Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke" - "How To Die For Nothing" (10-10-53)

Boxcars711 Overnight Western "Gunsmoke"
How To Die For Nothing (Aired October 10, , 1953)

The radio show first aired on April 26, 1952 and ran until June 18, 1961 on the CBS radio network. The series starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Deputy Chester Proudfoot. Doc's first name and Chester's last name were changed for the television program. Gunsmoke was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest old time radio shows. Some listeners (such as old time radio expert John Dunning) have argued that the radio version of Gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program. Episodes were aimed at adults, and featured some of the most explicit content of the day: there were violent crimes and scalpings, massacres and opium addicts.

THIS EPISODE:

October 10, 1953. CBS network. "How To Die For Nothing". Sugar Crinkles, Post Toasties. After Marshal Dillon shoots a drunken cowboy, his brother swears to shoot him in the back. The script was used on the Gunsmoke television series on June 23, 1956, and used again on radio May 10, 1958 (see cat. #52114). Credits are the same for both broadcasts of this script, except the 1958 show credits Jack Moyles and does not credit John Dehner!. William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, John Dehner, Vic Perrin, Harry Bartell, Lawrence Dobkin, John Meston (writer). Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index. CAT# 4560