Gunsmoke: Dead or Alive

By: Original Radio Broadcast

Narrated by: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Old Time Radio

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

By the 1956-57 season, Gunsmoke had reached the peak of its dramatic power as radio’s foremost adult western, with its powerful scripts and careful characterizations. William Conrad leads the cast as Marshal Matt Dillon, along with Parley Baer as Chester, Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty. 

The citizens of Dodge City, Kansas emerged as living, breathing embodiments of frontier America in radio dramas that represent the medium at its most potent. Experience 27 hard-hitting adventures from this landmark season in this collection! 

Episodes include: Dirty Bill’s Girl 10-28-56; Pretty Mama 11-11-56; Brother Whelp 11-18-56; Speak to Me Fair 12-02-56; Braggart’s Boy 12-09-56; Hound Dog 12-30-56; Devil’s Hindmost 01-06-57; Colleen So Green 03-03-57; Saludos 04-14-57; Sheep Dog 05-12-57; One Night Stand 05-19-57; Big Hands 08-04-57; Jobe’s Son 09-01-57; Looney McCluny 09-08-57; Child Labor 09-15-57; The Rooks 10-06-57; The Margin 10-13-57; Man and Boy 10-27-57; Gunshy 11-10-57; Moo Moo Raid 01-19-58; One for Lee 01-26-58; Kitty’s Killing 02-02-58; Bruger’s Folly 02-16-58; Laughing Gas 03-09-58; Real Sent Sonny 03-16-58; Indian 04-23-58; Livvie’s Loss 03-13-58

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2018 RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved. For home use only. Unauthorized distribution prohibited. (P)2018 RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved. For home use only. Unauthorized distribution prohibited.

Wonderful program

This program really takes you back to the roots of performance entertainment. Full cast audio dramas that keep you excited until the end.

Great Westerns come alive

Great stories opens the imagination to days gone by. Refreshing story telling to sit back a d just listen to.

Great story packed with action!

I liked it, but someone who doesn't like the prospect of blood probably shouldn't listen.

Too many commercials!!!

These stories are infested with commercials. There is so much time devoted to commercials that you forget what the story is about!

A blast from the past before I was born

Oh my goodness. I never expected this to be so good. I was born in the mid seventies, a full two decades at the least after this was made and I've loved every minute of it. So much so I bought three more tokens to get some more Gunsmoke wafting around my library.
The stories are short, thirty minutes or so an more like twenty+ minutes of you took out the advertising and words from our sponsors. But removing those would be criminal in itself as it helps show how much society has changed. From the sexism of the moon-working housewife role, to the cigarette advertisements that is quite cooling to hear how it's promoted as a health benefit and cool to smoke with friends considering all we know now about cancer and nicotine addiction.
William Conrad is excellent as the flawed hero, Marshall Matt Dillon and the limited number of regular side characters mean you soon develop affectionate attachments to Chester, Kitty and Doc.
Whatever your age, if you like dramatised audiobooks such as the BBCs fantastic radio dramatisations then you should definitely check Gunsmoke out for being the Great Granddaddy of their productions.
highly recommended.