Old Time Radio Westerns – Gunsmoke: "Devil’s Hindmost"

Host: Andrew Rhynes | Original Air Date: January 6, 1957 | Episode Date: February 1, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the Old Time Radio Westerns features a digitally restored broadcast of the classic Gunsmoke radio drama, "Devil’s Hindmost." In this compelling tale set in Dodge City, Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself at the center of a tragic domestic conflict when Buck Webber, a troubled farmer, spirals into jealousy and rage after his wife, Rancy, leaves him and begins working at a saloon. Themes of pride, kindness, alienation, and the destructive consequences of unchecked anger drive this tense and ultimately tragic story.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Chester’s Literary Musings and Human Nature

• [05:02] Chester (Buck Webber) reflects on human nature after reading Shakespeare at Doc’s suggestion. He marvels at the timelessness of human flaws:
  • “He sure does call the turn on the way people act. The things going on over there in Europe...it’s just the same as what folks are doing here in Dodge.”
  • This conversation sets up the episode’s meditation on the unchanging nature of human passions and frailty.

2. Buck’s Jealousy and Rancy’s Departure

• [05:45 – 08:38]
  • Buck is thrown out of the Long Branch Saloon, seeking confrontation with his wife Rancy, who has left him and started working there.
  • Buck’s resentment and denial:
    • “She meant it, Marshall. And I ain’t even to let her do it.” [06:08]
    • “With that tin horn gambler hanging around her, she won’t. I’m going back there and kill that no good.” [07:09]
  • Matt intervenes, choosing to temporarily jail Buck to prevent violence.

3. Insights from Kitty and Rancy

• [10:29 – 13:37]
  • Matt visits the Long Branch, confiding in saloon owner Kitty about the situation.
  • Kitty describes Rancy’s difficult marriage:
    • “Seven years of drudgery make a woman a slave and work her to death. Never a decent word.” [12:23]
  • Rancy explains her choice and desires:
    • “All I ask is just a little kindness and all a reason to laugh once in a while.” [13:26]

4. Frisco Bates’ Intentions

• [14:05 – 14:51]
  • Matt confronts gambler Frisco Bates about his relationship with Rancy.
  • Frisco admits he's asked Rancy to leave with him and marry him.
    • “There are other women around. Not like Rancy. She’s out of place here...I’ve asked Rancy to go away with me, Marshall. I’ve asked her to marry me.” [14:33 – 14:37]

5. Morning After – Buck’s Resolve

• [16:53 – 18:58]
  • After a night in jail, Buck discusses his future with Matt, insisting Rancy should return to him.
    • “Any woman’s liable to get out of hand once in a while and start thinking. Fancy I get her back out there in the farm for a week or two. She’ll come to her senses.” [18:17 – 18:34]
  • Matt argues for Rancy’s autonomy:
    • “It’s her own business. She’s a grown woman.” [18:10]

6. Doc and Chester on Civilization

• [19:34 – 20:46]
  • Doc and Chester bemoan the slow improvement of human nature in Dodge.
    • Doc: “They’re all for themselves. And the devil takes the hindmost. That’s what. Human nature doesn’t change, man.” [20:32–20:42]
    • Matt: “Well, that’s what Chester thinks since you started him reading Shakespeare.” [20:46]

7. The Shooting at the Dodge House

• [21:07 – 22:26]
  • Gunshots are fired at the Dodge House hotel. Matt, Doc, and Chester investigate and discover Frisco Bates has been shot.

8. Confrontation and Tragic Twist

• [22:26 – 24:47]
  • Matt confronts Buck, who tries to feign innocence but ultimately admits to waiting outside Frisco’s window and firing when he saw a shadow.
  • The twist: It was not Frisco, but Rancy who was in the room, and Buck has killed his wife.
    • Matt: “It was Rancy who lit that lamp tonight. It was her shadow on the blind.” [24:06]
    • Matt: “She’s dead. And juries don’t have much sympathy for men who kill women. You’re gonna hang, Buck, just as sure as shoot.” [24:06 – 24:47]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jealousy and Pride:

  • Buck: “Old Town’s talking behind my back.” [08:18]
  • Matt: “A funeral wouldn’t give ’em any less to talk about.” [08:21]

• On Kindness and Hardship:

  • Rancy: “I’m not a bad woman, Marshall...All I ask is just a little kindness and all a reason to laugh once in a while.” [13:26]
  • Matt: “Sometimes a little too much to expect though.” [13:39]

• On Human Nature:

  • Doc: “They’re all for themselves. And the devil take the hindmost. That’s what. Human nature doesn’t change, man.” [20:32–20:42]
  • Matt: “Well, that’s what Chester thinks since you started him reading Shakespeare.” [20:46]

• The Tragic Realization:

  • Matt: “It was Rancy who lit that lamp tonight. It was her shadow on the blind.” [24:06]
  • “She’s dead. And juries don’t have much sympathy for men who kill women. You’re gonna hang, Buck, just as sure as shoot.” [24:47]

Segment Timestamps

• Chester discusses Shakespeare and human nature: [05:02–05:52]
• Buck’s drunken rage and threat: [06:06–08:38]
• Kitty and Rancy share the hardships of marriage: [10:29–13:37]
• Frisco’s intentions and Matt’s warning: [14:05–14:51]
• Buck’s resolution and Matt’s appeal: [16:53–18:58]
• Doc’s philosophy about Dodge and human nature: [19:34–20:46]
• Gunshots and investigation: [21:07–22:26]
• Buck’s confession and tragic reveal: [22:26–24:47]

Episode Tone and Themes

Gunsmoke: “Devil’s Hindmost” is permeated with classic Western grit and existential melancholy. The dialogue is naturalistic, alternating between darkly comic banter and tragic resignation. The story underscores the timelessness of human flaws—jealousy, pride, the longing for kindness—while demonstrating, through its final tragedy, how violence and distrust can ruin lives.

For listeners who missed the episode:
This restoration of Gunsmoke’s “Devil’s Hindmost” offers a deeply human story of small-town jealousy gone awry, the dangers of pride, and the cost of misunderstanding—delivered with the genre’s characteristic blend of suspense, moral reckoning, and memorable radio craft.