Synopsis
Includes:
Gunsmoke: Poor Pearl (1956)
Gunsmoke: Greater Love (1956)
Gunsmoke: Young Man With a Gun (1956)
Gunsmoke: The Round Up (1956)
Gunsmoke: How to Cure a Friend (1956)
Gunsmoke: Cholera (1956)
Gunsmoke: No Indians (1956)
Gunsmoke: Spring Term (1956)
Gunsmoke: Legal Revenge (1956)
Gunsmoke: The Mistake (1956)
Gunsmoke: Custer (1956)
Gunsmoke: Cow Doctor (1956)
Gunsmoke: Brush at Elkader (1956)
Gunsmoke: Indian White (1956)
Gunsmoke: Gone Straight (1957)
Gunsmoke: The Cover Up (1957)
Gunsmoke: Sins of the Fathers (1957)
Gunsmoke: Kick Me (1957)
Gunsmoke: Executioner (1957)
Gunsmoke: Pucket's New Year (1957)
Gunsmoke: Poor Pearl
Willie Calhoun (Denver Pyle) goes so far as to take a bath and get a haircut in his efforts to win the heart of sexy saloon girl Pearl Bender (Constance Ford). But Pearl's former boyfriend Webb Thorne (Michael Emmett) threatens to shoot Willie on sight if he shows his face. Hoping to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, Matt (James Arness) insists that Pearl choose either Willie or Webb immediately, with the "loser" agreeing to gracefully bow out. But Matt has reckoned without the conniving Pearl, who continues playing one man against the other--and pays a terrible price as a result. This episode is adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of February 19, 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Greater Love
Sick of working himself to death for next to no money, and convinced that no one appreciates him, Doc (Milburn Stone) is on the verge of leaving Dodge City forever. All this changes when Doc is kidnapped by stagecoach robbers Jed (Claude Akins) and Rod (Ray Bennett), who threaten to kill him if he can't save the life of their wounded cohort Brant. With the help of his Indian friend Tobeel (Frank DeKova), Matt (James Arness) devises a scheme to save Doc's life--possibly at the cost of his own. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of April 3, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Young Man With a Gun
Matt (James Arness) is forced to kill Sam Kertchner (Fredd Wayne), a wild-eyed outlaw who'd come to Dodge looking for trouble. Before long, Sam's 16-year-old brother Peyt (Jack Diamond) shows up in town, determined to avenge his brother's death. Matt must somehow straighten Peyt out before one of them ends up full of holes. Based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of August 23, 1954, this episode reunites actor James Arness) with director Christian Nyby, who'd previously worked with Arness in the 1951 sci-fi film classic (The Thing. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: The Round Up
It's roundup time again, and Dodge City braces itself for the annual invasion of hundreds of wild-and-wooly cowboys, all looking for girls, whiskey and trouble. Most of the local merchants demand that Matt (James Arness) provide extra protection agains the rampaging cowpokes; the one exception is crooked saloon owner Ray Torp (Jacques Aubuchon), who expects to rake in a fortune. In his efforts to mollify the merchants and still allow the cowboys to let off steam, Matt makes a fatal blunder that costs the life of one of his closest friends. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of February 14, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: How to Cure a Friend
Gambler Nick Search (Andrew Duggan), a onetime friend of Matt Dillon (James Arness) rides into Dodge hoping to exploit Dillon's name in order to fleece the local townsfolk. It doesn't take long for Matt to realize that Nick plans to take gullible Enoch Mills (Simon Oakland) for every penny he has. Not wanting to see Nick get away with his scheme--nor to see him gunned down by Enoch--Matt conspires with saloon owner Bill Pence (Joseph Mell) to teach the gambler a hard and painful lesson. This episode is adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of January 15, 1956. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Cholera
Matt (James Arness) is caught in the middle of the violent property dispute between a family of settlers named Gabriel and a greedy rancher named McCready (Paul Fix). Things get worse when there's an outbreak of cholera at the Gabriel ranch, whereupon McCready has Doc (Milburn Stone) kidnapped so he won't be able to attend to the ailing Gabriel boy. But Mrs. Gabriel (Peg Hillias) manages to wreak vengeance upon McCready in a most unpleasant fashion. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of December 4, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: No Indians
When an entire family is slaughtered in an open field, it appears to be the work of Pawnee renegades. But as Matt (James Arness) and Chester (Dennis Weaver) prepare to set themselves up as decoys to flush out the killers, some new bits of evidence suggest that the real culprits are a vicious gang of white outlaws. A grim "souvenir" is the key to solving the mystery in this stark, uncompromising episode, adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of August 2, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Spring Term
One of Dodge's finest citizens is shot down in cold blood on Front Street. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) soon discovers that he himself was the intended target, and that the killing was masterminded by an old enemy. But as the story unfolds, it turns out that there's a third man involved in the conspiracy. One of several episodes directed by frequent John Wayne collaborator Andrew McLaglen, "Spring Term" is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of June 13, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Legal Revenge
Doc (Milburn Stone) comes upon a remote prairie cabin occupied by a hostile, reclusive woman named Florie (Cloris Leachman) and a bedridden man (Philip Bourneauf) whom Doc presumes is Florie's husband. It soon develops that the invalid is holding a gun on Florie, intending to kill her--or is he trying to prevent her from killing him? Matt (James Arness) doesn't figure out the truth of the situation until one of the two strangers ends up dead. This starkly dramatic episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of February 5, 1956. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: The Mistake
Faro dealer Earl Haney (Gene O'Donnell) is shot and killed by an unknown assailant, described as a man "in a red shirt with curly black hair." Now Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) must leave Dodge City unprotected as he tracks down the most likely suspect, Jim Bostick (played by future Mannix star Mike Connors, still billing himself as "Touch Connors"). Ultimately Matt catches up with Bostick, who insists that he is innocent, and that Doc (Milburn Stone can provide him with an alibi. . .but Doc is nowhere to be found. Capped by a grim but satisfying denoument, this episode is adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of March 19, 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Custer
While rustling some cattle, Army deserter Joe Trimble (Brian G. Hutton) shoots and kills a rancher just outside of Dodge. Matt (James Arness) insists upon forcing Trimble to stand trial before a civilian jury, even though Major Banker (Richard Keith) demands that the killer be turned over to him for a military court-martial. Unfortunately, Trimble is found not guilty, and it looks like the killer will return to the Army without receiving any punishment at all. But there's an ironic twist at the tail end of this story, which was adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of November 23, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Cow Doctor
US Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) of Dodge City begins another year on the job as Gunsmoke launches its second TV season. On this occasion, the focus is on Doc Adams (Milburn Stone), who is summoned to the farm of Ben Pitcher (Robert H. Harris) for a "medical emergency." This confuses Adams for two reasons: the oafish Pitcher doesn't believe in medicine, and he despises Doc. Upon arrival, Adams discovers that his "patient" is a sick cow--and when he returns to Dodge, he is told that a human patient has died during his absence. This episode is adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of May 28, 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Brush at Elkader
The dying words of his friend Ben Williams sends Matt (James Arness) on a mission of justice to the town of Elkador. He knows that somewhere in town, Ben's killer Lou Shippen (Paul Lambert) is hiding. Trouble is, the hostile townfolk have formed a protective circle around the fugitive--and to make matters worse, Matt wouldn't know Shippen even if he saw him. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of October 23, 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Indian White
One of a group of captives rescued from the Cheyenne by the Cavalry is a 12-year-old white boy who has been raised as an Indian. Mary Cullen (Marian White) insists that the boy is her own son Dennis, kidnapped from her family in infancy. Despite the combined efforts of Mrs. Cullen and Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), there's a strong possibility that the boy will ultimately choose to continue living with the Cheyenne rather than accept is "proper" place in white society. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of September 24, 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Gone Straight
Matt (James Arness) has reason to believe that fugitive outlaw Jim Glass, former accomplice of Billy the Kid, is living in Tescosa under the name of Nate Timble. Investigating, Matt can't help but notice that the mild-mannered Trimble (Carl Betz) spends most of his time trying to rehabilitate a derelict cowboy. Just what exactly is Nate's game--assuming that it is a game? This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of August 22, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: The Cover Up
Matt (James Arness) sustains a minor wound during a violent quarrel between Zack Ritter (Theodore Marcuse) and his old enemy Hoffer (Ray Engel). Later, Ritter is found shot, and Hoffer is fingered as the culprit--just before he too is felled by a bullet. With his dying breath, Hoffer insists that he didn't shoot Ritter, and that the guilty man is Sam Baxton (Tyler McVey). Matt has no choice but to place Baxton under arrest. . .but the killings continue unabated. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke) radio broadcast of June 12, 1956. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Sins of the Fathers
A young, brunette Angie Dickinson appears in this episode as Rose, the daughter of an Arapaho Indian chief and the new wife of rowdy frontiersman Big Dan Daggit (Peter Whitney). Appalled that Big Dan has married a "squaw", hotel owner Dobie (Gage Clarke) manages to stir up hatred against the Daggits. When later on Rose is kidnapped and beaten by a pair of young punks, Big Dan holds Dobie responsible. Hoping to avoid any further violence, Matt and Chester tell Big Dan that they'll handle the punishment of Rose's assaulters--but it is Rose herself who metes out retribution. This episode is adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of January 22, 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Kick Me
After killing his partner Harry Bent (Paul Lambert), outlaw Fred Myers (Robert H. Harris) and his wife Jennifer (Julie Van Zandt) abscond with their stolen loot and set up a "legitimate" business in Dodge City. But if Fred thinks he's out of danger, he hasn't taken into consideration Harry's good friend Tobeel (Frank DeKova), a solemn-faced Indian who persistently dogs the Myers' trail. When another murder occurs, Tobeel is accused of the crime--but Matt (James Arness) uses his own knowledge of Indian traditons to trap the genuine killer. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of November 28, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Executioner
Tom Clegg (Liam Sullivan) provokes Abe Curry (Robert Keys) into a gunfight, shoots him down, and claims self defense. Abe's brother Morgan (Michael Hinn) wants Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) to punish Clegg, but Matt can do nothing: after all, Abe drew first. So Morgan devises his own special revenge against Clegg--using no other weapon than his unforgiving eyes. A tension-filled foray into psychological terror, "The Enforcer" is adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of April 15, 1956 ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Gunsmoke: Pucket's New Year
Left to die by his greedy partner Jed Lamer (Grant Withers) in the wintry plains outside Dodge City, elderly buffalo hunter Ira Puckett (Edgar Stehli) manages to survive the ordeal thanks to Doc (Milburn Stone). Unfortunately, Ira's legs have been permanently damaged by the below-zero weather and he is unable to find work. Matt (James Arness) is sympathetic, but he can do little to help Ira, nor has he any legal grounds to arrest Lamer. A happy ending may not be in the cards for old Ira in this melancholy episode, adapted from the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of January 1, 1956. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
