Cows and Cribs: Starvation, Stealing, and the Making of a Mother

Originally Aired: May 13, 1956 In Gunsmoke #214, “Cows and Cribs,” Marshal Dillon confronts the harsh choices faced by desperate settlers on the edge of Dodge. When the Thorpe family is struck by spotted fever, their orphaned baby’s fate hangs in the balance—and a neighbor, Mrs. Nadler, wishes to adopt the child despite her own family’s poverty. As Marshal Dillon investigates a string of cattle thefts, he’s forced to weigh compassion against the law, especially when Mrs. Nadler’s husband, Joe, is caught butchering stolen calves and, in a tragic spiral, kills a man and meets his own end in Dodge. Ultimately, the community must decide whether forgiveness or judgment will determine who is fit to raise an orphan. A moving portrait of survival, sacrifice, and the fragile hopes that endure on the frontier. Cast:William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Vic Perrin, John Dehner, Jeanette Nolan, Virginia Christine, Frank Cady Tags:western, poverty, adoption, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, GeorgiaEllis, HowardMcNear, cowsandcribs, oldtimeradio, frontierlife, tragedy, spottedfever, cattle, 1950sradio, classicdrama, community, compassion, suspensepodcast