Wanted: GUNSMOKE (CBS/1955-1975) (4 Viewers)

[JohnHopper]

¶
¶ Next on Gunsmoke season 15, the reviews of the fifth disc and starting on Monday!
¶ The usual four episodes will be tackled this time on this volume 2.
¶ Load your guns and be ready!
¶

 

[ponset]

I wonder if someone know a good companion book about Gunsmoke, by the way.

Gunsmoke: A Complete History is an awesome book in my opinion. Very well done.
Covers both the Radio Series and the TV Series.

https://www.amazon.com/Gunsmoke-Complete-History-Suzanne-Barabas/dp/0899504183

 

[JohnHopper]

Gunsmoke: A Complete History is an awesome book in my opinion. Very well done.
Covers both the Radio Series and the TV Series.

https://www.amazon.com/Gunsmoke-Complete-History-Suzanne-Barabas/dp/0899504183


View attachment 66583

Thanks for the reference.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

I have every original season and half season volume of Gunsmoke thus far released, and the first 3 of the 1987-93 reunion TV movies...and now, with CBS having announced seasons 18 and 19, with the final season sure to follow in 2020, I am still somewhat stunned at the imminent completion of this magnum opus on DVD

Just haven't gotten around to picking up the final two movies yet, or not a fan of them?

The CBS-released movies are starting to go OOP, so I grabbed them, and got the Kino-released ones too, since, well, as we've all said, season 20's almost certainly coming next year and it's time to have everything!

 

[The Obsolete Man]

A few quick words about S1, Disc one...

John Wayne wasn't lying when he called this an "adult" show. 5 episodes in, we have psychopaths, golddigging whores (that's not a misogynistic thing, we all pretty well know Miss Kitty ran a whorehouse and this was one of her girls, and she literally was going for gold), and farmhouse amputations amid the shootings. This is more than I was expecting from 1955.

The episodes are tight, owing to the half hour format. Perfect little western chunks. Sometimes a bit straightforward, though. In ep. 4, I was expecting the farmer's daughter to be the one who set him up to die, but it was 1955, so no go there. It really was the creepy farmhand.

Everyone plays their roles well, but Chester's pretty undeveloped so far. I think Doc has gotten more characterization already in ep. 3 alone than Chester has in the first 5 episodes. And Doc isn't even there for about half of them. On the more salacious side, Amanda Blake is drop dead gorgeous in S1.

So, I see why the show had legs in the beginning.

One question for someone who might know... the schedule looks like the show was 3 weeks on, one week off early on. Did it alternate with something else one week out of the month to stretch the season out?

That's it for now. I'll probably finish out the disc before bed so I don't have to change discs tomorrow in the other player I use. Oh, and because I'm enjoying the show.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Plowing through S1, since it was a rainy day...

Random thoughts:

The episode where the widow puts a bounty on Matt may have been TV's first drive by shooting,.

if I did screencaps, the Christmas episode would've provided a whole riff about Miss Kitty's muff, wink wink, nudge nudge.

I presume General Parsley Smith was Milburn Drysdale's ancestor making the family's first foray into banking.

Why do people keep trying to marry Long Branch girls? It always ends in at least one shooting.

A lot of implied rape, especially for 1950s TV. Two or three instances so far of women getting captured, sometimes coming back with children.

I hope Mr. French didn't teach Buffy and Jody to hate the Chinese the way he did here. Though to be more serious about that episode, it seemed to take quite a progressive stance on racism, even still for today. You had your bad guys with the garden variety racism, of course, the modern viewer would likely be offended at the racist portrayal of the Chinese man, who proceeds to turn all that on its head by revealing he's just playing to people's expectations to fly under the radar and actually is a fairly well educated man who speaks better and more proper English than roughly 99% of Dodge City.

Oh, and nothing yet has convinced me to like Chester better than Festus. Minus the brother episode, Chester's still a fairly blank slate IMO.

The show is way more enjoyable and easy to plow through than I would've expected out of a Horse Opera, since I'm more spaceship than horse and wagon. Of course, Star Trek was just Wagon Train to the Stars, with DS9 being The Rifleman in Space, so...

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 15

Episode #16
“The Pack Rat”
written by Jim Byrnes and Arthur Browne, Jr.
story by Arthur Browne, Jr.
directed by Philip Leacock
music by Leon Klatzkin
guests: William Watson, Manuel Padilla Jr., Heidi Vaughn, Loretta Swit, Robert Brubaker, Robert Rothwell, Tom Sutton, Bill Catching

At night and around a camp fire, Dillon handcuffs escaped prisoner Sam Danton (actor William Watson) to his saddle and goes to sleep when an abandoned kid named Sancho (actor Manuel Padilla Jr.) steals goods from both men but Dillon eventually catches him in the act. At Dodge City, a stagecoach stops because of a pregnant woman named Martha Mason (actress Heidi Vaughn) that Doc takes care of. She informs him that she must join back her husband at Fort Union. Meanwhile Dillon returns to his office with his prisoner who notices the friend of Martha named Belle Clark (actress Loretta Swit). Dillon brings Belle to the Long Branch and have a talk with Miss Kitty. Newly joins Dillon to go to Fort Union. The big day of traveling arrives, Festus and Sancho go carry the baggage of Belle to the wagon but Sancho steal of a box filled with jewels and pictures from Belle’s bag: we learn that Belle is the wife of the prisoner. Miss Kitty is in charge of watching the kid who escapes from Dodge City while riding the stolen mule of Festus but to warn Dillon. The convoy discovers that Martha sneaks into the wagon. Danton asks his wife Belle to help him to flee. The convoy gets ambushed …

It’s just an average intimistic entry with three characters dilemma: the kid, the pregnant woman and the convict and his former wife. It’s flatly directed by Gunsmoke producer Philip Leacock. The prisoner character played by William Watson reminds the season 12 “Saturday Night”.

Actor Robert Brubaker (“Hawk”) and Manuel Padilla Jr. (“The Innocent”) returns from season 15, William Watson returns from the season 12 “Saturday Night”.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 15

Episode #17
“The Judas Gun”
written by Harry Kronman
directed by Vincent McEveety
music by Leon Klatzkin
guests: Ron Hayes, Peter Jason, Richard X. Slattery, Laurie Mock, Sean McClory, Tom Brown, Margarita Cordova, William Fawcett, Brad David, Ralph Neff

Mature rider Noah Haimes (actor Richard X. Slattery) returns to a town that is now decaying, windy and deserted when he meets rider Clete Bolden (actor Sean McClory) and fights. Out of the blue, Cully (actor Peter Jason), the son of Haimes, appears and shoots the arm of Bolden. At night and in the saloon of another town, gunfighter Boyd Avery (actor Ron Hayes) receives a message from Dodge City about a contract and leaves. After passing by the Long Branch, Avery follows Cully Haimes when a rattle snake stands in the middle of the road and makes him fall and drives him unconscious. Cully brings him back home and takes care of him. Avery has an argument with him and leaves to meet his employer: Clete Bolden who hires him to shake up and humiliate the boy of Haimes but he gives up his contract. Later on and after a petty street argument, Avery offers a lethal contest to Cully at the old town …

It’s a good and interesting conflictual former business partners drama and an impossible love affair with their respective offspring, spicied up with a looser gunfighter who walks like the grim reaper. Notice the inspired performance of actor Ron Hayes.

Actors Ron Hayes returns from the season 8 “I Call Him Wonder” and Richard X. Slattery from the season 10 “The New Society”.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Poor Pearl (somewhere in season 2 volume 1)

Once again, marrying a Long Branch girl ends in a shooting. And likely a hanging after the fact, but that wasn't shown.

The thing that made me post was... well, call me stupid, but I never realized Denver Pyle had a normal voice. All I'd ever heard him use was that gravelly Uncle Jessie voice in Dukes and even on The Dick Van Dyke Show. And that voice singing gave him away in the beginning of the episode. Then he goes all smooth and suave and normal for the rest of the episode, making me doubt his identity until the credits prove it's him.

Maybe the Marshal's rope is what left him sounding like that in his 20th century appearances.

Oh, and by this point, every time I see Boot Hill, I roll my eyes. Dammit Matt, if you didn't spend so much time every week walking around the graveyard that's a fair piece out of town and ruminating, maybe things wouldn't get so out of control back in Dodge!

 

[Doug Wallen]

Boot Hill inspires a great many episodes (and many great episodes) throughout the first 4 seasons.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 15

Episode #18
“Doctor Herman Schultz, M.D.”
written by Calvin Clements, Sr.
story by Benny Rubin
directed by Bernard McEveety
music by Leon Klatzkin
guests: Benny Rubin, Pete Kellett

Festus complains about his toothache to Matt Dillon who goes on a mission at Garden City. Crossing the street enroute to the Long Branch, Festus bumps into a Doctor Herman Schultz (actor Benny Rubin) who heads to the Dodge House and hypnotizes Howie with a watch to get a special room at the second floor. Doc Adams notices a buggy used as a commercial sign post to enlist people into a medical experiment and smells a charlatan. Schultz counts thick wads of dollar bills in his room as a con artist when Doc knocks at his door. We learn that they are old friends and Doc suggests a guinea pig for his experiment: Festus. After a successful tooth operation under the influence of Schultz, Doc asks him to force Festus to act as a rooster at the Long Branch. Later that night, Schultz summons Festus to question him about the cashbox from the coming stagecoach and gets incomplete answers and Schultz must now hypnotize another prey: freight office man Nathan Burke. But things don’t go as planned for the crooked doctor …

It’s an amusing, engrossing and far-fetched doctor-crook-manipulator and another con man after “Danny” from a story written by actor Benny Rubin himself but adapted by executive story consultant Calvin Clements: don’t miss the grand finale and big race between Doc and Schultz. For the anecdote, Schultz calls his friend Doc by his first name Galen and Dillon goes to Garden City to investigate the robbery caused by Schultz. One funny scene depicts Schultz failing to hypnotize Miss Kitty at the Long Branch.

 

[LouA]

I don't know if it's been covered here, but Amazon has Gunsmoke Season 19 now available for a Feb . 10 release . Amazing , I'd think we'll have the complete run soon!!!!

 

[GMBurns]

I don't know if it's been covered here, but Amazon has Gunsmoke Season 19 now available for a Feb . 10 release . Amazing , I'd think we'll have the complete run soon!!!!

It has been reported, but good news like that bears repeating. I wasn't sure we'd ever get this far with Gunsmoke.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 15

Episode #19
“The Badge”
written by Jim Byrnes
directed by Vincent McEveety
music by Leon Klatzkin
guests: Henry Jones, Beverly Garland, John Milford, Jack Lambert, Roy Jenson, Mary Angela, John Flinn, William O’Connell, Fred Coby

At night, Louie rushes to the marshal’s office and warns Dillon that the freight office is currently robbed. Dillon reacts swiftly and fires at the two punks who hit him in the chest cold. The townspeople head to the body of Dillon when Doc and Festus treat him in the medical office. Miss Kitty picks up the bloody badge on the ground and is deeply shocked by the state of Dillon. The next morning, Miss Kitty sells the Long Branch when her dear friends (Newly, Festus, Doc) greet her. She pays a final visit to Dillon and leaves town. Arriving in the rough town of Ballard at night, she meets an old friend named Claire (actress Beverly Garland) who owns a hotel and a gambling house. That same night, Claire Hollis has an argument with Sheriff John Dawson (actor John Milford) because big shot Papa Steiffer (actor Henry Jones) pushes him. Miss Kitty offers Claire to be her business partner in order to fight the influence of Papa Steiffer. News come fast and especially at Dodge City. Dillon drops by Ballard and witnesses the frame up against Claire’s hotel by a card shark dealer and a player and, later on, his own frame up with a beating up woman in a back alley …

It’s a good solo Miss Kitty adventure depicting a case of power struggle through a manipulator named Papa Steiffer and, above all, an intimate ordeal but also the sub theme of the corrupted lawman. It’s also a good companion piece to this season “Coreyville”. It’s written by assistant story consultant Jim Byrnes. The episode title was re-used from a season 6 entry. The music editor tracks music from season 13 during the prologue. The Nugget hotel and gambling house owned by Claire is a re-decorated Dodge House.

Actors Henry Jones (“Stranger in Town”) and John Milford (“Cattle Barons”) both return from season 13.

Actors Fred Coby (“Lobo”), Beverly Garland (“Time of the Jackals”), Roy Jenson (“Railroad”), Jack Lambert (“Reprisal”) all return from season 14.

 

[JohnHopper]

¶
¶ Next on Gunsmoke season 15, the reviews of the sixth disc and starting on Monday!
¶ It includes the season masterpiece: “Morgan“!
¶ Load your guns and be ready!
¶

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 15

Episode #20
“Albert”
written by Jim Byrnes
directed by Vincent McEveety
music by Johnny Parker
guests: Patricia Barry, Milton Selzer, L.Q. Jones, Robert Random, William Schallert, Dorothy Neumann, Natalie Masters

At Dodge City, mature bank teller Albert Schiller (actor Milton Selzer) is criticized by his impatient wife Kate (actress Patricia Barry) when he leaves home as usual and is followed by outlaw Jake Spence (actor William Schallert) who threatens him with a hidden handgun and forces him to open the bank when his two accomplices Joe Nix (actor L.Q. Jones) and Tom Clark (actor Robert Random) show. Spence orders Albert to unlock the safe when an old lady knocks at the door and complains so Albert throws out an object at the window and alerts the population and ends up with a wound. The band of outlaws leaves in a hurry. Albert decides to steal a wad of $5,000. Returning home and after Doc treats him, Albert meets his wife and Dillon who reports the missing money. Later on and that night, the bandits read the newspaper and figure out that Albert steals the money. Bank director Bodkin summons Albert to tell him that he will be replaced by a younger man. Returning home, his wife warns him about his friends, in other words, the outlaws which force Albert to open up the bank on Saturday at noon: the day of of his professional departure …

It’s a very good, humanly realistic and social Film Noir episode about a man who suffers the heavy consequences of one single deed and we witness the burden of this man that turns into a catharsis. It’s written by assistant story consultant Jim Byrnes. Notice the performance of actor William Schallert who acts against his usual persona and plays a convincing outlaw leader and, oddly enough, actor Milton Selzer plays a different bank teller part unlike Schallert in his previous “The Money Store”. The odd vibrating score by Johnny Parker is interesting.

Actress Patricia Barry returns from the season 5 “Shooting Stopover”.
Actor Milton Selzer returns from the season 9 “Pa Hack’s Brood”.
Actors L.Q. Jones (“The Good Samaritans”), Robert Random (“The Night Riders”) and William Schallert (“The Money Store”) all return from the season 14.
Actresses Dorothy Neumann (“By Line”) and Natalie Masters (“Wishbone”) both return from season 11.

 

[Dan McW]

Just watched a great season-16 episode, "Cleavus." Occasional Gunsmoke director and sometime bit-part actor Robert Totten has the title role and is featured throughout. Great Festus and Kitty episode too. Note to HTF'ers who haven't seen it: don't read the plot summary in the DVD set, as it gives away a couple of plot points that aren't revealed until about 40 minutes in.

 

[JohnHopper]

Just watched a great season-16 episode, "Cleavus." Occasional Gunsmoke director and sometime bit-part actor Robert Totten has the title role and is featured throughout. Great Festus and Kitty episode too. Note to HTF'ers who haven't seen it: don't read the plot summary in the DVD set, as it gives away a couple of plot points that aren't revealed until about 40 minutes in.

Thanks for the tip but I never read those summaries and I prefer to be surprised.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 15

Episode #21
“Kiowa”
written by Ron Bishop
directed by Bernard McEveety
music by Leon Klatzkin
guests: Victor French, Dub Taylor, John Beck, Lucas White, Jean Allison, Joyce Ames, Richard Angarola, Richard Lapp, Angela Carrol

At the farm of the Vail’s, Melissa (actress Joyce Ames), the daughter of Ed (actor Victor French), heads to the barn to get some milk from a cow when a Kiowa warrior named Quichero (actor Richard Angarola) abducts her and runs away with his fellowmen. The Vail’s eventually find out that she’s gone and starts a search but Martha (actress Jean Allison), the mother, orders them to bring Reverand Finney Cox (actor Dub Taylor) with them. At the Long Branch, Matt Dillon, Festus, Newly, Doc, Burke and friends celebrate the birthday of Miss Kitty when Martha Vail intrudes and has a private talk with Dillon about her husband and the two sons on a death crusade. Dillon leaves the party to join the excited Vail’s and Kitty is disappointed. Later on and in a teepee, Melissa meets a dying Kiowa woman. Ed rides alone when Dillon catches him back and fights him. Later on, they reach the Kiowa camp for the revelation …

It’s an interesting family drama and an ambiguous entry related to the Indian question. The main theme of the story refers to John Ford’s The Searchers and, at first sight, actor Victor French plays a variation of the eaten from the inside part of John Wayne but with an alternate leaning. The writer is very critical about the character of Reverand Finney Cox: see the way Ed Vail sees and treats him. Riding a mule, Reverand Finney Cox calls the two sons: Cain and Abel. Matt Dillon wears his light gray tweed jacket at the birthday party. There’s a distracting color issue from 27:10 to 28:30 and from 34:52 to 35:29 because the blue sky keeps on blinking and turns violet.

Actor Victor French (“Waco”) and Dub Taylor (“Slocum”) both return from season 14.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Well, after a few seasons, here's a rundown of Gunsmoke Tropes!

"Let me handle it.", Matt says. The person then immediately takes matters into their own hands and dies.

"He gave me no choice.", what Matt says to just about every widow or relative of someone he shot.

Long Branch women lead to death. Sometimes their own, sometimes the person courting them or a third party involved in this triangle. But you get involved with a Long Branch lady, someone's getting buried.

Similarly to the last one, Jailbait from the east will cause a killing. Stay away from the young pretty ones. Of course, the grizzled old broads will get you killed too. Maybe you should just stay away from women all together in Dodge. Wait, how did they feel about being gay on the prairie, again?

Buffalo hunters... again, one comes to town, someone's getting killed. Same goes for Texans driving cattle.

The army stay out of things for the most part, but when they come around they try to be more trouble than they're worth.

If Matt's on a stage coach, it will lead to a killing.

Stirring up the Indians is both a source of fun and profit, until the person who stirred 'em up inevitably gets killed.

That's what I've noticed so far.