Never Pester Chester: Gunsmoke (July 5, 1952)

“Never Pester Chester” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast July 5, 1952. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Two rowdy Texas cowboys pester the ladies of Dodge City and refuse to leave them alone. When Chester is sent to tell them to behave, they rope him and drag him out of town, leaving him badly injured. Matt Dillon vows to bring the men to justice, but he removes his guns first, determined to capture them alive rather than shoot it out.

Dodge City, Kansas - the saloon, jail, street, and surrounding plains

Characters: Matt Dillon, Chester, Doc, Kitty, Two Texas cowboys: Trevor and Stobor

Listen for: The dramatic confrontation between Chester and the cowboys, Matt's decision to pursue justice without his guns, and his quiet determination to bring the men back alive.

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.