The Big Con {reused script} | Gunsmoke (11-13-60)

Summary

Gunsmoke: “The Big Con” (Aired 11-13-60)

Podcast: OTRWesterns.com
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Episode Date: August 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this classic episode of Gunsmoke, “The Big Con,” Marshal Matt Dillon faces one of Dodge City’s most elaborate schemes, blending high-stakes poker, bank fraud, and a tragic fallout. What begins as an odd bank loan request unravels into a deftly executed con that shakes the foundations of the local community. The story explores trust, the lure of easy money, and the devastating consequences of misplaced faith.

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Major Discussion & Story Points

1. A Curious Bank Request (04:15)

• The morning opens at the Dodge City bank, where the typically level-headed banker, Mr. Papp, is approached by the anxious gambler Hook, accompanied by two other men (Shaneways and Varden).

• Hook requests a $20,000 loan from the bank, offering a sealed envelope as collateral, which he insists contains an unbeatable poker hand.

• Papp is lured by the prospect of an “easy” payout (10% interest) and the apparent certainty of Hook’s victory.

  MR. PAPP (06:24):
  “...that man Hook there has four aces and a ten in his hand. It’s a sure thing. Why, the bank stands to make $2,000 on this loan.”

• Marshal Dillon expresses skepticism, warning Papp about risking other people’s money on a card game.

2. The Con Unfolds (07:38)

• At the Lady Gay saloon, the poker game’s pot is “called” with Papp’s $20,000. Hook reveals his hand—four aces and a ten—only to lose to Shaneways, who miraculously holds a straight flush.

• There is immediate suspicion, but Papp, devastated, clings to Hook’s empty promise that the money will be wired in from St. Louis.

  HOOK (09:43):
  “You have my word as a Confederate gentleman... I’ll send for it today, sir... My word is a gentleman, sir, but you must be patient.”

• Marshal Dillon instructs everyone to stay silent about the loss, knowing the town’s confidence in the bank could be shattered.

3. Investigation and Familiar Faces (11:02)

• Doc is called in to calm a distraught Papp. When Doc sees Hook, he struggles to place him, recalling a similar con years ago in New Orleans.

  DOC (11:57):
  “I heard of that once down in New Orleans years ago. What happened? The same thing. Fellow got the money and lost it, that’s all.”

4. Desperation and Tragedy (15:45)

• Despite Marshal Dillon’s efforts, the pressure overwhelms Papp, who later takes his own life.

• The gravity of Papp’s suicide is deeply felt; Doc grimly reports the news to Dillon and Chester.

  DOC (17:14):
  “Yeah, Matt, he killed himself.”

  KITTY (17:44):
  “Oh, that poor man.”

• Meanwhile, Hook maintains a cold detachment from the tragedy his con has caused.

5. Marshal's Unorthodox Tactics (14:37)

• Suspicious, Dillon decides to have photographs taken of Hook and his associates as a deterrent to flight, knowing it will help identify them if they try to skip town.

  SHANEWAYS (16:28):
  “This is outrageous. I’m not going to stand...” HOOK (16:35):
  “I agree the Marshal’s being a little high handed, but... since we’ve done nothing wrong, we have nothing to fear.”

6. Doc Is Kidnapped, The Chase Begins (20:53)

• The next day, a ransom note reveals that the con men have kidnapped Doc, threatening to kill him if pursued.
• After investigating, Dillon and Chester discover the men rented horses late at night and are likely heading for St. Louis.

7. Showdown on the Prairie (22:45 – 28:00)

• Dillon and Chester track them to their poorly concealed camp. Dillon sneaks in, with Doc’s help, subdues Hook and frees Doc before the others return.

• The Marshal wisely lets hunger and fear do the rest for the remaining outlaws, planning to capture them when their fight wanes.

  DOC (27:17):
  “If I weren’t a professional man, I’d punch you right in the eye.”

8. Resolution (28:00)

• With Hook captured, Doc rescued, and the bank’s money reclaimed, Dillon anticipates rounding up the remaining con men. Chester, eager for dignity, requests to bring them in alone next time—a rare light moment after so much tension.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Unbeatable Hands and Bank Loans:

  (Mr. Papp, 06:24) “That man Hook there has four aces and a ten in his hand. It’s a sure thing.”

• On Responsibility:

  (Dillon, 15:32) “You run the bank, Mr. Papp. But are you sure that you ought to take a gamble with other people’s money this way?”

• On the Cost of Shame:

  (Doc, 17:14) “Yeah, Matt, he killed himself.”

• Marshal’s Quiet Anger:

  (Dillon to Hook, 18:22) “And, Hook, it still goes about not leaving town. I like it here.”

• Doc’s Bravery and Wit:

  (Doc, 27:17) “If I weren’t a professional man, I’d punch you right in the eye.”

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Key Timestamps

• 04:15 — Hook requests the bank loan with poker hand as collateral
• 07:38 — Poker game, the reveal, and Papp’s devastating loss
• 11:02 — Doc’s suspicions, recalling New Orleans
• 15:45 — Papp’s despair and instructions for discretion
• 17:14 — Doc reports Papp’s suicide
• 18:22 — Dillon warns Hook not to leave
• 20:53 — Discovery of Doc’s kidnapping and ransom note
• 22:45–28:00 — The prairie showdown, Doc’s rescue, and Hook’s capture

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Tone & Style

The episode blends the taut tension of noir with the moral grit of a Western. Dialogue is snappy and direct, laced with dry humor and grim irony, especially from Chester and Doc. Marshal Dillon’s calm but relentless pursuit of justice underpins the narrative, while supporting characters underscore themes of trust, greed, and the devastating ripple effects of moral compromise.

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In Summary

"The Big Con" serves as both a classic con game tale and a deeper meditation on trust and accountability in a developing community. Even heroes, like Marshal Dillon, are left with the bittersweet reality that justice can come too late to undo certain tragedies—but still must be served.

For Gunsmoke fans and new listeners alike, this episode is a stellar showcase of why the series set the standard for Western storytelling.

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(Ad, intro, and outro sections have been omitted.)

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[C]

Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host Andrew Rines, and I'm excited to bring you another episode absolutely free. This is one of over 80 episodes released monthly for your enjoyment. Now let's get into this episode.

[D]

Around Dodge City and in the territory on west, there's just one way to.

[B]

Handle the killers and the spoilers, and.

[D]

That'S with a U.S. marshal and the.

[B]

Smell of Gun Smoke, starring William Conrad. The story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man who moved with it. I'm that man. Matt Dillon, United States Marshal, the first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a chancy job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.

[D]

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[B]

I just don't understand why you couldn't sleep, Mr. John. Unless you had the colic or something. I feel fine, sir. Just got a few things to take care of at the bank, that's all. But the bank's open all day. It's the early birds that catches the worm, they said. Well, my mommy used to tell us that one about being healthy, wealthy and wise. And she used to rot us out of bed. Every morning at daylight on count of. That's a good saying, too. I don't know what become of my brothers, but I sure ain't living in a very big house. Maybe you ought to come in here more often. I've got no business with the bank, Mr. John. Good morning, Mr. Hogg. Good morning, Chester. Good morning, Marshal Dillon. Morning, Mr. Hogg. I'll be over there in a minute as soon as I straighten this stuff out here. Morning, Marshal. Oh, good morning, Mr. Papp. You taking money out, Marshall, or putting it in? Neither, Mr. Pap. This is government business. Cashier. I haven't a minute to lose. Certainly, sir. What can I do for you? I want a loan of money immediately. Let him. Say, fellow's pretty excited, ain't he? Well, let's do what we can, sir. First of all, how much do you want? $20,000. $20,000, Mr. Pat. Right away. Excuse me, Marshall. Gentlemen, this is our president. You left to talk with him. I heard you say $20,000. Gentlemen. Now that's a lot of money. What do you have for collateral? My collateral is right here in this envelope. You may look at it, but don't reveal it to these other gentlemen. These are playing cards. Don't name them. I'm afraid I don't understand. Look, I've been in a poker game at the Lady Gay all night. Right now there's about $40,000 in that pot. There's some good hands out. And I put every cent I have into it already. Now they Give me just 20 minutes to come up with more money. Well, I Certainly wish you luck, sir. But I never heard you've seen my hand in that envelope. You can lend me the money on that. Surely you don't expect the bank to enter a gambling game. These gentlemen are also in the game. They came along to see that those cost. And the other men are watching the table in the back room at the Lady Gay. It's all fair and square, I assure you. Well, gentlemen, I'll gladly pay you 10% interest. Mister, you've only got five minutes left. Hook. Come along, gentlemen. We step into my office. Marshall, I'd like to see you before you go. Yeah, sure. Boy, now that's about the craziest thing I ever did here. Well, I must have a pretty good hand. I know, but you don't think Mr. Papp's gonna lend him no $20,000 on it? I doubt it, Chester. There, let's take care of this stuff. Ah, it's government business, Mr. Hogg. You know what to do with it? Certainly, Marshall. Good. Now, let's see here. Marshall. Marshall. Marshall, I want you to come with me. What? These gentlemen, There's a poker game. I've got the money here. I think you'd better come along just to be safe. You mean you gave him his 20,000? Yes, of course. Come over here, Marshall. I'll tell you, Marshall, that man Hook there has four aces and a ten in his hand. It's a sure thing. Why, the bank stands to make $2,000 on this loan. And it won't take but a few minutes. You run the bank, Mr. Papp. But are you sure that you ought to take a gamble with other people's money this way? But I can't lose. There's another chance in the minion. I want you to protect this money till I get it back here. All right? I don't see nobody takes it at the point of a gun. If you think that'll help, come along then. Cook's only got a few minutes to get back in the game. All right, Mr. Shane wares. There's my money I'm calling. You must have pretty good hand, Hook. All the trouble you've been to. You'll see it. What do you got? All blue? Five little hearts. They're no good voices. Well, look at my heart. They read 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Straight flush. Your aces lose, Hook. Poor aces. How could he have a straight flush? I got it dealt right out of the deck, Hook. Right out of the deck. Nice pot adding up. He won, Mr. Pap. I don't know what to say. $20,000. Just like that. $20,000. And it's not even my money. Now, Mr. Papp, don't you worry. I only borrowed that money. You get it back. You have my word as a Confederate gentleman. On that. Hook, please. Hook, I've got to have it back. It's not my money. I have to put it back in the bank. I'd be ruined if people find out about this. You only loaned the money. I lost it. I'll send for it today, sir. I'll wire my agents. They'll have it on the next train that leaves St. Louis. No, no, I don't think that'll happen. My word is a gentleman, sir, but you must be patient. No, I shouldn't have done it. I had no right to do it. Chester, go tell Doc I want to see him, huh? Sure. All right, listen to me, all of you. I don't want a word said about this to anybody. The bank is important to Dodge, and this could ruin it. Do you all understand? All right, then see to it, or there'll be trouble. Or all of you. Mr. Pab. Mr. Pab. Oh, Marshall, I should have listened to you. I'm ruined now. Maybe Hook's got money. I don't know. But if not, we'll figure something out. People will give you time. Oh, no, no, no, they won't. As soon as they hear about this, there won't be any bank. They won't trust it anymore. They have to. The only bank there is. What do my wife think? My children? I can't face it, Marshall. I just can't face it. You go back to the bank and tell the cashier to keep his mouth shut about this. You've got to give it time. Sure. Sure, Marshall. I'll go. I'll. Marshall, I'm sorry for that man, but he has no reason to worry. I'll send for the money once. Yeah, you do that, Huck. Send for the money now. What are your names, gentlemen? My name's Shaneways Marshall. I'm sorry for that banker, but it's nothing to do with me. I won this money fair and I'm keeping it. Certainly. Of course you are. Who are you? Mr. Gordon and I agree with Sheenways. Gambling money, spare money. Nobody's arguing about that. Just remember what I said. Don't talk about this. Oh, man, there you are. Chester said you wanted me. What's happened? I didn't hear any shooting. Everything's all right, Doug. Oh, you look familiar. Don't I know you? I haven't had the pleasure, sir. Oh, maybe Not. No, I guess not. My mistake. Never mind them, Doc. Come on with me. Doc, I want you to go over to the bank. Mr. Papp is pretty upset. See what you can do for him. Give him a bromide or something, huh? Oh, sure, yes. What's wrong with him anyway? He just lost $20,000 in a poker game. He what? He wasn't playing. He lent the money on the strength of what looked like a good hand. That man Hook came into the bank for it with the other two. Oh, he brought his cards along and raised the loan that way. What? How did you know? Well, I heard of that once down in New Orleans years ago. What happened? The same thing. Fellow got the money and lost it, that's all. You mean it was fixed between him and the others? Oh, sure it was fixed off. Well, how did they find out? Well, the fellow that borrowed the money got drunk and talked. They put him in jail, but the Ellas got away. Please, Doc. That gray haired man you thought you recognized, the name's Hook. Are you sure that you never saw him before? Oh, a lot of people look familiar at first glance, Matt. You know how it is in New Orleans. You didn't know the men who pulled the trigger on the bank, did you? Well, now, people said that they'd come down on the riverboat. I was doctor on the Tennessee Belle. I never met them. Not to my knowledge, anyway. Do you recall hearing their names? That was a long time ago, man. Look, Doc, those three back there may have pulled the same thing just now. Hook looked familiar to you now maybe he remembers you too. Well, he just said he'd never met me, man. But he could be lying. Well, sure, but I can't place him. Probably never saw him before. All right, go see what you can do for poor old pap. He's in a bad shape. Sure, man.

[D]

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[B]

Hello, Matt. Giddy. You know Mr. Hook. This is Marshall Williams. We met earlier. Yes, indeed. Like for you to come with me, Hook. What's off? Just do it, huh? Whatever you say, Marshall. I'll be back, Miss Kitty. Yeah, sure. All right, Mr. Varden. Mr. Shaneways, you're coming with me. What? What now? Is this an arrest? Now, what would I be arresting you for, Shaneways? Nothing. You got no reason. That's right. All right, come on, let's go. He decided. What's the idea of bringing us here, Marshall? Good morning, gentlemen. Where can I. Oh, hello, Marshall. Mom, these men want their pictures taken. Now wait a minute, Marshall. Can you do it right away, Mom? Yeah, I certainly can, Marshall. And General. Gentlemen, you'll be the very first to stand before my new drop. The ancient temples of Greece. It'll earn you dignity and power. What's the idea of this, Marshal? A lumiere is going to take your pictures, that's all. Front and side views both. Certainly, Marshal. Certainly. Then if you gentlemen leave, Dodge, any one of you, it'll make it a lot easier for the law to find you and bring you back wherever you go. This is outrageous. I'm not going to stand. Now. Wait for it. I agree the Marshal's being a little high handed, but after all, he must protect himself in his job. But since we've done nothing wrong, we have nothing to fear. Sure. Hook's right, Varden. I'll go first. Are you ready, Mr. Lum? Right this way, sir. And Lum. Why, yes, sir. Bring the pictures over to the office when they're finished. Yes, sir. Marshall. Well, I was a pretty good photographer, Mr. Dunn. Fellas aren't bad. Lock them up in the safe, will you? Yes, sir. You reckon this will keep him in dodge? No, not if they really get scared, it won't. They're guilty all right, ain't they, Mr. Dunn? I can't prove a thing. Trust you one way or the other. Ah, hello, Doc. Well, what's the matter, Matt? Bad news? What is it, Doc? Well, Mrs. Papp sent for me a little while ago. I just came from there. Yeah, Nat, he killed himself. Suicide? What, Pap? About an hour ago. Oh, that poor man. How's Mrs. Pap taking it? Well, not a tear so far. But I suppose she'll break down later. A neighbor woman's there with her. Does she know why he did it? Yeah. Seems he told her all about it. And then he went out and shot himself. There's no stopping it now. The story will be all over town in no time. What are you going to do now, man? I don't know, Doc. I guess I'll know. I'll buy you a drink, Kitty. Oh, gosh, I'd like it, Matt. But I just said I'd join Hook over at the table. I'd like to talk to him, too. I'll just sit with you for a few minutes, huh? It's fine with me. I don't know about him, though. I don't think he'll object. I just got time for a smoke, Hook. I didn't think you'd mind. Well, I know. You quite welcome, Marshall. Buy your drink? No, thanks. I want you to know I sent for that money today, Marshall, just as I promised. I'm afraid you're a little late. Late? Mr. Pap shot himself. He did? You mean Mr. Pap the bank? Yeah. Why, Matt. Maybe Hook will explain it. Kitty. Now, Marshall, you can't hold me responsible in any way at all. I didn't say I could, Hook. You seem kind of nervous about it. Well, naturally I'm upset. After all, the man did me a great favor. Yeah, sure, sure. Tell me something, Hook. How were you in New Orleans last? New Orleans? Why, you asked that, Marshall? I'm just curious. I've never been in New Orleans. Does that answer your question? That's good enough now. Goodbye, Kitty. I'll drop by later. Sure, Matt. And, Hook, it still goes about not leaving town. I like it here. Morgan. Yeah, you. I've been looking everywhere for you. Mr. Dylan Del Monaco, the Lady Gay. Everywhere. This is the last place to hit. What is it? Just here. Just you read this, Marshall. We're taking Doc along. If you follow us, we'll kill him. Where'd you get this, Justin? It was under the door when I opened up this morning. I run up to Doc right away and sure enough, Ms. Gong, he's gone. Come on. Now. You go check the depot and the stage line. I'll go over to the livery. Staples. All right, sir. I'll meet you back at the office. Yes, sir. The marshal. You're out early today. Not early enough. Yeah. What can I do for you? I want to know if you rented out any horses last night. Well, sure. You What? Did you rent four to anybody? Four in a bunch. Why, yeah, I sure did. They'd be back today. So they said. Who said? Or strangers to me. They paid me in paying, so they be horns. What time was this, Moss? Oh, it was late. Yeah, way after midnight. Was something wrong? Tell me once. What did they look like? Well, one was an old fella, you know, gray hair. He didn't give his name, though. I don't think I got much of a look at the other fellows. You have any idea which trail they took out of town? No, don't. One of them said something about St. Louis. That's not much help, is it? That might be. Thanks, Monster. Oh, one thing, Marshall. If you're riding after them, those horses they got are just Krobie. I didn't figure they could handle anything better than that. Hi, this is Dennis James with a long time favorite. Yes, the longtime favorites are usually the best, aren't they? And one favorite folks have relied on over the years is Kellogg's all brand. Since 1919, America's favorite natural laxative cereal. Kellogg's All Brand is the safe, gentle way to overcome irregularity caused by lack of bulk in your diet. It tastes good, too, and it never gets mushy in milk. There's only one All Brand. Kellogg's All Brand. So relieve constipation the way millions do with Kellogg's All Brand. A double L hyphen. B, R, A, N. Yes. You're so right to stay regular with Kellogg's All Brand. Try it. Okay. Okay. There was nothing to do but take a chance and ride east. Luck was with us, though, and within an hour, we cut their trail. Four horses leave a pretty fair track. And we followed it, riding hard. By dusk, we could tell by their sign that we'd nearly caught up with them. And soon after dark, we spotted their fire. These were gentlemen, maybe, but they were mighty poor hands on the prairie. We left our horses and went ahead on foot. You gonna shoot it out with us, John? No, we can't chance it, Jester. They kill Doc here. Hold up a minute. That's their horses just ahead. They sure staked them a good piece from camp. Yeah. Lie down. What do we do, Mr. Gillis? I will wait. Those men are mighty green at this game. I think we can steal their horses without any trouble at all. Just leave my foot, huh? Yeah. Now, look, Chester, when we get those horses, I want you to pick up ours and take the whole bunch out of sight. I'm gonna crawl into that tall grass just to the left of the fire there and hide until morning. Mr. Dillon, why can't I go with you? Every time we get in trouble, you ought to send me off somewhere. You always do everything alone, Chester. What do you do? As I tell you. Yes, sir. Now, you just wait till you hear gunfire. And then you ride in fast and bring all the horses. All right. Good luck. By dawn next morning, I was half burrowed into the ground and covered by blue stemmed grass more than 30ft from their camp. I could hear their talk, all right, but I couldn't see them unless they were on their feet. Shanways had already gone out after the Horses. And pretty soon he was back. Slip their ropes, that's why. Every last one of them. What are we going to do now? You and Shane Ways will go after them, that's what. I'll stay here and go, Doc, but hurry up. We got to get moving. Come on, Ward. We'll never find them. You can have this country, Doc. I don't know why you ever left that soft berth you had on a Tennessee belle. Well, I didn't have to leave it. That's more than you can say about New Orleans. Any more of that talk, you'll get your throat slashed like a fat show, Doc. Spoken like a true gentleman. A Hook or whatever your name is, Doc. If you hadn't talked so much in the first place, you wouldn't be where you are now. Ah, you're a fool, Huck. I might have seen you somewhere, but I sure couldn't connect you with that New Orleans business. Anyway, you've given yourself away now. How? Don't you know there wasn't a thing the law could do until you ran? Well, you'll be caught sure. Now then, why don't you untie my hands and I can't eat this way. You manage. I let Doc and Hook wrangle on till I figured the other two men had walked about a half a mile from camp. And then I waited until Hook had his back to me. I stood up slowly, moved quietly forward. Doc saw me almost spoiling the game, but he caught himself in time and then started another argument with Hook. I was about 15ft away when Doc suddenly kicked the coffee pot off the fire and all over Hook's leg. All right, don't move, Hook. Marshall, I'll take your gun. Come on. Easy now, Marshall, don't you. I. Get Doc's hands untied and be quick about it. Yes. Get it off. I should take it easy. That feels better. Look, if I weren't a professional man, I'd punch you right in the eye. Never mind. Doc here put his gun in your belt. Yes, I'm just mad enough I'd like to have an excuse to use Matt. Sir. What do you. Well, you'll have them back here in no time. Where have they got the money, Doc? What? In that saddle bag over there. See that yellow one? Get it, will you? Yes, sure. Hurry up. Those two heard the shop. They're heading back here. All right. Get on that horse, Doc. You, too, Hook. Quick now. There they come. See you, Mr. Dillon. Yeah, I see him go shooting at us. They're catching us from there. Come on, let's ride. We can. Going to ride off and leave them, Mac? We've got you, Doc. We've got Hook and we got the money. They'll die out there, Marshall. None of us knows how to live on this prairie. Maybe they'll learn. It's a good way. But you're murdering those men. They'll be all right for a few days, Hook. You'll all meet in prison. All right, ease up. We've left them. What are you going to do about them? They're full of fight right now. That's all I want. A cap to kill him, to take them. But in a few days, they'll be so hungry and scared, we can walk right up to him. Nobody will get hurt that way. Neither them nor us. Mr. Dillon. Yeah, what is it, Chester? Mr. Dillon? Later. In a couple of days. Let me come back and bring him in. It's just me this time, Chester. Oh, please. Okay, Chester. You can do it alone. Thank you. All right, Hook. Ride a little faster there. We ain't got all day.

[D]

Got a light, buddy? It'll cost you only $70 million. Americans have some 180,000 lights at the wrong time and place. Each year, each one flares into a torch, costing the country miles of magnificent forests. That means millions of board feet of valuable timber burned. Wildlife, fish, game, birds cruelly destroyed. Soil erosion started. Watersheds crippled, crippling, in turn, communities and industries that depend on them for pure water, power and light. Homes are leveled. Lives are lost, a waste. The word is hardly adequate. And who think 9 out of 10 of these fires are caused by human carelessness? Resolve that your carelessness won't fire the forests this year. Crush out cigarettes, break matches in two. After using them, drown campfires, stir the ashes, then douse them again for good luck. It'll be your good luck as an American if we can cut down the forest fire toll this year. Gun Smoke, produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald's, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. marshal. Oh, he was specially written for Gunsmoke by John Master. Featured in the cast were Harry Bartel, Ralph Moody, Jesser Patrick, Vic Parron and Jack Mo Harley. There is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Skitt. This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents another story on Gun mode.

[C]

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