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Gunsmoke: Old West Stories

Gun for Chester: A Deadly Grudge from South Texas

Posted August 12, 2025 · 21 min

About this episode

Originally Aired: July 1, 1956 In Gunsmoke #221, “Gun for Chester,” Chester Proudfoot is haunted by the arrival of Ace Ledbetter, a man from his mysterious past in South Texas. Convinced Ledbetter has come to Dodge to kill him, Chester grows increasingly desperate, even as Matt Dillon struggles to separate paranoia from real danger. When a violent showdown finally erupts in the Marshal’s office, the truth behind Chester’s fear—and a long-buried secret involving a lost love—comes to light. A tense and personal story of pride, shame, and the burdens we carry, “Gun for Chester” explores the cost of old grudges and the pain of things left unspoken. Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Lawrence Dobkin Tags: Western, drama, SouthTexas, ChesterProudfoot, grudge, showdown, oldtimeradio, WilliamConrad, 1950sradio, AceLedbetter, secretpast, frontierjustice, emotionaldrama, classicwestern, MattDillon, DodgeCity, vintagepodcast, Gunsmoke, longburiedsecret

From Gunsmoke: Old West Stories by OTR.FM Network. Visit the show’s website.

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