The greatest bad-guy character actor of our time, William Smith, plays Jude Bonner, a bad guy who kidnaps, brutalizes, and shoots Miss Kitty in retaliation for his brother having been caught by Matt Dillon and hung for his crimes.  Probably for the first time in seventeen years of Gunsmoke, Dillon takes off his marshal's badge before going after Bonner, with the intent of killing him.

Hostage!

James Arness

Amanda Blake

Ken Curtis

Milburn Stone

Jubilee

The Brothers

Matt is tracked, with bad intent, along a river gorge by a gang of villains while in custody of one of the gang and $24,000 of their money. Escaping the gang by jumping into the river, Matt is rescued by two kids, brother & sister on a raft, and floats downriver with adventures galore.

The River (1)

The River (2)

A faith-healer comes to Dodge. Doc is skeptical.

Bohannan

A guy comes to Dodge for revenge on a guy who might just deserve it.

The Judgement

Daniel Shay comes to Dodge City as a drummer who peddles rat traps as a way of making money. While Daniel continues to look for buyers of his rat traps, he sees a Cheyenne boy stealing a horse.  As he looks on memories of a battle at Rock Creek return.

While having dinner with Sarah Morgan Mr. Shay wonders about Jimmy Morgan's father who died in the Rock Creek massacre, Sarah mentions that the cavalry ran him down.

The Drummer

While trying to catch an outlaw (by riding to the outlaw's hideout) Matt runs into Sarah where she wonders if Matt ever wed. We find that Matt was a deputy in San Antonio. Sarah later tells the group she married Charlie Jackson (Matt) days ago. Charlie Jackson was somebody Sarah knew.

Charlie tries to get the outlaws to stop hurting Sarah, Charlie begins to find out of plan that may cause trouble. Sarah later tells Matt that she loves him, but learns that those feelings are not going to return. We find out Matt is after someone who gave him four days in jail.

Sarah is forced to Vesco why Charlie Jackson is back in Mexico, because one of Vesco's men knows Charlie Jackson is dead. Sarah tells Matt to leave, but Matt tries to protect Sarah.

Sarah

Doc Adams comes into The Long Branch just in time to stop Festus from telling one of his long stories, Doc tells of how his day began and then rest before a baby has to be delivered. Now Doc and Festus have to treat the outlaws younger brother. Festus goes to get Matt as Doc is now left alone to treat the victim.

The outlaws are ready for their brother to ride Doc warns that if moved the brother could die. Matt gets there in time to find that Doc is fine, but Festus is bleeding bad. The outlaws brother is dead. Doc tries to get the bullet out of Festus who is weak.

One of the Stalcup outlaws comes back to get his brother Danny.  Festus turns out fine only to drive Doc crazy!

The Fugitives

Festus heads to Abilene to bring a woman $11 left over from the sale of her things after her father's death, and finds time to teach two little boys a lesson along the way.

Eleven Dollars

When a family man lawfully kills a murderous outlaw by shooting him in the back, some people in town start to physically abuse him.

Milligan

An ex-gunfighter is dying. He must reconcile with the daughters he abandoned, and wants to be buried next to his wife, who is buried in a town that hates him

Tatum

Matt seen in Doc's office as he tries to asks a farmer how he was shot, the farmer can't say how he was hurt. Lamoor Underwood  wants the water on the dead farmer's ground to run free, Pete Brown sets out to make sure that happens. Clarabelle is asked to leave her land because somebody wants the water rights.

Pete Brown is shot for trying to help Clarabelle and other farmers. Matt tries to get Underwood to work with the farmers over water rights. Matt arrests Pete Brown but doesn't want to leave. Matt is hit in the back of the head because he knew Pete's real name. Matt takes Pete under arrest.

The Sodbusters

One psychotic brother is after Kitty to avenge his brother's death.

A man neglects his family in favor of raising his prize possession: a race horse

A midget arrives in Dodge City claiming he will turn into an elephant at the stroke of midnight.  Arizona begins asking for someone to care for him along with three bales of hay. Everyone finds the story a bit far fetched.

Arizona Midnight

Two outlaws head back to Dodge City to visit their mother who doesn't trust her son's. Who claim to want to work the farm and take care of their mother.  They intend to take their mother's money along with Doc.

Homecoming

Boone Shadler kills a guard and comes to a stricken town as a priest to keep from been caught by the law. Newly rides into town to try an help take care of sick people. Newly helps take care of Cyrus Himes who is dying. Newly thinks people may have gotten sick because of drinking bad water.

Newly test the water to find out what is in it, Matt gets a wire (letter) saying a sheriff released a prisoner 5 days ago. Matt wonders why Newly didn't return to Dodge with the prisoner. Newly wonders if the priest is who he says after seeing Sadler look for a Bible.

Sadler tells Dallas Fair he is a convict and that Dallas should go with him.

Shadler

Newly falls in love with a woman he met while tending the injured after a tornado.  It doesn't take him long to decide to ask to marry her.  Doc notes an odd bruise on her arm and her lack of energy.  After an exam he wars with his conscience over whether to tell Patricia that she's got a rare blood disorder.  He tells Kitty, Matt, and Newly before he marries her.  She dies shortly after in Newly's arms and prompts Newly to go back to studying medicine.

Patricia

Matt comes back to Dodge City after capturing a prisoner he has been following for two days straight. Kitty is upset with Matt for not attending a lunch.  To make up for the mistake Matt asks her out for dinner.

A Quiet Day in Dodge

A former lawman that Dillon put out of business years earlier comes back with a group of men to gun him down.  Since Dillon is out of town, they settle in at the Long Branch to play poker and wait.  Kitty does the only thing she can do.  She bets the entire town's wealth and Matt's life against the outlaw's hand.

Whelan's Men

Matt runs into his former mentor Adam Kimbro and decides to build his self-confidence by deputizing him as a Deputy Marshal.

Kimbro

Festus runs into Jesse Dillard who is wanted for shooting a black man. Festus wants to find out more and take his friend to prison.

Jesse

Talbot falls in love Katherine after shooting her husband in self-defense. Katherine wants to learn more about Talbot.  Katherine learns of Talbot's plans to rob the bank, she puts her life in danger by telling Talbot she will leave him if he robs the bank.

Talbot

Matt asks a Russian family to identify three men who dragged their son away. Matt tries to convince Moshe Gorofsky to give his testimony as to how his son died, he isn't sure American laws will protect him.    According to Russian law Mr. Gorfsky can't testify in court as to how his son died.  He isn't sure if the evidence is strong enough to convict those who killed his son.

Gearshon tries to convince his father to let the American judicial system do the job of figuring out who killed his brother.

This Golden Land

Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.

Hostage!

Seasons20

Season 18 Episodes24

Cast4

Discussion

Episode Summary