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.
Music
Gun Smoke, starring William Conrad, the story of the violence 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.
Music
Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, Chester.
I sure would like to have me a two-bit piece for every time we rode this way coming in and out of Dodge.
I guess the horses would too.
Would what?
Like a two-bit piece for every trip they've made. They're the ones that do the work, you know.
Well now, Mr. Dillon, you know horses can't spend money. It'd be just pure foolishness to give it to them.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
Well, of course I'm right, Mr. Dillon. My good gracious alive.
All right, all right, Chester.
You've been giving money to a horse. Why, ain't nobody want to give it to you.
I wonder what that follows up to.
What follows that?
Over there to the right of that big tree.
Why, the Kramers don't it. Looks like he's stringing up a rope.
Yeah, it sure does.
That's what he's doing, all right. Stringing a rope. And he's got a noose on him.
Yeah.
You got a plan for that rope, mister?
Yes, sir, I do. I got to see that it's measured properly.
Why don't you come on down.
Well, now, that ain't very polite, mister.
Now, you look here, he's the U.S. Marshal. You better climb down from that tree right now.
All right, all right, I'll do that.
I've always been a law-abiding man myself.
What's your name?
Clawed.
Just Clawed?
Just Clawed. Nobody ever called me nothing else.
All right, Clawed, suppose you tell me what you're doing with this rope.
What? I'm testing and measuring and seeing that it's right and proper.
What for?
For the hanging, Marshal.
Oh, you're arranging for a hanging?
Yes, sir, I am.
That doesn't sound very law-abiding to me.
I promised her, Marshal, with her lying in her coffin.
I promised her I'd follow him and hear him speak, and then I'd hang him.
Mr. Dillon, he must be crazy.
Well, now, some folks say I am, but folks don't know about a man.
Who are you waiting here for?
Oh, I ain't waiting here, Marshal.
He'll be coming along to dodge, and I'll see him in plenty of time.
And then you'll hang him, is that it?
Well, not till he speaks the killing, Marshal.
I've been following him all over, waiting to hear him speak the killing.
A man should say he's guilty before he hangs.
Well, I never in all my life...
Never mind, Jester. Clawed.
Yes, Marshal?
Nobody hangs a man but the law.
Well, I don't want to cause no trouble.
You cause any trouble, and I'll put you and your rope in jail.
You remember that, huh?
I ain't one to forget things, Marshal.
That's good. I'm not either.
All right, come on, Jester.
Marshal?
Yeah?
I'm right pleased to make your acquaintance.
Yeah. Come on, Jester, let's get out of here.
Come on, I'll show you some new twist to that rope.
You leave it be.
There are lots of ways to wrap the news. Let me see it.
Let it go.
Some ropes are made for dragging, ain't they?
Let go there.
Hey, Cal, you pull that away, and I'll fall on it like this.
Then we'll see how good this rope is, y'all.
I said turn him loose.
Well, we ain't doing no harm, Marshal.
We just have a little fun.
Trying to drag a man's head off?
A man goes around wearing a rope with a noose on it all the time.
He ain't right, Marshal.
It's not up to you to judge. Now go on, move along.
You better do something about that, Marshal.
The town's getting spooked at the sighting.
I said move along.
We'll move.
All right.
Thank you, Marshal.
Glad I got here in time.
You was dragging me for fair.
Yeah.
This happen to you before?
Yes, Marshal.
Everywhere I go, folks try to pull on the rope.
Why don't you take it off, then?
I gotta wear it, Marshal.
I gotta wear it till the hanging.
I told you how it was.
Yeah, you told me.
You'd be safer without that rope.
I ain't gonna harm nobody, Marshal.
Not till the time.
You listen to me, Chloe.
There isn't gonna be a time for you to use that rope.
I made it myself, Marshal.
And I looped it just right.
It ain't gonna be used but once.
I gotta be sure it isn't used on you.
It sure is a lot quieter in here than it was last night.
Yeah.
When those cattle drives hit, I sometimes wonder if it's worth it.
You make a lot of money off those cowboys.
I have to spend most of it putting the place back together again after they go.
Well, now, they didn't do so bad last night, Kitty.
Seems to me it looks pretty good around here.
Sure it does.
After we carted out the broken chairs and took down the mirror they smashed,
we're still missing the window.
Yeah.
In this weather, they did you a favor to knock it out.
You may be right about.
Ah, there he comes, Matt.
Oh.
Um, Clawed.
Yep, in his daily round.
Good afternoon, Miss Kitty.
Hello, Clawed.
Clawed.
You and Clawed have much to say to each other, Kitty?
No, Matt.
Can't say we do.
He comes in every day just like that and goes up to the bar,
but, you know, he speaks very politely.
Yeah.
Yeah, he's a light all right.
Well, I wish his good manners would make him take that rope off before he comes in here.
It gives me the creeps, Matt.
That would be good for business.
I don't care if it is or not.
Isn't there some way you can keep him from wearing it?
Kitty.
I know, I know.
There's nothing in the law that says a man can't wear a rope.
Hmm.
Well, I hope whoever he's waiting for comes along so he can stop coming in here
and looking around every day.
The one drink he buys isn't worth it.
See?
There he goes on out.
Going to look someplace else.
Bye, Miss Kitty.
Marshall?
Bye, Clawed.
So long, Clawed.
Matt, do you think he really is waiting for somebody?
He's such a strange little man.
Yeah, Kitty.
But I don't think he's strange enough.
Hmm?
What do you mean?
I mean I think that he is waiting for somebody.
Hi, maybe you'll recall this tuneful reminder of times past.
Hmm.
This is Dennis James with something else worth remembering.
It's this.
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It's Kellogg's All Brand.
So relieve irregularity from lack of bulk, as millions do,
with a bowlful of Kellogg's All Brand each morning.
A double L hyphen B R A N.
It's Kellogg's All Brand.
Mr. Dobie?
Oh, it's you again.
Yes, sir.
I'm glad to see you remember me.
Oh, I remember you all right.
Well, then I guess you recall I've been asking after a man who
might have come in here to your hotel.
You've been asking every day.
A big fella, tall, straight fella named McCreel.
That's who I've been looking for.
Yes, yes, I remember.
Well, then, Mr. Dobie, I figured maybe you'd tell me what room he was in.
Well, now you listen here.
I heard on the street out there that a fella like that come in here last night.
A lot of folks come to Dodge House.
Well, I'd just like to go up them stairs, Mr. Dobie, and look around.
Well, now you're here.
All I want to do is...
Oh.
Oh, well, thank you, Mr. Dobie, but I guess I won't have to trouble you after all.
Mr. Creel?
I've been waiting for you, Mr. Creel.
Get out of my way.
I always promised her I'd find you.
You remember that, Mr. Creel?
You just better remember to leave me alone.
Well, I ain't to leave you alone right now till you say you did it.
Oh, you...
You'll say you did it, Mr. Creel.
One of these days you'll say it, and I'll be waiting like I always have.
Now, you get out of my way or I'm going to break your head open.
Gentlemen, please.
Now, don't worry, Mr. Dobie.
There won't be any trouble.
I'll get out of the way.
You just better.
I can wait.
Matt!
Oh, Matt.
Ah, hello, Doc.
Good morning, Matt.
Morning. You had breakfast?
Oh, hours ago, yes. Out at the toddy place.
Toddy place? Somebody sick?
No, not sick, exactly.
Martha had twins. Boys.
Well, that makes a whole parcel of toddy boys, doesn't it?
Yeah, makes seven. Funny.
Some men just don't seem to deserve having a girl.
Yeah.
Doc.
Yeah?
I got something I'd like to ask you about.
Good. Fire away.
Have you seen much of the Floyd fellows that are wandering around town?
Oh, yeah, sure. I've seen. Everybody has. He's in and out of every place in town every day.
Not anymore.
Not anymore? What do you mean?
At least found what he's looking for.
A man named Creel came into town the night before last.
The Floyd only goes in and out of the places Creel goes.
Sticks right with him, doesn't he?
Yeah, like a leech.
What do you want to ask me?
If a man like Floyd will really make a move.
Or if he'll just talk about it.
What do you mean, make a move against Creel?
Yeah. He says he's going to hang him, you know.
He's choosing a hard way of doing things, isn't he?
Yeah, that's why I wonder if he'll ever be anything to it.
He's quiet and polite and hasn't caused any trouble.
But he says he's going to.
And he wears that blasted robe night and day.
He doesn't seem to be in any hurry, does he?
He's got a reason for that, too.
He says he has to wait until this man Creel admits to whatever he's done.
Then he's going to hang him.
You think he'll ever do anything, Doug?
Well, I don't know, Matt. I honestly don't know.
These kind of things can go either way.
I'm still here, Mr. Creel. Following right behind you.
I aim to make it real easy to talk to me when you're ready.
When you figure you'll be ready, Mr. Creel.
Sorry, Mr. Creel, but when you stopped so sudden like,
I didn't mean to run into you like that.
Afternoon, Marshal, Chester.
Good afternoon.
Ain't always easy to keep my distance when I don't know where you're going, Mr. Creel.
I'm right here, right here behind you.
Mr. Dillon?
Yeah, Chester, I know.
Well, ain't that a mighty unnatural sight now,
them two walking all over town, one behind the other,
and only one of them doing any talking?
He talks enough for the two of them.
Yeah, sure he does.
But if I were that fellow Creel, I'd have to say something.
Yeah, that's what Cloyd wants him to do, say something.
Mr. Dillon, do you really believe that Cloyd fellow has anything on him like he says he does?
I don't know, Chester.
I got a feeling we're going to find out.
Well, I'll be with you in a minute.
All right.
In I'm Miss Murray, and I'll let you know when that new bolt of clock comes in.
Aye, thank you, Mr. Jonas. Good day.
Bye, Miss Murray.
Now, what can I do for you two?
We ain't together.
Oh? All right, then what can I sell you?
I can see how you'd think we was together, being so close and all.
Oh, you shut up.
Well, sure, I was just explaining to you.
Just shut up.
Did you come in here to buy anything or not?
Not me, Mr.
Yeah, I want some cartridges.
I just go where he goes.
Well, for what gun?
This here.45.
Mm-hmm, yeah, yeah, right back here.
There you are.
Thanks.
I guess your friend don't need any cartridges,
at least not when he's wearing that robe.
He's no friend of mine.
Here I come, Mr. Creel, right behind you.
Thirsty people everywhere prefer ice-cold Pepsi-Cola,
and because it's light, it refreshes without filling.
Charlie, be sociable.
I am, Kay.
Pepsi is a favorite of thirsty people from Maine to Hawaii,
from Alaska to Florida.
Charlie.
It's perfect for parties or picnics, so serve Pepsi to your guests.
That's helpful, but...
This is the sociable part.
Keep plenty of Pepsi ice-cold and ready.
Remember, it goes fast because everybody likes Pepsi.
Singing still sounds more inviting.
May I?
Be sociable, look more.
Keep up to date with Pepsi.
Drink light, refreshing Pepsi.
Stay young and fair, and never dare be sociable.
Have a country.
But singing doesn't say,
Pick up an extra carton of Pepsi today.
Better yet, get a case.
You do that.
I don't think so.
That beats me, Creel.
Well, you played it smart.
Good deal.
Yeah.
He's having a lot of luck today, ain't he?
More luck than coming to him the way he's watching that door.
Just you let me worry about that door.
You are worrying about it, too, ain't you?
Don't worry, he'll be along, Creel.
He always is.
Now listen, you want to play poker or you don't?
Why, sure.
We was just thinking maybe you was missing your friend.
Well, I ain't missing him.
And if you ain't going to shut up about it,
we call the game off right now.
All right, we'll shut up, Creel.
Go ahead and deal.
It's just that I was wondering...
Wondering what?
Well, I was wondering what you must have done to have that little man
following you around all the time.
I ain't done nothing.
It's cold.
Come on.
Come on, sit down.
I ain't done a single thing.
All right, he ain't not going to choke a man.
We don't have to watch the door anymore, Creel.
Here he comes.
Huh?
I didn't mean to be so long, Mr. Creel.
It was all right with him, wasn't it, Creel?
I told you to shut up.
All right.
It ain't my mess.
But if it was, I'd have handled it by now.
I wouldn't have let no crazy man with a rope chase me all over town.
He don't have to let me follow him.
You hear what he says, Creel?
He says you don't have to put up with it.
You stay out of it.
All you have to do is talk, Mr. Creel, and it'll be all over.
All right.
All right, I'll talk.
I'll talk good.
You've been following me around ever since I left Missouri.
Now you ain't going to do it no more.
Do you hear me?
You ain't going to do it no more.
All you got to do, Mr. Creel, is tell me you killed her.
Then it'll be over.
Oh, I never killed her.
Lying there in her coffin, she told me you did.
Oh, that's crazy.
Now it may sound crazy to you, but it ain't crazy to me.
And it ain't crazy to her neither.
I watched her all the time, Mr. Creel.
I wasn't big enough and strong enough for her to look at to marry like she did you, Mr. Creel.
But I watched her all the time.
Oh, sure, you watched her.
I've seen you come home drunk lots of times.
And I've seen her run from you, too, not just once.
I've seen her run and hide.
And I heard her cry.
You don't know nothing? What went on between us?
Yes, I do, Mr. Creel.
I know I wasn't good enough for her to marry, but I watched over her just the same.
And I know you killed her just like you've done it with that gun.
Oh, now will you shut up?
I wasn't good enough.
I never killed nobody.
I wasn't good enough for her to marry, but I was the one she spoke to from her coffin.
Will you hear that?
I was the one she told to follow you until you spoke about it, until you told out how you killed her.
Just as much as you're killing her.
And you're following me around just to hear me say that?
That's right.
All right, then.
All right, if that's what it is.
I killed her.
All right, now you just take your rope and you go.
The rope is on.
Right there below me, Mr. Creel.
Forgetting off me.
Go on.
Get that rope off me.
Right ain't never coming.
Get that rope off me.
Somebody help me get this rope off of me.
Yeah.
And you just lay there.
Right down there where I put you.
You ain't had no call following me around all over the country.
Wearing a rope like it was sent from the devil.
It ain't never been none of your business what I done to her.
Trying to fix it so you don't do no more talking about it.
I don't think you need to worry, Creel.
I think he's dying.
Now you better get out of here before the marshal comes.
I ain't scared.
Nobody gonna take me.
I'm through with listening to you.
All right, hold it, Rayo.
You ain't taking me, marshal.
He's dead, marshal.
Yeah.
Somebody got Chester with him.
Yeah, sure, marshal. I'll get him.
Marshal.
Yeah, Claude.
You bring me my rope?
Here, marshal.
It's here, Claude.
That's good.
I ain't never gonna use it, marshal.
You won't have to.
Creel is dead.
Yeah.
But I'd like to have it with me, marshal.
All right.
It's a good rope, marshal.
It's a true rope.
It made him speak his guilt.
A man should speak his guilt, marshal.
Yeah, if he's guilty.
He was guilty, marshal.
Just like he'd used a gun.
Just like he used it on me.
You see that I have a rope, marshal?
Yeah.
You'll have a rope.
Music
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 Marion Clarkson with editorial supervision by John Mextam.
Featured in the cast were Vic Perrin, Lawrence Dobkin, Martha Robinson, Barney Phillips, and Harry Bartel.
Harley Bair is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents another story on Gun Smoke.