Who Lives by the Sword: The Fall of a Gunman episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 25, 2025 · 19 MIN

Who Lives by the Sword: The Fall of a Gunman

from Gunsmoke: Old West Stories

Originally Aired: February 26, 1956 In Gunsmoke #203, “Who Lives by the Sword,” Dodge City is shaken by the arrival of notorious gunman Joe Delk—a man who kills for reputation and whose swagger turns deadly when a young man tries to stand up to him. Marshal Matt Dillon faces Delk not with a gun, but with his fists, shaking the outlaw’s nerve and setting him on a path of self-destruction. As Delk’s confidence crumbles and the town closes in, Matt must reckon with the hard truth that those who live by violence are doomed to fall by it. A stark, psychological episode about pride, fear, and the heavy cost of a life lived on the draw. Cast:William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, John Dehner, Sam Edwards, Clayton Post Tags:Western, gunman, DodgeCity, pride, downfall, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, HowardMcNear, GeorgiaEllis, JohnDehner, SamEdwards, ClaytonPost, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sdrama, suspense, morality, redemption, Gunsmoke, livebythesword, vintagewestern

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Who Lives by the Sword: The Fall of a Gunman

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