The first episode of Gunsmoke on the radio was broadcast on April 26, 1952. From then until the end of its run on June 11, 1961 some 480 episodes aired including reused scripts. Roughly 420 of these are available free, streaming online at archive.org.
For the last year and a half I have been doing a lot of medium distance driving, visiting a customer in southern Wisconsin once or twice a week. During these trips I have stayed alert by listening to episodes of Gunsmoke. As of today I have listened to all of the episodes available online. I recommend them. They may give you a different view of the 1950s, radio, Gunsmoke, or all three.
IMO it’s the greatest radio drama ever aired through a combination of fine acting, scripts, and production. Throughout the entire run William Conrad (later on television narrating Rocky and Bullwinkle or starring in Cannon) portrayed Matt Dillon, Parley Baer was Chester, Howard McNear was Doc, and Georgia Ellis was Kitty. John Dehner was in so many episodes he might just as well have been considered a member of of the principal cast. He played practically everything imaginable from grizzled old buffalo hunters to gunslingers, to cavalry officers, and to Washington bureaucrats. He must have been gunned down by Matt Dillon more than anyone else in history.
