Season 9 (1963)

Gunsmoke: Season 9
"Gunsmoke" Season 9 DVD (volume 1) cover.
Program information
Episodes aired:
36
Dates aired:
September 28, 1963 - June 6, 1964
Network/Country:
CBS-TV / United States
Previous Season: Season 8
Next Season: Season 10

This page lists all of the episodes aired during the ninth season of the CBS-TV series Gunsmoke. A total of 36 episodes aired in the season. The seasons opener, "Kate Heller", premiered on September 28, 1963; its finale, "Journey for Three", aired on June 6, 1963.

Season summary

Dennis Weaver, who played the role of Deputy Marshal Chester Goode, who was a trusted friend and sidekick of Marshall Matt Dillon, decided to leave the series, having had appeared in 290 episodes during the nine season stay with the series. Ken Curtis, who introduced the character Festus Haggen in the Season 8 episode "Us Haggens", would become a cast regular, appearing with the cast for the duration of the series.

Episodes

Season 9 (1963-1964)

Season 9 episodes
No.in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
306	1	"Kate Heller"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	September 28, 1963
A young man commits murder and ambushes Matt.
307	2	"Lover Boy"	Andrew V. McLaglen	John Meston	October 5, 1963
A ladies' man takes up with a married woman. Last episode in which Ken Curtis appears as a character other than Festus.
308	3	"Legends Don't Sleep"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	October 12, 1963
After getting out of prison, an infamous gunman meets a cocky young man eager to cash in on his reputation.
309	4	"Tobe"	John English	Paul Savage	October 19, 1963
Tobe Hostader befriends a saloon girl whose ex-boyfriend is near.
310	5	"Easy Come"	Andrew V. McLaglen	John Meston	October 26, 1963
Elmo Sippy is superficially pleasant, but is actually a psychopathic killer, devoid of restraint or remorse.
311	6	"My Sister's Keeper"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	November 2, 1963
A grief-stricken widower gets a job as a hired hand for two sisters.
312	7	"Quint's Trail"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	November 9, 1963
Quint guides a family on a hazardous trail to Oregon.
313	8	"Carter Caper"	Jerry Hopper	John Meston	November 16, 1963
A man gets beaten up for trying to steal another man's horse, and plots his revenge.
314	9	"Ex-Con"	Thomas Carr	John Meston	November 30, 1963
An ex-convict comes to Dodge with the intention of shooting Matt dead. Note: This episode was pre-empted due to the coverage of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
315 316	10 11	"Extradition (Part 1)" "Extradition (Part 2)"	John English	Antony Ellis	December 7, 1963 December 14, 1963
Part 1: Matt tracks an accused murderer to Texas. Part 2: Matt, the murderer, and the lieutenant ride back to the border -- followed by bandits.
317	12	"The Magician"	Harry Harris	John A. Kneubuhl	December 21, 1963
A traveling medicine man is accused of cheating at cards.
318	13	"Pa Hack's Brood"	Jerry Hopper	Paul Savage	December 28, 1963
Pa Hack tries to get his daughter married to a successful rancher, so he can lead an idle life.
319	14	"The Glory and the Mud"	Jerry Hopper	Gwen Bagni	January 4, 1964
A young man tries to make a name for himself as a fast draw when Matt turns him down as deputy.
320	15	"Dry Well"	Harry Harris	John Meston	January 11, 1964
A married woman is having affairs with men much younger than her husband.
321	16	"Prairie Wolfer"	Andrew V. McLaglen	John Dunkel	January 18, 1964
Someone or something is slaughtering cattle.
322	17	"Friend"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	January 25, 1964
Matt heads to a nearby town to investigate a friend's death.
323	18	"Once a Haggen"	Andrew V. McLaglen	Les Crutchfield	February 1, 1964
A friend of Festus' is accused of murdering the man who bested them at poker.
324	19	"No Hands"	Andrew V. McLaglen	John Meston	February 8, 1964
Doc is threatened by the Ginnis clan when he fails to respond quickly to their demands for treatment.
325	20	"Mayblossom"	Andrew V. McLaglen	Kathleen Hite	February 15, 1964
Festus' cousin Mayblossom comes to town to marry him because of a pact between their fathers.
326	21	"The Bassops"	Andrew V. McLaglen	Tom Hanley	February 22, 1964
A family finds Matt and a prisoner handcuffed to one another - with the prisoner claiming to be the marshal.
327	22	"The Kite"	Andrew V. McLaglen	John Meston	February 29, 1964
Matt must stop a killer from realizing his victim's daughter was a witness.
328	23	"Comanches Is Soft"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	March 7, 1964
After spending a wild night in Wichita, Quint and Festus deal with a saloon girl who claims they invited her to Dodge.
329	24	"Father's Love"	Harry Harris	John Meston	March 14, 1964
A woman learns that the man who tried to have his way with her is her husband's uncle.
330	25	"Now That April's Here"	Andrew V. McLaglen	Les Crutchfield	March 21, 1964
The only ones who believe Festus' girlfriend witnessed a murder are the killers themselves.
331	26	"Caleb"	Harry Harris	Paul Savage	March 28, 1964
Caleb Marr comes to Dodge in search of a meaningful life after finally acknowledging his failure at farming.
332	27	"Owney Tupper Had a Daughter"	Jerry Hopper	Paul Savage	April 4, 1964
Owney Tupper starts behaving "responsibly" in order to retrieve his daughter from her aunt's custody.
333	28	"Bently"	Harry Harris	John A. Kneubuhl	April 11, 1964
Chester doubts a man's deathbed murder confession, so he sets out to find the real killer. Note: This episode marks Dennis Weaver's last episode appearance on the series as Chester.
334	29	"Kitty Cornered"	John Brahm	Kathleen Hite	April 18, 1964
A rival saloon owner forces Kitty into a deadly competition.
335	30	"The Promoter"	Andrew V. McLaglen	John Meston	April 25, 1964
An ex-farmer decides to become a fight promoter to make his fortune.
336	31	"Trip West"	Harry Harris	John Dunkel	May 2, 1964
A timid bank clerk goes through a surprising change in personality when he is told he only has a short time to live.
337	32	"Scot Free"	Harry Harris	Kathleen Hite	May 9, 1964
Rob Scot leaves his family and prepares to start a new life with Nora Brand – after they dispose of her husband's body.
338	33	"The Warden"	Andrew V. McLaglen	Les Crutchfield	May 16, 1964
Festus protects a young Indian maiden from a farmer who bought her from her father.
339	34	"Homecoming"	Harry Harris	Shimon Bar-David	May 23, 1964
The ex-husband of Hector Lowell's wife claims that the Lowells' home, land and business belong to him.
340	35	"The Other Half"	Andrew V. McLaglen	John Dunkel	May 30, 1964
A love triangle between a girl and twin brothers turns tragic.
341	36	"Journey for Three"	Harry Harris	Frank Paris	June 6, 1964
A stranger accompanies two brothers on their trip to California.