Gunsmoke

[red14]

Being retired, I watch way too much TV. Most of it is political, preachy, boring and lousy. The only consistently good show is Gunsmoke. Dillon never missed, they had real stars in episodes every week. Bag guys were truly bad, most of the time. Great writing, action, humor, drama, and good usually won out over evil. Festus, Chester, Miss Kitty, Doc, Louie the town drunk, many regulars too numerous to mention, the show has it all. I am rarely disappointed, violence is not glorified but raw and stark. I look forward to nearly every show.

 

[Marine Corps Air]

Just like taking a nap, "watching 'Gunsmoke' is never a waste of time"!

I can always enjoy watching an episode while on the treadmill, in my easy chair, or wherever. The color episodes are just as good, but the black and white ones are often better, with Burt Reynolds, Dennis Weaver, etc.

Among the lore that I believe is correct, James Arness was a carpenter working on sets in Hollywood. John Wayne was offered the part, but he recommended James, and the rest is history. That might not be the way that it actually happened, but that's the way that I remember it.

I'm testing out this one by watching the episodes. A tough job, but someone has to do it. The producers wanted "Chester" to have a handicap, hence the stiff or bad leg. The story that I read was that Dennis captured the part, but sometimes he forgot which leg was supposed to be the injured one.

Bill

 

[brucev]

Excellent program. Excellent on the radio broadcasts which are still available. Excellent in the b/w and color t.v. broadcasts. Such consistent excellence across the years is the reason why it is the longest running t.v. program in history. Dr. Who has run longer, but not with the original cast. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[rockquarry]

The early thirty-minute episodes were probably the best and certainly more violent than the one-hour versions.

 

[Kurusu]

Gunsmoke never aired in Portugal. But, through the hand of Alberto Giolitti's comic strip. I knew of Marshall Matt Dillon's adventures in Dodge City.

You will notice how Giolitti's Matt Dillon has a striking resemblace to actor James Arness.

 

[nodpete]

My favorite line from Gunsmoke was one where there was a band of bad guys going around killing homesteaders for no particular reason and Matt & Chester were holed up in a cabin and the bad guys ride up and Matt says "Take the 2 on the right " and Chester says "Aren't we going to warn them ?" And Matt says " Warn them, we're going to kill them". Great show.

 

[labworm]

Whenever it's on, I watch it.

Over and over, the same episodes, it was that good of a series on TV.

When Chester left the series I thought "Oh No" it's not going to be as good.

Wrong, in came Festus and Ruth and the rest is history.

 

[Jack Flash]

My favorite line from Gunsmoke was one where there was a band of bad guys going around killing homesteaders for no particular reason and Matt & Chester were holed up in a cabin and the bad guys ride up and Matt says "Take the 2 on the right " and Chester says "Aren't we going to warn them ?" And Matt says " Warn them, we're going to kill them". Great show.

I remember that scene differently, I will have to watch it again! IIRC, the episode is called "No Indians".

It is one of many Gunsmokes that I think of as "dark" episodes. "The Cabin" is another. Criminals are truly depraved, vicious individuals. The lawman, often alone and / or outnumbered, had to do whatever it took to stop them. I have to admit that I am surprised these episodes are still shown in the PC world of today.

 

[rockquarry]

I vaguely remember listening to Gunsmoke on Sunday evenings when it was still on radio in the mid- to late-'fifties. That's really the only such radio program I can remember.

TV Gunsmoke was certainly the best of the westerns, even if it suffered a slight deterioration after going to the one-hour format.

 

[nodpete]

Thanks Jack Flash, I looked that episode up and listened to it. This was the radio version with William Conrad from 1954 and the one I remembered was on TV with James Arness that aired in 1956. Did they change the script or did I just remember it wrong (the most likely scenario). Either way, a great show.

 

[Backlighting]

I recently saw an episode where the proprietor of the gun store in town sold a new Colt SAA to a lady for $20.

 

[red14]

I recently saw an episode where the proprietor of the gun store in town sold a new Colt SAA to a lady for $20.

Was Burt Reynolds the proprietor or Newly?

 

[rockquarry]

Burt Reynolds, "Quint" was the blacksmith; Buck Taylor , "Newly" was the gunsmith.

 

[rockquarry]

Let's not forget Thad, a character on a par of worthlessness that rivaled Festus' dim-wit relatives.

 

[michael1000]

there are three episodes to choose from on my lunch hour every weekday. matt, kitty and the rest are playing against themselves.

 

[labworm]

I think he would drive anyone nuts.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iti80nkDtPo[/ame]

 

[Rustyt1953]

I really liked Ken Curtis the actor but I am especially envious of his time with Tommy Dorsey and the Sons of the Pioneers.

 

[Golddollar]

Years ago when we would visit my paternal grandparents in Punxsutawney, PA, watching Gunsmoke was a family event. My granddad, dad, uncles and I would all be watching it together. A 3 generational event. Grandma used to say she had to come to the front of the room to see who was who because from the back just about everybody looked alike.

 

[Doogie85]

I remember watching Gunsmoke with my Grandpa when I was a kid. Everything stopped when Gunsmoke came on and resumed when the show was over.
Still watch it every chance I get. Quality TV.

 

[El Biblioitecario]

Thanks Jack Flash, I looked that episode up and listened to it. This was the radio version with William Conrad from 1954 and the one I remembered was on TV with James Arness that aired in 1956. Did they change the script or did I just remember it wrong (the most likely scenario). Either way, a great show.

I recall my disillusion when as a lad I first saw William Conrad in a film role and realized the gravel-voiced radio 'Matt Dillon' was, shall we say, not exactly the physique I had imagined. But I had my revenge watching 'The Naked Jungle,' where Conrad's character is eaten by an army of ants.