 Brought to you by L&M, the modern cigarette that lets you get full exciting flavor through the modern miracle of the pure white miracle tip. Live modern, smoke L&M. A round-odd city and in the territory on west, there's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of 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, the 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 little lonely. I think we packed in all that stovewood, Mr. Dillon. Couldn't need plenty of it for more than... Yeah, it'd be a real cold night, looks like. That snow keeps on there, so it's gonna be two foot deep on the level and pour in the draw. If you don't take your boots off that stove, you're gonna have two feet on the bare ground, Chester. What are you talking about? Well, your souls are starting to smoke now. Take them off. My dolly, I thought I smelled something burning in here. Stove's red and hot. Well, at least my feet's warm for the first time in two days. Yeah, maybe I'll rub my boots with towel. The leather ought to soak it up real good, being too hot that way. Good evening, mad. Oh, hello Kitty. Come on in, Kitty. Oh, cold hot tonight. Ah, well, come over here and stand by the stove and burn with Chester. Oh, I can't stay mad. I gotta back to the long branch. Ah, big crowd tonight? Yeah, but quiet one. Men get sentimental around Christmas time. Oh, I'm that way myself, Miss Kitty. So am I, Chester. I was thinking earlier this evening what it was like when I was a little girl. We used to always sit. Well, that was a long time ago. Well, why don't you stay a while, Kitty? Let's stand by the place tonight, huh? Well, the boys sort of need me, Matt. Talk with them and laugh with them. Even though they're thinking of somebody else at the time. Well, yeah, I know, but... Well, I don't mind really. Kind of nice to be needed by somebody. Um, what I was thinking though, Matt, later on midnight, maybe the three of us could get together. Make some hot rum, maybe? That's a good idea, Kitty. Yeah, dog none. Maybe I can get old Mr. Jonas to rustle up some chestnuts. And I'll be counting on it. All right. I'll come here if that's all right. I'd kind of like to get away from the long branch. Okay. Well, how are you, Mr. Beacon? Good evening. Well, I better get on back. I'll see you later. All right, Kitty. Come on in, Jethro. You look like you could stand some warmin' up. Marsha Dillon, got some trouble out in my place. Oh, what kind of trouble? Well, they did. They attacked it on my own property. Shot at. Look here. Is that their hat? Ah. That bullet come much closer, you'd have been shot, not shot at. Who was it, Jethro? A couple coming through in a wagon. They took over my barn and won't let me put a foot inside. Now, what do you mean a couple? A man or wife? I don't know whether they're a man or wife or not. Well, maybe they just wanted shelter from the storm. Marsha, they don't care what they want. They took possession of my barn without so much as a buyer leave. I want them to throw it out tonight. Can't we leave it till morning, Jethro? No, sir. Will Ross ain't spendin' the night on my property. Will Ross? Yeah. Is your daughter with him, Harmony? Marsha, I ain't got no daughter. You did have until two years ago when she married Ross and you threw them both off the place. For the last time, I ain't got no daughter. You had one for 19 years, Baker. You know me for a man of my word, Marsha. Now, I'm telling you this. If you don't ride back out there with me right now and get them two off my property, I'm gonna burn that barn down with them inside it. Chester. Yes, sir. You better settle a couple of horses. Free yourself of old-fashioned ideas. Why don't you live modern? Free up. Pressure up your taste. Smoke and L&M. Live modern. Smoke modern. Smoke L&M. Enjoy full, exciting flavor through L&M's pure white miracle tip. L&M draws the taste richer. Smokes cleaner. That's why today more people are changing to L&M than to any other cigarette. So free up. Pressure up your taste. Live modern. Change to L&M. Make today your big red letter day and start to live the modern way. Live, live, live modern. It's America's fastest growing cigarette. They drove in the tech room and they got a fire going in the blacksmith's forge. Well, it's a cold night. Yes, and charcoal and oil cost money. Come on out there, Ross. You've got the law with me now. Chester, if I'm gonna handle this, I'll handle it my own way, and I used to stay right here. Come on, Chester. Yes, sir. Now, don't you go easy on them. I want them two treated like in the other criminals. Mighty good targets are getting their snow on us, John. Yeah, I guess we do it that. The wind dies down. May not turn into a blizzard after all. But I just don't like the idea of walking my head into a gun. Who is it? Who's out there? It's Matt Dillon. Told you fire, Will. Stay back. I'm warning you, Marshall. Just want to talk to you, Will. Now, come out open the door. It's cold out here. Is old Chester all with you? No. Just me and Chester. You can come in alone, Matt. We'll leave your gun out there with Chester. All right, open it up. Dear Chester, hang on a second. Mr. Dillon, I just don't like this. We've got no choice. All right, hurry up, mate. Well, welcome home, Will. You took a big chance walking up here like that. I doubt that. You wouldn't have shot anybody in cold blood before. I don't think a man changes that much in two years. Not unless he's pushed hard enough. Maybe. I'll take that gun, Will. You said you just wanted to talk. I do. But not over a gun side. Now hand it over. No, now stay back, Matt. No! Like I said, Will, a man doesn't change that much. No, I guess not. I wouldn't even a shot old Jethro. I figured that. We didn't aim to stop here, Marshall. We was trying to make Dodge and the storm come down on us. A man takes shoulder where he can. I wouldn't even ask him for a drink of water. Not after the way he treated us when we got married. But we didn't have no choice. Or his harmony, Will. She's in the tack room. It's warmer there. I made up a bed for her with some straw and some blankets. A bed? You better go talk to her, Marshall. She'll be right glad to see you after all this time. All right. Uh, Chester. Yes, sir? Come on in. I'll be right back. All right, sir. Harmony, Matt Dillon. Matt! What's going on here, young lady? Oh, everything, Matt. We're in trouble. We're in real trouble. Well, what's wrong? You sick? I reckon you might call it that. It'll be any time now, I think. Oh. Well, no. Look, don't you worry, Harmony. I'm going to get some help out here right away. Everything's going to be all right now. I'll be right back. Get out of my barn off my property, Ross. Take that woman here with you. Jethro, I told you to stay outside. I remind you, these are my own premises, Marshall. We'll worry about that later. Chester, go get Doc out here fast. Well, what'll I tell him? Isn't this Harmony Tipped Down City? Not exactly, no. What? Just get ridin', Chester. Yes, sir. Happy holidays from L&M. And here's how to say it to your friends. Give modern. Give L&M holiday cartons. L&M holiday cartons are gay, handsome. A gift that says both you and your friends know how to... Live modern. Live... Free up. Pressure up your taste. Smoke at L&M. Remember when you smoke L&M, you always get full, exciting flavor through the L&M miracle tip. L&M draws easier. Taste richer. Smokes cleaner. That's why today more people are changing to L&M than to any other cigarette. So smoke L&M. And remember, your friends appreciate your gift of L&M holiday cartons. Live, live, live modern. Smoke at L&M. Now Will and Chester are going to be back any minute now. They... have doc with them. Don't worry, it won't be much harder. It's going to be all right. Why did you have to send Will with it? If he'd stayed here at Harmony, your father and him would have been at each other's throats. He's out there keeping the forge burning, eating up some water. He's looking sicker by the minute. Why didn't it have to happen? Here's that. Oh, I've only had something to hold on to. Maybe if you'd give me your hand. Here, here, take my hand. There you go, there you go. There you go. Baby's first look at the world ought to be all love and joy, not... not like this. Now with Pa, I hate him as like he does. Oh, no, Harmony. He does, he does, he hates it. Will and me both. Well, maybe not as much as he puts on. Oh, Matt. You're right, I think. What do you mean? Oh, it's not going to be much longer. It's... oh. Just take it easy. If Doc doesn't get here, you'll... you'll stay with me. You'll help me, won't you, Matt? Well, sure, I will, Harmony. I'll do what I can. You'll get here, though. Doc always makes it. I hope so. I hope so, Matt, but I'm afraid he... Oh, see what? Now, what's all this fuss about? Oh, Doc, thank goodness. It's a fine time of night to drag a man out in the snow. Yeah, I put my bag right there. I can't see why you didn't plan this thing at a decent hour, young lady. Doc, Doc, I'm scared. Oh, scared, Fiddlesticks, not a thing to worry about. Women were having youngins long before you and me was even born. Sorry, please. Oh, well, now then you just settle back here and you quit working. I'll tell you when it's time to hurry. Uh, Doc, the youth minus Fiddlesticks. Well, now, Matt, well, you're his wife, isn't she? Oh, well, Doc, I... Oh, you thought you was going to have to take over by yourself, huh? You go on out there and you tell that old buzzard out there to heat up some more water. He hasn't got half enough. All right, Doc. And then stay out from underfoot. Me and Harmony's got some work to do. Go on, now, get. Howdy, young fella. Welcome to the world. It is cold, Mr. Dunn. It's up snowing, though. There's a belt, Major. Better put some more wood on that board, you guess. It's burning down pretty low. Man, so is my wood pile. It's a poor waste trying to heat up our barn in midwinter. I'll cut enough to make it up before we leave. One thing's sure, Jethro. We ain't going out beholding to you. You always want to find one to talk. Mostly I can back it up. You didn't with Harmony. We don't need your old man's farm, you said. We'll have us one twice as big, you said. We run in a bad luck. Sure you did. And you come crawling back with your tail between your legs. Not to you, we didn't. We got caught here tonight by accident. Bad luck accident. That's all he was born for. Just what I told Harmony when she defied me and nothing married you. Is that so? Now you listen to me, Jethro. All right, that's enough. Settle down, both of you. Well, I didn't give you back your gun just to have you start another argument. I'm sorry, Marshal. I... I'm just kind of on edge, I reckon. Well, it ain't no wonder when a man who got a new little boy left an hour old. Yeah, and the rich get richer and the poor have youngins. Jethro, shut up. Marshal, I'll remind you that all of your trespassers are on my property. I thought we settled that. I'm here because you called the law in. Remember? Man, you sure ain't done nothing for some circumstances, Jethro. They'll leave as soon as your daughter's able to. You can count on that. I ain't got no daughter, Marshal. Well, anyway, while they're here, you're going to keep the peace. And eat no law against talking. There is if a talk leads to violence. Just remember that Harmony and Will don't like putting up with you any better than you like putting up with them. Real high and mighty, ain't they? And without a ruff over their heads. A lot of folks might figure that makes you look worse than them. Now, what kind of talk is that, Marshal? Well, with a rancid size, a big house on it, and a man your age trying to work it all by himself while his own Ken roam the country, said some folks might figure a man like that's got a lot of meanness in him. I told her what to expect if she married this fella. Man, might tell somebody most anything when he's mad, Jethro. But it's plain stubbornness that makes him stick to it afterward. And they come sneaking into my barn like bandits, Marshal. Didn't even knock on my door. Now you're saying I ought to go crawling to them. I didn't tell you what you ought to do. And it comes to that, though. And I ain't doing it. Don't worry, Jethro. We don't want no part of your ranch. And it ain't being offered to you. I worked mighty hard to make this place look what it is. A little peace and quiet out here wouldn't do the patient any harm, you know? How is she, Doc? Is she going to be all right? She's fine. And so's the young man. She'll live to have a dozen more. And he'll go up and probably come to a bad end. And like being a Marshal or a country doctor. Oh, now young lady, I'll be back in the morning. You get yourself some sleep. But would you tell my pa that if you got any telling to do, you'd do it yourself? Well, answer your old cooch. She's talking to you. Yes. What is it? Would you come in here and say howdy to your grandson? Grandson. Did she say my grandson? Of course he's your grandson. Well, I haven't thought of that. My grandson. Now, wait a minute. I don't know, Jethro. You just got through claiming you didn't even have a daughter. Confounded Marshal, you're trying to put words in my mouth. Of course you got a daughter. And a grandson. And as fine a boy as you could ask for. Well, what? Well, I'd be much obliged to you if we could shake hands and kind of forget about things. Well, I see no reason not to, Jethro. Good. Good. Now, come on, Will. Let's look him over. Back, golly. A grandson. Oh, look at him, a crazy old fool. Youngen's born every day. There's nothing to get all worked up about. Who you fooling, Doc? Huh? Nobody. Well, what are we going to do? Head back to town? Might as well, Doc. You know, they'll probably have some ups and downs yet, but I guess the four-up and we'll be able to work it out. They'll spoil that kid rotten. It turned out to be a fine night after the snow quit, didn't it? Yeah. Look at those doggone sties. Say, Doc, why don't you come by the office when we get in town? Kitty will be there and we thought we'd have a little something to drink and sit around a while and talk. Oh, that sounds fine. Yeah, hold on. It's putting here four o'clock in the morning, Mr. Dunn. That's right, Chester. Well, Miss Kitty won't still be waiting up. You want a bet? William Conrad. Just one person can make the mistake that causes an accident. Pedestrian, passenger, or driver, any one of us can go into the kind of solo mistake that spells trouble on the road. It can happen even though we know better. Most drivers know how their cars operate and what the traffic rules are. We know that speed kills and that alcohol and gas make a bad mixture. Yet an impulse sometimes takes over. We show off, act defiant, or let off steam. We take the gamble that figures in the majority of accidents today. Don't be sorry later. Be sure now. Drive with courtesy and care. Use posted signs and signals. They were placed there for you to know the road ahead. Keep in mind that just one person can cause an accident when a dangerous impulse takes over behind the wheel. It's what psychiatrists call emotional immaturity. Whatever your age, on the road, grow up and live. Remember careless driving is kid stuff. And now, William Conrad. You know, the Frontier Cowhand was pretty proud and he'd fight anyone who had bad to say of his horse, his hat, or his saddle. And next week it's because of an old spotted ham dog that two men nearly died. And that was the West. Gun Smoke. Produced and directed by Norman McDonnell stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall. The story was specially written for Gun Smoke by Les Crutchfield with editorial supervision by John Meston. The music was composed and conducted by Rex Corey. Town Patterns by Tom Hanley and Bill James. Featured in the cast were Ralph Moody, Vic Perron, and Virginia Gregg. Harley Bear is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc, Georgia Ellis is Kitty. Join us again next week for another story of the Western Frontier when Matt Dillon, Chester Proudfoot, Doc, and Kitty, together with all the other hard-living citizens of Dodge will be with you once more. It's America growing west in the 1870s. It's Gun Smoke.