Originally Aired: April 1, 1956

In Gunsmoke #208, “How to Sell a Ranch,” Matt Dillon tries to protect an eccentric old rancher, Tup Claver, from being swindled out of his land by a slick city buyer. When a too-generous offer is made, the deal spins into a battle of wits, bluff, and frontier ingenuity. As money, deeds, and tempers fly, Tup proves he’s no easy mark—thanks to a clever scheme involving a relay of borrowed horses. In the end, the city slicker learns just how sharp a so-called simple countryman can be, and Dodge gets a party to remember. A lighthearted episode of double-cross, hustle, and western justice.

Cast:
William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Ralph Moody, Harry Bartell, Joe Duval, Kathy Marlowe

Tags:
Western, DodgeCity, ranch, scam, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, HowardMcNear, GeorgiaEllis, RalphMoody, HarryBartell, JoeDuval, KathyMarlowe, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sdrama, hustle, comedy, landdeal, Gunsmoke, frontier, vintagewestern

Originally Aired: March 25, 1956

In Gunsmoke #207, “Hanging Man,” the apparent suicide of a respected businessman soon points to murder, and Marshal Matt Dillon’s suspicions fall on a desperate love triangle. When gambler Mel Tucker becomes the prime suspect—and his lover, Cora Bell, seems tangled in the case—Matt is forced to let Tucker go for lack of evidence. But when a second hanging shocks Dodge, Matt’s patience and cunning set the stage for a dramatic confrontation. With jealousy, betrayal, and greed driving even the most unlikely to violence, Matt must rely on both Kitty’s courage and his own instincts to bring the guilty to justice. A chilling tale of manipulation, passion, and the price of loving the wrong person.

Cast:
William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Lawrence Dobkin, Virginia Gregg, John Dehner

Tags:
Western, DodgeCity, murder, hanging, jealousy, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, HowardMcNear, GeorgiaEllis, LawrenceDobkin, VirginiaGregg, JohnDehner, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sdrama, love, betrayal, crime, Gunsmoke, whodunit, vintagewestern

Originally Aired: March 18, 1956

In Gunsmoke #206, “The Man Who Would Be Marshal,” Emmett Egan, a former Union officer turned cattleman, arrives in Dodge City determined to take Matt Dillon’s job as Marshal—believing law work is just another kind of command. Dillon, weary of the constant danger, gives Egan a week to see the truth for himself. What starts as an exercise in authority quickly turns deadly, as Egan’s lack of experience with violence and gunslingers is exposed in a brutal confrontation. The episode explores the difference between command and survival on the frontier, and the steep price paid by those who wear the badge.

Cast:
William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, John Dehner, James Nusser, Harry Bartell

Tags:
Western, lawman, DodgeCity, ambition, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, HowardMcNear, GeorgiaEllis, JohnDehner, JamesNusser, HarryBartell, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sdrama, identity, authority, gunslinger, ambition, Gunsmoke, badge, vintagewestern

Originally Aired: March 11, 1956

In Gunsmoke #205, “Bringing Down Father,” Dodge City is rocked by murder and betrayal when a young cattleman named Andy Gilden accuses trail boss Harley Burke of shooting an unarmed man. As Matt Dillon investigates, the truth behind the killing and a $20,000 cattle sale is tangled in pride, hate, and a son’s desperate need to prove himself. With suspicion falling on everyone, Matt must unravel a web of lies, loyalty, and family secrets—before more blood is spilled. In a story where friendship and duty collide, even the best intentions can have tragic consequences.

Cast:
William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, William Idelson, Lawrence Dobkin, Vic Perrin

Tags:
Western, cattle, DodgeCity, betrayal, murder, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, HowardMcNear, GeorgiaEllis, WilliamIdelson, LawrenceDobkin, VicPerrin, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sdrama, fatherandson, loyalty, suspense, Gunsmoke, traildrive, vintagewestern

Originally Aired: March 4, 1956

In Gunsmoke #204, “The Hunter,” legendary frontiersman Jace Murdock—known as “Longarm”—returns to Dodge City, a relic of the buffalo-hunting days, hardened and reckless as ever. Ignoring warnings and driven by pride, Murdock sets out for a forbidden buffalo hunt in Indian territory, taking a young Blackfoot skinner called Golden Calf with him. Marshal Matt Dillon, haunted by an old grudge, must follow Murdock into the snowy wilds—where a deadly, long-range game unfolds. Trapped and outgunned, Matt’s fate turns on the courage and conscience of Golden Calf, who faces a final, tragic choice between his people and the violent legacy of the man he calls father. A tense, wintry tale of the old frontier’s passing and the price of living by the gun.

Cast:
William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Nestor Paiva, Sam Edwards, Harry Bartell

Tags:
Western, buffalo, DodgeCity, Indianterritory, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, GeorgiaEllis, NestorPaiva, SamEdwards, HarryBartell, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sdrama, suspense, fatherandson, legacy, redemption, frontier, Gunsmoke, longarm, vintagewestern

Originally Aired: February 26, 1956

In Gunsmoke #203, “Who Lives by the Sword,” Dodge City is shaken by the arrival of notorious gunman Joe Delk—a man who kills for reputation and whose swagger turns deadly when a young man tries to stand up to him. Marshal Matt Dillon faces Delk not with a gun, but with his fists, shaking the outlaw’s nerve and setting him on a path of self-destruction. As Delk’s confidence crumbles and the town closes in, Matt must reckon with the hard truth that those who live by violence are doomed to fall by it. A stark, psychological episode about pride, fear, and the heavy cost of a life lived on the draw.

Cast:
William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, John Dehner, Sam Edwards, Clayton Post

Tags:
Western, gunman, DodgeCity, pride, downfall, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, HowardMcNear, GeorgiaEllis, JohnDehner, SamEdwards, ClaytonPost, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sdrama, suspense, morality, redemption, Gunsmoke, livebythesword, vintagewestern

Originally Aired: February 19, 1956

In Gunsmoke #202, “The New Hotel,” Enoch Mills, a proud cattle rancher, sets out to challenge the Dodge City status quo by building a first-class hotel—much to the ire of his longtime rival, hotel owner Jim Dobey. When sabotage and arson strike, suspicion and tempers flare, and Marshal Matt Dillon is drawn into a bitter feud that escalates beyond business. As hired gunmen, mistaken accusations, and a stolen cattle plot threaten to consume the town, Matt must untangle the truth before violence boils over. In the end, a lesson in pride, trust, and forgiveness gives Dodge a new hotel—and perhaps a new start for two stubborn old enemies.

Cast:
William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis

Tags:
Western, rivalry, arson, DodgeCity, cattle, hotel, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, HowardMcNear, GeorgiaEllis, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sdrama, suspense, redemption, marshal, Gunsmoke, newhotel, vintagewestern

Originally Aired: February 12, 1956

In Gunsmoke #201, “Kitty’s Outlaw,” a stranger named Cole Yankton rides into Dodge, drawing Marshal Dillon’s suspicion—and stirring up memories for Kitty Russell. While Cole claims to be a simple horse trader, his presence unsettles Kitty, who knows him from her past in New Orleans. When a bank robbery implicates Cole, Matt and Chester set out on a tense manhunt across the prairie. Wounded and dying, Cole’s final moments reveal the complicated bond between him and Kitty—a love that once was, and a parting that leaves questions of loyalty, regret, and what might have been. An episode of lost chances and bittersweet reckonings, set against the unforgiving backdrop of the frontier.

Cast:
William Conrad, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Parley Baer, Vic Perron, Barney Phillips

Tags:
western, drama, outlaw, lostlove, bankrobbery, marshalldillon, WilliamConrad, GeorgiaEllis, HowardMcNear, ParleyBaer, VicPerron, BarneyPhillips, oldtimeradio, gunsmoke, classicwestern, 1950sradio, bittersweet, KittyRussell, redemption, vintageaudio

Originally Aired: February 5, 1956

In Gunsmoke #200, “Legal Revenge,” Marshal Matt Dillon is drawn into a tangled web of violence and secrets when Doc brings word of trouble at the Tebbs homestead—a sod hut on the lonely prairie. A wounded man, Ben Tebbs, claims a knife wound was accidental, but his terrified state and a six-gun hidden under the blanket suggest otherwise. As Matt and Chester probe deeper, they uncover a tense standoff between Ben and his wife Flory, who may be more dangerous than she seems. When Ben dies during the night, Flory confesses to a murder—yet nothing is what it appears. What follows is a stark tale of revenge, justice, and the broken promises of the frontier, as Matt must decide who is truly guilty and what the law can—and can’t—fix.

Cast:
William Conrad, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Parley Baer

Tags:
western, drama, revenge, law, justice, marshalldillon, WilliamConrad, GeorgiaEllis, HowardMcNear, ParleyBaer, oldtimeradio, mystery, gunsmoke, classicwestern, 1950sradio, frontierjustice, psychological, vintageaudio, legaldrama

Originally Aired: January 29, 1956

In Gunsmoke #199, “Bureaucrat,” Dodge City is thrown into turmoil when a government man named Rex Propter arrives from Washington to “fix” the frontier. Armed with strict rules and city-bred theories, Propter clashes with Marshal Dillon over how to handle the wild town. As new signs and gun control laws backfire, an accidental killing and mob justice push Dodge to the brink. Matt must protect both the outsider and the law itself—even as his own authority is challenged. In the end, it’s a lesson in frontier justice, respect, and how far rules can go before common sense takes over.

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

Tags:
western, bureaucracy, frontier, law, Gunsmoke, WilliamConrad, MattDillon, government, DodgeCity, authority, mobjustice, 1950sradio, oldtimeradio, classicradio, rules, outoftouch, drama, vintagepodcast