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 spell of gun smoke.
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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 looked for and the last they want to meet. It's a chancey job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
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Where is this here Dodge City you've been talking about, Harvey? It's a far piece yet, I reckon. And if you ask me, it's about as far away as a man can get without starting back again. Yeah, and all this heat. Ain't this the dangest weather you ever seen? Oh, I don't know. I've seen dangers.
Hey, looky there. Where? I'm appointing, ain't I? Oh, why, it's a wagon and a bunch of people. Cooking food. It's only a man and a woman, Merle. Probably his wife. Well, they're cooking food. Harvey, we ain't getting two days. Maybe they'll throw us a little something. Come on.
Hello, people. Hello. Get down. Step over.
Where are you riding to? Dodge City. If we can ever find it. I ain't never been there. We're headed for California. This here's my wife, Lavenda. Howdy. How do. What's that you're cooking in the stew pot? Oh, just potatoes and beans. Mighty little of that. Sorry we can't offer you none.
I wouldn't mind potatoes and beans, mister. I ain't getting two days. My twin brother here ain't that either. Sure am sorry, but there ain't even enough for me and the woman as it is. Had real bad luck finding games. We was kind of counting on a little something to eat, mister.
Today's Sunday, too. Here, I'll give him a dab of the stew. No. It just ain't enough, I tell you. So, maybe we better give him something. Merle. What, Harvey? There's too many mouths to feed around here. That's the sure truth, mister. I'm mighty sorry. You better saddle up and move on.
I don't know if we're ready. Look, mister. Now, don't reach for that rifle. It ain't fitting to handle weapons on a Sunday. Turn around, mister, and get out.
You shot him. I reckon I did. My husband. You killed my husband. He had no call to poke his weapon at us that week. All we want is dinner. Joe. Oh, Joe.
You dang fool. Joe. Merle, make that woman shut up. Are we gonna eat, Harvey? Might as well. Lady, lady, please. We're kind of sorry about how things turned out. Kind of sorry.
It makes us feel bad to hear you carrying on, Joe. Kind of sorry. Hear that, Joe? You're kind of sorry. Sorry you're dead. Oh, now, lady. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Joe.
Where you going, lady? Lady. Where's that woman going, Merle? She didn't tell me, Harvey. She just kept talking to herself and walked away.
She's just as well. One thing I can't stand is an orgy woman. Me too. Say, that looks good. And load your plates. We can eat our fill now. Uh-huh.
Mmm. It ain't half bad. Say, we gotta do something about that team of horses tied up out over there.
Now, Merle, we ain't gonna feed them. Oh, I never did hole for stealing, remember?
Life wouldn't steal nothing, Harvey. You know that. But we can't leave them poor beasts tied up. They're downright cruel.
Well, then turn them loose. I don't reckon these people will need them anymore anyhow.
Give me another bunch of that stew, Harvey. It's mighty tasty.
I swear I just can't understand it, Mr. Jones. What in the world was she doing way out there?
I don't know, Chester.
Poor little thing. All alone like she was. What'd you reckon killed her?
A thirst, I imagine. No one can last long that's far out on the prairie without water.
Awful hard to die like that, ain't it? All alone, I mean. Yeah.
I sure am glad we fixed that little marker for her grave, though. Somehow it kindly helps, don't it?
Yeah, it does.
Look yonder, Mr. Jones. There must be another immigrant heading west. But look at that wagon.
That's a funny place to make camp, though, in the middle of the day.
Ain't no smoke coming up? No.
Well, say, there's a man lying asleep right near the fire pit. See there?
Half a year's of sleep. What do you mean? Come on.
Why, he's dead, Mr. Jones. You reckon it was any of us?
I don't know, but at least he's not scalped.
Fire's cold. It looks like there was a bunch of people eating here.
On the pans and that stew pot. And there's something else. What?
What's this? Disapron. Well, if there was a woman here, she'd... So this is where she come from. That woman we buried.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was. Well, why in the world would she wander off like that in camp?
Whoever killed this man probably ran her off. Oh, nobody wouldn't do a thing like that, Mr. Jones, would they?
Let's take a look in the wagon.
It looks like they had nothing worse to do, doesn't it? Poor as church mice.
Well, and what'd they get killed for if it wasn't Indians and nobody ever stole nothing?
Just who killed these people are wise beyond me. It sure don't make sense, does it?
No, none at all. Well, I guess the only thing we can do now is get him buried.
Yes, sir.
Murrow, is that you? Yeah. What you want, Harvey? Where you been at?
Oh, I got cut in a jag wood for the fire. Why?
Well, it took you long enough. I don't want to have to go back for more in the dark, Harvey.
Don't you like this camp, Murrow? Oh, it's a tall above fair camp. Why?
Oh! Well, what's that? A man on a horse. But I've had my eye on him some little while. Good thing.
Hello, you. Mind if I light a spill? Get down, stranger.
My name is Bud Grant. Well, our name is Finney. Harvey and Murrow, Finney, we're twins.
Where you headed for, cowboy? Dodge.
My golly, we've been trying to find Dodge for days and days. Where is it at, anyway?
Well, it's about 40 miles over yonder. Never mind where's Dodge. You seen any Indians, Grant?
Indians? Any kind of Indians. We ain't particular. Are we, Murrow?
No. Indians is all alike to us. What are you talking about?
You're as dumb as the rest of them, Grant. Oh, never mind him, Harvey.
Nobody out on the prairie knows nothing about where there's Indians.
What do you want Indians for? I don't understand. You leave it to us what we want Indians for.
You hungry? Oh, yeah. I reckon I could eat something.
We shot a antelope this afternoon. It's been boiling in the pot there for quite a spell.
Be ready for it all. Well, that might have good of you.
Sit down, Grant. I'll get me a knife and poke around the pot some.
Meat might be done already. I better feed him a horse first.
Oh, I'll stake him out for you, Grant. You're probably plum tuckered out riding all day.
Just pour yourself some coffee. Oh, thank you.
I sure ain't used to hospitality like this.
Eh, being Sunday, we ain't hardly done a thing all day, Grant.
That's right. I plum forgot about Sunday. Man ought to rest one day a week.
Our Pa always said so. He must have been a right religious man, your Pa.
Yep. Sundays he was always sleeping off a drunk.
He didn't hold a fight and didn't kill him on the Sabbath.
No. Well, last Sunday somebody sure must have got drunk or something.
Why? A family got wiped out east of here.
Some pilgrims traveling to California. A man and his wife.
Indians, eh? Dog, gun it. Why didn't you tell me they was Indians around?
I didn't say it was Indians. Fact is, I heard they wasn't scalped or nothing.
Oh, I declare, you can be plum disappointed.
All I said was it must have been somebody drunk or crazy.
Are you saying it was us, didn't it? Me and Merle?
No. Look here, man. I didn't say nothing like that.
Well, it was.
What? You did it? You killed him?
Only killed a man. The woman ran off. Must have died.
You're crazy. You knowed it all along, didn't you?
That's why you come here. No, that ain't true. I didn't know anything.
Look at me, boy.
What's the matter, Harvey? Got shot in his belly.
Used to killing him. You, uh, you done it?
Well, I had to, Merle. He found out we killed that fellow last week.
Don't know how he figured it, but he knowed too much.
Got to talkin' real loose.
I wish you told me, Harvey. Now I got his horse staked out and everything.
Well, go turn him loose. Supper's about ready.
All right. But don't you start eatin' before I get mad.
I won't.
Merle, over here.
Evening, Kelly. Good day. Thank you.
Want some beer? Yeah, I believe I would.
I guess you heard about that cowboy they found out on the prairie, huh?
Yeah. A couple of riders found his horse runnin' loose nearby and brought him both in today.
There's nothin' missing, huh, Kelly? Not even the $30 they had in this pocket, huh? Thank you.
Well, maybe it was the same murderer who killed that man and his wife a couple of weeks ago, man.
I don't know, Kelly. Three people murdered and there doesn't seem to be any reason for it.
Well, it doesn't leave you much to go on, does it?
No, it sure doesn't.
Merle, sure did, huh? What?
We want to talk to you. Sit down, Merle. All right, Harvey.
My name is Harvey Finney. My twin brother's name is Merle Finney.
Nobody in this town knows nothin', Marshall.
Well, I bet you two could teach him a lot.
Look at her. I sure ain't never gonna get married. You old ape.
What do you men want, anyway? Indians.
We can't find no Indians nowhere, Marshall. Nowhere at all.
What are you gonna do, join them?
No, we ain't gonna join them. We're gonna kill them.
We come west to kill Indians, Marshall. You gotta help us find some. Nobody else will.
Uh-huh. Well, maybe they got a reason not to, mister.
Just cause they're dumb.
No, just because maybe they don't want a pair like you to stir up an Indian war.
I don't know what your reasons are, but I'm telling you to forget about killing Indians and go on back home where you belong.
Oh, he ain't no more use than the rest of them, Harvey.
Now, I'm curious. Why do you men want to go Indian hunting anyway?
We read it in a book.
You what?
Now, that's a lie, Merle. You know Paul never did hold with lying.
Well, all right. We can't read, but a fella back home, he told us about this book.
It was all about Indians murdering white men, stalpin' them and everything like that.
You came out here to murder Indians, is that it?
Oh, come on, Merle. He's as dumb as a rift up in the door, but he ain't gonna be no hell, Harvey.
Phew. Well, they act even worse when they look.
Yeah.
Well, you don't think you have to worry about anybody as brainless as they are, cousin Sebel.
I sure do, Kenny. It's the brainless ones who are the most dangerous.
Matt.
What?
Matt, where are you?
Oh.
Oh, you're asleep, huh? I didn't see you over here.
With a voice like yours, you don't have to see, Doc.
Now, don't get a hump in your back. I'm not charging you for this visit.
Well, then what are you doing here?
Why, it's Sunday. People are supposed to socialize on Sundays.
They are, huh? It's just my luck to draw you, then.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart.
Chronicles.
Chronicles? Huh? Oh, well.
Are you holding something back, man? Did you used to be a preacher?
Of course I never tell you, Doc.
Why'd you quit?
I lost in my battle with the devil, Doc. The play was too small to support my gambling habit.
That's fine, Doc. From the upholder of the law, the figure of justice, the citadel of virtue.
Now, let's go get a drink.
Oh, that's good. That's fine.
Mr. Jones.
Yeah, what's the matter, Chester?
Oh, them phoeny twins. Harvey and Merle, there's gonna be trouble, sure.
Oh, well, what are they up to?
Well, you know how they've been talking about finding Indians killed?
Well, for a joke some darn fool told them Moss Grimmick's a full-blooded Cherokee.
I just heard about it.
Moss Grimmick's a fool? He's at the stable?
It ain't funny, Doc. That pair is crazy enough to do anything.
Yeah, you're right, Chester. Let's get over there.
The stable door's closed, Mr. Jones. Maybe they ain't even here.
We'll have a look anyway.
It's kinda dark in here. I can't see too good.
Let's take a look in the back.
Shh. Quiet now.
Yes, sir.
You got that rope tied yet, Merle?
Yes, I have.
Quiet.
What's getting at Harvey?
Won't you men listen to me? I swear I ain't listening to you.
Oh, you shut up.
They're up there and hanging off the guy, see them?
They got a rope around Moss Grimmick's neck and up over that beam there fixing to push him off and hang him.
Okay, Harvey, the rope's tied.
Let's get closer.
You can't do this, Mr. Jones. I got a big family.
Then your family ain't gonna get no bigger.
You murdering Cherokees?
I'm not a Cherokee. I'm German.
Can't you tell that?
It don't matter what tribe. As long as you're an Indian. Push him off, Harvey.
Wait. Wait. You don't understand. You got this whole mixed up.
I'm gonna shut you up right now.
All right, hold it, Harvey. You touch him and I'll shoot.
Master. Master, thank heaven.
I mean what I say, Harvey.
Who is that dumb marshal?
I know he was no good, siding with Indians.
Moss Grimmick's no more Indian than you are. Now you get that rope off his neck.
I ain't gonna do it. I'm gonna push him off.
You'll die for it, Harvey.
You'll probably miss me from there.
He's gonna do it, Master.
Harvey, now you listen to me. I'll make a deal with you.
You come out to the edge of the loft so I can talk to you.
Well, all right.
See, Harvey, we was right. Now he's even craving for this dirty red skin.
Ain't you, man, got eyes? How could I be a red skin?
Indians is powerful tricky. We know all about them.
Now hold your breath. You're going now.
Harvey, wait.
Too late, marshal. Bye, marshal.
I said hold it, both of you.
You hit them both, Mr. Dillon.
I only winged them.
Hey, don't shoot no more. We're coming down.
All right, take the rope off that man and hurry it up or I'll put another bullet on you.
All right, all right. I'm taking it off.
You let him come down first.
Hey, maybe he weren't an Indian.
Moss, are you okay?
I can't speak so much.
Still just a mite nervous.
You better sit down over there.
All right, you two, come on. Get on down here.
All right, all right.
Oh, man, it hurts so bad.
Hey, he busted my arm.
Got me in the shoulder.
Doc'll fix you up in jail.
We're going to jail?
Yeah, your Indian hunting days are over for good, Merle.
Well, the dog's gone.
Then you made this whole trip for nothing.
Never killed one Indian, Harvey.
Just a few white people.
Huh? What's that?
Oh, yeah, you dirty fool, Merle.
Why did you tell him that?
I wasn't talking to him, Harvey. I was talking to you.
You're the man who shot those immigrants, huh?
Well, Merle done told you. No use denying it now.
And that cowboy. You killed him too, didn't you?
I didn't say that.
Yeah, don't make no difference now, Merle.
It sure doesn't. You're going to hang anyway.
Hang? That's right.
Marshal, I think I'd sooner not be hung if I had my sooners.
But you haven't.
Hey, wait a minute.
Merle, I just figured out what we'd done wrong.
What, Harvey?
We plumb forgot about how it was Sunday, both times.
That man and woman and then that cowboy.
You know, Paul never did hold for killing people on Sunday.
By golly, you're right.
And today's Sunday too, Harvey.
Well, have all that dog gone bad luck?
All right, you two. The jail's on down the street.
Just walk straight ahead.
Gun Smoke, produced and directed by Norman MacDonald,
stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gun Smoke by John Messon.
Featured in the cast were Joseph Kearns, Ralph Moody, Jack Moyles,
James Nutter, Gene Bates, and Sam Edwards.
Harley Bair as Chester, Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty.
This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week
for another story on Gun Smoke.
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