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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, 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 lit…

Transcript

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Synopsis

In the gripping Gunsmoke episode titled The Coward, Dodge City is rife with tension as an unknown coward plots to kill Marshal Matt Dillon. The episode opens with Dillon reflecting on the nature of violence in the wild west, where not only brave men roam but also those who hide in the shadows. The stakes are raised when Dillon finds out that a man named Jack Massey has been shot dead in his office, mistaken for the Marshal himself. This shocking revelation sets off a chain of events that forces Dillon to confront the reality of being a target.

Host

G

George Walsh

Cast›

Georgia Ellis

Howard McNear

Joseph Kearns

Parley Baer

William Bendix

Nights on the air

This story returned to the dial 2 more times · The Coward

  • Oct91955

    Gunsmoke

    The Coward

    Oct 9 · Ep 183

  • Jan41959

    Gunsmoke

    The Coward

    Jan 4 · Ep 352

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Ep 124 · Monday, August 30, 1954 · 29:54

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Audition Show

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Ep 0 · Wednesday, July 15, 1953 · 23:28

← PreviousThe ChoiceNext →The Wolfer

Credits

  • Audio from Internet Archive (OTRR_Gunsmoke_Singles). Curated by OTRR. Goldie does not claim ownership of this broadcast.
  • Cast and sponsor data from RadioGold Index (J. David Goldin / UMKC Libraries).
  • Historical context from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Gunsmoke 59-01-04 (352) The Coward.mp3

Gunsmoke, Episode 352

The Coward

Sunday, January 4, 1959 · 23:17

Gunsmoke, Episode 352

The Coward

Sunday, January 4, 1959 · 23:17

Summary

In Dodge City, an unknown coward targets Marshal Dillon for assassination, leading to a tense investigation as Dillon seeks to uncover the identity of his would-be killer. The stakes rise as innocent lives are caught in the crossfire of cowardice and vengeance.

  • Tense
  • Murder
  • Crime
  • Psychological
  • Noir
  • Mystery
  • Drama

Chapters

William Conrad

Sponsors & network›

F

Fitch Shampoo

Sponsor

F

Four-Way Cold Tablets

Sponsor

P

Popular Science

Sponsor

CBS

Network

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That night in history

Headlines

  • 1959 — Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.
  • 1959 — Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state.
  • 1959 — Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.
  • 1959 — Cuban Revolution: Fulgencio Batista, dictator of Cuba, is overthrown by Fidel Castro's forces.

On the air that night›

  1. GunsmokeThe CowardCurrently listeningEpisode 352
  2. Have Gun — Will TravelHelen of AbajinianEpisode 7
  3. SuspenseDon't Call Me MotherEpisode 784
  4. Yours Truly, Johnny DollarThe Hollywood Mystery MatterEpisode 618