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Matt Dillon
Welcome to your Peloton Pilates era. Built on precision, backed by results and trusted by over 2 million members. Experienced instructors with true Pilates expertise. Offering classes for every level from foundational to powerfully challenging. Choose from 10 to 45 minute sessions with little to no equipment, anytime, anywhere and with the cross training swivel screen you can move seamlessly from cardio to mat press Pilates Small moves Big big impact. Find out more@1peloton.com Pilates my shopping style
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is more stay at home than try and store, so my Amex Blue Cash Everyday card is my go to accessory. When I shop, it's easy to earn by getting 3% cash back on US online retail purchases. Each order brings me closer to more cash back. So go ahead, add the cart and shop the latest styles. Reinvent your look and reward yourself with Amex and try on the Blue Cash Every Day card. Learn more@americanexpress.com Explore BCE terms and cash Back Cap apply. Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host Andrew Rines and let's get into this episode. This episode is going to be Gunsmoke Original Air Dates February 24, 1957 and the title is Impact. If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference.
Matt Dillon
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Matt Dillon
Gun smoke Around Dodge City and in the territory on west, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers. And that's with a U.S. marshal and the smell of gun smoke. Gun smoke. Starring William Conrad the Snow. 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 chancer job and it makes a man watchful and a little lone. Doc's still here, Mr. Dylan. That's his buddy? Yeah, he's here. Good thing, too. Sure do hope he ain't bad hurt. So do I. Chesters.
Doc
That you, Max?
Matt Dillon
Yeah, Doc.
Doc
Screens unhooked. Come on in the bedroom.
Matt Dillon
All right.
Doc
In here, Matt. Ah, good. See if you can talk some sense into this cantankerous old lady.
Matt Dillon
I've known her for some years and I've never been able to yet. How do you feel, Ms. Larkin?
Doc
Good enough to get up and get on with my chores. But this broken winded old veterinary claims I gotta stay in bed for a week.
Matt Dillon
Well, Doc's right. Sometimes just but a low off average.
Doc
Oh, Mrs. Larkin.
Matt Dillon
What have you been up to, Ms. Larkin? Going in for bulldogging steers at your age?
Doc
Oh, just a piddling little old accident. And the way you and Doc and Chester come running out here, you'd think here's all in my will. You mean we ain't in it, ma'? Am? Chester, it wouldn't do you no good if you was. I ain't going no place. I've got another good 20 years in me yet.
Matt Dillon
Well, if you go around wrestling stairs, you haven't. How did it happen?
Doc
Oh, that confounded breeding bull I bought last fall. He's meaner than an acre of snakes. Charges any move. Can't even turn him onto the range. You have to keep him in a special built corral. That was a darn fool thing to do getting in there at all. I got about halfway across corral and that dad blamed critter tossed his head and jerked his nose ring out of the hook. He saw me moving, so he come for me. Lonnie'd been wearing his gun. He just shot him. And thanks the Lord he wasn't. I got a lot of money tied up in that bull.
Matt Dillon
Your life ought to Be worth a little something. You fell.
Doc
Well, I still got it. I made the fence before he hit me, and then he missed me with the horns. Just butted me some before I could reach the top rail and haul up out of the way. That'd be as good as new this time tomorrow.
Matt Dillon
Good as new.
Doc
Good as new. Good as new. Anytime an old wagon wheel hits a rock, Mrs. Lykin. And always leaves at least some of the spokes loose. You speak for yourself, you old billy goats, or just itching to make a profit off my infirmity?
Matt Dillon
Well, then at least you admit that you're hurt, Ms. Lykin.
Doc
I'll live to bury this old weasel.
Narrator/Announcer
Old?
Doc
You're talking to a man in his prime, Mrs. Lygan. Cry. Well, I'm gonna fetch some liniment out of the buggy. Now, don't you wallow around and loosen those bandages. You got a busted rib, young lady. It's cracked some, maybe, but it ain't busted. Oh, he's a good doctor, confound him, but I sure enjoy plaguing him.
Matt Dillon
Old Doc does some of that himself. Ms. Lichen. Tell me how things been going around the place.
Doc
Oh, they couldn't be better, Marshall. Except for this morning, of course, in that other little accident a couple of weeks ago.
Narrator/Announcer
No.
Matt Dillon
What other accident?
Doc
Oh, saddle girth broke on me and I got foed up in the north meadow. Wasn't nothing, really. Way it turned out. Lit on my feet as usual. I'm pretty spry for a old woman.
Matt Dillon
You're pretty lucky, too.
Doc
I am lucky, Marshall. Things seem to work out for me. Like Lonnie Welsh riding in here and asking for a job. Oh, the day he come, I was just about at the end of my rope.
Matt Dillon
How long's Lonnie been with you now?
Doc
5 and a half months. And he's made it seem like a different world after Ed died. I could go on. Cause I still had my son. But three years ago, you remember, he was took from me, too.
Matt Dillon
Yeah, I remember that.
Doc
Little Dan. I just didn't have no heart to go on living. Then Lonnie come. He straighter took his place,
Matt Dillon
Ms. Larkin. Where'd Lonnie come from?
Doc
Oh, Texas somewhere. He's a fine boy, Marshall. Just aged. Little Dan has been. Well, he's like another son to me. This Just a hard hand.
Matt Dillon
He misses Larkin. You sure you're feeling all right?
Doc
Yeah, I reckon I'm shook up more than they were, Marshall. There's hot water on the stove, a box of tea on the shelf.
Matt Dillon
Oh, I'll fix you, son. No, you just lie back there and take it easy. I'll give you a hand.
Doc
I'm much obliged to you both.
Matt Dillon
You still of the same mind, Mr. Dillon? Yeah. Well, young Lonnie Welch is a shifty eyed Custer there ever was one. It's worse than just being shifty eyed.
Doc
Chester. Matt.
Matt Dillon
Yeah?
Doc
I want something real bad.
Matt Dillon
Well, sure, lots of times. What do you want?
Doc
That's the crazy part. I don't even know. I just something. Something I don't have, I guess.
Matt Dillon
Couldn't be a spring fever. Could.
Doc
Might set us out the same way in the fall. Sometimes I think it's this country out here, man. The prairie.
Matt Dillon
What do you mean?
Doc
Just a darn big fancy. You know what I mean?
Matt Dillon
I think so.
Doc
You feel so alive, like something's lacking in you. You try to fit things in. Things that people are something.
Matt Dillon
Yeah, I know. Matter of fact, I know an old woman who's doing that right now. She's trying to find a substitute for her dead son.
Doc
Who's that?
Matt Dillon
Miss Larkin out west of town.
Doc
Oh, with Lonnie Welch. You mean he's sitting over there in that poker game right now?
Matt Dillon
Yeah, I've been watching it. He throws money around pretty free for a hired ranch hand, doesn't he?
Doc
The way I hear it, she'd give them all the money he wants.
Matt Dillon
Yeah, but maybe not as fast as he wants.
Doc
What do you mean, Matt?
Matt Dillon
Well, early last month, Mr. Botkin over at the bank came and told me that Ms. Larkin had been in and made a will. She's leaving everything she's got to Lonnie. Oh, no, I felt the same way. Even more so after she'd had a couple of close calls. Accidents, supposedly.
Doc
Oh, Matt, something ought to be done.
Matt Dillon
You can't hang a man on a hunch, especially when he hasn't done it yet.
Doc
Yeah, but there's gotta be something.
Matt Dillon
Well, I've been figuring on talking to him. Matter of fact, I think I'll do it right now. I'll see you a little later, Kitty.
Doc
Yeah, sure, Ma.
Matt Dillon
A man's luck can't run bad forever. I reckon I'll stay in and raise another five. Yeah. Mind holding up his hand for a couple of minutes, boys? What's up, Martha? What's the trouble, Marcus? Poker. Against the law now in Dodge? No, I just want to talk to you for a minute, huh? You asking or ordering? Come on, let's take a walk, huh? Sure, why not? A man's a mind for talk. I'll oblige him. Just leave everything laid, gents, right there on the table. Getting this kind of personal attention is liable to flatter a man. Some marshall. Yeah, sure. We're right handed to the bar. I'll be glad to buy you a drink. Lonnie, where did you come from before you hit Dutch? Oh, here and there. Why? Ever been in Virginia City? Not as far as I recollect. I think you better think again. I put out some bulletins a while back and the only answer I got is from Virginia City. That so? Seems you were working a silver claim with a partner named Pete Ryder until he turned up murdered one day. They must have mentioned something about the jury acquitting me on that, didn't they? Yeah, Lack of evidence. Well, in that case, I reckon. Out. Just a minute. You got something else in mind? I have. I want you to know that I'd figure it was real suspicious if Ms. Larkin was to die suddenly by accident like yesterday with that bull. Now, look, that bull's a born killer, Marshall. You don't think I trained him, do you? No, I think he let Ms. Larkin go out in the middle of the corral and then turned him loose. And you told Mrs. Larin that, too, didn't you? I did. Yeah, she told me. And she also told me she orders you off the place. She wouldn't listen to such things, Lonnie. If anything happens to her, I'll get you for it. So help me, if it takes me the rest of my life. I'll see you around, Marshall. I got a pat hand in this game. You better have, mister, because you're betting your life on it. Doggone it, Matt, there's just no sense
Doc
to the way you play checkers.
Matt Dillon
Why do you say that, Doc? Well, you make some of the Goddard moves I've ever. Well, you're worse than chess now.
Doc
Only time you beat me is when
Matt Dillon
I let you do it, Doc.
Doc
Well, then you're mighty generous natured.
Matt Dillon
Oh, look what you done there. Look what you've done there.
Doc
You left one of your men just sitting there.
Matt Dillon
You see that?
Doc
Waiting for me to take it. So you see?
Matt Dillon
Yeah, I see. Well, there. All right, take another one, Doc. Well, if you want to give me
Doc
the game,
Matt Dillon
you move, man. Okay, Doc.
Doc
Wait.
Matt Dillon
That's three of you men, Doc. That puts you down one. And the way I'm figuring, you're beat. You're a generic teacher, too, ain't you, Doc? Oh, sure.
Doc
That's how you do it.
Matt Dillon
Yeah.
Doc
You keep Chester talking like that so as to get my mind off the game.
Matt Dillon
That's right, Doc.
Narrator/Announcer
Yeah.
Doc
You have a mighty sneaky way of playing, if you ask me, too.
Matt Dillon
Evening, gentlemen. Oh, how are you, Miles? Am I breaking in on anything important? No, no. Come on, Ed. Come on. I can't stay. I just wanted some information. Matthew. No, I thought you might be able to help me. Information about what? At Mrs. Larkin's place out west of town. What do you figure it's worth? Oh, it's kind of hard to say. It's a good ranch, all right. That's what I was thinking.
Narrator/Announcer
And?
Matt Dillon
Well, if a man could buy it cheap. What do you mean, if a man could buy it cheap? Well, I heard it might be on the market before the end of the week. Who taught you that? Well, a young fellow that works for Mrs. Larkin. He let it slip this afternoon. Oh, he'd been drinking kind of heavy, I suppose, otherwise he wouldn't. You know where he is now? Well, somebody was saying he couldn't even make it back out to the ranch. He took a room at the Dodge House for the night. Chester, come on.
Doc
Yes, sir?
Matt Dillon
You think that I ought to make an offer for the place? My people? No, I wouldn't bother, Miles. Not just yet, anyway. My, he sure is dead to the world. Mr. John. Yeah. Blind drunk, the clerk said. Didn't want to be disturbed before noon tomorrow. He's going to be disturbed. Give me that pass key. Just.
Doc
Here you are. Thanks.
Matt Dillon
I bet he's gonna be madderin a wet hen being drugged out of bed this way. Yeah, I bet he is. See if he can find the lamp and get the lit, huh?
Doc
Yes, sir.
Matt Dillon
Must be over here on the bureau. Mr. Dillon, look.
Doc
He ain't here.
Matt Dillon
That bed hasn't even been slept in, and the window's standing wide open. He could have went out of it. Yeah, he's got a good start on us, Chester. Come on, let's get moving. Look yonder, Mr. Dylan. There's a fire at the corner of the house. Yeah, that's against the wall of the bedroom. Chester, come on.
Doc
Somebody's there. Either help it or try and put it out.
Matt Dillon
Trying to put it out. Jessa, that's Ms. Larkin.
Doc
Well, Levon ain't been here yet, huh?
Matt Dillon
I wouldn't bet on that. There are a couple of buckets at the water trough there. Chester, let's give her a hand.
Doc
That's you, Marsha.
Matt Dillon
Be right with you, Ms. Larkin. All right. You ready, Chester? Let's go. It don't look near as bad as
Doc
I thought at first.
Matt Dillon
She's about got it put out.
Doc
I think a little water here against the wall ought to do it, right?
Matt Dillon
All right. Throw the other bucket in the same place.
Doc
Well, now, looks like that just about does it touch it and go there for a while.
Matt Dillon
We better watch it for a few minutes. Those embers might flare up again.
Doc
Didn't do too much harm. Looks like burned outside wall some.
Matt Dillon
Yeah, it was mostly just trash burning
Doc
all piled up again.
Matt Dillon
The house that way. What's the matter, Chuck? Mr. Dillon, you smell coal oil? Yeah, I do, Ms. Larkin. Did Lonnie start this?
Doc
How'd you know?
Matt Dillon
And he made a big show of spending the night in town. We went over to the Dodge house and he wasn't in his room.
Doc
I don't know what it was woke me, but I looked out the window and there he was. He'd piled brush against the wall and was just sitting. Fire to it. Aimed for me to die right in my bed. Marshall, I guess I owe you a apology. He was right. I strong.
Matt Dillon
Lonnie's a smooth talker, Ms. Larkin. Anybody might have been taken in, but he won't get far. We'll find him before sunup.
Doc
I don't reckon that'll be much of a chore, Marshall. Finding him, huh? He seen me at the window and he picked up a heavy chunk of wood and come into the house. When Lonnie opened the bedroom door and come for me of that club, I shot him. He's laying in there dead.
Matt Dillon
Land sake. Well, you got nothing to worry about, Ms. Larkin. Any jury in the world would call it self defense.
Doc
I ain't worrying, Marshall. Not about no jury. But it's gonna be mighty lonesome around here again. That Lonnie on the place? No, I ain't gonna like that.
Matt Dillon
Maybe not. But being dead might be pretty lonesome too, Ms. Larkin. You just can't tell.
Doc
Sam.
Matt Dillon
Gun Smoke produced and Directed by Norman McDonald. Stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, US Marshall. Featured in the cast were Parley Bear As Chester, Howard McNear as Doc and Georgia Ellis as Kitty. George Walsh speaking. Join us again next week for another specially transcribed story on gun smoke.
Narrator/Announcer
Sa.
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Matt Dillon
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Matt Dillon
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Doc
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Narrator/Announcer
This has been a presentation of otrwesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate our shows in your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com Facebook subscribe to our YouTube channel by going to otrwesterns.Com YouTube and send us an email podcasttrwesterns.com you can call and leave us a voicemail. 707-986-8739 this episode is copyright under the Attribution Non Commercial Share Like Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening.
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Matt Dillon
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Matt Dillon
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the Old west, folks didn't run to the pharmacy every time trouble hit. They relied on the know how and natural remedies. Kind of like how Tonto always seems to have a special mixture ready for whatever came next. If you want to learn how to do that today, check out the Beginner's Guide to Herbal Remedies. Easy steps for teaspoon tinctures and salves. Even if you've never tried herbs before, visit otrwesterns.comherbs to learn more again. Otrwesterns.comherbs Weight Watchers now offers access to
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Matt Dillon
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Matt Dillon
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Matt Dillon
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Doc
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Matt Dillon
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Episode: Impact | Gunsmoke (02-24-57)
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Original Air Date: February 24, 1957
Podcast Date: February 28, 2026
In this episode of Old Time Radio Westerns, the classic radio drama "Gunsmoke" presents the story titled "Impact." The episode, originally aired in 1957, delves into themes of trust, manipulation, the loneliness of frontier living, and the darker side of inheritance. Marshal Matt Dillon faces suspicion and danger as he investigates a series of accidents surrounding an elderly ranch owner, Mrs. Larkin, and her young hand, Lonnie Welch. The restored audio captures the grit and emotional nuance of a high-stakes Western morality tale.
Notable Quote:
“I've known her for some years and I've never been able to yet. How do you feel, Ms. Larkin?”
— Matt Dillon, (04:57)
Notable Quotes:
“You can't hang a man on a hunch, especially when he hasn't done it yet.”
— Matt Dillon, (11:01)
“Oh, Matt, something ought to be done.”
— Doc, (11:05)
Notable Quote:
“I want you to know that I'd figure it was real suspicious if Ms. Larkin was to die suddenly by accident like yesterday with that bull.”
— Matt Dillon, (12:52)
Notable Quotes:
“Did Lonnie start this?”
— Matt Dillon, (18:35)
“He’d piled brush against the wall and was just sitting fire to it. Aimed for me to die right in my bed.”
— Mrs. Larkin, (18:41)
Notable Quote:
“He seen me at the window, and he picked up a heavy chunk of wood and come into the house. When Lonnie opened the bedroom door and come for me with that club, I shot him. He's laying in there dead.”
— Mrs. Larkin, (19:21)
“Well, you got nothing to worry about, Ms. Larkin. Any jury in the world would call it self-defense.”
— Matt Dillon, (19:39)
The Prairie’s Lure:
Doc and Matt discuss the search for meaning and something missing in a person’s life, using the vastness of the prairie as metaphor.
(09:34 – 10:05)
Classic Dodge Humor:
Checker game banter between Doc and Dillon lightens the tension and illustrates their friendship.
(13:44 – 14:42)
Tense Confrontation:
The direct, layered exchange between Dillon and Lonnie is classic Gunsmoke, with veiled threats and simmering suspicion.
(11:18 – 13:44)
Self-Defense and Regret:
Mrs. Larkin’s reluctant but resolute defense of her life, and her sadness over the necessity, bring emotional heft to the conclusion.
(19:14 – 20:01)
The episode blends dry wit, world-weary wisdom, and suspense characteristic of “Gunsmoke.” Matt Dillon’s stern but compassionate manner permeates the story, with Doc providing both comic relief and moral counterpoint. Mrs. Larkin’s tough exterior and lonesome vulnerability are palpable. The pacing moves from homey banter to tense confrontation and high-stakes action, ending in poignant quiet.
"Impact" highlights the dangers lurking behind trust and loneliness on the frontier. With digitally restored sound and strong performances, this classic Gunsmoke episode still resonates. It’s an example of Western storytelling at its best—rich in atmosphere, character, and inventive audio drama.