The Preacher: Gunsmoke (November 13, 1955)

“The Preacher” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast November 13, 1955. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

A large, aggressive man named Keeler arrives in Dodge City and beats a traveling preacher named Seth Tandy for no reason. Marshal Dillon intervenes to stop the fight, humbling Keeler by pointing out his cowardice in relying on his physical strength. Later that evening, someone finds Tandy badly beaten in an alley, suggesting Keeler may have sought revenge for his embarrassment.

Dodge City, Kansas, and surrounding territory in the American West

Characters: Matt Dillon, Chester, Keeler, Seth Tandy, Kitty, Sam

Listen for: The philosophical exchange between Marshal Dillon and Keeler about true strength, and the mystery of who beats Tandy a second time after his initial encounter with Keeler.

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.