Character Relationship Map: Gunsmoke

Characters

• Reb Kittredge (played by Audie Murphy) — protagonist

  Reb Kittredge is a wandering hired gun who seeks enough money to own a ranch of his own. He is hired to obtain Dan Saxon's deed, but after Curly Mather kills his horse, Reb confronts Dan and wounds hi...

• Rita Saxon (played by Susan Cabot) — supporting

  Rita Saxon is Dan Saxon's daughter and a member of the ranching family at the center of the conflict. She is currently in love with Curly Mather, but Reb Kittredge falls in love with her after taking...

• Dan Saxon (played by Paul Kelly) — supporting

  Dan Saxon owns the last ranch not controlled by Matt Telford and is a former wild outlaw who has settled down. He challenges Reb Kittredge to a gunfight, but Reb deliberately shoots him in the gun han...

• Johnny Lake (played by Charles Drake) — supporting

  Johnny Lake is Reb Kittredge's fellow gunslinger and sometime friend. Matt Telford hires him to stop Reb and the cattle herd after Reb takes over the ranch and moves the herd toward a railhead for sal...

• Matt Telford (played by Donald Randolph) — supporting

  Matt Telford is the local boss who already controls the surrounding ranches except for Dan Saxon's property. He wants the last independent ranch and hires Johnny Lake to stop Reb Kittredge after Reb g...

• Brazos (played by William Reynolds) — supporting

  Brazos is a ranch hand helping with the effort to keep the Saxon ranch operating. During a confrontation, the herd is scattered and Brazos is injured, making it harder for Reb, Rita, and the other han...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Dan Saxon → Rita Saxon (Family Father And Daughter) — Dan's loss of the ranch places Rita at the center of the effort to save her family's property.

  The reference identifies Dan Saxon as Rita's father and says he lost the ranch in a card game.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Dan Saxon → Matt Telford (Conflict Ranch Claim Adversaries) — Dan's loss and Telford's mortgage give Telford leverage over the Saxon property, though the reference presents cheating as a possibility rather than a confirmed fact.

  Dan lost the ranch in a card game, while Telford holds a mortgage that is due soon; the reference also raises the possibility that Telford cheated Dan...

• Reb Kittredge → Brazos (Alliance Ranch Collaborators) — Their work on the cattle drive is disrupted when the herd scatters and Brazos is hurt.

  Reb helps organize the ranch hands and drive cattle; the herd is scattered in a confrontation, leaving Brazos injured.

• Reb Kittredge → Johnny Lake (Social Sometime Friends) — The two separate at the outset and later reunite while the dispute over the ranch is still unsettled.

  The reference says Reb and Johnny part ways after escaping Johnson County, and that Johnny eventually returns.

• Rita Saxon → Matt Telford (Conflict Property Adversaries) — Telford's attempt to take the ranch threatens Rita's family's property and drives her effort to save it.

  The reference says Telford wants the Square-S ranch and continues to threaten the Saxons.

• Reb Kittredge → Matt Telford (Conflict Opponents) — Reb rejects Telford's attempt to employ him and directly opposes Telford's pressure on the Saxon ranch.

  Telford expects Reb to work as a hired gun, but Reb refuses; later Reb confronts Telford and warns him to keep his hands off the ranch.

• Reb Kittredge → Rita Saxon (Alliance Ranch Allies) — Reb sides with Rita's effort to protect the ranch, while their arguments reveal his doubts about what she has told him.

  Rita offers Reb a ranch job, and Reb refuses to kill for Telford and joins her effort to save the property.

Story Analysis

Reb becomes involved in Rita's effort to save the Square-S ranch from Telford's pressure, but the supplied account leaves the ranch's fate unsettled.

Plot Progression

1. A Ranch Under Pressure — After leaving Johnson County, Reb reaches Billings and meets Rita. He learns that Telford wants her family's ranch and is offered ranch work instead of taking Telford's expected hired-gun role.
2. The Cost of Saving Square-S — Reb joins Rita's effort to save the property and discovers that Dan lost it in a card game while Telford holds a mortgage due soon. The winter-shortened herd and supply pressure make the ranch's posit...
3. A Drive Broken Apart — Reb organizes the ranch hands and drives cattle, but a confrontation scatters the herd and injures Brazos. Telford continues to threaten the Saxons and use hired men against Reb.
4. The Claim Remains Unsettled — Rita and Reb argue over the original gambling deal, and Johnny returns. Reb warns Telford away from the ranch, while a ranch hand raises the possibility that the gambling claim violated local law; the...