by OTR.FM Network
<p>Welcome to <strong>Gunsmoke: Old West Stories</strong>, a podcast that takes you back to the rugged plains of 1870s Dodge City, Kansas. Rediscover the timeless tales of bravery, justice, and survival in the American frontier with our re-broadcasts of the classic <strong>Gunsmoke</strong> radio program.</p> <p>First airing on April 26, 1952, <strong>Gunsmoke</strong> was celebrated as the first adult western radio show, renowned for its superb storytelling and exceptional production quality. Join Marshal Matt Dillon, portrayed by the incomparable William Conrad, as he faces the challenges of maintaining law and order in a tumultuous town. Alongside him are unforgettable characters like Chester Proudfoot (Parley Baer), the steadfast deputy; Kitty (Georgia Ellis), the resilient saloon owner; and Doc Adams (Howard McNear), the town’s compassionate physician.</p> <p>What sets <strong>Gunsmoke</strong> apart is not just its stellar cast and engaging plots but the immersive sound effects that bring each scene to life. Every gunshot, horse gallop, and whisper of the wind transports you directly to the heart of the Old West.</p> <p>Whether you're a longtime fan or a new listener, <strong>Gunsmoke: Old West Stories</strong> promises to deliver gripping adventures and a nostalgic journey through one of radio’s most iconic series. Tune in and let the legends of Dodge City captivate your imagination.</p>
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🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/26/1952
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April 15, 2025
<p class="p1"><strong>Originally Aired</strong><span class="s1">: May 14, 1955</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong>Robber Bridegroom: The Man Who Took Her Twice<br></strong><br>In this sweeping tale of abduction, deception, and unexpected love, Gunsmoke delivers one of its most memorable emotional rollercoasters. When Marshal Matt Dillon learns that a stagecoach carrying $50,000 in gold has been held up—and a young woman taken along with it—he wastes no time tracking the outlaw across the vast Kansas plains.</p> <p class="p1">The woman is Laura, the reluctant fiancée of wealthy and arrogant businessman Franklin J. Reeves. Though Reeves plays the part of the desperate groom-to-be, Matt quickly senses something off about him. As the trail grows cold, it becomes clear that Laura’s disappearance may not just be about stolen gold—but about freedom stolen long before.</p> <p class="p1">Eventually, Matt catches up to the outlaw: Jack Fitch, a rough-edged but principled man who surprises everyone by returning both Laura and the gold. And when the truth comes out—that Reeves blackmailed Laura’s father into promising her hand—Matt begins to understand why Laura may not have fought too hard to get away.</p> <p class="p1">In a final twist, Fitch agrees to stand trial for the robbery—but not before he and Laura marry, ensuring she can’t be forced to testify. Whether born from outlaw boldness or genuine love, it’s a union that leaves Matt Dillon unsure whether he’s helped deliver justice—or simply made room for a second chance.</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Keywords</strong></span>: “Gunsmoke Robber Bridegroom episode,” “Matt Dillon stagecoach robbery,” “Franklin Reeves and Laura,” “Jack Fitch and forced marriage,” “May 1955 Gunsmoke radio,” “John Meston Western drama,” “marshal helps outlaw romance.”</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Cast</strong></span>: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Lawrence Dobkin (Franklin Reeves), Gene Bates (Laura), Frank Gerstle (Jim Buck), Harry Bartell (Jack Fitch), Clayton Post.</p>
April 14, 2025
<p class="" data-start="56" data-end="91"><strong data-start="56" data-end="76">Originally Aired</strong>: May 7, 1955</p> <p class="" data-start="93" data-end="132"><strong data-start="93" data-end="130">Potato Road: A Harvest of Madness</strong></p> <p class="" data-start="134" data-end="344">In one of the grimmest and most psychologically chilling episodes of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester find themselves trapped in a dusty patch of prairie where logic, law, and sanity are long gone.</p> <p class="" data-start="346" data-end="653">When a peculiar young man named Budge Griff shows up in Dodge, he calmly announces that his father has killed a stranger and needs to be arrested. But when Matt and Chester accompany him to his family’s remote sod hut, they find no body—only a twisted household ruled by cruelty, delusion, and starvation.</p> <p class="" data-start="655" data-end="1029">The Griff homestead is a place of rot and decay. Budge’s mother is oddly cheerful yet utterly detached from reality. His father, Pa Groke, is a deranged would-be outlaw who boasts of a plan to rob the Dodge City bank—and execute Matt and Chester in the process. The two lawmen are taken prisoner, locked in a dark, moldy potato cellar with nothing to eat but rotten peels.</p> <p class="" data-start="1031" data-end="1343">When Groke's own son unexpectedly kills a neighbor, tensions explode. But it's not until Budge brings Matt and Chester a meager pot of scraps that the tide turns. The lawmen overpower him and use him as leverage—only for Groke to coldly shoot his son, proving that even family means nothing in his warped mind.</p> <p class="" data-start="1345" data-end="1675">In the end, it's Chester who saves the day with a well-thrown rock, but not before the family's dreams of blood and robbery have fully unraveled. And when Ma Groke emerges with a shovel to bury Budge, we learn the tragic truth: Budge wasn't Groke's son at all—just another casualty in a life crushed by poverty, fear, and abuse.</p> <p class="" data-start="1677" data-end="1813">Potato Road is a bleak yet powerful portrait of frontier madness, painted with unforgettable performances and a haunting final line.</p> <p class="" data-start="1815" data-end="2049"><strong data-start="1815" data-end="1827">Keywords</strong>: "Gunsmoke Potato Road episode," "May 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon bank robbery plan," "Budge Griff homestead trap," "Marshal Dillon prisoner episode," "Pa Groke outlaw story," "John Meston psychological Western."</p> <p class="" data-start="2051" data-end="2230"><strong data-start="2051" data-end="2059">Cast</strong>: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Virginia Gregg (Ma Groke), Vic Perrin (Budge Griff), with supporting performances by the Gunsmoke radio company.</p>
April 8, 2025
<p class="" data-start="0" data-end="59"><strong data-start="0" data-end="17">Episode Title</strong>: Reward for Matt: A Bounty on the Badge</p> <p class="" data-start="61" data-end="99"><strong data-start="61" data-end="81">Originally Aired</strong>: April 30, 1955</p> <p class="" data-start="101" data-end="145"><strong data-start="101" data-end="143">Reward for Matt: A Bounty on the Badge</strong></p> <p class="" data-start="147" data-end="543">In one of the most harrowing and emotional episodes of Gunsmoke, Marshal Matt Dillon becomes the target of a deadly manhunt—not by outlaws, but by ordinary people desperate for cash. After Matt kills rancher Mel Hornby in self-defense, Hornby’s bitter widow swears revenge. Fueled by hatred and pride, she offers a $1,000 reward to anyone who can prove Matt Dillon is dead—no questions asked.</p> <p class="" data-start="545" data-end="837">Word spreads quickly. Posters go up around Dodge. And as Matt continues his duties, he’s forced to look over his shoulder every moment. Drifters, cowhands, even kids start watching him with dangerous curiosity. One of them—a desperate, dirt-poor boy of fifteen—takes a shot and dies trying.</p> <p class="" data-start="839" data-end="1199">Haunted by the boy’s death, Matt confronts Mrs. Hornby, only to be met with cold indifference. But as the blood continues to spill, something begins to shift. The breaking point comes when the boy’s grieving mother arrives—Mrs. Reeves—revealing that her son only did it to survive. Her husband was Jake Reeves, the same man Hornby had murdered weeks earlier.</p> <p class="" data-start="1201" data-end="1373">In a rare moment of humility, Mrs. Hornby sees the human cost of her vendetta. She quietly withdraws the reward and walks away, leaving Matt to face the town—and himself.</p> <p class="" data-start="1375" data-end="1542">A gripping tale of guilt, vengeance, and the burden of justice, Reward for Matt stands as a powerful meditation on what happens when the lawman becomes the hunted.</p> <p class="" data-start="1544" data-end="1780"><strong data-start="1544" data-end="1556">Keywords</strong>: "Gunsmoke Reward for Matt episode," "April 1955 Gunsmoke radio," "Matt Dillon bounty on his head," "Mrs. Hornby revenge plot," "fifteen-year-old bounty hunter," "Jake Reeves murder connection," "John Meston radio drama."</p> <p class="" data-start="1782" data-end="1970"><strong data-start="1782" data-end="1790">Cast</strong>: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Howard McNear (Doc), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Jeanette Nolan (Mrs. Hornby), Sam Edwards (the boy), Helen Kleeb (Mrs. Reeves).</p>
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