Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.
The best episode of "Gunsmoke" season 5 is "Target", rated 7.6/10 from 185 user votes. It was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and written by N/A. "Target" aired on 9/5/1959 and is rated 0.2 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Kitty's Injury".
Ironic tragedy results when Danny Kader stubbornly disregards his father's predispositions (and Matt's pragmatic advice) in order to attempt an elopement with a young gypsy woman.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: N/A
When Kitty is hurt in a fall from a horse, she and Matt must seek help from shiftless dirt farmers who are oddly uninterested in aiding them.
Director: Buzz Kulik
Writer: John Meston
Horses with Bar S brand are being sold to unsuspecting buyers. Deesha moves in to claim the horses, leaving the buyer with nothing.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: N/A
A man suddenly turns up in Dodge City claiming to be Billy Crale, the long-lost son of a well-to-do local widow. Matt knows that Billy Crale was reported dead during the Civil War, and he becomes highly concerned for Mrs. Crale's safety when he confirms that the man is actually a onetime outlaw known as Johnny Red.
Director: Buzz Kulik
Writer: N/A
A father and son bully a farmer and his wife who won't sell their land, but the farmer is oddly reluctant to let Matt arrest the two, even when they resort to gunfire.
Director: Christian Nyby
Writer: John Meston
Is the homely, sharp-tongued, middle-aged wife of a homesteader really inspiring men to fight to the death for her affections?
Director: Jesse Hibbs
Writer: N/A
Chester saves a man from a zealot's violent "justice" then faces a dose of the same himself.
Director: Jesse Hibbs
Writer: John Meston
Matt, escorting 3 men back to Dodge, claims a beautiful wounded Indian woman will be able to identify the one who shot her and killed her husband.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: John Meston
A man wants to gunfight when he returns home, after years away, and finding his brother married to his girl.
Director: R.G. Springsteen
Writer: N/A
Onetime gunman Zeno Smith faces an unenviable choice. If he does not help would-be gambler Hank Fergus rob Mr. Jonas's general store, Fergus will tell 12-year old orphan Tommy the full story of how Zeno's descent into deprivation and alcoholism dates to the day he backed down from facing Fergus in a gunfight.
Director: Jesse Hibbs
Writer: N/A
Matt is uncertain what to make of Cyrus Tucker's confused claim that his wife of 32 years "just ran off", especially when a homesteader claims that he saw the old man digging a large hole just behind his house.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: N/A
A father threatens to kill the two drifters who have been plaguing his daughter.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: N/A
A man enlists the aid of a parson to fake his own death.
Director: R.G. Springsteen
Writer: N/A
A man is convicted of murder on doubtful testimony.
Director: Ted Post
Writer: N/A
When hired gunman Killion comes to Dodge, many of the men get scared thinking he is after them.
Director: Jesse Hibbs
Writer: N/A
A quarrel between two partners in homesteading escalates to the point of gunfire. Matt tries to make peace between them by locking them up together.
Director: Stuart Heisler
Writer: John Meston
An ex-Confederate waits to settle the score with the Union man whose unit cost him a loved one and property in the late war.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: N/A
Despite a serious heart condition, onetime prizefighter Tom Burr is determined to go through with his plans to fight vicious Hob Creel. The only way Matt can stop the mismatch and save Burr's life is to fight Creel himself.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: N/A
Someone takes a shot at a hard man who is brutal to his wife, and someone is overheard claiming he was offered money to kill the man.
Director: Jean Yarbrough
Writer: N/A
Matt and his friends try to come to the aid of a has-been actor caught cheating at cards.
Director: Arthur Hiller
Writer: N/A
Matt has reason to believe that the new overweight, gun toting, straight shooting, female owner of the Lady Gay saloon may have killed the previous owner, or did she?
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: John Meston
While Matt is away on business, Doc gets threatened by an ex convict (Brice Harp) who claims that Doc Adams sentenced him to a long term in Prison.
Director: Arthur Hiller
Writer: John Meston
Old man Onie has a great swimming cow that can lead herds across rivers, and when they both come up missing, one trail boss accuses another of killing them.
Director: Andrew V. McLaglen
Writer: N/A
Kitty gets caught in the middle when a crazy-eyed man goes hunting for his former son-in-law, whom he blames for the death of his daughter in childbirth.
Director: Arthur Hiller
Writer: John Meston
After a train sparks a fire that destroys a family's crops, the man, his son, and his daughter rob another train of fifty thousand dollars. A baggage clerk is killed and the crusty representative of the railroad pressures Matt to solve it.
Director: Jesse Hibbs
Writer: N/A