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 violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man who moved with it.
I'm that man, Matt Dillon, the 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.
Well, I don't know if you see this, but yes, that's healed pretty well, Matt. At least it doesn't seem to be any infection.
Good.
How long ago did this happen?
Oh, a few months ago, Doc. I don't remember exactly.
You get a bullet in your leg and you don't remember when it happened.
Well, that was way out in the country, Doc, clear up by Indian Wells.
I don't know what that's got to do with your remembering. Honestly, Matt, sometimes you make about as much sense as Chester.
I got enough sense to know that you've been poking around long enough.
Well, that bullet's got to come out, Matt.
I thought you said it was healing.
I did, but it's still got to come out. The bullet could move around in there and cause trouble.
Maybe next week sometime. I'm busy right now.
No, come to think of it, you're worse than Chester.
Next week.
All right, by then you'll probably have some more lead that I can dig out anyway.
That's what I like, a nice triple position.
You, Doc Adams?
Yes, ma'am.
I've seen your shankle down below. Who are you?
Marshall Dillon.
Hello, man.
What can I do for you?
I want you to have a look at my arm.
Oh, sure, yes. Sit right down.
My name's Minnie Higgins. You can call me Minnie.
Oh, all right, Minnie. Yeah, just what's wrong with your arm?
I fell off the horse. Got scratched up some.
Oh, let's look at this.
Ain't nothing bad, but there's some proud flesh developing there.
I already put some turpentine on it.
Well, that helps, yes.
It's still in its cleaning out, even if the bullet did pass clean through.
Bullet?
Dog gone, new dog.
What's this about a bullet?
I just told the dog what happened.
There weren't no bullet about it. I fell off the horse.
It hit a stick and it ran clean through my arm, see?
Yes, I see.
Don't you believe me?
No, and I don't think the dog does either.
Man.
You live around here, Minnie?
I don't live nowhere in particular, but I'll tell you one thing.
Soon as the dog here fixes up my arm, I'm leaving this town.
I'm leaving at dawn.
You're welcome to stay as long as you like.
I'm still leaving at dawn.
You're going to tell me how you got shot?
It was an accident.
Clean in a rifle.
An accident.
Okay.
I'll see you later, Doc.
Sure, sure, Matt.
Them marshals are all alike. Real nosy.
Matt's not so bad.
It's just that he likes to know why when people take a bullet.
Whether it's serious or not.
Real nosy.
Now then, Minnie, I'm going to be as gentle as I can.
Oh, I can take you.
Go ahead, Doc.
Start cutting.
Well, I sure didn't ever think a man could starve to death
waiting for his coffee in a restaurant before.
Sometimes it beats drinking at Chester.
Thank God. I never thought of that.
Yeah, he'd marry Chester. He wouldn't have his problems.
Oh, sure, sure, sure.
Hello there, Doc. Marshall?
Hello, Minnie.
I thought you were leaving town this morning.
Well, a girl can always change her mind, can't she?
Yeah, sure.
This is Chester Prodford, Minnie.
How do, ma'am?
You're kind of country even for Dodge, ain't you?
Say, it's awful crowded in here, ain't it?
Oh, would you like to sit down here, Minnie?
I think that's sweet of you.
Ow.
What do you think of my new clothes, Doc?
And my new hat.
Well, the hat's mighty impressive.
Oh, I thought it was pretty.
Oh, it is. Yes, it is indeed, Mary.
Here's your coffee, gentlemen.
Say, you.
Ma'am?
You got any steak out there in the kitchen?
Sure.
Well, bring me one.
About two inches thick and flat, four fried eggs on top of it.
Yes, ma'am.
One thing you sure do know how to eat.
Well, a girl's got to keep up her strength, don't she?
A good meal once in a while don't hurt a body none, does it, Doc?
No, no, not at all.
You ain't asked me about my arm, Doc.
Oh, no. Well, see, how is it?
Oh, it hurt during the night. A lot.
I thought maybe I ought to stay over so you could take another look at it today or tomorrow.
Oh, well, it'll have to be right now after dinner.
I'm driving out into the country this afternoon.
You are, huh?
Oh, come on, Chester. We got work to do.
Oh, but I ain't finished my coffee.
You can get some later. So long, Doc.
Well, now, see you.
See you later, Minnie.
Sure, Marshall. So long, Chester.
Well, wait a minute. I'm going with you.
Doc, you ain't going to leave a lady deed alone, are you?
Well, I...
Of course you ain't. Now, sit down.
Oh, oh, no. Minnie.
Oh, what's gotten into you anyway?
I was thinking, you might like a little company this afternoon
when you drive out into the country.
Oh, no, no. No, you don't. No, absolutely not.
Oh, Doc?
No, no. I mean it, Minnie.
When will you be back?
Well, not till tonight. Late.
I'm very late.
Okay, Doc. I'll see you then.
I'll be waiting for you.
Oh, dear.
Oh, Doc!
Huh? Who's talking?
You're so late getting back to town, Doc.
You had me worried.
Minnie, what in the world are you doing up at this hour?
Why aren't you home in bed?
Well, I was down to the stable waiting for you
till Moss ran me out.
Why, it's going on 10 o'clock.
You usually out this late?
I don't work on a schedule, you know.
You had a long drive, didn't you?
Long enough.
You're tired of me.
I'm tired of you.
You had a long drive, didn't you?
You're tired.
But you needed to drink.
Take the chill out of your bones.
I'll buy you one.
Now look, I'll...
Doc, don't you want a drink?
Well, as a matter of fact, I do.
I'm going to get one right now.
But alone.
Alone?
You won't take me?
No, I won't.
Ladies don't go into saloons.
Now, you know that.
Now, you run along.
You come see me about that iron tomorrow.
Good night.
Doc.
Good night, Minnie.
Sam, sit out a glass and a bottle of rye.
Yeah, sure, Doc.
Usually you take time to say hello before you order whiskey.
He looks pretty nervous.
Well, it's all very well for you to joke.
You don't have the problems that I do.
There's one thing I can't stand.
It's a doctor feeling sorry for himself.
It had nothing to do with my medical practice.
It's that work.
That carotid who's been chasing me.
I don't know what it is you've got, Doc,
but it must be mighty powerful.
Yeah, that's just about as much sympathy as I expect from you.
I'm jealous, that's all.
Ah, you ought to take it easy on him, Matt.
Doc's got real trouble from what I hear.
No, I haven't got real trouble, Doc.
Gun it.
No woman can force herself on me.
That's the spirit, Doc.
Doc!
Brace yourself, she's in.
You lied to me, Doc.
I lied to you?
About what?
About there being no woman in here.
What do you call her?
Oh, now look here.
Now, women are welcome here anytime, Minnie.
It's just that most ladies don't approve.
Well, you look like a lady.
I'm staying.
That's the spirit, now.
Minnie, you don't understand.
Kitty works here.
She owns the place.
What's the difference?
Well, the men, they wouldn't understand, now, Minnie.
They might get the wrong idea about you.
You think so?
Well, I know about men.
Barkeep, drinks for the hire.
Hey!
Here it comes!
Come on!
Woo!
There.
That'll take care of the men.
Now, you come and sit at the table with me, Doc.
No.
I'll set up a holler.
I'll start a puff and I can do it, too.
She means it, Doc.
You better go along, Doc.
Oh, he's going all right.
There ain't no question about it.
Now, come on, Doc.
Look here, Minnie.
She's kind of rough, isn't she?
Yeah.
But she's not a bad woman at heart.
I can tell.
I hope you're right, for Doc's sake.
Now, say one thing.
She sure got a mind of her own.
Where's Doc?
Had right out in the jit words.
I ought to be back in the dark.
Oh, my gracious.
I do declare, Doc, you act nervous as a bridegroom.
You know what that woman did this morning?
What woman?
You know very well what woman.
She waited in hiding for me outside in El Monaco's.
She sprang out at me like a muntlion.
She said she was going to have breakfast with me.
Well, now, Doc, like she said, her girl has got to keep her strength up.
And she did.
She had an order of steak and eggs at her foundry at Graft Horse
with potatoes and pie on the side.
She's going to be an awful big expense to you, Doc.
Awful big expense.
Oh, I'm going back up to my...
Wait a minute, I'll walk with you as far as your stairs.
I've got to go out the store.
I just made it in town.
I'll go to San Francisco.
You're wasting money, Doc.
She'll find you.
That lady is awful determined.
There she is.
Let's go the other way.
Wait a minute.
That big girl with a wife.
I need for her hat right off her head and frond not.
Now, that's terrible.
Chester, come on.
He ain't got no right to do that.
He'll be chasing her next.
Come on, Doc.
Let's go.
Chester, get a set of marks.
I've just bought me some new clothes, Jake.
What you calling me here for anyway, you big ugly thing?
Woman, you got plum out of hand.
I think I'll walk you a good...
Here, hold on a minute.
Now, that's enough, mister.
What?
Beating up ladies just don't go in this town.
Well, you...
Take it easy, Jake.
He don't carry no gun.
What you doing, messing around without a gun?
I can go get one quick enough.
Well, who's this other little fella?
Well, that's Doc Adams.
Jake, he fixed my arm.
It took him two days just to fix that arm.
Now I think I know where to put that bullet in.
Well, Doc, it was an accident.
He didn't do it on purpose.
And Minnie, is this your husband?
Not no more, he ain't.
What do you mean, not no more?
I'm leaving you, Jake.
You're leaving?
I've got me a lover here in Dodge.
You what?
Minnie.
Yep, I've got me a lover.
A real gentleman, not an old hog wallower like you.
Where's he at, Minnie?
I'll kill him dead.
You just let me reach him.
I'll tear his heart out.
Who is he, Minnie?
You say his name.
No, I won't tell you nothing.
I'll beat it out of you.
No, you won't.
You'll leave or be, Minnie.
Tell you I'll leave or be.
I'll leave you or be.
I'm going to get me a drink.
Then I'm going to go looking for this lover of yours, Minnie.
And when I finish with him,
I'm going to start on you.
No, now, now.
Don't nobody get in my way.
He means it.
He'll do something terrible.
You're out of your mind telling him you've got a lover.
But I feel that way, Doc.
I feel that way real strong.
Well, stop feeling that way.
I'm not your lover, and I never will be.
Oh, you come around.
All men are kind of shot first.
Now, you listen to me, minute.
Now, Jake, there's your husband.
And you've got no right to be running around chasing other men.
Doc is right, Minnie.
It ain't fitting.
Once a lady's been churched in wedlock,
she's got a duty to her husband good or bad.
We've got to run away together, Doc, right now,
while we've got the chance.
We'll have a few hours start,
and he won't find out till we're on our way.
No, Minnie.
No.
Now, that's as simple as I can make it.
No.
Come on, Chester.
I'm going up to my office.
I think I better fix myself a powder.
What a hole there, Bill.
Where's the Marshal, Chester?
In here.
Well, I've got to find him right now.
Well, he's out of time.
We'll be back till after dark night.
Are there something wrong?
There's a buffalo hunter over at the long branch
slopping up whiskey.
He says he's going to kill Doc.
How'd he find out about Doc?
He heard a couple of barflies laughing about Minnie,
how she bought drinks for the house and all,
and how she's in love with Doc Adams.
Where's he at now?
I left him standing at the bar.
Sam's keeping an eye on things.
I slipped out the back way and come over here.
That don't sound too good, does it?
Is he the husband of that Minnie that Doc's been sporting around?
Doc ain't been sporting nobody around.
It's all her doing.
Anyway, he's sure in trouble.
Yeah, and thanks for telling me.
What do you think you're going to do with that gun?
Well, I got to do something.
Well, you're going to get yourself killed.
Yeah, I'll be careful, Bill, but I got to warn Doc.
Well...
Well, what's the occasion?
Now, don't try to be funny, Doc.
Jake Higgins has found out about you and Minnie.
What's the gun for?
He claims he's going to kill you, Doc.
Oh, are you out of your mind?
There's not going to be any shooting over this nonsense.
I won't stand for it.
I don't know how you can do much about it.
Well, I'll go talk to him. I'll stop it fast enough.
Doc, that man is crazy jealous.
He's got a belly full of liquor and he's toting the gun.
And besides, he's a buffalo hunter.
And you know they ain't a buffalo hunter alive,
you could call even a little bit civilized.
I'm not thinking of pattling around with him.
Well, you'd better start thinking of something.
I ain't going to go away just because you try to ignore me.
Well, this whole business is ridiculous.
It was, maybe, but it got pretty serious, man.
No hope is going to drag me into a mess like this.
Yeah, you're already in it, Doc.
Maybe you can spit it bad weather, but you can't change it.
Doc, I...
Now, now, now, you just stand right easy, Jake.
It's you that's been courting my Minnie, Doc.
I haven't been courting anybody.
I've got to shoot you, Doc.
You pull that trigger, there's going to be an awful lot of lead
flying around this office.
What's your part in this?
Let's just say Doc's a friend of mine.
Yes, sir. Now, wait, wait. I'm unarmed.
Now, you're not going to shoot an unarmed man, are you, Jake?
Doc, I got a right to shoot you,
sitting, standing, or laying down
in any way at all.
And you know it.
No, you don't.
Now, doggone, you just move out of the way.
I'll shoot right through you if I have to.
Well, that's what you're going to have to.
I've never seen a man want to die so bad.
Jake!
What are you up to now?
I'm going to kill Doc, Minnie.
Now, there's no need for a shootin', Jake.
I reckon I'll decide that.
Jake, listen to me. I was wrong.
I'm coming back with you.
I made a mistake, that's all.
Look at me, Jake.
I throwed away all them fancy clothes, see?
I ain't going to try to be a lady no more.
Oh, what about him?
Doc?
Oh, he didn't do nothing, Jake.
He was just like me.
I got to feelin' girlish again.
Girlish?
That's what Doc and Chester told me a while ago there
about being married and all.
Well, they was right.
It brought me to my senses.
You'd never have no quarrel with Doc, Jake.
Is this true, Minnie?
All this year, Sam?
Yeah, it's true, Jake.
I'll be wrong with you.
Out there on the prairie,
skinning buffalo for you, fetching and carrying.
Oh, I never was cut out to be an old lady.
Boy, you're a lady enough for me.
You always was.
These city fellows don't know everything.
Well, then, let's get our horses and ride.
I never did really want to shoot you, Chester,
but you shouldn't go around getting in the way like that.
Well, come on, woman, let's get going.
All right, just as soon as I pay Doc for fixing my arm.
Oh, forget it.
Oh, Ped, you don't owe me any.
Keep the money.
Buy a bottle with it.
Well, that's right, neighborly.
It's my pleasure.
Bye, Chester.
Bye.
You sure got out of that by the skin of your teeth.
Oh, by the skin of yours.
Yeah.
Well, I could have been...
Right.
Gun smoke.
The story was written and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald,
stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by John Meston
and adapted for radio by Norman McDonald.
Featured in the cast were Virginia Gregg, John Danaer, and Vic Perrin.
There is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.