Story of Gunsmoke – Part 4 | Gunsmoke (04-25-1976)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Old Time Radio Westerns

Episode: Story of Gunsmoke – Part 4 | Gunsmoke (04-25-1976)
Host: Andrew Rynes
Date Released: December 27, 2025

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Overview

This episode of Old Time Radio Westerns delves deep into the legacy and behind-the-scenes history of "Gunsmoke," the iconic radio (and later television) Western. Through a mix of interviews with creators, actors, and behind-the-scenes talent, as well as dramatized segments from classic episodes, the show offers a vivid look at how "Gunsmoke" shaped the Western genre, built its massive audience, navigated changes from radio to television, and survived the evolving entertainment landscape of the mid-20th century. Notably, this episode features both historical reflections and large portions of original Gunsmoke radio dramatizations, giving listeners a layered experience of discussion and storytelling.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Gunsmoke's Radio Success and Audience Engagement

• Huge Audience Reach:
  Bill Conrad (the radio Matt Dillon) describes Gunsmoke's double-episode format:

  "It would be released first on a Sunday night and then re-released the following Saturday morning... We had an audience of something like 50 million people every week, which was fantastic." (01:35)

• Fan Mail and Engagement:
  Producer John Hickman explains their dedication to fan correspondence and maintaining goodwill, even using period-authentic letterheads:

  “…special letterheads printed up in period style saying Office of the Marshal 1871, Dodge City, Kansas.” (01:58)

  Parley Baer (Chester) notes how fans were invested in characters and sometimes frustrated with Chester’s antics:

  "The letters that came weren't advising me to shape up or ship out. But you got the feeling some people would shake me good." (02:30)

Memorable Fan Interactions

• A Touching, Eccentric Fan Letter:
  John Meston (writer) shares a unique literary-styled letter from a fan in Texas, Effie, blending concern for his well-being and down-home storytelling—showing the depth of listener engagement. (03:31–04:31)

Gunsmoke's Authenticity and Influence

• Realism vs. Fantasy in Westerns:
  The cast and crew contrast Gunsmoke’s grounded characters with more romantic, "one-dimensional" Western heroes like Have Gun, Will Travel’s Paladin:

  "He was rather one dimensional... Unlike Gunsmoke, where the characters seem to be more real." (08:06–08:28)

Transition to Television

• Casting Disappointments:
  John Hickman explains the politics and heartbreak behind the transition from radio to television. The original radio cast, despite strong performances, were largely replaced:

  "It looked for a while as though the Gunsmoke radio cast wasn't even going to be considered or tested…" (11:28) "It's a little nonplussing to be told that you're not right for something that you had created." – Parley Baer (13:49)

• Character & Script Changes:

  • Chester’s last name changed from Proudfoot to Goode to avoid imagined legal issues.
  • Many early TV episodes used radio scripts verbatim, frustrating the original creators:

    "They used radio scripts for the television thing almost in total. And it was a little irritating to hear lines that you had written, hear your own ad libs incorporated into the television series." – Parley Baer (14:09)

• Chester’s "Limp":
  Discussion around why the TV Chester (Dennis Weaver) limped—possibly to lessen his romantic appeal next to Dillon.

  "Dennis played him as a younger man and I always considered Chester sort of ageless... Someone said, did Chester limp on radio? And I said, no." – Parley Baer (15:41)

The Enduring Legacy and Challenges

• Gunsmoke’s Impact on Western and Network Radio:
  John Hickman describes the transition period when network radio was dying, and the loss of sponsorship and live orchestras due to cost-cutting and a pivotal musicians’ strike:

  "It taught the producers and the networks that they could get along without live music... it damaged the caliber of music." – Parley Baer (51:39)

• Reflections on Gunsmoke’s Influence and Final Days:
  Gunsmoke became the last network dramatic program originated in Hollywood (55:41), its scripts continuing to be penned by top western writers even as network radio faded.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On being replaced for TV:

  "It’s a little nonplussing to be told that you’re not right for something you had created. But that happens all the time."
  – Parley Baer (13:49)

• On the sound and music of Gunsmoke:
  Rex Corey’s innovative use of barroom piano and "T" accordion to create period authenticity:

  "We did the quickest thing we could do and that was to get a whole bunch of paper clips and lay them over the strings… We later refined that by getting an old beat up upright piano and putting thumbtacks in all the hammers so that we got a real honky tonk sound out of it."
  – Parley Baer (46:39)

• On authenticity of characters:

  "Bill had that great ability to establish a character in your mind, to set an image... Matt Dillon had to be a man who could be tough and who could be very sensitive..."
  – Parley Baer on Bill Conrad (44:15)

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Featured Dramatic Segments

“Tag, You’re It” (22:10–39:22)

A rich dramatization, demonstrating:

• The social hierarchy and power dynamics in Dodge City (wealthy father seeking his runaway daughter).
• Strong-willed female agency versus patriarchal control.
• Moral questions around law, justice, and personal freedom:

  "I'm not going to take you to her. Not just yet. May I remind your enterprises, sir, don't include the United States Marshal's Office."
  – Matt Dillon (24:31)

“Marshall Proudfoot” (57:50–74:55)

A comedic episode written by soundman Tom Hanley, featuring:

• Chester’s father visiting Dodge believing his son is the marshal, leading to a string of humorous misunderstandings:

  “Chester never was one of my brightest boys… He’d rate about number nine there.”
  – Marshall Proudfoot (61:16)

• An accidental real holdup mixes with a scheme to let Chester “play marshal,” leading to complications and farce.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Gunsmoke’s reach and fan mail: 01:35–02:30
• Eccentric fan letter from Effie: 03:31–04:31
• Imitation, radio-to-TV transitions, casting issues: 07:17–15:41
• Chester’s character and TV changes: 15:41–18:45
• Background on writers, Les Crutchfield and “Tag, You’re It”: 19:04–20:55; dramatization starts at 22:10
• Rex Corey and the show’s music: 39:22–46:27
• Economic and technological changes in radio & TV: 50:54–55:04
• “Marshall Proudfoot” dramatization (comedy): 57:50–74:55

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Additional Insights

• Creative Adaptation:
  The transition from radio to TV required changes in script, cast, and even character traits but still built on the authenticity and groundwork laid by the original radio team.
• Innovation in Sound and Production:
  The musical and sound effects teams became creative under budget constraints, helping to shape the immersive quality of Gunsmoke.
• Industry Change:
  The decline of radio and rise of television not only changed the opportunities for artists and technicians but also altered what stories were possible and how they were told.

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Tone & Style

The episode balances nostalgia, humor, critical reflection, and affection for the craftsmanship of classic radio. The participants—many legendary voices—speak with warmth, wit, and candidness, offering both behind-the-scenes trivia and heartfelt appreciation for the era.

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Conclusion

This episode of Old Time Radio Westerns is a thorough homage to the craft, camaraderie, and cultural impact of Gunsmoke. It will engage fans of radio drama, Westerns, and broadcasting history alike—shedding light on the artistry, the challenges of a changing media landscape, and the affection audiences and creators held for an American original.

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(All advertisements, intros/outros, and non-content sections have been excluded from this summary.)

Transcript

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[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host Andrew Rines and I'm excited to bring you another episode. This is one of over 80 episodes released monthly from your enjoyment. You can find more western shows at our website by going to otrwesterns.com now let's get into this episode.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

It was released twice a week. It would be released first on a Sunday night and then re released the following Saturday morning. We had a tremendous audience, as I recall. I think we were something like because of the double show. We had an audience of something like 50 million people every week, which was fantastic.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Gunsmo got its share of fan mail, no more nor less than other shows that were on the air at that time. We tried to answer our fan mail. We had special letterheads printed up in period style saying Office of the Marshal 1871, Dodge City, Kansas. And at the bottom it said for Marshall Dylan by. And then I would sign my name and everybody was satisfied. We tried to answer it all and I think, I think that's good public relations.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Chester got a fan mail that generally showed some irritation wanting to know why he had behaved like that or why hadn't he used. Little sense, you know, people were always wanting to do Chester over, which was kind of remarkable. The letters that came weren't advising me to shape up or ship out. That bill got a lot of letters for his the magnificence of his portrayal. I never got any unfriendly letters, but you got the feeling some people would shake me good.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

There was one Letter that I can still remember addressed to John Meston, who came from Texas from a fan named Effie. And she had some particular ideas about what should be done next. And. And we'll let John tell you this.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Well, this is a letter. Fan letter I got. The only one I ever got from Rogers, Texas, September 1953. It was addressed to me and inside there's no date or anything. It's from a woman called Effie. I won't use her last name. It's an ordinary name. The letter reads very simply. Oh, John, you have to come home. Stick your toes to this fire. I've just been wondering about you in this cold. Ma, Am I hungry. I want supper. Been down in the timber rolling them logs.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

How about the kids?

[John Meston (Writer)]

Done fed em, bake their toes, put em to bed, have to milk them cows. Seen them hens laid, feed that old Nero. Well, I guess that all.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, my back.

[John Meston (Writer)]

What's wrong with you, John? Thinking about that hard day tomorrow? Honey, honey, you got to work to make them kids something to eat. Oh my back. Got to see a doctor, get some pills. Oh John, you just got nerves. You will be all right. Them children can't eat rabbits to live. Signed Effie. My favorite fan, whoever she is.

[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

Great.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Lovely lady.

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[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Five or six years after we've been on the air. I am. I parked my car and I'm walking across the parking lot to go into CBS to do another set of two and a guy walks up to me and he says Mr. Conrad? And I said yes. He said boy, I just think that you're fantastic. It's a great show. Gunsmoke and the way you play Matt Dillon is just absolutely super. And I just. I think you're great. Would you do me a great favor? And I said well, sure, if I can, certainly. He said would you do the opening for me? And I looked at him and I said the what? He said the opening. And I said well, I'm sorry, I really don't know what you mean. And he said the opening, the gun, smoke the Thing you say every Saturday or Sunday night when you open the show. I said, gee, are you not thinking of another show maybe? Because I really don't remember. And he said, oh, okay, fine, you big star. Huh? Well, fine. Thank you very much for being so courteous to me. And he turns furious and walks away from me. And I still didn't know what it was. And I walked into the rehearsal and I said, hey, the funniest thing happened to me.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

And I related the story and they.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Said, oh God, it's the opening that I said, what opening? They said, you recorded it seven years ago and you haven't done it since.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

When Gunsmoke went on the air In April of 52, it was really the only one of its kind. In the years that followed, I think there were a good many imitators, some very successful and some just poor imitations. Shows not only went from radio to television, but a couple of shows came from television to radio. For example, have Gun, Will Travel, which was on adjacent to the television program of Gunsmoke, became a radio program after the fact several years later and was quite successful. John Dana played the lead. He played Paladin, the part that Dick Boone originated.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

We never really went into depth about.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Paladin except that he sort of came out of nowhere.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

He was the Robin Hood.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

He was the man who could do no wrong. He righted all evils and protected the poor from the depredations of the wealthy and so forth. He was a rather one dimensional character, if you want my honest opinion about Paladin. And even on the television show it was, it had that aspect to it. Unlike Gunsmoke, where the, the characters seem.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

To be more real.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

There was fantasy in Paladin, you see, but that didn't take away from the fact that it was a lot of fun to do.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Then there were, there were other shows that were in this general area of western or period. One of them that I was connected with was Fort Laramie starring Raymond Burr. It was a cavalry show again, 1870 or 1875 and in Wyoming and a successful one. John Dana starred in another radio show called Frontier Gentlemen.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

That was the brainchild of Tommy Ellis.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

He was a writer.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

He wrote a lot of escapes and romances and he, he just got the idea that there should be a. A civilized individual showing up in the west and the adventures that befall him. Thinking mainly of the English remittance man.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Who is sent over to this country.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

By his family in England because they don't quite know what to do with him. But he's better off out of sight. Sure, they'll send him his monthly stipend to keep him going. But as long as he doesn't bother them, that's what they're after.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

So he shows up in the United.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

States and goes West.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

And this is, by the way, quite.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Common in the west those days. You know, the remittance man idea was quite worldwide. Where the English would send them in.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Off to the colonies. They're unwanted scions.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

But the English man was a great.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Force in the development of the West.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

And Frontier gentleman was based more or less upon that idea.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

The radio show had been on the air about a year when it became apparent it was. It was a fairly solid operation. It also was apparent in those days the television was looming large. So Meston and I talked to the radio executives about was there a way to move it to television? And indeed, they'd already been thinking about this. And it was a. It was in the works. So Messton and I were convinced that we'd be producing and writing the television series. Which, as it turned out, we were not, which was probably a very good thing. They hired a novelist and a motion picture producer director named Charles Marquis Warren to come in and get the television series organized. And I was allowed to come in as a. As an associate producer, which I must admit, I was very pleased to do. Then came the matter of, of course, the cast. Once that had been determined to go ahead with the television version. And it seemed obvious to me that it should be Bill Conrad, Howard McNair, Parley Bear and Georgia Ellis. Because they'd created the parts. And they were indeed Matt and Doc.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

And Kitty and Chester.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

But I didn't know enough to know that it didn't always work that smoothly. The determination was made to test several.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

People for these several parts.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

And it looked for a while as though the Gunsmoke radio cast Wasn't even going to be considered or tested. There was a Los Angeles newspaper man named Hal Humphries who was a great fan of the radio show and a great fan of the people and the actors. And he petitioned and lobbied in his Los Angeles Times column day after day. And I think was largely responsible in securing the. For the radio cast. An audition we taped in Studio 43, I think it was, at TV City. It was all right. It wasn't staggering, it was all right. But I don't think anybody upstairs even saw it because it was purely a token audition. So that the radio people would keep on working in radio. And which they did for another seven years. It was Determined to go with Jim Arness, who was a protege of Duke Wayne's and a good actor, although a newcomer. And Dennis Weaver and Amanda Blake and Milburn Stone. All good, solid actors. Bill Warren really should get a tremendous amount of credit. For transcribing or transferring the shows from radio to television. I think he was able to keep in his production and direction of the first script. Which was a Meston television script. In being able to keep the feel and the intent of what the radio show had been. It was Bill who wardrobed the principals. And for many years they were the only well wardrobed Westerns on the air. Beau was responsible for the kind of photography and the kind of sets. I was able to be of considerable help, I hope, by being able to.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Describe how we had pictured the sets.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

And how we had pictured the long branch and the street. And where the jail cells were. And all the other things that we'd worked with in radio.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

When the transition was made to television. The first thing he was in radio knew about us when we read it in the trade papers. We were a little disgruntled that we.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Hadn'T been.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Considered right for the parts. It's a little nonplussing to be told that you're not right for something that you had created. But that happens all the time.

[John Meston (Writer)]

The character transfer to television was generally faithful. Except in the case of Chester, played on radio by Parley Bear. CBS officials started by changing Chester's last name from Proudfoot to Go Good.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

And when they made the transition, I was told that one of the officials with CBS. Said he better change his name. Because Parley might have caused to for plagiarism suit. And I saw this man, the lobby station one day. And I said, I trust cbs, even though CBS doesn't apparently trust me. And I said, and I have less cause to trust cb CBS and CBS has trust me. And that is, I got the story that they changed his name because they were afraid I would kick up a fuss. What I should really have kicked up a fuss about as well as Bill and Howard and everybody else is. For the first 156 shows. They used radio scripts for the television thing almost in total. And it was a little irritating to hear lines that you had written. Hear your own ad libs incorporated into the television series. But why joust with windmills? You know, we didn't get it. And those fellows did a good job. I think Jimaness as Dylan became sort of a pillar on the national scene. And I'm not taking away from you anything that he did in his performance and in painting the character because he had 20 years of great success. But my opinion is this. I do think Bill would have been better.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Dennis Weaver's television portrayal of Chester was different too.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Dennis played him as a younger man and I always considered Chester sort of ageless. If somebody had said to me, how old is Chester, as you claim? I honestly say I don't know. He could have been anywhere from 30 to 50. Chester was certainly no romancer. He was embarrassed by Rays and he had his moments. They never quite came to fruition, even with Kitty. To Chester, it was always Miss Kitty. He was unusual for those times. It was quick to rise when the lady came in. And he had little or no contact with women in those days. They didn't marry the likes of Chester because he was. He was sort of on the outside looking in. And of course, there was always a scarcity of women in Dodge City and those cow towns along Hill. And the. The marriageable ones were already married or the ones who had a future for marriage were very zealously guarded. And they were always looking for someone with more money to come along than Chester had. But we played him differently. Someone said, did Chester limp on radio? And I said, no. Now, how true this story is, I don't know. I've heard it repeated many times that Chester was given a limp on his character for TV because he was coming on pretty strong as a romantic figure. And they felt that if Dennis played him. Dennis, very handsome man. They felt he was overshadowing the character of Dylan. And so they gave him some physical handicap. I don't think it was necessary, but again, who am I to fight with success? Dennis was very successful as Chester for a great many years.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

The television show was bought quickly from the pilot film that Bill Warren made and went on the air in September of 55 and was almost immediately well received. Part of this, of course, was that there had been three years of pre publicity because the Gunsmoke radio show had been enormously well received in those three years prior. So it was a. It was a happy wedding. Bill produced and directed the first 26 shows. And I think a combination of fatigue and pressure and, well, just the. The weight of carrying that bigger job all by himself made it difficult to continue. And he left after 26 weeks to do a feature. When Bill left, I was able and lucky enough to slip into the mantle of producer of the series, not attempting to direct any. So I stayed with the show as producer from the 27th show through the next nine years and left the series in 1964.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

We return to the biography of Gunsmoke in just one moment.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Here again is John Hickman.

[John Meston (Writer)]

By 1957, much of John Meston's time was devoted to writing the television series. Other writers were called upon for the radio scripts.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Again.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Norman McDonald, one of the other people.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

That wrote for us was Les Crutchfield. I first came to know Les when he was still working at Caltech as an engineer. But at that time, which must have been 46 or 47, he came in to see Bill Robeson with a script for a Columbia workshop which Bill bought. And Les was on his way toward being a very successful writer. Les worked with me on later on Escape and on Romance and a number of shows. And when we did start Gunsmoke, it just was obvious that Les would have to be part of the family, which indeed he was. He wrote not as many as Meston, but more perhaps than any other single writer. Les was a warm and very funny and very charming man. He was his own man and he did what he wanted, when he wanted. So if you needed him desperately to do a script, he might be available or he might have been on his way to Africa and you really never knew. But when he was in town, he wrote well and he was dependable. Perhaps Les did more of the light or of the comedy shows than John Meston. One in particular that I always enjoyed was a script called Colleen so Green, which in which this attractive girl comes to town and completely befuddles Doc and Chester and everybody else in town, including Mr. Botkin at the bank. But one of lesbian scripts that I remember particularly and perhaps personifies the kind of writing that made him such a valuable piece of manpower for Gunsmoke was a script that he wrote called Tag, you're it.

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[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Chester.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Oh, Chester. Chester.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Was you saying something?

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Mr. Dylan, what is that?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, this is a duck call I ordered all the way from St. Louis. It just come in the mail.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Doesn't sound like any duck I ever heard.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, 8d leave, Mr. Jones. See, any duck that hears this comes right at you.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You better be careful. We don't want the jail overrun with them.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, well, they ain't been around yet, but they're just about do. When they start coming through, I'm going to get down there in them bushes along the river with a shotgun and.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

And this thing and Mr. Dylan, we're.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Going to be eating roast duck every.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Day for three months.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I'm glad to hear that, Chester.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Takes kind of a knack, bone.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

It takes a little D of practice, and I ain't got it down exact yet, but I will. Gentlemen.

[J]

Gentlemen.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, come in, sir.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You're Marshall Dylan.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, that's right.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

I am Cyrus Taggart, Marshal. Possibly you've heard of me?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I'm afraid not. But what can I do for you, Mr. Tagger?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You can give me your complete cooperation. I have here a photograph of a.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Young lady, and I have reason to.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Believe she is in Dodge City.

[J]

Well, I'm Richard dillon.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Go on, Mr. Taggart. Suppose she is here.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

She is my daughter, Evie Taggart. She ran away from home nearly a.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Year ago, and she has made it very difficult to find her.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

If you do find her, I shall.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Take her back to New York with me.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Naturally, I assume from your partner's exclamation.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

That you do know her.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Not by that name.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Well, she has used a number of false names during the past year.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Very well.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

You will take me to her at once.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

How old Is your daughter, Mr. Taggart?

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

24.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Then she's of legal age. Suppose she won't go back with you, Marshall.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

The Taggart enterprises include railroads, several banks and finance companies, along with mining and cattle interests.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I, with my father and my grandfather before me, did not require them by tolerating interference with our wishes.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Why did she run away in the first place?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Because she's a willful, headstrong little fool.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Marshall.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

We're wasting time.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Mr. Taggart, I'm not going to take you to her. Not just yet. May I remind your enterprises, sir, don't include the United States Marshal's Office.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

I imagine my influence could extend that far if you compel me to use it.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You do as you like. But I'm gonna talk to the girl first. I'm gonna find out what she wants to do.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What she wants is of no importance.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Day, Mr. Taggart.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

She keeps pretty late hours, Mr. Dunn.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Maybe she ain't up yet.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, maybe not.

[J]

Hello, Marshall.

[Announcer]

Chester.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Morning, Patsy. Or I guess it's Evie Taggart now, isn't it?

[J]

Oh, he's here, huh?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Over the Dodge house. He says he's come to take you home.

[J]

It's all right, Burl. Come on in.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

No, thank you.

[J]

Wouldn't do any good to run.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Not now. I thought I heard you talking to some.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

No.

[J]

You know Burl Alden, don't you, Marshall?

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Yeah.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You deal blackjack, don't you? Over the golden horn part time.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

That's right.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

What's the trouble, Marshall?

[J]

My father's here. Burl finally caught up with me.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What of it? You're over 21. He can't do nothing.

[J]

You don't know him.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What can he do, Marshall? She's got a right to live her life the way she wants, ain't she?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

As far as the laws concern that he may try other ways.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

He will.

[J]

He'll do anything. I know him.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

He'll be sorry if he tries anything. I'll stick with you. You know that.

[J]

I know, girl. But I know how he can be. That's why I never wanted him to find me.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Are you sure that you don't want to go back with him, Evie?

[J]

Of course I'm sure.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

It's a rough life you're leading here. Working in a long branch, having to put up with any man who comes along who's got the price of a drink.

[J]

Anything would be better than going back home. You don't know what it was like, Marshall. I don't really matter to him. I never did. Just a family name he cares about. Sweet. I'll disgrace it. I'm not going back.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

He says you are, Evie. And I'd say he's used to getting his own way.

[J]

No matter what I have to do, I'm not going back.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

No matter what.

[J]

Sam, the men back at the Pharaoh table want another round. When you get a chance, let Marty take it back to him, huh?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Okay.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Hello, Kitty.

[J]

Oh, Matt. I didn't see you come in.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You look busy, so I kept quiet.

[J]

You know, I just assumed you hadn't come in tonight, Matt.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, well, I can always have a.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Beer up the street.

[J]

No, it's just that I did something this evening that I hate myself for.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, what do you mean?

[J]

Come on, let's sit down.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

All right, Now, what's it all about?

[J]

Well, that girl Patsy, who's been working here the last few months. You know who she is, man?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah. Her name's Evie Taggart. Her father came out from the east yesterday.

[J]

Yeah, I know. I met him. You know he's trying to force her to go back to New York with him. He didn't waste any time going into action. He just sent a few telegrams east and that did it.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Did what?

[J]

Well, Mr. Botkin came over from the bank this afternoon. He was real apologetic, but he had orders from the big bank back east that holds part of his stock.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, one of Taggart's banks.

[J]

Either I fired Ev or Botkin had called in our loan. And just a half hour later, I got a telegram from our wholesaler in Kansas City. Fire Ev or pay up all our consignment accounts immediately. I let it go, Matt. I had to.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You couldn't do much of anything else, could you?

[J]

Got my partner to think about the girls. You can't find an army bare handed.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

There's no reason to feel guilty, Kitty. You didn't have much choice.

[J]

I don't claim the life she's leading here is very good. Good or bad, at least what she wants to do. And she ought to have the rights.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You know, rights are pretty hard things to hang on to sometimes.

[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

Well.

[J]

Well, there been any other way? What?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, he scared you off, huh? You started the ball rolling. Now nobody will hire.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Take it easy, Pearl.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Well, whose side are you on anyway, Marshall?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

There's no law against what Taggart did, Burl. And Kitty didn't have any choice. She had to go along with it.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Words out all over town. Nobody will give her a job. They're afraid of his mother.

[J]

Well, I got reason to be trying.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

To starve her out. He thinks he'll get her back home that way.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, it's worked before.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Well, it won't this time. We'll figure some way to beat that old buzzard.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Why don't you support her, Mr. Alden?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I assume you are Burl Alden. I guess you're tagged. That's correct.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

As I said, why don't you support her?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I understand she's been supporting you for several months. That's a lie. I got a job.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Yes, it's the of part.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

But you've been taking money from her, haven't you?

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

And with loans.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What are you getting at anyway? The fact that you're an Utterly worthless loafer who lives off the earnings of a woman. Why, you dirty old. All right, hold it, burrow.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

That's enough.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You think he's talking to.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Can I give you a hand, Mr. Taggart?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

No, thank you.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

It would seem.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

It would seem to me that it's your job to prevent such occurrences, Marshall.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You can sign a complaint if you like.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

No, thank you. I have something rather more drastic in mind. Good evening, gentlemen.

[J]

That's a cold fish.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What's he talking about, Marshall? He can't do nothing to me.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I wouldn't bet on that girl.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Good morning, Matt. Oh, hello.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Hello, Doc. Come on in.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, Chester, for heaven's sakes, put that thing away.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

There's some coffee on the top of the stove. I don't guarantee it, though. Our duck made it.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, well, then I pass. Oh, well, you drunk your penny tongue before and it never hurts none. Well, a man's luck runs out, Justin.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Let's pull up a chair, Doc.

[J]

No, no, no. Haven't got time, man.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I don't have a plush line seed at the public trough like some people I know. A professional man like myself has to get out and scramble if he wants to keep body and soul together.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Doc, the only time I ever seen you scramble is when Sam Noonan says, have one on the house, boys.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

For two cents, I wouldn't even tell you what I know.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

All right, what do you know?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Document. Oh, yes. You got your ears there, Vince? Yeah. You're starting to sing a different tune now, Doc. It's a fine thing when I have to do your job alone with my own. Just out of the kinds of my heart. Doc, there's going to be a killing.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Killing?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

How do you know?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Because I keep my mouth shut and my ears open. You know a gunman name of Bill Jackson?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah. He's been around town for a month or so.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Why?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Well, they say that old man Taggarts hired him to kill Bur Alden.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, that's what Taggart meant about something more drastic.

[J]

Yes.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Anyway, I've done all the brain work for you. Now go on out and arrest them.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

On what charge, Doc? They'll both deny it.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Well, you aren't just going to sit there and let it happen, are you?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

And I'll listen to suggestions, Doc, but in the long run, it'll probably come to just that.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Sam.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Matt Dillon let me in.

[J]

Evie ain't here, Marshall.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

She went down to the Chinaman's to bring some grub.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Now, you're the one I want to see, Burl. All right, come on, In. What is it?

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

What do you want? Burl?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You made a bad enemy when you knocked old man Taggart down.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I'll knock him down seven days a week if he don't stay away from us.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

He'll stay away all right.

[John Meston (Writer)]

The man.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Man he's hired to kill you won't.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

What are you talking about?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

The words out that he's offered bill jack $2,000 to put you on Boot Hill.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

You got to do something, Marshall.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I. I know about Jax. You got arrested.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I got no proof, Burl. All I can do is warn you.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Well then.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Then I got to get out of here. I got to get out of town right now. I'll get a horse from Moss Grimm and head south.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

What about Evie?

[J]

Evie?

[John Meston (Writer)]

What?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

She'll be better off back home anyway.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, I see.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

We're hitting the trail on the run.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

That.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

That ain't no kind of a life for a woman.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You think the Long Branch is any better?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You got no call to talk like that.

[J]

What's going on? Evie?

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

You tell her.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Marshall.

[J]

Well, where you going? Well.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

So you see if he's gone.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What do you mean?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Your father hired a gunman to kill him.

[J]

So Bill's getting out. Running away. Leaving me.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I guess a lot of men would act that same way under the circumstances.

[J]

Try to make excuses for a marshal. I know the kind he is. I've known all along.

[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

No.

[J]

The life I've been living the last year. Isn't it? It's a very pretty one. I admit it. I guess I've done it on purpose. Sunk as low as I could. It was a way of hitting back at my father.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yeah.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

It works that way sometimes.

[J]

Wasn't a very pretty life at home either. Marshall.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I guess not. Kirk wouldn't have turned you to this.

[J]

I'd kill her. At least I'll get that stuffed. The world doesn't deserve dying. He's just what he is. And that's all he claims to be. There's no reason he should pay. But my father's going to. I'm going to see that he pays.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Pays how?

[J]

I don't know exactly. But he's going to. He's going to pay for things once and for all.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Don't look to me like neither one of them ain't gonna show up. Mr. John.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

They might not, Chester. All I know is Taggart bought two tickets back east on this afternoon's train.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

I swear I never thought Evie give.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

In and go back with him.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well. He's a hard man to beat.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

It's just a Doggone shame the way he goes around treating people and gets by with it.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

He won't get by with it forever, Chester. If you keep pushing people around, sooner or later you're going to push one of them a little too far.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Speaking to Dev, Mr. G?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, and by himself, too.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Nice of you to drop around to see us off.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Us, Mr. Tiger?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, my daughter is just looking after some detail of her luggage.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

She'll be along. Much as I hate to die. Disappoint you, Marshall.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I want to disappoint me. It's none of my business.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

No, not officially, of course, but I imagine you did hold certain personal opinion.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, I still do, as a matter of fact.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Indeed, Sir Judge.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Such as? I think you're making a big mistake taking that girl back against your will.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I assure you I am.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Using those straight jacket or manacles?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

It amounts to that, though. Why don't you give her a chance, Mr. Taggart? You can get her out of Dodge if you want, away from what she's been doing. But why don't you let her live her own life?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

She will live precisely as I tell.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Her to live, Marshall.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Won't work that way, Mr. Taggart. You can't treat people like horses. You can't own people, Marshall.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

I've built an empire on the principle of owning people.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I own hundreds of them, body and.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Soul, black stock and barrel.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I call the tune and they dance.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

And she will dance with them.

[J]

You ready, Father?

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Quite ready, my dear.

[J]

Let's go.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Good day, gentlemen.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Goodbye, Evie. Good luck.

[J]

Thank you, Marshall. But I. I think we may meet again soon.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Come along, Evie.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yes, Father.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Just looky there. Just look how he's broke her spirit, Ms. Guns.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

He's going along meek to the line.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, it looks that way now. What's he doing here?

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

That's Bill, Jax.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I want to talk with you, Tiger. Come on.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Look here, Jax. There's nothing for us to talk about. All right?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Hold it, Jax. Stay out of this. Don't try it, Jackson.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Drop your gun around. Fire. Now. You got him, Mr. John.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Your father's dead, too.

[J]

Father.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

So this is how he was supposed to pay, huh?

[J]

You know what you mean, Marshall. Bobby had a disagreement over the price on the girl's head.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

What price did you put on your father's head, Evie? How much were you going to pay Bill Jacks for this?

[J]

I can't prove a thing. Much. Not a thing.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, we'll let the judge decide that.

[J]

I don't care. As long as he finally lost.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

What Father.

[J]

Sure doesn't own anybody now, does he?

[John Meston (Writer)]

Les Crutchfield Script Tag youg it originally heard October 5, 1958 Rex Corey was Gunsmoke's musical director. Corey entered radio in the 1930s, and his music has been heard on every major radio and TV network since. Since then. Today, Rex is delighting theater audiences around the country with his pipe organ accompaniment for silent films. Corey is especially proud of the work he and his musicians performed on Gunsmoke, and he vividly recalls the first broadcast.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

I remember that when we started the music on Gunsmoke, the very initial broadcast, we used a larger orchestra. In fact, the theme material, opening and closing, was recorded with a larger orchestra. And we continued to use that larger sound to give it a bigger and more impressive opening and closing. Then we went into what we called our standard, I think six or seven piece combo that we use, which not so much in the interest of economy, but for the specific sound that we wanted to acquire.

[J]

Choir.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

We felt that a large orchestra was out of place with the time. The tempo, it didn't do the job for us. Whereas a small group which included accordion, some harmonica, guitar, timpani, effects, that sort of thing, were much more practical and aesthetically correct for the stories and the.

[John Meston (Writer)]

People involved in the smaller orchestra. Rex played the T accordion while he conducted.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Now, this was not the standard accordion that you strap on yourself. This was an electric tee accordion, as we called it, which stood on a. On its own standard. And you could regulate the volume from a pedal control. And the nice thing about it was that you could play both hands on the treble portion if you wanted to, or use the buttons or whatever it could be. It was very flexible.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Announcer George Walsh has his own recollections of Corey's tea accordion.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

When they changed the orchestra from a full size that was probably 20 pieces.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

It became a much smaller group and Rex changed with the big orchestra. He played the organ, the pipe organ.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

And he used to conduct from the.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Organ bench with body English.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Well, when they cut down on the.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Sides of the orchestra, he went from.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

The organ to an accordion. He had an electric accordion built. I don't know whether this was his invention or not, but I had never.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Seen one like it before.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

He didn't have to pump the bellows by hand.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

It became a T shaped affair with.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

An upright and then the accordion in two sections across the top, forming the.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

T. So that with his right hand.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

He'D play the keyboard and then with.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

His left hand he'd play the buttons.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

And then with his foot he had a control of of an a pedal.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

That gave him air pressure and so forth. It was quite a strange looking.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Of course Bill Conrad didn't have much respect for it. He referred to it as Rex Coy's electronic urinal.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Foreign.

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[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

I think that Bill set the tone and the the pace for Jim Arness who later followed. Now of course they're two different people and two different talents, but Bill had that great ability to establish a character in your mind, to set an image. And Bill, being the type of performer he was with such a wide range of capability, was perfect for the part of Matt Dillon. Because Matt Dillon had to be a man who could be tough and who could be very sensitive at the time. Same, same time, Bill had a very virile, manly voice, low pitched. He could be very positive in his speech. He could be very tough and hard and he could be very, very soft and sentimental. In approaching the music for the show and realizing that Bill was a central character who set the whole pace and tempo, I had to consider music that would be fitting and proper for this rather complex person. This meant that the music had to be coarse and rough and tough and it also had to be very tender and touching.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, what can we do now, Della.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

To help you, boy?

[J]

Very dead. Right here, right here.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

He'd like that. It's about as far west as he'll ever get. No.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

It gave me a wide scope in which to operate musically and it put demands on the musicians we had because we had to produce tonal effects to suit the situation. And again, it became a wonderful challenge because you had such a wide latitude in which to work.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Many of the scenes in Gunsmoke took place in the Long Branch saloon. And to provide just the right atmosphere, a barroom piano was necessary. Corey recalls how he first created that realistic sound.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

We had to establish the very first scene in the Long Branch. And we had to establish the fact that there were all sorts of coarse western characters involved, that there were dancing girls and various degrees of activity. And the music had to be something that. That would set the scene and yet be just a part of it. Nobody really knew what they wanted, I don't think. But I went over to the piano and I started messing around with it during rehearsal. Norman said, hey, that's good. He said, what can we do to make it a little more tinny? So we did the quickest thing we could do and that was to get a whole bunch of paper clips and. And strung them together and lay them over the strings. We later refined that by getting an old beat up upright piano and putting thumbtacks in all the hammers so that we got a real honky tonk sound out of it. And I also had to think about the type of melody that would have been popular at that time and still not come up with a recognizable piece of music. So it was always kind of improvised from the spot In a real sort of an early 19th century Western ballroom style of composition. It got to be a thing where we would do things on the piano just for the entertainment of the cast, Even during the broadcast because extemporaneous noise and laughter was all of the good anyway. And I found that I was having a lot of fun being inventive and trying to get reaction out of the cast by the type of music I played.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

My goodness, quite a crowd in old Long Bench tonight. Over here, Matt. Come on over here. Enjoy this. There's Doc.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Mr.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Butt, can you.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You want to join him, mister?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, I might as well. Oh, would you pardon me, please?

[J]

Hello, Matt. Good to see you.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Hello, Kitty.

[J]

Can I get you something?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yes, matter of fact, you can. The usual, if you don't mind.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

The same for me, Ms. K. It will be at the table after all.

[J]

Right, fine, I'll join you.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Good.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Pull up a chair. Matt and Chester, join us solid respectable citizens for a change.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, there's some who would agree with you, Doc. How are you stocking?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Bye, Marshall. Now buy a drink?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, I got one coming. Thanks. Oh, I just saw Ms. Gross outside. She tells me she's going back east.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Well, I can't say I'm sorry to hear it for some reason she seems.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

To blame me for what her son did. Yeah, most of us felt that we would make the transition normally and naturally. Certainly in my particular experience, that was a way it worked. I knew that I was going to make the transition. In fact, I was already making the transition. We were doing radio and television shows at the same time with the particular cast of Gunsmoke. The blow was a very hurting one for those involved. When CBS decided to go ahead and produce it as a television show, it was a big disappointment. They had figured, I'm sure, that they would go ahead and work into the television aspect. The whole accent was on the television series. The musical direction for it had passed into the hands of the man who was then Mr. Gluskin, who was then the musical director for the CBS network on the West Coast. He had gotten control situation. And I did some composition here and there. And on top of that, some of the radio music has been carried over and used into the television series. As such, when the show went to an hour long production, why, it was obvious that one composer couldn't begin to handle it all anyway. So there have been various writers along over the years that have contributed to the music that has been used on computer.

[John Meston (Writer)]

In 1957, the radio show was dealt two severe blows. First, Liggett and Myers dropped full sponsorship of the series. This led CBS to offer the program to participating advertisers. Complicating matters was the poor economic health of network radio in general. Thanks to television, advertisers were becoming reluctant to sink huge sums of money into a medium that supposedly had a dwindling audience. I As a result, the network was finding it increasingly difficult to sell all the commercial time available. Public service announcements and promos started to fill the slots where only months ago announcers George Feniman and George Walsh extolled the delights of smoking L and M cigarettes. The second serious blow to the radio program was the loss of the live orchestra.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Recounted by Rex Corey for economic reasons, it had been discovered that live orchestras might not be all that necessary. Now this, unfortunately was triggered by a rather tragic and ill timed musician strike called by the AF of M, the American Federation of Musicians. At a time when I suppose the timing was right for experimentation with recorded cues and bridges and backgrounds. I say it was ill timed because it taught the producers and the networks that they could get along without live music. Not only did it hurt the professional musicians who were involved on many of these broadcasts, but it damaged the caliber of music. Because instead of having music specifically designed for A given situation or a given performance, they were picking up on a hit or miss basis. Recorded music of various sorts imported from various parts of the world with various combinations. And so much of the music didn't fit. And unfortunately, our listening public has been. Has become conditioned to poor music in much of our drama today in television and many other uses. Because of this.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Gunsmoke started on the air in 52, as we've mentioned, and network radio was beginning to die just at the time we were starting. I guess what I mean is that in those early days, if you were doing a. A series and the series was canceled, something else popped up and you were told to start preparing for a show called Such and Such, which would go on the air next Tuesday. There was always something to replace the show that went off the air by the end of the 50s and certainly by the 60s, when the show went off the air, that was just the end of that half hour or that hour or that two hour segment. And it was filled with something else. And that something else usually came from New York. It was a sad period for those of us who were fond of radio and enjoyed radio and indeed had been brought up in radio. And it was not, believe me, a matter of sour grapes, because all of us who were then working on the radio show were also busy and gainfully employed on the television show or some other television show. Bill Conrad was producing and directing and television. Later he became an executive at Warner Brothers. At the same time, John Meston was writing, I think he wrote as many as 40 half hour television episodes in one year. He was also writing regularly when it went to an hour, the television version, some 12 to 15 episodes a year. So we were all busy. But it was really the fact that dramatic radio from the west coast was drying up. Gunsmoke passed away, if you will, just at a time when there were.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

New.

[John Hickman (Producer/Writer)]

Kinds of audio equipment coming on the scene. That would have made it marvelous, for instance, if Gunsmoke had been done in stereo or quadraphonic. If you can picture Matt's horse coming down Front street, the whole length of it passing from one side of your living room to the other, just as it passed from one end of Dodge to the other, or Matt's booted feet working their way all the way across the street and up the steps and into Doc's office on the second floor, it would have been rather wonderful, wonderful to hear this. But radio was already on its way out.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Then, as a footnote, Gunsmoke had the dubious distinction of being the last network dramatic program to originate in Hollywood. During the program's final four years, scripts were authored by such top western writers as Kathleen Hite, John Dunkle, Les Crutchfield, and Marion Clark. Their scripts were often alternated with some of John Meston's better offerings from previous years. Even some members of the Gunsmoke company became authors. Director Norman Macdonald wrote numerous programs, supporting player Vic Perrin contributed several scripts, and soundman Tom Hanley authored a hilarious story entitled Marshall Proudfoot. This program centered around Chester's father paying a surprise visit to Dodge. Harley Bear doubled his role, playing both Chester and his dad. Here's Marshall Proudfoot as it was heard on July 20, 1958.

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[Marshall Matt Dillon]

There. Matt, you here?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, I'm here, doc. Come on in.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, how come you're in bed so early?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I'm not in bed, doc. I'm just resting.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, I see the cost of government's going up again.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, what makes you say that?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

The soldier. Your boots. They're worn almost through.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I don't care.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What's the matter? Aren't you feeling good?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Sure, I feel fine, doc. I always lie in bed till noon.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Well, it just doesn't look right for you to be.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, for heaven's sakes, what's the matter now?

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

It's cold.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

The coffee's cold in the rattlesnake's belly.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Don't drink it.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

And it's no better hot here. No, Matt, like I was saying, a man in your position should have more to do than just lie around.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, maybe I'm just tired, doctor.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, now, don't try to tell Me? It was brought on by upholding law and order all night. Because I don't want to hear about it. I had a bad night myself.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well then sit down and rest.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yes, here you go. Aren't you going to ask me what I was doing? No, no. Well, I spent the whole night working for four dollar fee.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, must have been somebody who didn't know you.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

They knew me. Yes, it was Jeb Dorn. His wife had a baby girl.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Jeb, huh? He was hoping for a boy as.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

I recall it, and that's what it was.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, why he refused to pay me.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

No wonder you're tired.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Or who's this poster one?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

It says right there, doesn't it?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yes. Wanted dead or alive. Jack Pargo for the torture and subsequent murder of this man is noted for armed holdup and is believed heading in the general direction of Missouri, Kansas or Nebraska. He's a mean looking devil. Well, I can see that. He'll certainly find his comeuppance if he sticks his head and dodge.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, I'll tell you, Doc, I'll worry about that if he comes here.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, that gives me a nice safe feeling. Marshall here, is he?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, yeah, I'm a Marshall.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I say Marshall Proudfoot hereabouts, you see.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Marshall Proudfoot, Huh?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Neither one. I'll say neither one of you. You ain't the Marshall I can tell. I'm his pa. I know him anywhere.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Doc, go find Chester, will you?

[J]

Sure, man.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

No, no, no need to get up. Just come see my boy. Marshall Chester Proudfoot made good somehow. He did. Chester never was one of my brightest boys. 11 boys I had, I remember. See, I ain't shook hand here yet. What's your name, sonny?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Dylan Matt Dillon.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You know, that's a funny name for a man. I knew. A man one time had the name of Hair Grow. I thought that was the funniest up till now, but.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Doc, you better go get Chester.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Who's that fella?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, that's Doc Adams.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Nice to know you, sir. Saying something is a. I said it's nice. Now, my name is Wesley Proudfoot sired Marshall, turns out.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Yes, sir.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Eleven boys I had. Chester was nowhere near the brightest. No, sir. He'd rate about number nine there.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

That's very interesting.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Chester bordered on being ignorant, I'd think. Oh no, I can't imagine how he ever got to be a marshal. Chester Wesley Proudfoot, Marshal of dog city. Look, Mr. Proudfoot, they named all them boys with a middle name of Wesley after me and hoped at least one of them would mount something like me. Say, name was? It's Dr. Adams. Dr. Horse or People? What matter, Hugh? I say, do you doctor horses or people? People. It's too bad for you. I wouldn't ever let a people doctor work on me. And I got a great many things wrong with me, too. Hey, where's Sister?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Why, he's out getting the mail for me.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Well, good for him. D. Spunk. Probably running down some of them bad men he always writes about. Used to have an assistant named Dylan working for him. Whatever become of him?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Dylan? That. That. That's me, Mr. Potfoot. Matt Dillon, that's me.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, yeah. Well, you do a fair job, Gordon. Chester says he can usually depend on you.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, that's very nice of him. Look, Mr. Proudfoot, maybe you should know something.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I. Hello, Doc.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Chester.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I wasn't run too much mail, Mr. Jones.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Forget it, Chester.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What? Chester, you've got company. Who's a fat fella?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

That's Chester. That's the Marshall Broadfoot.

[J]

Paul. You know Mr. Dylan.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Paul. That you, Chester?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, that's him, Mr. Proudfoot.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Ah, you padded up good deal, Chester. Your assistant here looks better than you do. I'd like an explanation.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Matter of fact, so would I. Chester.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Mr. Dillon. Doc.

[J]

Oh, Pa.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What are you gonna do about Matt?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

About what?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Chester telling his father that he's the marshal.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

What can I do?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Not going to let him get by with it, are you?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I don't know, Doc.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Wait a minute, Matt.

[J]

No, man.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Let me buy. Oh, an assistant doesn't make too much, you know.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Easy, Doc.

[J]

Hello, Doc.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Man. Oh, Kitty.

[J]

Doc, you're looking pretty strange today. How come?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Tell her not.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You tell her, Doc. You're the one looking strange.

[J]

Well, come on. Somebody tell me. Sit down.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Thank you. Have you seen Chester, Kitty?

[J]

No. Why?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

We may never see him again.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What?

[J]

What happened?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Not much, really. But I'm sure he wishes he was dead right now.

[J]

Oh, what's this all about?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Chester's father came to town today.

[J]

Well, what's so terrible about that?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

That's a terrible. He thinks Chester is the marshal here. What?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, that's right. Kidding. Chester wrote to his father and he probably stretched the truth a little bit, like we all do sometimes.

[J]

Oh, no. Where are they now?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Over at the Dodge House. He's getting the old man a room there.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I never saw Chester look so scared in my life.

[J]

Kitty, you should have seen him.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

He grabbed his paw and he lived out of the office like his coat was on fire.

[J]

Don't be hard on him now.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I'm not gonna be hard on him.

[J]

His father Must be pretty old.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, he's older, I guess. He can't hear good and he can hardly see, but he's a bright old fell.

[J]

Well, you can't let the old man be disappointed, Matt.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

What would you suggest I do, Kitty?

[J]

I don't know. Just don't hurt him, that's all.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I'm not going to hurt him, Kitty. I don't care if the old man thinks Chester's a marshal.

[J]

Matt, we should think of something to make Chester look good while his father's in town.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yeah, I heard the old man tell Chester that he was only going to stay for a few days. Oh, say, Matt, now maybe you could lie low for a while.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I wouldn't mind that. I need a rest.

[J]

Hey, I got it. Why don't you get somebody to pretend to hold up and then let Chester play marshal and take him in? You can turn a moose when his father leaves.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Kitty, I couldn't do a thing like that.

[J]

Well, something's got to be done.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yes, I could put you to bed now.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

What are you talking about?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yeah, you get sick and I'll examine you and say that you've got a. Oh, a rare blood disease and you have to go to bed for a few days.

[J]

Get my work man. Oh, you can't let that old man go away thinking Chester's been lying to him all this time.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

No, we'll get Moss Grimm to stage a fake hold up. You see, Then we'll come and get Chester, and right in front of his father, he'll capture the bandit.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You're the one with a rare disease document. It's not in your blood, it's in your brain.

[J]

I do it, Matt. You got to.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

No, I don't got to. I don't want any part of a fake holdup. You just get that out of your hands, Matt. Well, I'm going back to the office.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, sure, go ahead. Yeah, go ahead. Ruin an old man in his last days.

[J]

What do you think, Doc?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Ed? I. Oh, Matt will come around all right.

[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

Did he?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

He always does. I'll go talk to Moss Grimmick and. And have it all set. Anybody here? I see. Anybody in here with you? Oh, there you are, Dylan. Took to your bed kind of early, didn't you? You ain't but four o'.

[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

Clock.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Hello, Mr. Broadfund. Where's Chester?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yes, well, I guess you got such a dead little town on your hand. You can do that. You and Chester.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I say, where is Chester?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Saying something.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I said, where's Chester?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Don't yell like that. Hurts me to pan when you bellow out like that. It's got a pretty big voice on you there, Dylan. What's the matter with you? Ah, feel feeling poorly, are you? I say, feeling poorly, are you?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I feel terrible.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Ah, too bad. Esther ain't feeling too good neither. Oh, been lolling around on my bed over at the ruin house all day. Good thing you boys got this dead towel on your hands. Yeah, yeah. People be up the creek with both the marshal and his sister in bed. Hoot over there. I say, who's over there? Let me take a look at you. Let me look at your eyes. Tell everything about how a man feels by looking to his. Look at me, Dylan.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I can't help looking at you.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

That's it that's coming. Yes, sir. You've got bad eyes there, Dylan. That one in particular. You got a good voice, but bad eyes. Him eyes reminds me of Chester's uncle Hector. Last time he looked all slack jawed like that, he died the next day. Say. Huh?

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

What?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Say nothing. I didn't say anything.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, doctor talked. Yes, sir. Hector was Chester's fighting uncle. Reckon that's where Chester gets all his get up and go.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Uhhuh.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Was something different though. Hector fought again. The law, Hector did. Ever seen a man stirred up again the law? All the time. Like old Hector. Way.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Have you had your dinner yet, Mr.

[J]

Pro?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, indeed he. He was a winner, you're right there. Won all his battles. Killed two marshals, Hector did. Killed them dead. Good thing Chester's on side of the law, man. That's a pair like that ought to be on the side of the law. Yes, you ought to be. Hello, this is Thompset. New what? Oh, yeah, here, look here, you got a sick nephilty here, Adams. Better go get a horse doctor and get him straightened out. What are you doing in bed, man?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

I'm in bed because I'm sick, doc. Did you ever hear of anything like that? You're sick, huh?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You are mad. Oh, see, that's fine.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, well, I figured you'd think so. Doc, would you do me a favor and take Mr. Proudfoot out to dinner? Anything. Just get him out of here.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yeah, sure, M. You bet. Oh, your eyes look kind of beady there.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, well, we've been through all that.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Well, if I didn't know that, I'd say that you had a fever, Adams. I say you got a stick boy.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

There, Doc, would you go right now?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yeah, okay. Oh, sure, mister. Come with me, Miss Bravitt. I'll take you to dinner. Dinner? No, no, too early for dinner. Take a little glass of Dutch water with you, though. But don't let on fester with you. I'll see you later, Matt.

[J]

And I'll.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

I'll let Kitty know you're with us.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, fine, Doc. Good. You let Kitty know I'm with you. You just go.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yes, sir. Adam. That boy there.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Kitty know I'm with you. Doc.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Doc, you come back here.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Hey, Kitty, where's Doc?

[J]

I don't know, Matt. He was here a little while ago.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Why, I've wasted a half hour looking in all the Eden houses for him. He's got Chester's father with him. I gotta stop him. Stop him for more than that fool idea that you and he had.

[J]

What do you mean, fool idea? Doc came by and said it was on that you were playing sick and bed.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Kitty, I was in bed because I really was sick. And I still am sick. Have you and Doc lost your senses?

[J]

Well, we're just trying to help Chester, that's all.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Now, look, what if somebody else sees that hold up Moss. Grimmigan Station. How do they know that? He just playing games.

[J]

Doc and I aren't gonna let anybody get hurt, Matt. And you know Chester. He'll play along all the way.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

That's exactly what I'm afraid of.

[J]

Oh, Kitty.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

All set, Kitty. Oh, hello, Matt. Oh, you're on your feet for the fern.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You call this thing off right now.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, no, no, no. It's too late. Chester and his father up at the Dodge House. In exactly three minutes from now. Moss Grimit is going to rush up there and say there's a hold up.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

At the memory and I'm putting a stop to it before somebody gets.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What's that? I don't know. It's not time yet.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, come on, Doc. You can watch the fun you started.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yes, come on.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You know something out and knock your head off.

[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

Now, Matt.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Now take it easy. Matt Marshall. Dylan, you better hurry. Chester just shot a man at the dog's house. Good Lord.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Let it through here. Will you please move aside? Let it through.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Stand there.

[J]

I'm Matt.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Matt, wait. Well, look, Chester. Sitting on somebody. Chester, what are you doing?

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Get off of that man. Doc, check that one line over there.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

He shot and wounded one fella and we subdued the other one. All right, Jim Cole, we did. Ain't a bad night's work.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Oh, Chester, will you get up?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Mr. Jones, he. He tried to kill me and Paul.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Get up, I said. He's unconscious.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Oh, Matt, wait a minute.

[J]

Look here.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

What is it, Doc?

[J]

Look at this man.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

It's Jack Par.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

What?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You know the man on that wanted poster.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, that is p matter.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Dylan, that fellow friend of yours, is he? He tried to hold up the hotel office here.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

No, Mr. Proudfoot, it's not a friend of mine.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Huh, what say? Anybody catch that comment? Chester. Chester. Hurry up, Chester. There's a hold up at the livery stable.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Moss, go home.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

But my doc told me to.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Just go back to your livery stable.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

And call off the holdup.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Huh?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Forget it, Ma, forget it. We've had the real thing.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Well, goodbye, Moss.

[John Meston (Writer)]

Yeah, sure, sure. Goodbye.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Goodbye. Goodbye. Yes, goodbye. Come here. Notice something here, did you? Dylan? Chester was right on the spot.

[John Meston (Writer)]

He was.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

That's the reason he took my bed for so long.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Uhhuh.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

He got an instinct for these things. Chester has put him right here on the spot for this hold up. Now there's a reason for everything I always say.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, well there's a reason all right.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

What say, Dylan?

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Mr.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Darling, I can explain all this.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

No, Chester, you and your father take care of things here. I'm sick and I'm going to bed.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Don't count on me taking care of things. Dylan, I'm leaving on morning stage now. I saw my boy in action.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, well, all right, Mr. Proudfoot. Goodbye and good luck to you.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

You, you wait right here a minute, Bob.

[J]

Mr. Dylan.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Yeah, what?

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Mr. Dylan, I miss. Dylan, I can explain.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

You don't have to tester but.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Yes sir, I do have to explain.

[J]

I swear I never been so humiliated.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

In all my whole life. I've been thinking about it all day. Mr. Dylan, I. I never wrote but two letters to Paul and well, maybe I did stretch a couple things that Paul, he. Well Paul, he. He put it all together and made me out more important than what I am. But I'll set him straight, Mr. Dylan. On I'll tell him the truth and.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

I'll do it right now.

[Bill Conrad (Actor, Matt Dillon - Radio)]

Chester, You do and you're fired. You go on back and help your father take care of things.

[Parley Baer (Actor, Chester Proudfoot)]

Yes sir, Mr. Dylan.

[Announcer]

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[John Meston (Writer)]

Marshall Proudfoot Written by sound man Tom Hanley.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Foreign.

[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

This has been a presentation of otrwesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate this episode within your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel by going to OTR westerns.com YouTube become one of our ranch hands and unlock some exclusive content. We want to thank our most recent ranch hands Steve and Ron W. Who joined us recently. You too can join by going to otrwesterns.com donate send us an email podcast trwesterns.com and you can call and leave us a voicemail. 707-986-8739 this episode is copyrighted under the Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening.

[Announcer]

Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com switch and now T mobile is in US cellular stores.

[Commercial Voice]

Savings versus Comparable Verizon plans plus the cost of optional benefits. Plan features and taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third line free via monthly bill credits. Credits stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required.

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Honey this is it.

[Marshall Matt Dillon]

Shot clock winding down trailing by two when you can't miss the last shot.

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[Marshall Matt Dillon]

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[Narrator / Host Andrew Rines]

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[Marshall Matt Dillon]

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[Marshall Matt Dillon]

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