Bad Seed: Gunsmoke (May 29, 1960)

“Bad Seed” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast May 29, 1960. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Marshal Matt Dillon finds a hungry runaway girl named Trudy camped outside his fire on the prairie. He attempts to return her to her father's farm, but Trudy reveals her father is a drunk and abusive man, and she refuses to stay. She becomes increasingly forward with Dillon, offering to marry him and insisting on going to Dodge instead of home.

The prairie outside Fort Larnett and the Trent family farm, one day's ride from Dodge

Characters: Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal, Trudy Trent, a runaway girl, Tom Trent, Trudy's father

Listen for: Trudy's persistent attempts to seduce the Marshal and escape her difficult home situation, and the mounting tension with her father as Dillon tries to do what's right.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.