Gunsmoke: "The Big Con" {Reused Script}

Podcast: Old Time Radio Westerns
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Original Air Date: November 13, 1960 | Podcast Date: August 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Gunsmoke, titled “The Big Con,” delivers a tense drama centered around a high-stakes poker swindle in Dodge City. Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself navigating the dangerous aftermath when a banker disastrously lends bank funds to a conman based on the promise of a winning hand. The plot unravels a classic tale of deception, greed, and the devastating consequences of misplaced trust on the frontier, all featuring the iconic character voices, themes of justice, and a touch of melancholy unique to Gunsmoke.

Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. The Early Morning at the Bank (04:21)

• Chester questions Marshal Dillon’s early start; Dillon claims he simply has “a few things to take care of at the bank.”
• The bank is lively—a typical Dodge morning—until a stranger (Hook) demands a massive, urgent loan.

“My collateral is right here in this envelope. You may look at it, but don’t reveal it to these other gentlemen.”
— Hook, explaining his poker hand as collateral (05:28)

• Hook reveals he needs $20,000 immediately to buy into an ongoing poker game at the Lady Gay saloon. The “collateral” is a sealed hand of playing cards.

2. The Bank’s Fateful Gamble (06:15)

• The bank president, Mr. Papp, against his better judgment, agrees to the loan after seeing Hook’s seemingly unbeatable hand.
• Dillon warns about the gamble, but is brushed aside. Security is requested, and the entourage returns to the saloon.
• In the game, Hook’s “unbeatable” hand is bested by a “higher” straight flush from a rival, Sheenways—and the bank’s $20,000 is lost.

“$20,000. Just like that. And it’s not even my money.”
— Mr. Papp, despondent after the loss (08:01)

3. The Cover Up and Aftermath (09:00)

• Dillon sternly instructs all present to keep the matter secret to prevent a run on the bank and further calamity for Mr. Papp.
• Papp is inconsolable, fearing ruination and disgrace.

“I can’t face it, Marshall. I just can’t face it.”
— Mr. Papp (09:54)

• Hook offers placating words, promising to send for the money, but his assurances ring hollow.

4. Suspicions Rise: Is It a Con? (10:45)

• Doc Adams relates a similar scam from New Orleans, recognizing the signs of a rigged swindle.
• The familiarity between Doc and Hook hints at past criminal overlap, deepening suspicions.

“That gray-haired man you thought you recognized? The name’s Hook...Maybe he remembers you too.”
— Dillon to Doc, connecting present and past cons (12:31)

5. Marshal Dillon’s Preemptive Move (16:13)

• Faced with lack of legal proof, Dillon forces the three suspects—Hook, Sheenways, and Varden—to sit for photographs at the local studio, warning them that they can be traced if they skip town.

“Then if you gentlemen leave Dodge, any one of you, it'll be a lot easier for the law to find you and bring you back wherever you go.”
— Dillon, leveraging futuristic thinking on suspect identification (16:37)

• Moments later, tragedy is revealed: Mr. Papp has committed suicide out of shame and despair. The cover-up unravels as news spreads.

“Matt, he killed himself. About an hour ago. That poor man.”
— Doc to Dillon, conveying the gravity of the loss (17:38, approx.)

6. Escalation: The Doc is Kidnapped (19:35)

• Chester brings Dillon a threatening message: Doc Adams has been abducted by the conmen as they flee, warning that any pursuit will endanger his life.

“We’re taking Doc along. If you follow us, we’ll kill him.”
— Ransom note to Dillon (19:48)

• Dillon and Chester gather clues: the gang rented four horses and are likely heading east, possibly toward St. Louis.

7. Pursuit and Prairie Justice (23:49)

• Dillon and Chester pursue the gang across the prairie, tracking them by their inexperience on the land.
• Dillon instructs Chester to stealthily steal their horses, stranding the gang on foot and giving Dillon a chance to get close to camp.

8. The Final Confrontation (27:30)

• Dillon uses patience and Doc’s quick-thinking distraction (kicking a coffee pot) to subdue Hook and secure Doc’s release.
• With the money recovered, the conmen are left on the open prairie—a form of poetic justice—while Dillon and company ride off, planning to collect the others when their defiance subsides.

“They’ll die out there, Marshal.”
— Hook
“Maybe they’ll learn. It’s a good way.”
— Dillon, accentuating frontier pragmatism (29:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [05:28] Hook: “My collateral is right here in this envelope. You may look at it, but don’t reveal it to these other gentlemen.”
• [08:01] Mr. Papp: “$20,000. Just like that. And it’s not even my money.”
• [09:54] Mr. Papp: “I can’t face it, Marshall. I just can’t face it.”
• [12:31] Dillon: “That gray-haired man you thought you recognized? The name’s Hook... Maybe he remembers you too.”
• [16:37] Dillon: “Then if you gentlemen leave Dodge, any one of you, it'll be a lot easier for the law to find you and bring you back wherever you go.”
• [17:38] Doc: “Matt, he killed himself. About an hour ago. That poor man.”
• [19:48] Note (read by Chester): “We're taking Doc along. If you follow us, we'll kill him.”
• [29:34] Hook/Dillon:
  • Hook: “They’ll die out there, Marshall.”
  • Dillon: “Maybe they’ll learn. It’s a good way.”

Important Timestamps

• 04:21 – The stranger's urgent request for a $20,000 loan.
• 06:15 – The bank president agrees, handing over the bank's money.
• 08:01 – The poker con is revealed; bank’s loss becomes clear.
• 10:45 – Doc’s recognition of a New Orleans con.
• 16:13 – Dillon forces the trio to be photographed for evidence.
• 17:38 – Discovery of Mr. Papp’s suicide.
• 19:48 – Doc’s kidnapping and the ultimatum to Dillon.
• 23:49 – Dillon and Chester track the gang on the prairie.
• 27:30 – Doc’s clever distraction, Hook captured, money recovered.
• 29:34 – Dillon’s decision to abandon the surviving conmen on the prairie.

Episode Tone & Takeaways

Gunsmoke here is as moody and moral as ever, with Matt Dillon confronting the ugly consequences of greed and wiles, but also recognizing the limitations of law on the lawless frontier. The language is crisp, the atmosphere tense; there’s regret (the banker’s fatal mistake), irony (conmen being no match for prairie survival), and a frontier justice that falls outside the black-and-white of statutes.

Final Thought

This episode deftly explores trust, consequence, and retribution in Dodge City, providing suspenseful drama and hard-won lessons about ingenuity—and the dangers of underestimating the unscrupulous. It stands out for its classic setup, sharp performances, and the weighty moral cost of a single mistake.