

2026/08/15

Originally Aired: April 23, 1961 In Gunsmoke #472, "Father and Son," Marshal Matt Dillon confronts a chilling case of murder and brutality when he and Chester discover a driverless wagon on the trail back to Dodge. Inside, they find a barely conscious Indian woman who has been savagely beaten. Doc Adams manages to save her life, and through Kitty's gentle questioning, the woman reveals a horrifying story: she and her husband Adam were setting up camp when two large men rode in, accepted their hospitality, then attacked them. She heard her husband being beaten as he tried to defend her, followed by a gunshot before she lost consciousness. Meanwhile, trouble of a different kind brews in Dodge when Chester witnesses a disturbing scene at the Long Branch. A rough man named Zachary Wilkins is forcing his son Buford to drink whiskey as part of his twisted notion of making the boy into a man. Matt intervenes and warns Wilkins to keep his son sober or face jail time. As Matt prepares to ride out and search for the murdered husband's body, the question looms: could these two seemingly separate incidents be connected?

Cooter

2026/08/14

Originally Aired: April 16, 1961 Gunsmoke #471, "Cooter," Matt Dillon returns to Dodge City to find that a cowboy has been killed by a gunman named Pate, who claims self-defense. However, Kitty reveals the truth: the cowboy was drawing on Ben Sissel, a crooked gambler new to Dodge, when Pate shot him down. Pate is Sissel's hired gun, protecting the cardsharp when angry victims catch him cheating. Dillon confronts both men at Pate's hotel room, forcing the gunman to strap on his weapon. When Pate realizes the marshal is calling him out, he backs down and leaves town rather than face Dillon in a gunfight. With his protection gone, Sissel appears to reform, dealing cards honestly for a week while the whole town watches him closely. Just when things seem settled, Chester spots something strange on the street: Cooter Smith, a harmless simpleton who's never carried a weapon, is now wearing a six-gun. Dillon sends Chester to bring Cooter in for questioning, sensing that trouble is brewing again in Dodge.

Hangmans Mistake

2026/08/13

Originally Aired: April 9, 1961 Gunsmoke #470, "Hangmans Mistake," Matt Dillon reluctantly releases Ark Bernie from jail after receiving word from Abilene that another man has been arrested for the murder—Ark's own brother, Junius. Despite his certainty that Ark is guilty, Matt has no choice but to let him go. When Ark learns that Junius is being held for a crime Ark knows his brother didn't commit, he rushes back to Dodge to confront the marshal, insisting that Junius was nowhere near the holdup that night. Matt tells him the only way to help his brother is to testify in court, but Ark refuses to walk into any courtroom. The tension escalates when Matt and Chester prepare to escort Junius to trial in Hayes City. As they transport the prisoner, Ark appears in a cloud of dust, desperate and determined to free his brother before the trial can proceed. When Ark threatens to draw on Matt, the marshal calls his bluff, forcing a dangerous confrontation that will test how far Ark is willing to go to save Junius from paying for a crime he may not have committed.

Chester's Inheritance

2026/08/12

Originally Aired: April 2, 1961 Gunsmoke #469, "Chester's Inheritance," finds Chester in a panic when he receives a letter from lawyers in Waco, Texas. Too frightened to open it himself, convinced he's about to be arrested over an old four-dollar debt, Chester has Matt read it for him. The letter brings unexpected news: Chester has inherited $368.63 from his late cousin Clarence Webley Proudfoot. While Chester waits anxiously for the cashier's check to arrive, Matt deals with a more serious matter involving Ed Grimes, a struggling farmer facing eviction, and his former friend Bert Donald, a prosperous cattle broker who refuses to extend the loan payment deadline. Once Chester's inheritance finally arrives, his worries are replaced by grand dreams of building a white house with a red barn, buying an all-black suit and horse, and playing high-stakes poker. As word spreads through Dodge City about Chester's sudden wealth, townsfolk begin approaching him with various investment schemes and business proposals. Matt tries to steer his impulsive deputy toward the bank before the money burns a hole in his pocket, while Chester struggles to manage his newfound fortune and the attention it brings.

No Indians

2026/08/11

Originally Aired: March 26, 1961 In Gunsmoke #468, "No Indians," Marshal Matt Dillon investigates a series of brutal attacks on settler families near the Smoky Hill River that are being blamed on Pawnee raiders. When frightened homesteader Sam Butler arrives in Dodge City, abandoning his land and accusing the law of hiding while families are slaughtered, Matt decides to ride out with Chester to examine the scene. What they discover alongside young Captain Starr and his cavalry troop is deeply troubling: the murdered families show none of the typical signs of Indian attacks. The victims were shot with rifles rather than arrows, tracks have been deliberately obscured, and tellingly, a boy old enough to be trained as a brave has been killed rather than taken captive. Matt realizes these massacres are the work of white men disguised as Indians, stealing horses and supplies while stirring up fear and hatred. With no time to track down the killers before they strike again, Matt devises a dangerous plan: he and Chester will use cavalry horses as bait in an abandoned corral, with only themselves to face whatever gang of murderers comes calling. As smoke rises from their campfire to draw the thieves in, the two lawmen wait to spring their trap.

Joe Phy reused Script

2026/08/10

Originally Aired: March 19, 1961 Gunsmoke #467, "Joe Phy reused Script," Matt Dillon and Chester ride into the dusty town of El Cater searching for Carey Post, a killer from the Dakota Territory. When they arrive, they quickly learn from local peaceful citizen Cicero Grimes that Post has already been run out of town by Joe Phy, a supposed U.S. Marshal who has turned El Cater into a tightly controlled town where gunmen aren't tolerated. When Joe Phy confronts Matt and threatens to kill him for being a gunman, Matt grows suspicious. Despite Phy's fearsome reputation for having killed everyone who crossed him, Matt notices something peculiar: Phy hasn't actually had to fight anyone, letting his reputation and the townspeople do his work for him. Convinced that Joe Phy is a fraud who has buffaloed the entire town, Matt hatches a plan. He recruits the reluctant Cicero Grimes to help expose Phy as a fake gunman. Matt equips Cicero with an old navy pistol loaded with no bullets and promises to back him up if anything goes wrong, though he admits the plan carries real danger for the peaceful citizen who has never even worn a gun before.

Sweet and Sour

2026/08/09

Originally Aired: March 12, 1961 In Gunsmoke #466, "Sweet and Sour," Matt Dillon and Chester are returning to Dodge from Wichita when they encounter a troubling situation at the train depot. A drifter named Ab Laster tries to force a young woman, Rena Decker, onto the train and insists she drink with him. Matt intervenes, disarming Laster and earning both the woman's gratitude and Laster's bitter promise of revenge. When they arrive in Dodge, Laster appears with his partner Joe Garrett, making it clear they'll be back to settle the score after a brief trip north. Meanwhile, Rena's presence in Dodge creates unexpected tension. Matt tries to help her find work at the Long Branch, but Kitty refuses to hire her, warning that Rena is the kind of woman who causes trouble among men. Kitty's instincts prove correct when a fight erupts at the Long Branch, leaving two men dead. As Matt investigates the shooting, all signs point to Rena being at the center of the deadly confrontation, raising questions about whether this seemingly innocent young woman is as sweet as she appears.