Around Dodge City and in the territory on west, there is just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with the U.S. Marshal and the smell of gun smoke.
Gun Smoke, starring William Conrad. The story of the violists that moved west with young America, and the story of a man who moved with it.
I'm that man, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal. The first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a chancey job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
Hello, Lori. Oh, hello, Kitty. I thought you weren't coming to work till this evening.
It's hotter at the boarding house than it is here in the saloon.
You got your hair fixed different. Yeah. How do you like it done up like this?
Nice, real nice. Maybe I'll have it this way then. See what some of the men think of it.
Honey, it isn't the way you fix your hair that attracts men. Oh, I know that. Just thought some of them might notice, that's all.
They will. One in particular. You mean Roke? Uh-huh. How is he, by the way? I haven't seen him in here the last few days.
He's been doing some ranch work for old man Johnson. Sounds like he's settling down. You'd better watch out, Lori. He's liable to ask you to marry him.
No, not Roke. He likes me, but he won't ask me to marry him. Well, you can never tell.
I'm a saloon girl, Kitty. Men don't ask saloon girls to marry him. It's happened.
Not to me it hasn't. Well, look at that. Looks like you've got company.
Howdy, Miss Kitty. Lori. Hello, Roke. Hello, Roke. Well, I've got some work to do. I'll see you later.
All right. Bye, Kitty. Kitty. You mind if I sit down? Well, you just help yourself.
There. You finished your job? Oh, yeah. He just wanted some fence picks. It didn't amount to much.
You make enough money to buy me some beer? Sure. Sam, bring us a couple of beers, will you? Right away.
Hey, you know, I kind of missed you the past few days, Lori. Why, you sound surprised.
Well, there ain't many women I ever missed. Now, what makes me so special?
I don't know. Just when I was out there fixing the fence, I just got thinking about you.
But, oh, how you move and walk and all. Well, most people move and walk.
Oh, yeah, but it's different with you. You know what I mean. Here's your beer. Thank you, Sam.
Now, come on, Rogue. Tell me what you mean. What makes me so different from other people?
Well, you know what I mean, Lori. Just thinking about you just made me want to come to town. That's all.
Well, I sure didn't know you liked me because of the way I walk. Oh, it ain't only that. You know it.
Well, that's what you said. No, no, no. I don't know such a thing. You're just putting words in my mouth.
Now, maybe I should get up and walk for you now. Oh, come on, Lori. You just cut out teasing me.
I think you're getting mad. No, no. No, I ain't getting mad.
Of course, I could go tease some other man. Maybe they wouldn't get so riled like that when they just came in.
Give me whiskey, Bucky. I bet he ain't took a bath in six months. Yeah, or seen a woman.
No, likely not. He's a buffalo hunter, I guess.
You know, maybe after all that time, he needs to see something besides buffalo and sagebrush. I think I'll go over.
Lori, no, no, Lori, leave him be. I'd be fine. No, I mean, you, be careful, Lori. You never tell about a fellow like that.
You're jealous, Rogues. No, I ain't.
No, it's just, I don't like to see you get all tangled up with something you can't handle because, like you said,
he probably ain't seen a woman in six months. I think you really are jealous.
Well, no, I, all right, you go on ahead. See if I care.
All right. I'll be back in a few minutes. Yeah, sure, sure.
Hello?
You talking to me?
Well, no, but a gentleman usually takes his hat off when he's talking to a lady.
Why, yes, ma'am, I reckon I plum forgot my manners.
What's your name?
Wilson, ma'am. Chug Wilson.
Oh, that's a handsome name. You a buffalo hunter?
Yes, ma'am.
Well, I'll bet you're just about the best buffalo hunter there is, too.
I, I got my share of eyes right enough.
Oh, why don't you, why don't you buy me a drink, Chug?
Yes, ma'am. Barkeep?
Yes, sir.
Give me another glass.
Oh, my name is Lori.
Lori?
Mm-hmm. Here you are.
Thanks. Lori, that's a pretty name.
How long you been in Dodge, Chug?
I just rode in. Here you are, ma'am.
Thanks. Well, I'm sure glad you did ride in.
You are?
Of course I am.
When I get to town, there ain't usually many women who'll bother talking to me.
Well, you've got one talking to you now.
Yes, ma'am, and it's downright pleasurable.
You gonna stay in Dodge a while?
I was only aiming to be here long enough to sell my hides, Miss Lori, but I just might stay a piece.
Well, that'd be real nice, Chug. You can buy me another drink sometime.
I could buy you one tonight. I could buy you a whole table full of drinks tonight after I sell my hides.
You'll be here, won't you? I mean, you ain't going nowhere.
No, I'll be here.
Well, that's fine, Miss Lori. It's just fine.
I'll get my business took care of, but I'll be back later on.
Sure.
Bye, Miss Lori.
Bye.
What'd I tell you? He really hasn't seen a woman in months, maybe not talked to one in years.
Yeah, he sure was stumbling all over himself.
I thought I'd bust out laughing.
Yeah.
Well, didn't you think it was funny?
Miss Lori, he might have took you more serious than you figure.
Ah, I'll let him buy me a drink sometime. He'll forget all about it.
Yeah. I just hope you ain't piling up trouble for yourself.
Oh, Rog, I'm just having fun, that's all. Just having fun.
Well, I'll see you later.
It's getting kind of late, Lori. I'm about ready to close up.
I'll close up for you, Kitty. I promised Rog I'd wait for him.
All right. Why don't you sit down for a minute here? I think I will.
I'm tired.
There were a lot of people in here tonight.
Yeah.
I swear, I don't know where they all come from.
Well, Dodge is growing. Sometimes I wish it had stopped.
Oh, hello, Matt.
Hello, Kitty. Lori.
How are you, Marshal?
I'm fine, thanks.
Sam's gone, but I'll get you a beer if you want, Matt.
No, no, thanks, Kitty. I was just on my way by. I thought I'd get working home.
I'd like it better if you'd carry me. My feet hurt.
Maybe next time.
You don't mind closing up, Lori?
Of course not. I told Sam I'd put the glasses away anyhow.
Good night.
Night. Night, Marshal.
Night, Lori.
Hello, Roke. Oh, I thought you were Roke.
I'm sorry it took me so long getting back here, Miss Lori.
It's mighty nice to see you waiting for me, though.
I'm waiting for somebody else, Chug.
You promised you'd have a drink with me.
Some other time. I'm tired now.
You promised.
That was this afternoon. Now I'm tired and I just want to be left alone.
So leave me alone, huh?
Well, I don't hardly seem right.
Well, that's the way it is.
I don't think it that way, Miss Lori.
You and me, we're going to have a drink now.
Now listen, I don't want a drink, and I sure don't want one with you.
You were powerful and nice to me this afternoon.
How come you ain't that way now?
I was having fun this afternoon. Now I'm not. So get out of here.
Miss Lori, I never had a woman talk to me the way you done.
I told you to get out of here.
I made up my mind about you.
What do you mean by that?
Well, I reckon you and me, we're going to get along just fine.
You and me? You get out of here, I'll break a bottle over your head.
Did you hear what I said?
What's wrong, Lori? You got some trouble?
Everything's fine, mister.
Wait, ain't you a buffler hunter was in here this afternoon?
That's right.
And Miss Lori, she said she'd have a drink with me.
Oh, and now look, she was just funning you today. That didn't mean nothing.
It did to me.
Come on, Lori, I'll take you home.
You ain't had your drink yet, Miss Lori.
No, and I'm not going to. Let's go, Roke.
Yeah. Just hold it right where you're at.
Here's your drink, Miss Lori.
Well, now look, Chuck, she don't really want...
You just keep shut, Mr. Roke.
Take your drink, Miss Lori.
Well, I told you she don't want it.
You knocked that glass out of my hand?
Yeah, and I'm going to do a lot more if you don't leave her alone.
I'll squash you. I'll squash you.
Chuck, please. Chuck, I'll have a drink with you. I promise. I'll have a drink.
All right, Miss Lori.
You all right, Roke? You all right, man?
You stay away from her, you hear, Mr. Roke?
From now on, you stay away.
You don't own her, and you better know it.
I'll tell you something. Miss Lori, she belongs to me.
I've been thinking on it real hard, and I've made up my mind.
Oh, for heaven's sake.
All righty, Clare, Delmonico's cooking is just getting better all the time.
That was a good steak.
Better? It tasted like shoe leather.
What?
You heard me, shoe leather.
Mr. Don, was that a good steak or not?
Well, I don't know, Chester. I didn't have one.
If you think it was a bad dark wine tarnation to eat here, where else am I going to eat?
Well, do your own cook.
Oh, yes, how I'd do that, Chester. I'd sure do that.
Only I'm not blessed with as much leisure time as some people I know.
Leisure time? Why, you ain't done a lick of work all morning.
You've just been sitting over there in front of the Dodge house, walking, folding.
Oh, Chester, why don't you shut up?
Well, he's darned it, don't you?
Marshal, Marshal, I've seen you in here. I've got to talk to you.
How's the trouble, Roke?
Well, it's Chug Wilson.
Who's Chug Wilson?
He's a buffalo hunter coming to Dodge yesterday.
Now, so?
Well, last night he most took me to death.
You look all right to me.
Well, that's just because Laurie begged him out of it.
Laurie?
Yeah. Now, he thinks he owns her just because she shined up to him, but that ain't half of it.
Oh, what else?
Well, this afternoon, just a little while back, I went looking for Laurie, and I couldn't find her, so I went to her boarding house.
I knocked on the door, and now who should open it but that Chug Wilson?
Well, maybe Laurie invited him over.
No, she didn't. She wouldn't do that.
And besides, I seen her sitting right there in a chair, and she was all scared to look.
Is she hurt?
Well, I don't know, because before I could do anything, he only picked me up.
He threw me clean down the stairs, like the broke-ever bone in my body.
Now, Marshal, I want you to do something, Marshal. Throw him in jail.
I'm not going to throw a man in jail unless he breaks the law or hurts somebody, Roke. You don't look hurt to me.
Well, you're not going to do nothing?
I'll find Chug Wilson and hear his side of it.
Well, if you ain't some Marshal...
I haven't got time to nursemate every drifter that comes to Dodge and looks cow-eyed at one of the saloons.
All right, and you'd just better start building a pine box big enough to hold Chug Wilson, Marshal, because I'm going to get him.
I'm going to fix him good.
Mr. Dillon, he's mad enough to shoot somebody.
Yeah. Come on, Chester, we'd better find out what this is all about.
Yes, sir.
See you later, Doc.
Yes, all right.
So long, Doc.
Maybe Chug Wilson's still at the boarding house, Mr. Dillon.
Yeah, maybe.
Marshal! Marshal!
What?
Please, Marshal, you've got to help me.
Oh, what is it, Laurie? What's the matter?
That buffalo hunter, Chug Wilson, he just walked into my room, grabbed me and told me I had to go with him.
Then Roke come to the door and Chug threw him down the stairs.
Yeah, Roke told me.
I was scared. I ran out when he was fighting with Roke.
I went to your office, but you weren't there, so I hid in the alley.
What started all this, Laurie?
Oh, a joke, Marshal, just a crazy joke.
What kind of a joke?
Oh, yesterday when Chug come to town, Roke and I were talking, and I...
I thought it would be funny if I kind of made up to Chug, you know, teased him a little.
Oh, that kind of a joke isn't very funny, Laurie.
Well, how was I to know he was going to take it?
You're full with a man's feelings, you're going to get in trouble.
Marshal, please, you've got to keep him away from me.
He's going to do something crazy. I just know it.
Laurie!
There he is. He's come for me.
You just take it easy. If you don't want to go with him, you don't have to.
How come you run out on me, Laurie? You shouldn't.
Who are you?
I'm the Marshal here, Chug.
You trying to get Laurie away from you, Marshal?
I'm not trying to do anything, but Laurie doesn't want you.
That ain't so.
Why don't you ask her?
There's no need.
Yesterday in the saloon, she told me she was mighty glad I'd come to town.
Right then she told me.
I was only having some fun yesterday.
It's that Roke, Judson. He's trying to turn you against me.
Chug, you just can't grab a woman and run off with her because she told you she's glad you came to town.
Why not?
Because I'm telling you right now, you stay away from Laurie.
Don't you go near her anymore.
Laurie's mine, Marshal.
She's been mine since I first seen her yesterday.
And ain't nobody gonna take her away from me.
Not you, not nobody.
Morning, Chester.
Oh, morning, Mr. Dillon. You want some coffee?
Yeah, maybe it'll wake me up.
You know, I've been worrying about Chug Wilson and Laurie all night long.
Do you suppose he'll leave alone like you told him to?
Oh, I don't know, Chester.
Makes me feel kind of sorry for him, don't it?
I mean the way she was teasing him and all.
She's paying for it now.
Well, yes sir, but so is Chug.
He'll get over it.
Yeah, I don't know.
Oh, Chester, what did you make this coffee with, Axle grease?
Why, it's the same as always, make it.
Only this time I put in a little more chickpea.
Well, next time try washing out the pot, huh?
Washing out the pot?
Well, now, if you ain't careful, you can wash the flavor clean out of a pot by doing that.
Well, hello, ma.
Chester, where's that?
Oh, Marsha.
What's the matter, boss?
Well, maybe it ain't nothing.
But it just seemed kind of funny, that's all.
Oh, what's wrong?
About an hour ago this big buffalo hunter came into my stable, Chug something or other.
I never did hear his last name.
He wanted a horse and rigs, so I rented him one.
And then him and this girl lit out.
Girl?
Yeah, you know, that saloon girl, Laurie.
And I got to thinking afterwards, that Laurie, she looked awful scared.
Mr. Dunn, he's done it. He's kidnapped her.
Come on, Chester.
I at least a buggy trail is easy to farm, Mr. Dunn.
Yeah, doesn't look like they're moving very fast.
I wonder how come Chug could do a thing like that?
Well, he's a stubborn man, Chester.
I don't know, but it sure does seem crazy.
I guess when Chug makes up his mind, nothing's going to change.
Mr. Dunn, look.
There's somebody hanging from that tree on it.
Yeah, let's go.
Give me a hand, Chester.
Mr. Dunn?
Yeah, Rogue Judson.
Easy now.
His neck's broke.
Yeah, that didn't happen long ago.
No, sir.
Mr. Dunn, do you suppose Chug Wilson done this?
It looks that way.
Pull up, Chester.
That's it, ain't it?
That's Mars Grimmick's buggy down there by the creek.
I don't see Laurie nowhere, so.
There's Chug walking around.
Yes, sir.
Come on.
Chug?
Hello, Marsel.
I was just looking at our ranch.
You were what?
Our ranch.
I bought this piece of land this morning for Laurie and me.
Sure is pretty bottomland, ain't it?
Where is she, Chug?
What?
Laurie, where is she?
Over there in the buggy.
Chester, go on, see.
All right, Chug.
I was going to show her the land.
Now there ain't no use.
Come on.
She's dead, Mr. Dunn.
She's been shot.
Yeah.
Laurie and me, we were going to go to Hayes City and get married.
She pretended she didn't want to at all, but I know different.
Chug.
I was going to show her the land first off so she'd know she had something good to come.
Chug, what happened?
Broke Judson.
He was waiting for Laurie and me out on the road.
Waiting for you?
He shot at me, but he hit Laurie.
So I took his gun away and hung him from a tree.
Yeah, we found him.
Why'd he do that?
Why'd he shoot at us?
I've never done him no harm.
You threw him down some stairs.
You took his woman.
She was my woman.
Broke doesn't think so.
We just didn't know, that's all.
No, I guess he didn't.
You going to put me in jail, Marshal?
I have to, Chug.
Would you do me one thing first?
What's that?
I brought Laurie out here so she could be on our ranch.
Will you let me bury her here?
All right, Chug, I'll let you bury her.
I think she'd like that.
It's kind of peaceful and all.
Yeah.
There ain't much on words.
You know some you can say far, Marshal.
Don't need to be much.
Sometimes a little can be too much.
What do you mean by that?
Something I guess you don't understand, Chug.
Laurie didn't understand it either.
Gun Smoke.
Produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald
stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gun Smoke by Ray Kemper
with editorial supervision by John Mestad.
Featured in the cast were Barney Phillips, Virginia Christine,
Lawrence Dodkin, and James Nusser.
Harley Bear is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc,
and Georgia Hawkins is Kitty.
It's a real pleasure to welcome back Radio Station WKNE
of Keene, New Hampshire, as an affiliate of the CBS Radio Network
and to greet station WKVT, Brattleboro, Vermont.
Both stations became CBS Radio Network affiliates on November 29.
This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week
when CBS Radio presents another story on Gun Smoke.
Music