The Photographer: Blood for a Picture and the Price of “Art”

Originally Aired: May 6, 1956 In Gunsmoke #213, “The Photographer,” Dodge City is unsettled by the arrival of Professor Jacobi, an ambitious eastern photographer determined to capture the “real” violence of the West—no matter the cost. When a harmless town character known as Old Toad is found scalped and murdered, suspicion falls on the local tribes, but Matt Dillon soon uncovers the truth: Jacobi paid a desperate man to stage a killing for the sake of a gruesome photograph. Obsessed with sensational images and dismissive of consequence, Jacobi’s quest leads him onto sacred Cheyenne land, where his final “picture” is paid for in blood. A haunting tale about exploitation, reputation, and the dark side of the stories people sell. Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Lawrence Dobkin, Harry Bartell, James Nusser Tags: western, morality, exploitation, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, GeorgiaEllis, HowardMcNear, thephotographer, oldtimeradio, crime, Cheyenne, 1950sradio, classicdrama, violence, justice, mediaethics, suspensepodcast