The Indian Horse: Gunsmoke (May 15, 1954)

“The Indian Horse” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast May 15, 1954. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

Listen to Gunsmoke free, live around the clock: every episode, in the order it first aired. No sign-up.

What happens

Marshal Dillon is invited to attend cavalry horse races at Fort Dodge by Colonel Benson, though ambitious young Lieutenant Flag seems less than welcoming of civilian law enforcement. Tensions run high in town as soldiers and civilians prepare for the races, with high-stakes betting and conflicting opinions about military authority and Indian matters creating friction between the fort and Dodge City.

Dodge City, Kansas and Fort Dodge, during preparations for cavalry horse races

Characters: Matt Dillon, Chester, Lieutenant Flag, Colonel Benson, Doc, Miss Russell, Harlan Dog

Listen for: Discussions of a Missouri mare being raced against cavalry horses, tensions between young officers and civilians, and conflicts over betting and authority

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.