Livvie's Loss | Gunsmoke (04-13-58)

Gunsmoke | OTRWesterns.com

In this classic Gunsmoke episode, Matt Dillon investigates a fire that claims the life of Ben Redgate, a young man torn between his mother's

Key takeaways

• Overprotective parenting can push youth toward destructive behaviors.

Main topics

• Family conflict
• Parental overprotection

Notable quotes

"I'd as soon see every saloon and can just burn to the ground. I'd even have matches."

Conclusion

Ben's death underscores the tragic cost of unresolved family tension a

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:14) Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host, Andrew Rines, and I'm excited to bring you another episode absolutely free. This episode is one of many released every month, totaling over 80 episodes so far. Each one is meticulously digitally restored and stored in the cloud for your convenience, a process that incurs costs. To help cover these expenses, you might hear some advertisements throughout the episode. While we do retain the original commercials for historical authenticity, you may also encounter modern ads, which help keep the lights on. If you prefer an ad-free experience, we offer a couple options. You can listen to the episodes on YouTube. You can also support us by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. For more information, go to otrwesterns.com slash donate. Again, otrwesterns.com slash donate. I do want to emphasize that we are committed to providing this content to you for free, but also we have to be transparent about the financial realities to bringing this to you. Now, let's get into this episode. This episode is going to be Gunsmoke. Original air date is April 13th, 1958, and the title is Levy's Lost. Let's get into it, and I hope you enjoy. Speaker 3 (1:40) Down Dodge City and in the territory on west, there is just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke, starring William Conrad. The story of the violence that moved west with young America and the story of a man who moved with it. Speaker 7 (2:17) I'm that man, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal. The first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a chancy job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely. Speaker 2 (2:48) That's the last stick of wood. Ben? Ben! Well, if I'm going to keep this stove going, I need some more... Speaker 6 (2:59) There's some in the wood box. Speaker 2 (3:00) No, you didn't fetch any today. Now go on out the wood shed and bring me some. Speaker 6 (3:05) Ma, I was just fixing to leave for town. Speaker 2 (3:09) Ben Redgate, you fill my wood box. And there'll be no going to town tonight. Ma, you Speaker 6 (3:15) can't keep me here like a tethered calf. Why, you're living in my house, Speaker 2 (3:20) you'll do as I say. I'm a man grown, Ma. Pa says I can... Pa says Speaker 6 (3:24) you Speaker 2 (3:25) want to go to town so you can be like your pa? Speaker 6 (3:27) Now, Ma... Ben. Speaker 2 (3:29) Ben, it's going to town that's turned him the way he is. He's still my pa. Well, you're not going to town. That's the end of it. One man in this family hanging around saloons is enough. Speaker 8 (3:42) Where's the horses? I thought I told you to get the horses, Ben. Speaker 6 (3:47) Ma says I can't go. Speaker 8 (3:50) And I say you can. Go on now, get the horses. Speaker 2 (3:55) The boy isn't going, Horatio. Speaker 8 (3:57) Don't stand in the way, Lovie. He's big enough to go to town with his Paul. Ain't you, Ben? I sure am, Paul. Speaker 2 (4:04) He's not to go. You're not to take him in there and start him on the road you took. Speaker 8 (4:09) Well, now, Ben don't think it's such a bad road, I'll wager. You're not. Speaker 6 (4:18) Sights I never seen. Time you saw Speaker 2 (4:22) him, boy. I mean what I say, Horatio. Ben is not to go. I can't stop you from going. It's too late for you anyhow. Whiskey hasn't been off your breath for five years or more. That's Speaker 8 (4:34) no concern of yours. Speaker 2 (4:35) It's my concern that I had to keep this place going so my boy and I'd have a roof over our heads. Speaker 8 (4:40) Oh, ain't you had it hard, though. Speaker 2 (4:43) I've done what had to be done. And I'm not going to have you coming back whenever the spirit moves you, stirring up things, filling the boy with wild tales. He's my son, too. He's your son like I'm your wife. It hasn't meant much for a long time. You can't come back now and start taking over the boy's life. I Speaker 8 (5:03) should have known. You ain't stopped reading me out since the last time. I don't know why I keep coming back. Speaker 2 (5:10) Well, whether you come or go means nothing to me. But mark my words, you leave that boy alone. Speaker 8 (5:19) You mind you said that, Libby. You will have cause to rue this day. Speaker 6 (5:26) Pa, where are you going? Speaker 8 (5:28) Any son of mine can find me in Dodge. I won't be hiding. Speaker 6 (5:47) his daddy standing there, do he? No, sir. Horatio Redgate never spills a drop. Why, he'd lick it right up off in the bar if he had to. Why Speaker 5 (5:58) don't you leave me Speaker 6 (5:59) be? Why, Speaker 5 (5:59) sonny, we figure you need somebody to look Speaker 6 (6:02) after Speaker 5 (6:02) you, that's all. Speaker 6 (6:03) Ain't that right? That's right. Speaker 5 (6:06) The Speaker 6 (6:06) way I get it, his ma don't like him out of her sight. Somebody's got to watch over him. Go on, now, leave me be or