Bruger's Folly: Gunsmoke (February 16, 1958)

“Bruger's Folly” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast February 16, 1958. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Sam Brueger returns to Dodge after serving three years in prison for a manslaughter conviction he claims he didn't commit. Marshal Dillon warns Holly Dean, the woman whose testimony helped convict him, that Sam is arriving on the afternoon train. Holly, now married to Jack Dean, fears Sam will seek revenge, but Dillon suspects the situation is more complicated than it appears.

Dodge City, Kansas; Marshal's office and streets of town

Characters: Matt Dillon, Chester, Holly Dean, Sam Brueger, Jack Dean

Listen for: Matt tells Holly a tall tale about Mike Fink, the legendary riverboat man, as a way of making a larger point about change and adaptation. Sam confronts Matt about Holly's testimony at his trial, insisting she lied about his whereabouts the day of the shooting.

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.