Wanted: GUNSMOKE (CBS/1955-1975) (1 Viewer)

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 10

Episode #30
“The Pariah”
written by Calvin Clements, Sr.
directed by Harry Harris
produced by Philip Leacock
cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr.
music composed by Fred Steiner
guests: John Dehner, Steve Ihnat, Tom Reese, Lee Van Cleef, Pete Kellett, Don Keefer, Donald Losby, Ilka Windish, George Keymas

Wanted criminal John Hooker (actor Lee Van Cleef) stops at a farm to get a meal from The Scanzano’s, a Sicilian family, when the two kids rush to a room containing a wall of wanted posters that shows Hooker. Knowing his identity, Paolo Scanzano (actor John Dehner) guns Hooker down while he was eating, brings his body back to Dodge City, is celebrated as a local hero by the press and gets free drinks from loudmouth Ed (actor George Keymas) when, later, Festus informs him about the $5,000 reward. The day after, the three Hooker brothers spot the Scanzano farm and plan to avenge their brother John. Because of the press, Paolo Scanzano is considered as a cheap backshooter coward and people avoid him. Ed and his friends fail to lynch him when the Hooker’s warn him and, therefore, many trouble (arson, cattle destruction) occur …

It’s an interesting social drama that shows the power of the press that can ruin the reputation of a man and his family paired with the theme of the second chance but also a whodunit and revenge drama. The cast for the Hooker’s consist of Lee Van Cleef as John, Steve Ihnat as Ben, Tom Reese as Wayne, Pete Kellett as Willy. Dodge City has a newspaper editor (actor Don Keefer) running the Dodge City Bulletin. Find a funny coffee scene with Festus at Delmonico’s. Contains some stock music.

Actors John Dehner (“Caleb”), Tom Reese (“Friend”), Lee Van Cleef (“Mayblossom”) all return from season 9.
Actors Don Keefer return from the season 8 “Quint-Cident” and George Keymas from this season 10 “Run, Sheep, Run”.

 

[JohnHopper]

I just went by the DVD Talk site and guess what?
The critic made an error in his season 15 review of Gunsmoke: he just copied and pasted his previous season 14 overview.
What a shame!

 

[Jeff Flugel]

I'm friends with the reviewer, who also lives in Japan. He absolutely loves this show, and was talking to me recently about just how good the episodes were in season 15...I'm sure there was some posting error, likely on the DVD Talk side. I'm sure he will get the correct review up on the site ASAP.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Hey John...Stuart Galbriath IV's correct Gunsmoke Season 15 reviews are up now on DVD talk (at least Volume 1). Apparently the site was having some loading errors.

 

[JohnHopper]

Hey John...Stuart Galbriath IV's correct Gunsmoke Season 15 reviews are up now on DVD talk (at least Volume 1). Apparently the site was having some loading errors.

Thanks buddy.

DVD Talk Review: Gunsmoke: The Fifteenth Season, Volume One
https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/74058/gunsmoke-the-fifteenth-season-volume-one/


PS: The critic added a season 12 picture of the leading characters which doesn't reflect the reality of season 15.
Thad was out from season 13. By golly, where's Newly?

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 10

Episode #31
“Gilt Guilt”
written by Kathleen Hite
directed by Harry Harris
produced by Norman MacDonnell
cinematography by Frank Phillips
guests: Jan Clayton, Andrew Duggan, Peter Brooks, William Phipps, William Boyett

At night and at the first floor balcony of the Dodge House, wealthy and lonely gold prospector and ex-doctor John Crail (actor Andrew Duggan) hires a man to be treated by Doc Adams and pays it with a bag of gold but it fails. John Crail decides to meet his old friend Doc Adams. The next day and after fishing, Festus and Sully Rice (actor Peter Brooks) return to the farm when Sully has a stroke and can’t walk anymore. Festus brings back Doc to examine Sully and her mother Mary (actress Jan Clayton) and find a case of scurvy—a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C—and give them a tonic to drink. Doc desperatly looks for fresh vegetables and fruits in the dry region to save this poor family. Meanwhile Mary Rice sacrifices herself, gives her rations to her son and eventually has a stroke.

It’s an ambiguous bitter-sweet family drama paired with a medical case and a rich man suffering from a guilty conscience. Beyond that people drama, the episode highlights the old Hippocrates saying: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”.

Actors William Boyett returns from this season 10 “Bank Baby”, Jan Clayton from the season 9 “Bently”, Andrew Duggan from the season 2 “Bently”.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 10

Episode #32
“Bad Lady from Brookline”
written by Gustave Field
directed by Michael O’Herlihy
produced by Philip Leacock
cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr.
music composed by Richard Shores
guests: Betty Hutton, Claude Akins, John Hubbard, Jonathan Kidd, Billy Bowles, Ollie O’Toole, Jan Peters, Eddie Hice, Tom McCauley

A stagecoach stops at Dodge City and delivers a mother and a young son who asks to see her husband Calvin McConnell when the townspeople suddenly leave her alone. The driver advises her to meet his business partner Sy Sherne (actor Claude Akins). Festus informs Matt Dillon about the arrival of Mrs. Molly McConnell (actress Betty Hutton) so he rushes to reveal that his husband is dead but cannot tell her the context. She finally meets the dubious Sy Sherne who tells her that Dillon used to kill her husband so she buys a gun to avenge and asks Miss Kitty to get a singer job at the Long Branch while Dillon spends two weeks at Hays City. Molly is obliged to change her outfit and style to attract the customers! She eventually fits in and later encounters Sherne who offers her to sing in another saloon called The Oasis and also learns her how to fire a pistol properly. Sy Sherne is in love with Molly who is blinded by hate. Dillon returns home. The big day arrives …

It’s a light and unusual woman revengist drama paired with a love story. The fun part of this episode is to watch the social transformation of an uptight mother and the singing showgirl performances of actress Betty Hutton. Oddly enough, composer Richard Shores only writes scores for Golden Age actresses this season: Jean Arthur in “Thursday’s Child” and, here, Betty Hutton.

Actors Claude Akins (“Innocence”) and Eddie Hice (“One Killer on Ice”) both return from this season 10. Actor Ollie O’Toole returns from the season 9 “Journey for Three”.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 10

Episode #33
“Two Tall Men”
written by Frank Q. Dobbs and Robert Stewart, Jr.
directed by Vincent McEveety
produced by Philip Leacock
cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr.
music composed by Fred Steiner
guests: Harry Townes, Jay Ripley, Maurice McEndree, Preston Pierce, Ben Cooper, George Lindsey

A skin trader/buffalo hunter named Abihu Howell (actor Harry Townes) drives his wagon when he sees two cowboys robbing the money of a man lying on the ground and fires his rifle to stop them but the noise scares his horse and makes it run towards the aggressors who escape. The unconscious man with a head wound is Doc Adams. Howell arrives at Dodge City and Miss Kitty take care of Doc in his office while Matt Dillon is at Hays City. At the Long Branch, Howell makes revelations to the newspaper editor while Festus and Breck Taylor start a search for the two men. The two cowboys named Billy Yeager (actor George Lindsey) and Ned Moore (actor Jay Ripley) head to Dutchman Springs but Festus and Breck pick them up and bring them back to Dodge City at night when the angry townspeople shout and are ready for lynching the bushwackers. Breck worries and sends Tommy Kane (actor Preston Pierce) on an errand to warn Dillon about the dangerous situation. Later on, drunk Howell sneaks into the marshal’s office to talk to the prisoners and shoots one by accident. Festus goes checking the cell when Yeager cons him and locks him up with Howell. The prisoners are spotted and chased by the townspeople …

It’s a rather good criminal case about lynching innocent bystanders and the sequel to “Breckinridge” (guest starring Ben Cooper as lawyer Breck Taylor). The picturesque character of Abihu Howell played by Harry Townes foreshadows the one from the season 11 “Malachi”. Contains stock music by Richard Shores. The DVD edition states that the episode title is “He Who Steals”. IMDb lists it as “Two Tall Men”.

Actor Harry Townes returns from the season 9 “Tobe”. Actors Ben Cooper (“Breckinridge”) and George Lindsey (“Hung High”) both return from this season 10.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 10

Episode #34
“Honey Pot”
written by John Meston
directed by Harry Harris
produced by Philip Leacock
cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr.
guests: Rory Calhoun, Dick Wessel, John Crawford, Harry Bartell, Harry Lauter, Roy Barcroft, Charles Maxwell, Joanna Moore

At night and after leaving her husband gambler Hal Biggs (actor John Crawford), saloon girl Honey Dare (actress Joanna Moore) resumes to the Long Branch when drunk customer Hy Evers (actor Charles Maxwell) makes fun of her so Dillon neutralizes and locks him up. The morning after, Evers is released and threatens Dillon to shoot him when, at the Long Branch, a brand new customer named Ben Stack (actor Rory Calhoun) shows up, threatens to kill Dillon and meets Dare for a nice talk and develops a deep relationship. At night, Dillon resumes to town and livery stable owner Hank informs him about the killing threat but Stack is a good old friend of Dillon and just provokes people. Later on, Stack comes out of the Dodge House, walks down the streets, meets Biggs and his wife Dare when he jealously shoots Biggs dead and leaves. The next day, gun-less Stack and Dillon go at the livery stable to meet Hank and hidden Evers shoots Stack down instead of Dillon. Stack is severly wounded at Doc’s office. Many people tell false statements to Dillon about the real murderer including Honey Dare …

It’s a good ambiguous and compromised love affair related to a crime of passion entry paired with the theme of genuine friendship leading to an unbearable moral dilemma. The one clue that betrays Stack is the handshake to Honey Dare at the Long Branch. Actor Rory Calhoun used to have his western series entitled The Texan (1958-1960).

Actors John Crawford returns from the season 8 “Shona”, Charles Maxwell from the season 4 “The Choice” and Joanna Moore from the season 5 “Cherry Red”.
Actors Harry Bartell (“Old Man”) and Harry Lauter (“Big Man, Big Target”) both return from this season 10.

 

[Dan McW]

Watched a pretty good season-15 Gunsmoke on the new set, "Albert," with Milton Selzer in the title role. Selzer is a wimpy bank clerk who manages to foil a robbery. With the safe open as the robbers make a frantic escape, Selzer pockets $5,000 for himself. The robbers, led by William Schallert (!) and psycho L.Q. Jones, read in the newspaper that they supposedly got away with five grand, and they know who really took the money. They return to Dodge and latch themselves onto Selzer and wife Patricia Barry, waiting a few days until the Dodge bank safe will be full of money from cattle purchases and ready for robbing again.

This episode has some violence at the end, whereas many season-15 eps have nary a shot fired. Directed by Vincent McEveety, written by assistant story consultant Jim Byrnes, and with music by John Parker. Barry is top-billed and does well, and I know she has many fans on the HTF. L.Q. is great in his role, which includes tormenting Barry in one scene.

 

[JohnHopper]

Watched a pretty good season-15 Gunsmoke on the new set, "Albert," with Milton Selzer in the title role. Selzer is a wimpy bank clerk who manages to foil a robbery. With the safe open as the robbers make a frantic escape, Selzer pockets $5,000 for himself. The robbers, led by William Schallert (!) and psycho L.Q. Jones, read in the newspaper that they supposedly got away with five grand, and they know who really took the money. They return to Dodge and latch themselves onto Selzer and wife Patricia Barry, waiting a few days until the Dodge bank safe will be full of money from cattle purchases and ready for robbing again.

This episode has some violence at the end, whereas many season-15 eps have nary a shot fired. Directed by Vincent McEveety, written by assistant story consultant Jim Byrnes, and with music by John Parker. Barry is top-billed and does well, and I know she has many fans on the HTF. L.Q. is great in his role, which includes tormenting Barry in one scene.

I will review this episode so please be patient.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 10

Episode #35
“The New Society”
written by Calvin Clements, Sr.
directed by Joseph Sargent
produced by Philip Leacock
cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr.
music composed by Fred Steiner
guests: James Gregory, Richard X. Slattery, Sandy Kenyon, Lew Brown, Ian Wolfe, Elizabeth Perry, Dennis Cross, Garry Walberg, Victor Izay, Fred Coby, Linda James, Jeremy Slate, Jack Weston

Matt Dillon arrives at Ridge Town while the townspeople stare at him in a strange and fearful way. Dillon meets the owner of the livery stable and his sleazy daughter Sue Ann (actress Linda James) while many artisans keep a close eye on him: the old owner of the general store named Wall (actor Ian Wolfe) and his son Eli (actor Lew Brown), the barber, carpenter Aaron (actor Dennis Cross), butcher Coor (actor Richard X. Slattery), bank clerk Bennings (actor Sandy Kenyon). At the sheriff’s office, he meets simple-minded handyman Wesley (actor Jack Weston) instead of lawman Tom Scanlon (actor Jeremy Slate) and then goes to the saloon when Coor questions and provokes him by spitting on his shoes so Dillon gives him a slap. Later on, Dillon rides to a farm and meets disabled old sheriff John Scanlon (actor James Gregory) who grows flowers and explains his coming: reopening the Major Franklin case ordered by the army and his so-called murderer Felix Smith. Back at Ridge Town, Dillon questions the key people who behave in a doubtful and elusive way but, in the very end, the masks come off …

It’s a good solo Dillon entry and a legal and psychological whodunit in which Dillon acts as a detective on an old case and fights the bad conscience of a corrupted town that includes a vigilante group and a lynch mob. The saloon at Ridge Town is the re-decorated Dodge House. The DVD edition states that the episode title is “Two Tall Men”. IMDb lists it as “The New Society”.

Actors Lew Brown (“Double Entry”), Fred Coby (“Thursday’s Child”), Dennis Cross (“Chief Joseph”), Garry Walberg (“The Violators”) all return from this season 10.
Actors Richard X. Slattery (“Mayblossom”) and Jeremy Slate (“Carter Caper”) both return from season 9.
Actors Sandy Kenyon returns from the season 8 “I Call Him Wonder” and Jack Weston from the season 3 “Sunday Supplement”.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 10

Episode #36
“He Who Steals”
written by John Meston
directed by Harry Harris
produced by Philip Leacock
cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr.
music composed by Bruce Geller, Van McCoy and Herschel Burke Gilbert
guests: Russ Tamblyn, Roger Torrey, Lane Bradford, Will J. White, Harold J. Stone, Len Wayland, Larry Ward, Stanley Adams, Sheldon Allman, Jon Lormer, Bill Hart

Working for proprietor Jim Donner (actor Len Wayland), young rider Billy Waters (actor Russ Tamblyn) stops at the camp of buffalo hunter Jeff Sutro (actor Harold J. Stone) and warns him about the rules of Donner’s land and the calf he killed. On his way to ride out, Waters meets his boss and his two henchmen named Steve Hays (actor Roger Torrey) and Joe Serls (actor Bill Hart) heading to Sutro to give him a lesson but Sutro fights back and they all run. At Dodge City, Sutro tries to sell his skins to Charles Rath (actor Stanley Adams) when Matt Dillon and Jim Donner go talking to Sutro about the killing of Joe Serls and ends up in a cell. Later that night, Waters passes Sutro a handgun for his escape but he refuses. The next day, the courtroom takes place at the Dodge House and Sutro is found innocent. Waters is fired from his job for fraternizing with the enemy. Waters works for Sutro as business partner in hauling saddles and harness when Dillon warns him about Sutro’s limitations. At night and at Sutro’s camp, one thief named Dan O’Hare (actor Lane Bradford) steals their horse and sells it to Donner’s foreman Sid Perce (actor Larry Ward) in the morning. Sutro follows the tracks to Perce to get his horse back but things take a nasty turn …

It’s a decent initiatory entry paired with an impossible friendship between two generations and two mindsets that lead to a dead-end. The same year, Bruce Geller produces the seventh season of Rawhide and writes two songs for that same series. The DVD edition states that the episode title is “The New Society”. IMDb lists it as “He Who Steals”.

Actors Sheldon Allman (“Song for Dying”), Lane Bradford (“Chicken”) and Harold J. Stone (“Hung High”) all return from this season 10.

Actors Stanley Adams return from the season 2 “Spring Term”, Jon Lormer from the season 5 “Jailbait Janet”, Roger Torrey from the season 9 “Mayblossom”, Larry Ward from the season 8 “Louie Pheeters”, Will J. White from the season 1 “Word of Honor”.


End Credits composers Bruce Geller, Van McCoy and Herschel Burke Gilbert.

 

[JohnHopper]

TOP GUNSMOKE SEASON 10 EPISODES

Top producer Norman MacDonnell
“The Violators”
“Circus Trick”
“Old Man”
“Doctor’s Wife”
“Help Me, Kitty”
“Take Her, She’s Cheap”
“Chicken”

Top producer Philip Leacock
“One Killer on Ice”
“Hung High”
“Song for Dying”
“Thursday’s Child”
“The Lady”
“Big Man, Big Target”
“Dry Road to Nowhere”
“Twenty Miles from Dodge”
“Honey Pot”

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 10 • THE SCORES

INDEX OF COMPOSERS ONSCREEN CREDITS

Gerald Fried
“Dry Road to Nowhere”

Harry Geller
“One Killer on Ice”

Herschel Burke Gilbert, Bruce Geller, Van McCoy
“He Who Steals”

Rudy Schrager (14)
“Crooked Mile”
“Old Man”
“Doctor’s Wife”
“Take Her, She’s Cheap”
“Help Me, Kitty”
“Jonah Hutchinson”
“Big Man, Big Target”
“Innocence”
“Double Entry”
“Deputy Festus”
“Song for Dying”
“Winner Take All”
“Breckinridge”
“Twenty Miles From Dodge”

Richard Shores (2)
“Thursday’s Child”
“Bad Lady From Brookline”

Fred Steiner (7)
“Blue Heaven”
“Chicken”
“Run, Sheep, Run”
“Eliab’s Aim”
“The Pariah”
“Two Tall Men”
“The New Society”

Notes
Not only the showdown opening theme music is renewed but it features two end themes music: the old sad one from the early sixties and the new dynamic one. Sometimes, Herschel Burke Gilbert receives the onscreen credits for the work of a third party. One of the least known personnel related to music supervision remains music editor Gene Feldman who works on the major CBS shows like The Twilight Zone and Rawhide.

Music Supervised by Herschel Burke Gilbert
“Crooked Mile”
“Doctor’s Wife”
“Jonah Hutchinson”
“Big Man, Big Target”
“Chicken”
“Innocence”
“Hammerhead”
“Run, Sheep, Run”

Music Supervised and Conducted by Herschel Burke Gilbert
“Old Man”
“Take Her, She’s Cheap”
“Help Me, Kitty”
“Double Entry”
“Deputy Festus”
“Song for Dying”
“Winner Take All”
“Eliab’s Aim”
“Thursday’s Child”
“Breckinridge”
“Dry Road to Nowhere”

Music Conducted by Herschel Burke Gilbert
“Twenty Miles from Dodge”
“The New Society”
“He Who Steals”

 

[JohnHopper]

So, folks, I will resume to my review task the first week of December for season 15 of Gunsmoke.
Until then and as Matt Dillon used to say to his opponents: “Hold it right there”.

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

I saw the episode "Snow Train" (episode 7 of season 16) on Me-TV just recently, and the end credits were sped up (but leaving the audio alone). Hence, the audio does not get a chance to finish out under the logo.

The season 16 and 17 DVDs are both due out on December 10, so for those of you that get a copy of the former on that day or afterward, please check it and see if this end credit anomaly exists there.

~Ben

 

[Dave Scarpa]

i'm working my way thru S14 I'm waing for S15 price drop probably after 16/17 comes out

 

[JohnHopper]

i'm working my way thru S14 I'm waing for S15 price drop probably after 16/17 comes out

Reviews for season 14 episodes:
https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/wanted-gunsmoke-cbs-1955-1975.360711/page-10

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I’ve bought all the seasons thru season 14 loved them and am glad I purchased them. Still it frosts me when I see the multiple season sets at Walmart for a fraction of the cost. Thinking it’s pretty inevitable that we’ll get the entire series now I was thinking of waiting on picking up the next collection. I’m thinking they are usually 3 season sets so is it a wise bet we’ll get s15-16-17 and 18-19-20 in collection sets.