Old Time Radio Westerns

Episode: Cooter (Frank Cady) {reused script} | Gunsmoke (04-16-61)
Podcast Host: Andrew Rhynes
Date: November 2, 2025

Overview

This episode of the Old Time Radio Westerns podcast showcases a digitally restored classic episode of Gunsmoke titled "Cooter." The story revolves around US Marshal Matt Dillon’s efforts to uphold law and order in Dodge City, centering on a deadly con involving a crooked gambler, a hired gun, and the town’s simple-minded but well-meaning resident, Cooter Smith. Through dual layers of manipulation and moral ambiguity, the episode explores the perils of dishonesty, the exploitation of the vulnerable, and the often-bleak justice of the Old West.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Highlights

1. A Killing in Dodge City (03:22 – 06:04)

• Marshal Matt Dillon returns to Dodge and learns from Chester about a killing the past night: a “wandering cowboy” is shot dead.

• Chester mentions the killing was by a man named Pate, with a new gambler, Ben Sissel, as witness.

• Kitty clarifies: The victim drew his gun first, but was not aiming at Pate – he was after Sissel. Pate killed the cowboy, ostensibly in self-defense, but the circumstances seem orchestrated.

  "He wasn't after Pate. He was after Ben Sissel." – Kitty (05:21)
  "He's pretty handy with a gun, is he? … Too handy for an ordinary man, Matt." – Matt & Kitty (05:51–05:53)

• Dillon recognizes the pattern: Sissel uses a gunman (Pate) to protect him when caught cheating.

2. Confronting Sissel & Pate (06:11 – 12:25)

• Dillon interrogates Sissel, who denies wrongdoing and claims not to know Pate’s whereabouts.

• Accompanied by Chester and Sissel, Dillon goes to Pate’s room. Sissel and Pate try to maintain innocence.

• Matt confronts Pate unarmed, forces him to strap on his gun, then orders him out of Dodge.

  "What kind of gunman are you, Pate? You afraid of him? The kind of gunman that can be hired isn't the kind that's gonna take any real chances." – Matt Dillon (11:28–11:48)

• Sissel is warned, "You won't find any gunman here who'll hire out to you now, Sissel, so you might as well learn to deal straight." (12:02)

3. A New Plot: Cooter Smith Draws a Gun (13:00 – 16:02)

• With Pate gone, Sissel appears to be staying honest, but Doc warns: “A man like Ben Sissel doesn’t change... He’s a crook, and he’ll always be one. He’s worse than a crook. He’s practically a murderer.” (13:00–13:07)

• Chester spots the harmless Cooter Smith openly wearing a gun, which alarms the lawmen.

• Upon investigation, Cooter reveals Sissel paid him to wear it, promising to explain his “job” later.

  "The fella that gave me this gun, he hired me for an awful lot of money, he said."

  "Who was that?"
  "Ben something. Ben Sissel." – Cooter & Matt Dillon (15:06–15:14)

• Dillon suspects Sissel is plotting something manipulative and dangerous.

4. The Setup at the Long Branch (17:44 – 20:25)

• Matt watches Sissel and Cooter at the saloon. Sissel has convinced Cooter he must draw on Matt (the Marshal).

• Sissel’s plan is clear: push Cooter to provoke Matt into a gunfight, giving Sissel the chance to shoot Matt from the side and claim self-defense.

• During the confrontation, Cooter is scared and slow; Matt demonstrates he's no match and Sissel’s double-cross becomes apparent.

  "What you planned was to make me kill him. It wouldn’t look so good for me to kill a man like Cooter, would it? Nobody would stand for that. They’d laugh me right out of town. That’s what you were figuring on, wasn’t it?" – Matt Dillon (20:19)*

• The plot fails, and Matt gives Sissel an ultimatum: leave Dodge within the hour.

5. Tragedy in the Stable (21:11 – 23:16)

• As Sissel prepares to leave, Cooter confronts and kills him, feeling humiliated by Sissel’s manipulation.

• Despite Matt’s earlier warnings, the vulnerable Cooter is pushed beyond his breaking point.

  "He lied to me. He made a fool out of me." – Cooter (22:25)

• Matt comforts Cooter, recognizing his innocence and the real villainy was Sissel’s exploitation of him.

  "I know that. Now, just calm down. I’m not gonna hurt you." – Matt to Cooter (22:44)

6. Aftermath and Reflection (23:03 – 23:18)

• Chester asks if Matt will chase Cooter, but Matt hesitates, not wanting to traumatize him further:

  “Scare him even worse? It’s bad enough now… Done enough to Cooter for one day.” – Matt Dillon (23:03)

• The episode ends on a somber note: sometimes the pursuit of justice in the West leaves only unsatisfying options.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Justice & Reputation:
  "What you planned was to make me kill him. It wouldn’t look so good for me to kill a man like Cooter, would it? Nobody would stand for that. They’d laugh me right out of town." – Matt Dillon (20:19)

• On the Tragedy of Manipulation:
  "He lied to me. He made a fool out of me." – Cooter Smith (22:25)

• On Law in the Old West:
  "It’s a chancy job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely." – Matt Dillon (02:16)

• Doc’s Insight on Sissel:
  "A man like Ben Sissel doesn’t change, Matt. He’s a crook, and he’ll always be one." – Doc (13:00)

Key Timestamps

• 03:22: Chester recounts the prior night’s killing
• 05:21: Kitty reveals the cowboy wasn’t drawing on Pate
• 06:41–12:25: Dillon confronts Sissel and Pate; Pate is run out of town
• 13:00–15:39: Concern over Cooter’s sudden gun-toting, Sissel’s new scheme
• 17:44–20:25: The confrontation at the Long Branch; Sissel’s setup fails
• 21:11–23:16: Sissel is killed by Cooter; Matt handles the aftermath

Tone & Atmosphere

• The language is classic Gunsmoke: spare, hard-boiled, and authentic to the genre.
• The tone is tense and somber, with moments of humor (courtesy of Chester and Doc) and a deep, underlying sadness about justice and the fates of the weak or innocent.

Summary

This Gunsmoke episode is a powerful exploration of justice, moral gray zones, and manipulation in the Old West. Marshal Dillon’s wisdom, Kitty’s realism, and Doc’s fatalism provide a sharp contrast to the cruelty and cowardice of Ben Sissel. The heart of the story, however, is Cooter Smith: the kind of vulnerable soul the frontier often chews up. In the end, the law doesn't solve everything, and even intended justice can leave pain in its wake.

Listeners are treated to a meticulously restored audio drama—one that preserves the grit, tragedy, and stark humanity that made Gunsmoke a legend.