Originally Aired: October 27, 1957

In Gunsmoke #290, “Man and Boy,” a headstrong young deputy from California rides into Dodge determined to prove himself. Cryley Tobin is barely two months into the job, but he’s already hunting a seasoned killer—Jess Ricker—on charges of robbery and murder. Proud, defensive, and eager to show he doesn’t need help, Tobin refuses Marshal Matt Dillon’s offer to serve the warrant together.

When Tobin confronts Ricker alone, he’s brutally outmatched and humiliated. Instead of backing down, the wounded young lawman lets pride push him into a dawn showdown in the street. As Dodge gathers to watch what seems certain to be a fatal mistake, Matt must decide whether to let a stubborn boy learn a deadly lesson—or step in and teach him what being a lawman truly means.

A tense, character-driven episode about pride, responsibility, and the hard line between proving yourself and throwing your life away.

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

Tags:

western, frontierjustice, lawman, showdown, pride, stubbornness, MattDillon, JessRicker, CryleyTobin, DodgeCity, comingofage, gunfight, moraldrama, 1950sradio, classicwestern, radioWestern, oldtimeradio