Old Time Radio Westerns — Gunsmoke: "Thick ‘n’ Thin" (09-16-56) Host: Andrew Rhynes | Episode Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this classic Gunsmoke episode, "Thick ‘n’ Thin," two long-time friends turned homesteading partners, Odie Perkins and Brace McCoy, find their relationship unraveling into bitter feuding over seemingly trivial matters. Marshal Matt Dillon and his trusted allies step in to prevent escalating violence and, through some clever frontier psychology, coax the former friends to reconcile. This episode captures the blend of humor, tension, and humanity that defined the golden age of Western radio drama.

Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

The Trouble Begins (03:51–08:10)

• Odie Perkins storms into Marshal Dillon’s office demanding the law help him get rid of his now-estranged partner, Brace McCoy.
• Both men argue over wanting each other evicted, spouting 15 years of grievances.
• Marshal Dillon highlights their joint ownership of the farm and insists there’s no legal reason to evict either. He proposes a temporary division: one gets the house, the other the barn. They draw high cards for the pick.

Notable Quote:

"Marshal, I want him throwed clean off the place. Now, wait a second. As I recall, you boys took up that homestead as joint tenants, huh? Brace has got as much right there as you have." — Matt Dillon (05:45)

Escalation and Comic Banter (08:11–17:55)

• Despite the Marshal’s solution, Odie and Brace continue feuding, slinging increasingly absurd insults and threats.
• Drama escalates: a shootout erupts at the farm, with each man barricaded—one in the house, one in the barn.

Notable Quote:

"That big hunk of buzzard bait ain’t about to dislodge me neither ... I'll give you just five seconds to get that door open and come out here." — Matt Dillon demanding Odie step outside (15:29)

• Matt and Chester arrest both for disturbing the peace, jailing them in Dodge City.

Root Cause Revealed — Flapjacks and Grits (18:35–23:00)

• Behind bars, the real source of their spat emerges: a petty argument over bland meals and trampled grits.
• Marshall and Doc are exasperated by how such deep friendship derails over frivolity.

Notable Quote:

"It started because Brace didn’t figure I was fancying his vittles up enough ... he throwed [the grits] on the floor and tromped all over 'em with his boots on." — Odie Perkins (21:33)

The Summer Dove Gambit (23:01–29:00)

• Dillon gets crafty, recruiting Summer Dove, a skilled cook in need of housing, proposing she live at the farm and work for one of them.
• When neither man will budge, Dillon ups the ante: he leaves both their (supposedly loaded) guns in the jail cell and tells them to “settle it.”

Notable Quotes:

"You get it settled, boys, one way or the other. I'll be in my office." — Matt Dillon (27:40) "Now wait just a minute, I don’t like this, Marshal, and that's a fact." — Brace McCoy (27:48)

Resolution and Reconciliation (29:01–32:30)

• The threat of a final showdown forces Odie and Brace to reflect on their friendship. They resolve their differences and leave, arm in arm.
• The twist: Chester discovers the 'guns' were loaded with blanks—Dillon knew neither man truly wanted to harm the other.

Notable Quote:

"He sure wasn't, Chester. Not the way he did it... Not with the blanks he made and put in their guns." — Doc Adams explaining Dillon's ruse (31:20)

Memorable Supporting Moments

• Kitty and Summer Dove: Kitty introduces Summer Dove as a lost but talented figure, underscoring the changing life on the frontier. Their friendly sewing session injects warmth amid the tension. (14:20, 23:05)
• Comic Relief: Repeated, ridiculous arguments between Odie and Brace, peppered with colorful, rural insults and frontier slang.
• Marshal Dillon’s Frontier Psychology: The episode humorously illustrates how good judgment—as well as a little trickery—can mend even the pettiest feuds.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Setup: 03:51–08:10 (Odie and Brace arrive at Marshal’s office)
• Shootout at the Farm: 14:01–15:40
• Jailhouse Confession: 18:35–23:00 (Root of the feud revealed)
• The Cook’s Proposition: 23:01–27:30
• Dillon’s Gun Trick: 27:31–32:30 (Resolution and reveal)

Notable Quotes & Attribution

• "Marshal, I want to swear out a complaint, an injunction, a bench warrant—whatever it is it takes to get a certain low-life scum evicted..." — Odie Perkins (04:22)
• "Well, Marshall, I want him throwed clean off the place... I got reasons that go back as far as fifteen years." — Odie Perkins (04:54)
• "You got a fair to middling house out there and a mighty good barn... one of you lives in the house and the other one in the barn." — Matt Dillon (07:01)
• "He throwed ‘em on the floor and tromped all over ‘em with his boots on.” — Odie Perkins (21:33)
• "They didn't want to kill each other. Somebody just had to make them realize it, that's all." — Matt Dillon (31:23)
• "Not with the blanks he made and put in their guns." — Doc Adams (31:46)

Tone & Style

• The episode balances lighthearted Western banter, slapstick escalation, and insightful commentary on pride, friendship, and reconciliation.
• It embodies both the frontier’s rough justice and its sly humor.

Summary:
"Thick ‘n’ Thin" is a classic radio Western that transforms a comic feud between inseparable old coots into a reflection on friendship. Marshal Dillon’s wise manipulation and the warmth of Dodge’s community spirit bring the partners back together—reminding listeners that even in the Wild West, a sharp mind and a kind heart win out over bickering and bravado.