Original subtitles

Good evening. My name's Wayne. Some of

you may have seen me before. I hope so.

I've been kicking

around Hollywood a long time.

I've made a lot of

pictures out here. All kinds.

And some of them have been Westerns. And

that's what I'm here to tell you about

tonight. A Western. A new television show

called Gunsmoke. No, I'm not in it. I

wish I were, though, because I think it's

the best thing of its kind that's come

along. I hope you'll agree with me. It's

honest. It's adult. It's realistic.

When I first heard about the show

Gunsmoke, I knew there was only one man

to play in it. James R. Ness. He's a

young fella and maybe new to some of you,

but I've worked with him and I predict

he'll be a big star. So you might as well

get used to him. I give

had to get used to me.

And now I'm proud to present my friend

Jim R. Ness in Gunsmoke. (Music)

Gunsmoke.

Starring James R. Ness as Matt Dillon.

(Gunshot)

I try to remember that if they'd argued a

little, they might not be here.

Arguing doesn't fill any graves.

Take me. I'm a U.S. Marshal.

How many times I'd rather

have argued than gone for guns.

Take Dodge City over there.

Gamora over the plains, they call it.

Jump off spot.

People coming and going all the time.

Good, bad, and worse.

Temper is high.

A man will draw his gun quicker to prove

a point than he'll draw on his logic.

That's where I come in.

Whether they like it or not.

When they draw their gun, somebody's got

to be around. Somebody on the law side.

The Lord knows they hate that.

(Gunshot) (Gunshot) Dan.

It's being heard.

Dan Pratt.

Dan. Open up.

It's unlocked.

(Door Opens)

Dan.

You've been riding pretty hard, Bert.

You won't like what I come to tell you.

Want a drink?

He died, Dan.

Lay there and bled to death.

A man deals crooked cards to me, don't

matter how hard he dies.

Gave him a chance to draw. That's not it.

What you're not going to like is...

What?

He wasn't armed, Dan.

Hello, Mr. Chester.

Hello there, Mr. Jessica.

Welcome back. After all the time you

shouldn't have taken.

Well, I'm sorry. I'm so kind of late.

It's five miles to Fort

Dodge and five miles back.

I'm figuring the time you were gone, you

must travel about two miles an hour.

Major Holcomb kept me waiting for close

to three hours. Why didn't you leave the

wanted posters with the first sergeant?

Well, you told me to

leave them with the major.

I should have explained. Oh, that's all

right, Mr. Dillon. Me and the first

sergeant spent close to three hours

enjoying a couple of

beers at the settlers.

I don't trust when I came to it. The

major didn't mind waiting. Yeah? No, it

was me that was waiting, Mr. Dillon. Me

and the first sergeant. You see, when I

got there... Never mind,

Chester. It doesn't matter.

After all, it's been a pretty hot day.

Oh, hot. That ain't the word for it.

Coming back from Fort

Dodge, my horse's necklace.

Marshal Dillon? Here. Jim

Hill, Marshal, from Amarillo.

How'd he do? This is

Chester Goode. Pull up a chair.

What can I do for you? I'm looking for a

man, Marshal. A fellow

called Dan Gratt, you know him?

No?

Well, he's coming here. He told one of

his girls in Amarillo he was. I'll wait

for him. You're waiting

for any special reason?

Kind of special. Murder.

Murder?

This man's about as ruthless a killer as

there is. I don't know how many killings

he's done outside of Texas, but he shot

three men in Amarillo. Two of them in a

fair fight. But he made a

mistake on the last one.

You see, Gratt didn't know it at the

time, but the man wasn't even armed.

Has the murdered man a friend of yours?

No, I didn't know him. Some gambler.

Why, you're taking it on

yourself to chase this Gratt.

I thought maybe you'd heard of me,

Marshal. I'm Sheriff of Amarillo.

Oh.

Well, it's been some time

since I was in Amarillo.

I say this Gratt didn't know the man

wasn't armed. What's he running for then?

Well, he found out after he'd shot him.

Fine time.

They say it shamed him,

shooting an unarmed man.

There's one thing about

Gratt, Marshal. He's no coward.

He's not one small part of a coward.

He just likes to go

after a man and get him down.

Let me tell you something, Marshal.

Dan Gratt's not very well known,

but he's about as handy with a gun as

anybody in the state of Texas.

Men that have seen him say he's the

fastest they ever saw. Bar none. That'll

make you pretty good if you're gonna

outplay him then, want it, Sheriff.

That's not the point. Isn't it?

I'll help you take him, Sheriff. No, you

won't. I only came here to tell you what

I was doing in Dodge, Marshal.

I don't need your

help. Why take a chance?

I'm pretty good myself.

I'm not afraid of him.

All right.

And if you run into him first,

save him for me.

I'd hate to have made the

ride up here for nothing.

I don't quite make him out, Mr. Dillon.

Yeah, Sheriff, he feels like a lot of

people, Chester. He's too proud, too

confident in himself.

He'll get him into a lot of trouble

someday. I'll be sooner than that.

You can buy another. And come on over.

Sure, I'll buy another. On you.

I'll be right back.

You want to pay me for

these beers now or later?

Now.

What do you want, Matt? Do you know?

Well, maybe fishing.

I'd like to fish more than I do. It's

about what I figured.

At least you could take

me along once in a while.

Can I take you? Sure.

Two or three months ago.

I like fishing, Matt.

Next time I get a day off, I'll fish.

Good.

That'll give me plenty

of time to get ready.

They tell me with the bar that you're

Marshal Dillon. That's right.

Well, I just rode into town, Marshal.

You're the first man I want to see.

Any particular reason?

No, it's like this.

I'm kind of free and easy in my ways,

and... sometimes people

just don't understand.

Don't understand what? That they

shouldn't try to stop me.

Nobody trying to stop you, mister. You

can do anything you want

short of breaking the law.

What's the law I'm talking about,

Marshal? Well, then

say it plain, stranger.

Sure.

I get into a fight...

and I kill somebody.

I don't want no trouble

about it. Is that plain enough?

Where are you from?

Texas.

Amarillo?

How'd you know?

The sheriff, Jim Hill. He's

here waiting for you, Gret.

Where is he?

He'll probably be in here after a while.

Why don't you wait for him?

I'll find him myself, and then... after I

do, we'll talk some more, Marshal.

Gret.

What is it, Marshal?

About breaking the law here.

That includes resisting arrest.

You'll explain that to me

later, but... over a drink.

For your sake. You see, I'm kind of ever

so good with a gun, and...

I'm sure Sheriff Hill must

have mentioned it to you.

Randy, yours is Mr. Dillon. It was Dan

Gret. I don't think I

ever heard you meant...

it was. Go find Sheriff Hill and tell him

Gret's in town. Try the Dodge House and

hurry. I'll tell you, sir.

What are you gonna do about it, Matt?

I've been asked out of it. There's not

much I can do. Not yet.

He's a killer, isn't he? Yeah.

Well, I guess I better sit down and

finish that beer with you.

(Door Opens)

You don't like not being able to do

anything about it, do you?

Outside, Mr. Dillon, Gret found the

sheriff. They're down the street.

Stay here. All of you. Matt, it's not

your worry. Stay inside.

(Door Opens)

Now, keep telling you, Sheriff.

If you want me, you come take me.

I'm taking you, Gret.

You have to walk right up

to me. I'm not coming to you.

Mr. Dillon? Mr. Sheriff's play, Chester.

Oh, closer than that,

Sheriff. A lot closer.

If you want me.

I'm coming right up to you.

Either you turn around

and throw down your gun,

or I'm coming right up to you. You come

up, Sheriff.

(Siren Wailing) You reckon now, Sheriff?

I reckon now.

(Gunshots)

(Siren Wailing)

Kept telling you.

Keep telling everybody.

No, Mr. Dillon. He's faster

than you even. Don't do it.

Been expecting you. Come closer if you

want to talk to me, Marshal.

I warned you about resisting arrest.

He drew first.

He ain't the second or third man I've

killed that drew first.

Jim Hill was a lawman.

He was here to arrest you for murdering

an unarmed man, an Amarillo.

I didn't? No, that man was unharmed.

You're a mistake.

I'd have killed him

even if he had a gun on me.

I can kill anybody.

Like you.

Right now!

(Gunshots) Now you see, Marshal?

See how easy it is. (Thunder) (Sighs)

Well, one more of these can't hurt.

Probably won't help, but it can hurt.

How is he now, Doc? Well, how can I tell?

I... Here. I can't tell you, Chester.

Can you tell me?

Kitty, if I could tell

you, I could tell me.

I see.

Doc, can't you do something? Something?

Chester is... I mean something better

than what you've been doing.

He was hit in the chest and creased along

the forehead. Now, we'll know what damage

you did when he comes to, and not before.

I'm doing everything I can for him. I

know, but couldn't you

do just a little bit more?

Another fraction of an

inch, and he'd be dead.

Now, is it is he may be

all right in ten days, or...

Well, who knows? I don't.

You want us out of here, don't you, Doc?

Thank you, Kitty. Thank you. Come on,

Chester. Doc. Yes? Yes? Yes? Yes. Yes!

I wanted to kill Grant. I still do. Well,

that wouldn't help a thing. It's a

terrible thing to see a man like Mr.

Dillon get shot that way. I'll buy you a

drink, Chester. If Mr. Dillon dies, I'll

get me a shotgun. I'll kill Grant. I'll

blow him in half. Then we'll see how fast

he is. Chester, will you get a kitty?

Take him out of here.

Come on, Chester. I'll go.

I just... hate to think of Grant standing

at some bar, bragging.

Now he's shot down a U.S. Marshal.

Well, come in.

How is he, Doc? Fine. Nice of you to stop

by. There's your answer. Well, I was

gonna make you some soup or something,

but I thought I'd come by and see what

you wanted first. I was hoping somebody'd

come by and save me from Doc's cooking.

Doc's cooking's kept you

alive for more than a week.

Killing me, but it kept him alive.

He's beginning to look human. How much

longer will he be in bed? Oh, about five

days. Tomorrow will do it.

Keep resting, Matt. You shouldn't dare go

out until Doc says. I hear

Grant killed Frank Skarth.

Yes, he... he slapped him and then shot

him down, like that. Slapped him.

Grant, was that close to him? As close as

I am to you. That heard, boss.

The one who came to town to see if his

outfit should stay here. Same thing. He

walked up to him, pushed him in the chest

to make him draw, and

then killed him when he did.

Kitty, get out of here. Go away. Why?

I gotta get up. I gotta start walking

around. No, just you wait a minute.

Matt, you're not thinking of facing Dan

Grant again. Yeah, don't

worry. I'll handle him.

You're not going anywhere.

Matt, I never thought I'd have to say

this to you. But you're a dead man if you

try him again. He's faster than you.

Well, you heard what she said. And she's

right. You just get me walking, Doc.

That's all I ask. Where? Up

the street so he can see you?

I want to walk a mile a day, two

tomorrow, and three the next day. By the

end of a week, I'll be off your hands.

Either you walk with me or you don't.

All right.

Somebody's got to walk

with you. Might as well be me.

I'll be there. Where's your gun, Marshal?

Leave it at home or... You're just

remembering that I

don't shoot unarmed men.

I... I hope you get

well real soon, Marshal.

We shouldn't have no more trouble.

I don't want anything except to be left

alone to do whatever I feel like doing.

Don't do it, Matt.

Don't do it.

I know you're stronger now

than you were a week ago, but...

You're still not ready to go out and... Chester, I'll be back by this time. You were in the back, too. I'm gonna get you to do it. You're gonna get me to do it. You'll get me to do it. Don't do it, Matt. Don't do it. I know you're stronger now than you were a week ago, but...

You're ready to go out and Chester, I'll

be back by this time. You were no match

for Dan Grant when you were completely

well. I figure things

are leaving up this time.

After the autopsy.

It's all pride with

you, isn't it? Just pride.

Somebody came into town who's faster than

you are, and you just gotta try to prove

it. Only you're not gonna prove it,

because he is. Now, wait a minute, Doc. I

won't wait a minute. You're going down

there and get yourself killed. And just

because of your pride.

He's a gunman, Doc. He

has to be eliminated.

All right! All right, go on.

Just go on down there and meet him.

He blasted you last time, and you were

lucky. You lived.

This time he will do it.

Clerk over at the Dodge house said Dan

Grant's still in his room.

Mr. Dillon, can I just sort of follow?

I'll see you later.

Marshal? Which room is Dan Grant's?

Up there. At the end of the balcony.

Come out of your room, Grant. It's me,

Marshal Dillon. I've got a

gun. I've come for you, Grant.

Come here, Marshal. Coming down to talk

to you. Just stay there.

That's right. Now, turn around and drop

your gun belt. And then come down.

Now, Marshal. There's no reason why I

can't come down there and talk things

over with you. I told

you to stay right there.

And I told you...

I like to be left alone.

I said stop and turn around and drop your

gun belt. And then come down.

I've got to hand it to you, Grant.

You're the fastest I've ever seen.

But you've got to be close.

So close you can't miss.

You don't take time to

aim and shoot straight.

Why, you're wrong.

You know it.

Hi, Marshal.

I give up. I told you. Now, Marshal. You

wouldn't shoot a man with his hands up,

would you? Just come down then.

Surrender. That's close enough.

Now, Marshal.

I'm giving myself up. You can take one

more step and I draw.

Don't matter.

Close enough now? You don't

know whether you are or not.

I say you're not.

I say...

I am.

I am.