Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke was a long-running old-time radio and television Western drama program set in Dodge City, Kansas during the settlement of the American West. The radio show first aired on April 26, 1952 and ran until June 18, 1961 on the CBS radio network. The series starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Deputy Chester Proudfoot. Doc’s first name and Chester’s last name were changed for the television program. Gunsmoke was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest old time radio shows. Some listeners have argued that the radio version of Gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program. Episodes were aimed at adults, and featured some of the most explicit content of the day: there were violent crimes and scalpings, massacres and opium addicts. Miss Kitty’s occupation as a prostitute was made far more obvious on the radio version than on television. Many episodes ended on a down-note, and villains often got away with their crimes.

Episode Guide:

1. Mark Dillon Goes To Gough Eye (starring Rye Billsbury)
2. Mark Dillon Goes To Gough Eye (starring Howard Culver)
3. Billy the Kid
4. Jaliscoe
5. Ben Slade’s Saloon
6. Carmen
7. The Boughten Bride
8. Doc Holiday
9. Gentleman’s Disagreement
10. Renegade White
11. The Kentucky Tolmans
12. The Lynching
13. Shakespeare
14. The Juniper Tree
15. The Brothers
16. Home Surgery
17. Drop Dead
18. The Railroad (rehearsal)
19. Cain
20. Hinka-Do
21. Tara
22. The Square Triangle
23. Fingered
24. Kitty
25. I Don’t Know
26. Post Martin
27. X-mas Story
28. The Cabin
29. Westbound
30. Word of Honor