Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there's just one way to handle the killers
and the spoilers.
That's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of Gunsmoke.
Gunsmoke starring William Conrad, the story of the violence that moved West with young
America, the story of a man who moved with it, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal.
Good morning, Mr. Dillon.
Morning, Miss Idomay.
Hiya, Marshal.
Good morning, Tom.
Hey, Matt.
Wait a second.
Huh?
Oh, hiya, Doc.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm on my way over to jail after you.
Oh?
You heard about the Longhorn?
No, what about it?
You haven't heard or you wouldn't ask.
Well, heard what, Doc?
Well, I'll walk along with you if you're heading that way.
As a matter of fact, I was heading that way.
Hey, what's all that crowd out in front there for?
In due time, Matt.
In due time.
You know, Doc, there's only one thing that makes you happier than having a secret, and
that's to collect your car runner's fee.
Yeah, might get a fee out of this too, for a servant.
No wonder you're all worked up.
Hey, have you heard about the Longhorn?
It's the dog on the thing.
What?
The dog on the thing.
I haven't come across.
Morning, Mr. Dillon.
Oh, hiya, Chester.
So you heard about the Longhorn?
No.
No, Chester, I have not heard about the Longhorn.
What?
He's upset, Chester.
He's the only man in Dodge who hasn't heard.
Look, so help me, Doc, if this is one of your practical jokes.
No, no, no, no, no.
I had nothing to do with it.
You'll see.
Will you pardon me, ma'am?
Let him through.
Pardon me, please.
Excuse me.
Well, Mr. Dillon?
What do you think of it, Matt?
Aside from the misspelled words.
The Longhorn been closed all morning?
Yep, locked tight.
That sign was on the door or daylight?
The Longhorn Saloon will open at 8 o'clock tonight with new management and a new policy.
Everybody welcome.
Signed the new manager, Mamie.
Mamie?
That's a woman, Matt.
Lately of Kansas City, St. Louis, and points east.
Well, I don't know, Mr. Dillon.
My, we never had a woman run in a saloon in Dodge City before.
And we won't now, Chester.
The boys won't let her last an hour, I'm afraid.
Be kind of fun for that hour, though.
And another thing, if this Mamie is the new manager, what's happened to Herman Bleeker?
Well, I don't know.
He must have sold it to her.
He didn't say anything about it yesterday morning.
That's right.
I saw him over at the liver stable in the afternoon, showing off one of them fancy vests he's always
ordering, and he never said one word about it.
Well, you know that little poppin', Jay.
He's flighty.
Probably happened sudden.
It's too sudden, Doc, even for Herman.
Say, come think of it.
I haven't seen him all morning.
And he's usually struttin' up and down front of the street, preening himself like a powder
pigeon.
He's probably upstairs there, sleepin' in, gettin' ready for the opening tonight.
We gonna be here, Mr. Dillon?
Mamie?
Mr. Dillon?
Oh, the outchester.
We're gonna be here.
I'm sorry, boy, but she's upstairs.
Said she'd be down about 8 o'clock, and that's all I know about it.
Now, if you want to order anything, let's hear it.
And if you don't, I'll be the one to order it.
I'll be the one to order it.
And if you don't, just shut up.
Say, the boys are actin' kinda rambunctious, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, she'll wish she stayed in St. Louis, on my point, see.
Say, Matt, Matt, I was talkin' to the bartender.
I asked him what she looks like, and he said if he told me, I wouldn't believe it.
The other fella I'd like to talk to is Herman Bleaker.
Yeah, nobody's seen hide and hear him.
You know, Matt, I'm beginning to wonder, too.
Hello, dear, good morning, strangers.
Welcome to the Longhorn.
I'm Mamie, the new owner.
Mamie?
My gracious sake, alive.
190 pounds if she weighs an ounce.
Yeah, that bartender was right.
I wouldn't have believed it.
Boys, it looks like we're gonna be doin' business together,
so let's get things straight right in the beginning.
First place, the minute you stick your foot inside that door, you're on my stomping ground.
I'm the boss of this shebang, and don't you ever forget it.
When I tell anybody to hop, he hops.
Is that clear?
Yeah, that's clear.
Now, tell you what, I aim to give the squareest deal in town.
All the liquor here's gonna be aged over 30 days,
and the dancin' girls aged under 30 years.
The liquor's straight, and the girls are graceful.
There's only four aces in every deck, and the cards only read from the front side.
You'll get a fair shake for your money, but there ain't gonna be no fandangling.
And another thing... Mr. I'm talkin'!
Well, so am I, old palax.
Excuse me, boys.
Looks like it started, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, wait a second.
He paid for his drink?
Yes, ma'am.
All right, you walleye little maverick, come on!
Hey, hey, hey!
Throw his hat out after him!
Now, as I was saying, boys, I just won't stand for no fandangling.
Now, maybe some of you figured I was wearing this sick shooter for decoration.
When I just cast your eyes on that ace of spades, I got tacked up on the back wall.
Now!
For the land's sake, did you see that draw, Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, and she got the card, too.
Oh, the boys won't get her no trouble, ma'am.
All right, boys, the first one's on the house!
And it's the last free one you'll get!
And the only credit I give is for funeral expenses.
Belly up, boys!
Well, sir, Mr. Dillon?
Chester, I want to talk to Herman Bleaker more than ever.
Say, you know, she's big enough to...
Well, I'll bet she forced Herman to sell.
Yeah, maybe.
Doc, I'll be right back. I want to talk to her.
Oh, that shoot was nothing, boys!
Oh, you're the marshal, huh?
Yeah, that's right, ma'am. My name's Dillon.
Proud to shake your hand, Mr. Dillon.
Well, thank you, Miss Mamie. Welcome to Dodge City.
Mighty decent of you to express the sentiment, marshal.
I reckon you won't get much business around the Longhorn.
I'll take care of any trouble that's around here.
That'd be quite a change. The boys used to push Bleaker around every now and then.
Oh, that runty little prairie dog.
I didn't know he was planning to sell, Miss Mamie.
He must have made up his mind in a hurry.
Yeah? I made him an offer and he took it. Just like that.
He found himself some new living quarters, I suppose.
Oh, yeah, he moved right out last night.
Oh. I wonder where he's holed up.
Huh?
There are a couple of things I'd like to see him about.
Well, now, I'll tell you, I'm afraid he left town, Mr. Dillon.
I think he said something about taking the Santa Fe to St. Louis now that I remember.
Oh, I see. I see. Well, that's too bad. I'd sure like to have seen him.
Well, I'll probably drop in now and then, Miss Mamie.
Sure. Anytime, marshal. For you, it's on the house.
Thank you.
What'd you find out, Mr. Dillon?
Let's get out of here, Chester. Come on, Doc.
Sure. Oh, yes, with both ears a-flapping.
Well, boys, what do you think of her?
Oh, my gracious, Mr. Dillon, I sure would hate to meet her in the dark.
Oh, why, she's got a voice like a buffalo.
Ain't it awful? It just itches your ears, don't it?
Why, the woman's a human monstrosity.
I still haven't seen Herman.
Huh. What's she saying, man?
She says she thinks he left town.
Oh, she says...
Chester, I want you to check all the rooming houses and hotels along Front Street.
I'm gonna go to the railroad station and the stage lines. I'll meet you over at the jail.
Yes, sir, Mr. Dillon.
Mr. St. Matt, I think Herman keeps a horse over the Liberty.
Yeah, I thought of that, Doc. I wonder, would you be good enough to look into that for me?
Why, sure, I'd be happy to.
You know, Mr. Dillon, she is an awful straight shot.
Yeah, Chester, I know.
You hear, Matt?
Oh, yeah, come on in, Doc.
Well, his horse is still over at the stable. He didn't tell them anything about leaving.
He didn't leave, Doc. Mamie came in on the 9 o'clock train last night.
She's been out all night.
Oh, I see.
Well, I'm glad you're here, Doc.
I'm glad you're here.
Well, did he tell you anything about leaving?
He didn't leave, Doc. Mamie came in on the 9 o'clock train last night.
Only one train out after that, around midnight. He wasn't on it.
And he didn't buy a ticket on the stage either.
Yes, now what did I tell you? Matt, that settles it.
Yeah, of course he may have moved into one of the hotels.
No, sir, Mr. Dillon, I'm afraid he didn't.
Oh, well, what did you find out, Chester?
That nobody in this town has seen Herman Bleecker since around 9 o'clock last night.
He gave me a fee out of this, one way or the other.
Well, don't spend it yet, Doc.
Ahem.
What?
Buenos noches, senores.
Oh, Manuel, come on in.
Gracias, senor Dillon.
Well, what's on your mind?
Pues, señor, I was at the railroad depot when I hear you ask about the little one,
el señor Bleecker.
No.
And the other, the señora.
Oh, there is much woman in that one.
Well, there's no argument there, Manuel.
Senor, last night I have seen something which is strange.
No?
I have come home very late, one hour, two hours before dawn.
I was visiting a friend, you understand?
Yeah, yeah, I understand.
You see, I walk home in much hurry, and it is very dark, senor,
when at once I see this lantern in the royal behind the Longhorn Cantina.
Oh, a lantern, you say?
I am think, what is this?
So I wait, and this lantern is come toward me,
and when it is close, oh, this woman who I have no see one like her.
Oh, what a scare.
Well, what was she doing in the Arroyo?
I do not know, but, but it's one thing I forget.
She has carried something in her hand.
Well, what was it, Manuel?
A shovel, senor.
Find anything, Matt?
Well, there's something here, Doc, but I can't quite...
Hold the lantern over here, will you, Chester?
Yes, sir, Mr. Dillon.
I found something here, if I can just, just get it loose.
The lantern all right, Mr. Dillon? Can you see what there is?
Yeah, it's fine, Chester.
Yeah, I got it.
It's a boot.
Here's the other one.
Yeah, but all that fancy stitching.
Matt, those are his.
I've seen them on him.
Yeah, so have I, Doc, yesterday, in fact.
Here, take him, Chester.
There's a bundle of some kind here.
Oh, you found the body, huh?
No, it's, it's closed, I think, Doc.
Let's have a look.
Yeah, that's all there is, too.
The hole doesn't go any deeper.
It's hard pen on the bottom there.
Hold the lantern down, Chester, and let me, let me get this unwrapped.
I'm not so sure about that coat, Mr. Dillon.
There's a lot of them like that around town.
Yeah, I know, but take a look at this fancy vest.
Oh, that's Herman's.
Nobody else in Dodge City would ever wear a thing like that.
Well, from the looks of it, he won't be wearing it again.
We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment.
But first, the escape car speeds from the scene of the crime,
and the victim notes its license number.
Police investigating the case discover the car has an ironclad alibi.
That just begins the excitement on tomorrow night's Gangbusters program.
It's the case of the twice-parked car,
an authentic crime story taken from actual police records.
Don't miss Gangbusters, presented by CBS Radio tomorrow night
over most of these same stations.
Now, the second act of gun smoke.
How you coming, Doc?
You know, don't rush me, man. Don't rush me.
I have made one of these blood tests in years.
If you ask me, I don't see any use in making one now.
Well, let me see. Pour the precipitate into here.
What other kind of blood could it be, except human?
Doc, I only want to be sure, aren't so?
All right, all right.
Let me see, five drops of the precipitate.
Maybe five drops of the sulfate.
Ah, you sure look uncomfortable, Matt.
Well, how would you like to try arresting that lady, Doc?
Not my job, Terester.
All I am doing is stopping up these loopholes Matt's trying to wiggle out of.
Now, that's real decent of you, Doc, real decent.
No, sir, Matt, I don't recall you ever being in such predicament.
Oh, of course, I remember the night you shot it out
of the darkly boys over in the alfaganza.
There were three of them, and you did not turn any here.
And then that other time when you got dry gulched by the Platte River gang...
All right, Doc, all right, all right, but this is different.
If I go to arrest that woman, she's just crazy enough to start a gunfight.
Oh, it's a problem, it's a problem, all right.
Now, let's see, we'll just shake this up and warm it a bit.
Yeah, mm-hmm.
You know, there is one thing, though, Mr. Dillon,
shooting at a mark's not the same as a gunfight.
Maybe she wouldn't even resist.
You really believe that, Chester?
No, sir.
Oh, she ain't a woman, she's a human catastrophe.
She sure is from that.
Well, there's still a chance we may be going off half-cocked here.
That blood could have got on Herman's vest a dozen different ways.
We'll soon see.
Couple of drops of reagent.
One, two, three, four, five.
And we'll look for the color change.
So, turn up the lamp a little bit, will you, Chester?
All right, Doc.
Oh, wow.
Well, Doc?
Well, it's tough luck, Matt.
It's human blood.
Hey, Matt, I thought we was going over to the Longhorn
to talk to Mamie. How come the jail?
She'll keep, Doc. She's not going anywhere.
Looks cut and dried to me, Matt.
It might not if you were in my shoes.
Now, come on in, boys.
You know, Mr. Dillon,
when I talked to the barkeep Finnegan,
he said that when he showed up this morning to open the saloon,
that woman was already inside waiting for him.
She told him to come back at 8 o'clock tonight,
and he didn't see no sign of Herman Bleeker.
Oh, well, there's another nail in your coffin, Matt.
Doc, if you keep this up, I'm going to deputize you
and take you along with me.
He sure can have my job, Mr. Dillon.
No, you don't.
I will not lift a hand in anger against a woman,
especially that woman.
I keep thinking we could still be wrong.
Oh, real diehard.
Look, now suppose Herman hurt himself some way.
How?
And he wanted to get away by himself and recuperate.
Where?
And suppose he didn't want anybody to know about it.
And why?
So he decided to stay with some friend.
Who?
And, well, maybe...
Now, come on, Chester, let's go.
Ah, there she is at the end of the bar.
What are you going to do, Mr. Dillon?
Take her in, Chester.
Maybe she'll talk when she's arrested.
I've got to get that gun away from her some way.
It's not going to be easy.
It's got to be done.
I've never drawn a gun on a woman yet,
and I'm not starting now.
If I could just manage to...
I don't know.
There might be a chance.
Stick close to me, Chester.
Yes, Mr. Dillon.
Well, Marshall, mighty glad you dropped back in.
I was just wondering how you were getting along, Miss Lee.
Like a kid with two tongues and an all-day sucker.
Say, now, tell me, did you find that little weasel Herman Bleecker?
I, uh...
I thought you told me he'd left town.
Oh, well, I was just guessing, Mr. Dillon.
He said something about planning to.
Here, step up and have a shot of poison.
Uh, no, no, thank you, thank you.
As a matter of fact, I came back here for a particular purpose.
Chester and I have a little bet on.
Mr. Dillon, we...
What kind of a bet is it, Marshall?
Well, it was about that shooting trick of yours hitting the center of that playing card, you know?
Chester figures that it was a fluke of luck.
He's betting me that you can't do it five times in a row.
Well, we'll soon settle that.
The card's still up there.
Stand aside, boys!
Maybe he's gonna live right for shooting irons if you don't know what he is.
Get down there, Curly.
All right.
There's one.
Couple of them.
You're doing fine so far.
How am I doing down there, boys?
All dead center so far.
Say, you there, whatever your name is, uh, what do you think of your bet now?
Well, I guess I just kind of lost my head, Miss Meanie.
Well, three down, two to go.
There's four.
And one more!
Uh...
Oh, yeah.
Well, what are you stopping now for, maybe?
Well, I got some rules I go by, Marshall.
One of them's never to fire my last shot and leave my gun empty.
Yeah, I see.
Well, that's a pretty good idea, I guess.
Sorry to lose your bet for you, Marshall.
I'm convinced.
Well, I guess that didn't quite...
Uh, Chester...
Miss Meanie, I guess you're not a gambler yourself, huh?
Who says so?
I'll take a fair bet at even odds any day of the week and twice in Philadelphia.
Well, in that case, I'll make you one.
I got a pretty fair gun here.
Or at least I thought so till I saw yours in action.
Well, I'd say yours every bit as good as mine.
Well, then how about a bet, your gun against mine on the one-cut high card, huh?
Well, now, how? I didn't...
Of course, it's all right with me if you'd rather back out on it.
Who's backing out?
You got yourself a bet, Mr. Dillon.
Finnegan!
Shuffle us a deck.
Okay, Miss Meanie.
It's a bet or a fight, Meanie never backs out.
Uh, there you are, Miss Meanie.
Now...
Who goes first, Mr. Dillon?
Ladies, always.
All right.
If you're a friend, Lester will cut them for us once.
It's Chester.
Never mind! Cut the cards.
Yes, sir.
Now...
Let's see what we've got.
Ah, jack of spades.
That's not bad.
Plenty good, Marshal.
Plenty good enough to beat anything you can...
King of diamonds.
All right.
Unbeat.
Fair and square.
You won yourself a gun.
Ah, thank you.
Here, Chester, will you take it?
Yes, sir.
And now the handcuffs.
Here! No!
Maybe you're under arrest.
Why, you, of all the sidelines and double-cross and backhanded...
Meanie!
Now, you're gonna stay fastened to me until I get you in a cell...
so you might as well make the best of it.
Why, you...
And as far as that's concerned, you'll be safer in jail than out of it...
once word gets around.
People here in Dodge City thought a lot of Herman Bleeker.
That little sod of groundhog!
That's no excuse for killing him in cold blood.
What?
You heard him, Meanie.
You killed me.
Bleeker!
This is the biggest night of my whole life...
to hear somebody finally shut Meanie up and make her like it.
The Marshal's a gentleman, you little weasel.
He knows how to talk to a lady.
And to hear you say how much the town thinks of me, Mr. Dillon.
What's this all about, Herman?
Well, I...
I'll tell you what it's all about!
This little grub worm ran out on me in Cincinnati three years ago.
Like to broke my heart.
I've been hunting him ever since, and last night I found him.
I wailed the living daylights out of him!
Yeah, he looks like it.
But why did you bury his clothes?
Mr. Dillon, would you want to be married to a man that dressed like that?
She's pretty near murdered me, though, Mr. Dillon.
I've been up there in bed all day...
just too bruised and embarrassed to hobble downstairs.
Oh, we had our ups and downs, Marshal, Meanie and Herman.
You know how it is...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Chester, give me the keys to the handcuffs, will you?
Yes, sir, I got them right here in...
Well, I guess they're over in the...
What's the matter, Chester?
Oh, Mr. Dillon...
when we were digging out there...
I guess I must have lost them.
Chester, can't you file that thing any faster?
You might just well relax, Mr. Dillon.
It took a half hour to get that thing off Miss Meanie's wrist.
Oh, all right, all right, but just hurry.
I'm a filing as fast as I can.
Matt, Matt, Matt...
Oh, Doc.
Miss Meanie gave me this bottle of Irish here...
to make the waiting a little easier.
And it's Jameson's.
Oh, well, fine, Doc, fine.
Chester, let that go for a minute, huh?
And open it up.
Yes, sir, Mr. Dillon.
Hey, can you imagine it, boys?
Little Herman Bleeker married for years to a woman like that.
I don't wonder...
Oh, I get nightmares.
Here you go, Mr. Dillon.
Oh, thank you, Chester.
Doc.
Well, gentlemen...
here's to the weaker sex.
Mr. Dillon, which one is that?
Gunsmoke, under the direction of Norman McDonald,
stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
Tonight's story was specially written for Gunsmoke
by Les Crutchfield,
with music composed and conducted by the late John Williams.
The story of Gunsmoke is a story of a man who,
in the early days of the late 19th century,
was a man who was a man who was a man who was a man who was a man
who was a man who was a man who was a man who was a man
with music composed and conducted by Rex Corey.
Featured in the cast were Jeanette Nolan as Mamie,
with John Danaer, Ralph Moody, and Byron Cain.
Parley Bayer is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc.
Join us again next week as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal,
fights to bring law and order out of the wild violence of the West
in Gunsmoke.
As colorful as the Western Roundup and twice the fun,
that's The Gene Autry Show, which comes your way
every Saturday evening over CBS Radio.
It's one of radio's most distinctive programs,
flavored to taste with songs of the sagebrush
and melodies of the Mesquite Country.
The Gene Autry Show is 30 minutes you'll enjoy,
packed full of comedy, songs, and the genial personality
of the one and only Gene Autry.
The Gene Autry Show is a show that's
about the power of the West.
The whole Melody Ranch gang is on hand to entertain you
tomorrow night, every Saturday night.
So tune in to The Gene Autry Show and hit the pleasure trail
over most of these same CBS stations.
Clancy Cassell speaking.
And remember, Broadway is my beat brings you
Startling Mysteries Saturday nights on the CBS Radio Network.
The Gene Autry Show is brought to you by
The Gene Autry Show.
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