Episode Details

Originally Aired: December 8, 1957

In Gunsmoke #296, “Long as I Live,” Dodge City is shaken to its core when Doc Adams is shot down in cold blood. The town’s beloved physician—who has saved countless lives without asking for thanks—lies hovering between life and death, and for once it is Marshal Matt Dillon who must take instructions instead of giving them. With no other doctor within a hundred miles, Dillon and Kitty work desperately under Doc’s weakening guidance to remove the bullet before infection sets in.

As tension grips the town, the shooter, Hod Bricker, reveals his bitter motive: he blames Doc for the death of his young daughter, who fell ill while the doctor was away on his first vacation in years. Consumed by grief and rage, Bricker convinces himself that vengeance will ease his loss.

But as Doc fights to live and Dillon confronts the cost of misplaced blame, the episode becomes a powerful meditation on responsibility, sorrow, and the fragile line between justice and revenge. A deeply emotional story about loyalty, loss, and the man Dodge City depends on—long as he lives.

Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis

Tags:

western, frontierjustice, MattDillon, Chester, DocAdams, KittyRussell, revenge, grief, tragedy, DodgeCity, oldtimeradio, classicwestern, radioDrama, 1950sradio, medicaldrama, manhunt, frontierlife, Gunsmoke