"Gunsmoke" was a television program which ran on the CBS television network from 1955 to 1975. It was a one-half hour program from 1955 to 1961 and a one-hour program from 1961 to 1975. This episode is one-hour long. The regular characters are Matt Dillon, the Marshall or Sheriff of the town of Dodge City, Kansas. Miss Kitty runs a saloon, Festus is Matt's deputy, and Doc Adams is the town doctor. The show was set in the 1870's to 1880's. The episode is titled "Trail of Bloodshed" and was first broadcast on March 4, 1974. This episode is a story of revenge with Kurt Russell as Buck Henry, a young man hunting his outlaw uncle Rance Woolfe who has murdered his father for a cache of gold and silver coins. The program shows real United States Morgan silver dollars and St. Gaudens $20 gold coins on a gambling table. The St. Gaudens gold coins are an anachronism as they were minted from 1907 to 1933, long after the period of the program.

Marshall Dillon's deputy Festus has been following outlaw Rance Woolfe and suspects that Rance will contact his honest brother John Woolfe. John lives with his son Buck Henry Woolfe. Rance arrives at John Woolfe's house and finds John alone. The hot-tempered Rance shoots John and searches the house for money.

Rance pours the pouch onto the table.

The coins are silver dollars and $20 gold coins. Buck Woolfe returns from a visit with his girlfriend Joanie Brody.

Buck, carrying a rifle, sees Rance and aims the gun at him.

Rance shoots at Buck, the bullet scrapes Buck's head, and then Rance flees on a horse. Festus arrives and bandages Buck. They bury Buck's father and then Buck heads to town to find Rance.

Rance enters the saloon and is immediately approached by bar girl Rita.

Rance takes Rita to a hotel room. Festus encounters Buck's girlfriend Joanie who is riding a mule.

After his drinking and interlude with the girl, Rance is ready to gamble and is spotted by the professional gambler and the two girls as a "pigeon". A saloon hostess deals the cards.

Rance begins losing immediately.

The coins are several Morgan-type silver dollars and St. Gaudens type $20 gold coins.
One of the silver dollars is dated 1896.

A United States St. Gaudens $20 dated 1927:

Gold, 34.0 mm, 33.45 gm

The saloon hostess known as the "Lady Card Dealer" deals the cards.

Rance keeps losing and is down to his last $40 in two gold $20 coins.

Rance bets his last forty dollars.

Totally wiped out, Rance gets up and moves towards the Gambler.

The bartender chases Rance outside where Buck, waiting for him, shoots Rance. Rance shoots Buck in the leg and then climbs onto his horse and rides away. The Gambler bandages Buck's wound and then Buck gets up and rides after Rance.

In the hills Rance and Buck engage in a gun duel until Rance collapses. Festus arrives and takes Buck back to the saloon to be reunited with his girl friend.

James Arness as Matt Dillon
Amanda Blake as Kitty
Milburn Stone as Doc Adams
Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen
Kurt Russell as Buck Henry Woolfe
Tom Simcox as Rance Woolfe
Janit Baldwin as Joanie Brody
Craig Stevens as The Gambler
Nina Roman as Rita (the bar girl)
Gloria Dixon as the Lady Card Dealer
Director: Bernard McEveety
Writers: Paul Savage, Earl W. Wallace, Norman MacDonnell