The Radio Western “Gunsmoke” ran for nine seasons on CBS (1952-1961). The cast includes U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon (William Conrad), Howard McNear (Charles “Doc” Adams), Parley Baer (Chester Wesley Proudfoot) and Miss Kitty Russell (Georgia Ellis).
The series is set in the 1870’s at Dodge City, Kansas.
“Gunsmoke” peaked at 40 million listeners during its’ long run. CBS radio paid for the first two seasons without a sponsor. It was because of the adult themes including murder, kidnapping, massacres, scalping's, alcohol and drug addiction. Plus, domestic abuse, lynching's and deadly shootings. Radio critics and fans had praised these adult storylines.
I am a huge fan of Western films and TV shows. I absolutely love the “Gunsmoke” radio series. I’ve enjoyed all 480 episodes.
My favorite 26-50 “Gunsmoke” episodes are below and they were tough choices. I have 100 top favorites too. Let’s go back to the old west of the 1870’s.
Click each Photo below for complete "Gunsmoke" Radio Episodes.
Wild West Weekly 1930's.
26. “The Killer” Season 2. Episode 24. A drifter is shot in the back by an unknown killer. He rides into Dodge City and guns down other men in self defense. A real gunfighter may have to challenge this killer to a fair duel. It might have to be marshal Matt Dillon.
27. “The F.U.” Season 3. Episode 3. A ruthless male gambler argues with a farmer over a card game. That farmer is later murdered. Matt Dillon investigates and this gambler is connected to a bank robbery. Matt and Chester escort him to where the bank money is. But, he slips away into the dark night.
28. “Who Lives by the Sword” Season 4. Episode 27. An infamous gunfighter rides into Dodge City. He guns down a young man in front of Miss Kitty. It was self defense. Matt Dillon takes the killer’s gun and beats him up. It rattles the gunfighter who has nightmares of all the men he had murdered. Matt orders him out of town so he can get killed somewhere else.
29. “Meshougah” Season 1. Episode 44. Matt Dillon and Chester ride into a small town. There is no one around until a group of outlaws show themselves. The town folk are held hostage by these outlaws. The leader claims that he will kill two people at a time. If they don’t tell him who murdered his brother. Matt and Chester also become hostages.
30. “Big Tom” Season 7. Episode 26. Tom used to be a heavy-weight boxer. Another fighter rides into Dodge City and challenges him. He had beaten Tom before who accepts the challenge. Doc Adams tells Tom that if he gets into another heavy-weight fight. He will die because of a weak heart. Matt Dillon is pushed into a fight with this challenger. Blood is drawn.
31. “Impact” Season 5. Episode 26. An elderly female runs a farm after she lost her husband. She hires a young man to help her. Doc Adams is called out to take care of her after she was run down by a bull. Matt Dillon believes that the bull was set loose on her. He has no proof though. She soon changes her death “will” leaving her estate to this young man.
32. “Bad Boy” Season 2. Episode 26. A hard working father runs a large ranch outside of Dodge City. He discovers that rustlers have been stealing his cattle. An unknown male is then murdered near the ranch. Matt Dillon and Chester investigate to find out that the father’s only son might be a cattle rustler. Did he kill this unknown man?
33. “Man and Boy” Season 6. Episode 9. A deputy from California rides into Dodge City. He has a warrant for the arrest of a famous gunfighter. This inexperienced deputy tries to serve that warrant and is beaten up. Matt Dillon intervenes to help the deputy who doesn’t want it. The gunfighter finally pulls his gun before leaving Dodge City.
34. “Minnie” Season 9. Episode 17. Minnie is a head strong young lady who comes to Dodge City. She visits Doc Adams so he can look at her injured arm. He doesn’t realize that she has a strong “crush” on him. Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty don’t stop her from chasing Doc. That is until her husband comes to town.
35. “Child Labor” Season 6. Episode 3. Two boys walk into Dodge City. They’re homeless and hungry. Miss Kitty feeds them and the oldest brother knows how to break wild horses. A man who is a lazy rancher hires the boys to break his horses. The youngest brother is forced to break a horse by this rancher and he is killed.
Wild West Weekly 1930's.
36. “Sarah’s Search” Season 7. Episode 25. Matt Dillon and Chester help Sarah whose buggy broke down outside of Dodge City. She tells them that she’s meeting her husband in town. He is serving in the US Army. An outlaw mistakes Sarah for an eye witness. She may have seen him rob a bank and he nearly beats her to death. Matt and Doc Adams discover that Sarah’s husband died in the Civil War.
37. “Wind” Season 1. Episode 57. Dolly comes to Dodge City. She’s a beautiful and manipulative woman. She comes in between men who gamble. Her boyfriend comes to town soon after her and he's a card sharp. Matt Dillon returns to town right after a cowboy dies fighting over Dolly. She soon runs into Matt who is onto her destructive ways.
38. “Doc Quits” Season 3. Episode 52. Doc Adams loses faith in his work at Dodge City. This after a friend dies whom Doc thought he could save. So, he quits and a new doctor comes to town. His medical education is questioned, but the town folk hire him instead of Doc. A fight breaks out between both doctors. Matt Dillon has to intervene.
39. “Summer Night” Season 5. Episode 42. A large wagon train leaves Dodge City on a hot summer day. It leaves behind a spent and tired town. Miss Kitty asks Matt Dillon if the wagon train will make it to California. He is unsure. Later that night. Doc Adams and Kitty find an abandoned baby on his front door step. Can Matt and Chester find the baby's mother?
40. “The Blacksmith” Season 2. Episode 40. Dodge City has a foreigner as the blacksmith. He is good at his job and invites Matt Dillon, Doc Adams and Chester to his wedding. He marries a mail order bride from Europe. A local man hates foreigners and the home of this blacksmith is burned to the ground by arson. It pushes the blacksmith over the edge and there is a big brawl on front street.
Wild West Weekly 1930's.
41.
“Obie Tater” Season 2. Episode 53. Obie
is an elder farmer and Dodge City believes that he is hiding gold
coins. He is supposedly rich but he denies it. A much younger woman
approaches Obie in a saloon. He says it was love at first sight and
after 24 hours. They get married. Matt Dillon and Doc Adams believe
that
this
woman has ulterior motives. Soon her outlaw friends come to Dodge
City.
42. “The Stallion” Season 6. Episode 38. A rancher legally forces another man to hand over a beautiful black stallion. This rancher is known in Dodge City to beat his own horses. Later, Matt Dillon and Chester capture this stallion who runs wildly through front street. He was badly beaten and Doc Adams is called to take care of him. The rancher comes for the horse but it’s stolen by the first owner. A shotgun is drawn and it ends badly.
43. “Never Pester Chester” Season 1. Episode 11. Two men from Texas rope and drag Chester out of Dodge City. Matt Dillon finds Chester in the desert who is beaten and barely alive. The two men separate and leave the area. Matt takes off his guns and tracks them down. He puts them in jail. If Chester dies. The two men will hang for murder. If not, Matt will handle them with his own bare hands.
44. “Sweet & Sour” Season 4. Episode 50. Matt Dillon asks Miss Kitty to hire a beautiful woman at her saloon. She hesitates because she knows that this woman is trouble. But, Kitty wants to show Matt, Doc Adams and Chester who this woman really is. She’s worse than they thought because when men fight over her. One of them dies in a gun battle. Matt finally intervenes after several men are killed.
45. “The Choice” Season 4. Episode 10. Andy rides into Dodge City who is a fast gunman. He intervenes when Miss Kitty and Chester face a gunfighter. Andy kills him in self defense. He tells Matt Dillon that he wants to hang up his gun and go straight. Andy gets a job riding shotgun with the stage coach line. His past catches up with him when his outlaw friend comes to town.
Western Radio "Gunsmoke" 1952-61.
46. “The Second Choice” Season 4. Episode 11. Andy has a good job working with a blacksmith. A deputy comes to Dodge City with a warrant for Andy’s arrest. He murdered a man but Andy denies it. Matt Dillon has to believe the warrant and helps the deputy extradite Andy back to Oklahoma. It turns out that this deputy might have forged the signature of a judge.
47. “Old Gunfighter” Season 8. Episode 8. Old Charlie tells stories about knowing a famous gunfighter named Rio Joe. He even shows Matt Dillon old pistol guns he had used twenty years ago. A gunman doesn’t like Charlie and pushes him into a gunfight. Charlie draws from experience and both men are shot. Matt believes Charlie to be Rio Joe who might be a wanted outlaw.
48. “Ben Tolliver’s Stud” Season 3. Episode 47. Ben was fired from a ranch and he takes a horse stud he had broken. This rancher says Ben stole that horse and seeks revenge. Matt Dillon intervenes before someone gets hurt. He’s too late after the back-legs of this stud horse is hamstrung.
49. “Chester’s Mistake” Season 7. Episode 32. Chester returns from a vacation. He forgets to pick up important papers for Matt Dillon from another town. Chester is reprimanded and the saloon “drunks” make fun of his job as deputy. It builds up and Chester believes he isn’t good enough to work for Matt.
50. “Cain” Season 1. Episode 24. Doc Adams introduces a man named Cain to Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty. Cain will soon die of consumption who is also a fine guitar player. A ruthless land owner comes to town and Cain recognizes him. He picks up a gun for the first time. He tells Matt that he had vowed to kill this land owner years ago.
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