Originally Aired: September 22, 1957

In Gunsmoke #285, “Custer,” Marshal Matt Dillon arrests a suspicious drifter, Joe Trimble, for the brutal murder of a reclusive old rancher. But just as Dillon prepares to take him to trial, a U.S. Army major arrives with shocking news—Trimble is actually a deserter from the 7th Cavalry under an alias. Though Matt is convinced of Trimble's guilt, the Army demands custody. In a chilling twist of justice, Trimble escapes a civil conviction only to be sent back north to rejoin the very unit preparing for a fateful expedition against the Sioux. A slow-burning moral dilemma unfolds, ending with a haunting name—Colonel George Custer.

Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear

Tags:
Western, justice, murder, army, desertion, trial, MattDillon, WilliamConrad, 7thCavalry, Custer, Sioux, LittleBighorn, oldtimeradio, frontierjustice, militaryvsjustice, 1950sradio, classicwestern, suspense, historicalforeshadowing, Gunsmoke

Originally Aired: September 15, 1957

In Gunsmoke #284, “Child Labor,” two orphaned Texas boys arrive in Dodge hoping to find their uncle—but instead fall under the influence of shady rancher Oren Seibert, who hires them to break wild horses. Seibert promises a fair deal, but delivers exploitation and danger, driving the younger brother to his death and the elder to thoughts of revenge. Marshal Dillon must stop a grieving boy from becoming a killer, and reckon with the cost of broken trust. A heartrending story of loss, justice, and the raw pain of growing up too fast in the Old West.

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

Tags:
Western, drama, Gunsmoke, WilliamConrad, childlabor, family, orphans, horsebreaking, revenge, frontierjustice, oldtimeradio, 1950sradio, tragedy, exploitation, classicwestern, brotherhood, abuse

Originally Aired: September 8, 1957

In Gunsmoke #283, “Looney McCluny,” a quirky old prospector named Pop McCluny returns to Dodge City with another sack of what everyone assumes is worthless fool’s gold. But when he’s found murdered in his shack, the town is shocked—and Marshal Dillon realizes someone believed Pop’s tales of striking it rich. As suspicion falls on a slick out-of-towner, the real culprit turns out to be far closer to home, and far more chilling. A case of jealousy, greed, and deception, this episode asks: what’s more dangerous—hidden wealth or the illusion of madness?

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

Tags:
Western, mystery, Gunsmoke, WilliamConrad, murdermystery, oldprospector, foolsgold, greed, deception, twistending, oldtimeradio, 1950sradio, classicwestern, betrayal, assayoffice, crime

Originally Aired: September 1, 1957

In Gunsmoke #282, “Jobe’s Son,” a broken old rancher named Jobe Harley finally sees his prayers answered when his estranged son Tad returns after four years. But the reunion is not what Jobe had hoped. Tad is bitter, brash, and proud of a life of violence and crime. As Marshal Dillon watches the young man stir up trouble around Dodge, Jobe grapples with the hardest choice of all—protecting his only child or preserving the family name. When Tad plots a reckless bank robbery, Jobe’s quiet but devastating response reshapes the meaning of justice and legacy on the frontier. A deeply emotional episode about hard choices, moral lines, and the price of fatherhood.

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

Tags:
Western, drama, family, Gunsmoke, WilliamConrad, redemption, legacy, fathersandsons, crime, bankrobbery, frontierjustice, oldtimeradio, 1950sradio, morality, tragedy, loyalty, classicwestern, namesake

Originally Aired: August 25, 1957

In Gunsmoke #281, “Grass,” Matt Dillon encounters Harry Pope, a skittish Easterner trying to start a quiet life on the prairie. But Pope’s isolation and fear of Indians are not all in his head—he’s the target of cruel harassment by local cowhands Joe Carter and Earl Brant. When Pope defends himself one night with deadly results, Marshal Dillon finds himself weighing the difference between a frightened man’s self-defense and cold-blooded murder. As tensions boil and frontier justice looms, the truth behind the torment reveals a bitter commentary on cowardice, cruelty, and what it really means to be brave in the Wild West.

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

Tags:
Western, drama, frontierjustice, Gunsmoke, WilliamConrad, sodbuster, prairie, mistakenidentity, selfdefense, vigilantejustice, 1950sradio, classicwestern, oldtimeradio, mentalhealth, loneliness, moralconflict, grass

Originally Aired: August 18, 1957

In Gunsmoke #280, “The Peace Officer,” U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon rides to Tascosa to help replace a corrupt sheriff, only to find himself the target of a deadly ambush. Along the way, he encounters Stella Harkney, a saloon girl desperate to escape the clutches of Clegg Rollins—the very man Dillon’s been sent to confront. As the two flee across the prairie, pursued by gunmen and haunted by secrets, they forge a fragile alliance. But back in Dodge, the danger hasn’t passed—and the final showdown is as personal as it is violent. A tale of justice, jealousy, and quiet heroism on the frontier.

Cast: William Conrad, Virginia Christine, Lawrence Dobkin, John Gaynor

Tags:
Western, drama, frontierjustice, WilliamConrad, StellaHarkney, Tascosa, 1950sradio, gunsmoke, oldtimeradio, corruptsheriff, saloongirl, escape, classicradio, lawandorder, westernpodcast, vintageaudio

Originally Aired: August 11, 1957

In Gunsmoke #279, “Jayhawkers,” Marshal Matt Dillon rides out with a Texas trail herd to help ease tensions between Kansans and bitter cattlemen—only to find himself embroiled in a deadly ambush by marauding Jayhawkers. When a trusted drover is murdered and suspicion falls on a newcomer named Studer, Dillon’s instincts prove true. As violence flares and tempers rise, Matt must act fast to deliver frontier justice before Dodge becomes a war zone. A rugged, character-driven tale of vengeance, law, and uneasy truces on the open range.

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

Tags:
Western, cattle drive, Gunsmoke, WilliamConrad, Jayhawkers, frontierjustice, DodgeCity, oldtimeradio, 1950sradio, ambush, betrayal, TexasvsKansas, classicdrama, suspensepodcast, vintageradio, traildrama

Originally Aired: August 4, 1957

In Gunsmoke #278, “Big Hands,” Marshal Matt Dillon encounters a murder mystery when a homesteader’s wife brings her husband’s body into Dodge, claiming he was shot by a stranger with massive shoulders. As Dillon investigates, the description leads him to Bull Logan, a drifter with a criminal past. But when the widow inexplicably denies recognizing the man, the Marshal’s suspicions grow. With the truth buried beneath loneliness and lies, Dillon must uncover a deadly pact forged in desperation. A stark, emotional tale of frontier justice, hard choices, and the burden of survival.

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

Tags:
Western, mystery, frontierjustice, Gunsmoke, WilliamConrad, BullLogan, 1950sradio, oldtimeradio, classicdrama, loneliness, betrayal, murdermystery, suspensepodcast, DodgeCity, homesteader, vintageaudio

Originally Aired: July 28, 1957

In Gunsmoke #277, “Cow Doctor,” Doc Adams is lured out to the homestead of Ben Pitcher under false pretenses—only to find he's been summoned not for a man, but to treat a cow. Doc does his duty, but the deception proves costly when his absence leads to a woman’s death back in Dodge. Enraged, Pitcher turns violent and stabs Doc, who barely survives. But when Pitcher himself falls gravely ill, it's the same Doc who risks his life again to save him. A powerful tale of stubborn pride, moral duty, and unexpected redemption on the frontier.

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

Tags:
Western, medicaldrama, WilliamConrad, HowardMcNear, forgiveness, frontier, betrayal, redemption, gunsmoke, oldtimeradio, 1950sradio, classicwestern, morality, cowdoctor, stubbornpride

Originally Aired: July 21, 1957

In Gunsmoke #276, “Kitty Caught,” a routine morning turns to horror when Kitty is taken hostage during a bank robbery by the infamous Carp brothers. With her life hanging in the balance, Marshal Dillon and Chester set out on a desperate and agonizingly cautious pursuit—knowing one wrong move could get Kitty killed. A tense standoff unfolds at a remote prairie cabin, culminating in a deadly rescue. A taut, emotionally charged episode that tests the limits of courage, patience, and marksmanship.

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

Tags:
Western, hostage, suspense, WilliamConrad, GeorgiaEllis, rescue, bankrobbery, outlaw, prairie, survival, gunsmoke, oldtimeradio, 1950sradio, classicwestern, tension, sharpshooting, frontierjustice