Wanted: GUNSMOKE (CBS/1955-1975) (2 Viewers)

[ponset]

The Fires of Ignorance won a National Education Award.

"Gunsmoke" The Fires of Ignorance (TV Episode 1975) - Trivia - IMDb

"Gunsmoke" The Fires of Ignorance (TV Episode 1975) - Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more...

www.imdb.com

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ Next on Gunsmoke season 20, the reviews of the sixth disc and starting on Monday 9!​

¶ Load your guns and be ready!​

¶​

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 20

Episode #21
“I Have Promises to Keep”
written by William Putman and Earl W. Wallace
story by William Putman
directed by Vincent McEveety
music by Jerrold Immel
guests: David Wayne, Tom Lacy, Ken Swofford, Fran Ryan, Ken Renard, Trini Tellez, John Wheeler, Ed McCready

In Nescatunga (Kansas), Festus goes to the telegraph office to send a coming home message back to Dodge City but can’t because if his injured hand so Reverend Atkins (actor Tom Lacy) helps him after informing about the Biblical origin of his first name. In the streets of the town, Dunbar (actor Ken Swofford), the owner of the lumbar yard, refuse to sell wood to Reverend Arthur Byrne (actor David Wayne) because he wishes to build a church for Comanches and the town suffers from many deaths when Festus intervenes in favor of the preacher. Leaving the restaurant after hearing some derogatory remarks, Festus rushes to help the preacher. Both men unload the wood nearby a pond. In silence, Byrne suddenly suffers from a heart stroke. Festus catches a Comanche little girl under the wagon and Byrne gives her an apple. Festus leaves the camp. That night and at the Long Branch, Burke notices the absence of Festus and tells it to the trio (Dillon, Doc, Hannah). Festus returns to the pond and decides to help Byrne building. Both men resume to town to buy supplies from the lumbar yard and face a refusal from the owner. After a talk with the town preacher, Byrne succeeds in getting his items. That night, Dunbar and his night riders burn the church. Both men resume building. Festus trades his mule Ruth against the presence of the Comanches to please Byrne …

It’s a modest and miserabilist solo Festus outside of Dodge City meeting an idealistic missionary with a heart condition entry that belongs to the good Samaritan scripts: see the season 17 “My Brother’s Keeper”, the season 18 “Eleven Dollars”, the season 19 “The Deadly Innocent”, the season 20 “The Hiders”. The guest character follows the same last end of the gold prospector from “Island in the Desert”. As in “The Fires of Ignorance”, the story has political overtones related to interventionism.

Returning guest actors: David Wayne (the season 19 “Lynch Town”), Ken Swofford (the season 19 “Lynch Town”), Ken Renard (the season 11 “Honor Before Justice”), Ed McCready (the season 19 “The Widow and the Rogue”).

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 20

Episode #22
“The Busters”
written by Jim Byrnes
directed by Vincent McEveety
music by Jerrold Immel
guests: Gary Busey, John Beck, Lynn Benesch, Gregg Palmer, Randy Boone, Fran Ryan

In a corral, cowboy Mitch Hansen (actor John Beck) first breaks a horse with success then his friend Harve Daley (actor Gary Busey) fails to do it and has an head accident. Unable to get his $80 for selling eight horses, Hansen and Daley head to the Long Branch to have a talk with proprietor Simeon Reed (actor Gregg Palmer). Daley has a stroke when Doc takes a look at him. Enter Reed with his friends on their way to play poker. Hansen asks Reed to pay his money but a fight starts and Daley has a stroke and Dillon intervenes. At the medical office, Doc examines Daley and reveals to Hansen the terminal brain illness of his friend called a subdural hematoma. Hansen refuses that Doc informs Daley about his state and his imminent death and will offer his friend some good times before the end. Dillon succeeds in negociating the missing $40 from Reed. That night, Hansen pays saloon girl Zoe (actress Lynn Benesch) to entertain Daley. Later on, Hansen tells Doc that they plan to go to Montana and then spots a poster for a rodeo contest to win $100 and joins up. Daley asks Zoe to marry him. Foreman Hub Miller (actor Randy Boone) provokes both men because they join up. That last night at Dodge City before taking the train to Montana, Daley decides to ride the white horse that previously hurts him bad …

It’s a good existential bronc rider/horse trader entry that loosely reminds the folklore of Leslie Stevens’ 1962 rodeo series Stoney Burke and Sam Peckinpah’s 1972 Junior Bonner because of the initial horse breaking introduction: actors John Beck and Gary Busey form the ideal duo of bronc riders. As in the excellent “Thirty a Month and Found” with a cattleman, find again a hard working man with a fate. As in “I Have Promises to Keep”, the guest character suffers from a terminal illness. Actor Randy Boone is known for the 1967 western series Cimarron Strip. Actor Gary Busey sings the tune “The Yellow Rose of Texas”.

Returning guest actors: John Beck (the season 16 “Tycoon”), Gregg Palmer (the season 17 “Alias Festus Haggen”).

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 20

Episode #22
“The Busters”
written by Jim Byrnes
directed by Vincent McEveety
music by Jerrold Immel
guests: Gary Busey, John Beck, Lynn Benesch, Gregg Palmer, Randy Boone, Fran Ryan

In a corral, cowboy Mitch Hansen (actor John Beck) first breaks a horse with success then his friend Harve Daley (actor Gary Busey) fails to do it and has an head accident. Unable to get his $80 for selling eight horses, Hansen and Daley head to the Long Branch to have a talk with proprietor Simeon Reed (actor Gregg Palmer). Daley has a stroke when Doc takes a look at him. Enter Reed with his friends on their way to play poker. Hansen asks Reed to pay his money but a fight starts and Daley has a stroke and Dillon intervenes. At the medical office, Doc examines Daley and reveals to Hansen the terminal brain illness of his friend called a subdural hematoma. Hansen refuses that Doc informs Daley about his state and his imminent death and will offer his friend some good times before the end. Dillon succeeds in negociating the missing $40 from Reed. That night, Hansen pays saloon girl Zoe (actress Lynn Benesch) to entertain Daley. Later on, Hansen tells Doc that they plan to go to Montana and then spots a poster for a rodeo contest to win $100 and joins up. Daley asks Zoe to marry him. Foreman Hub Miller (actor Randy Boone) provokes both men because they join up. That last night at Dodge City before taking the train to Montana, Daley decides to ride the white horse that previously hurts him bad …

It’s a good existential bronc rider/horse trader entry that loosely reminds the folklore of Leslie Stevens’ 1962 rodeo series Stoney Burke and Sam Peckinpah’s 1972 Junior Bonner because of the initial horse breaking introduction: actors John Beck and Gary Busey form the ideal duo of bronc riders. As in the excellent “Thirty a Month and Found” with a cattleman, find again a hard working man with a fate. As in “I Have Promises to Keep”, the guest character suffers from a terminal illness. Actor Randy Boone is known for the 1967 western series Cimarron Strip. Actor Gary Busey sings the tune “The Yellow Rose of Texas”.

Returning guest actors: John Beck (the season 16 “Tycoon”), Gregg Palmer (the season 17 “Alias Festus Haggen”).

Pictures of bronc rider Harve Daley (actor Gary Busey).

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 20

Episode #23
“Manolo”
written by Earl W. Wallace
story by Harriet Charles and Earl W. Wallace
directed by Gunnar Hellström
music by Jerrold Immel
guests: Nehemiah Persoff, Robert Urich, Mark Shera, Alma Leonor Beltran, Fran Ryan, Jess Walton, Brion James, Michael Gregory, Claudio Martínez, James Almanzar, Mike Howden

Two brothers working as shepherds have an argument about their father. Alejo Etchahoun (actor Nehemiah Persoff) yells at his younger son Joachim (actor Mark Shera) for negligence in his work. Alejo organizes a fight contest against his son as a right of passage into adulthood in a barn surrounded by the community of the sheepmen. Joachim fails to kill his own father who hurts his head. His wife summons Doc who appears and sees Alejo, alive and kicking. Kattalin Larralde (actress Jess Walton) lectures Manolo Etchahoun (actor Robert Urich) about the fight he failed to perform. At the long Branch, Doc tells Burke and Hannah about the incident of Alejo Etchahoun and his low opinion of this custom. Manolo enters the saloon and orders some red wine when two saddle bums provoke him and steal his beret (Basque hat). Manolo sinks his guilt into wine and then breaks the glass of a window. Dillon asks his father to pay $10 for the damage. That night, Manolo lets kills a sheep and a dog because of Kattalin’s talks. The morning after, his father lets the community choose the punishment of his son. Manolo looses his right to keep the flock and decides to go into exile at Dodge City and begs for work. After winning a fight against his brother at the Long Branch who ridicules him, Manolo agrees to do the initiatory contest against his father …

It’s a minor sentimental family drama and a folkloric shepherds entry depicting the customs of Basque foreigners and highlights the cultural differences between Latin Europeans and Anglo-Americans. It plays like a fragment from the Ancient Testament and the character of Manolo looks like an altered prodigal son. Other western series tried to show the realm of shepherds: see the season 4 episode of Rawhide entitled “The Black Sheep”. As in “The Busters”, one guest character has a head injury. Actor Robert Urich is popular for the Dirty Harry sequel Magnum Force and the private eye series Vega$. One year later, both actors Robert Urich and Mark Shera will play in the cop series S.W.A.T.

Returning guest actors: Nehemiah Persoff (the season 19 “Like Old Times”), Jess Walton (the season 18 “Patricia”), James Almanzar (the season 19 “Kitty’s Love Affair”), Mike Howden (the season 14 “The Hide Cutters”).

 

[ponset]

Always been tempted to track down GUNSMOKE comic books but never have pulled the trigger on buying any.
Love the cover this comic.

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 20

Episode #24
“The Sharecroppers”
written by Earl W. Wallace
directed by Leonard Katzman
music by Martin L. Klein & Bruce Broughton
guests: Susanne Benton, Victor French, Terry Williams, Jacques Aubuchon, Bruce Boxleitner, Lisa Eilbacher, Graham Jarvis, Robert Brubaker, Danil Torppe, Chanin Hale

Guitar player Abel Pugh (actor Terry Williams) performs a song while his lazy father Dibble (actor Victor French) negociates with land owner Linder Hogue (actor Jacques Aubuchon) about exploiting the land when his daughter Av Marie (actor Susanne Benton) fires him with a broom. Dibble order Abel to buy a mule at Dodge City. Con man and drummer Rupert (actor Graham Jarvis) is fired by barkeep Floyd from the Long Branch when he notices Abel singing and sells him Festus’ mule for $11 with a phony bill of sale. On his way to resume to the farm, Abel is arrested and shot in the leg by Festus. Meanwhile the son of Hogue, Toby (actor Bruce Boxleitner) appears and tries to seduce Av Marie but she rejects him. Festus brings Abel back to the farm and lends his mule to work the soil. Av Marie tries to seduce Festus but in vain. Jealous Toby clubs Festus. Out of the blue, Rupert shows up and cons Abel once again with a devious investment so that Abel gets paid for playing music.

It’s a very laborious and light Festus adventure and a lazy episode to finish off the series focused on young people in love and an idle musician. Actor Bruce Boxleitner will team up with James Arness in the later series How the West Was Won (1976-1979) produced by Gunsmoke producer John G. Stephens and under the supervision of executive producer John Mantley. Note that former Gunsmoke producer Leonard Katzman directs this final one. Actor Victor French appears in eighteen episodes, starting from season 11. Actor Terry Williams performs many songs like “The Riddle Song” and “Greensleeves”.

Returning guest actors: Victor French (the season 20 “The Tarnished Badge”), Jacques Aubuchon (the season 10 “Bank Baby”), Lisa Eilbacher (the season 18 “Kimbro”), Danil Torppe (the season 18 “The Brother”), Chanin Hale (the season 18 “Talbot”).

 

[JohnHopper]

TOP GUNSMOKE SEASON 20 EPISODES

1. “Thirty a Month and Found”
2. “Island in the Desert, Part I & II”
3. “The Tarnished Badge”
4. “Town in Chains”
5. “The Fourth Victim”
6. “Matt Dillon Must Die”
7. “The Busters”
8. “The Guns of Cibola Blanca, Part I & II”
9. “Larkin”
10. “Hard Labor”

 

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 20 • THE SCORES

INDEX OF COMPOSERS ONSCREEN CREDITS

Bruce Broughton (3)
“The Wiving”
“The Iron Men”
“Brides and Grooms”

Jerrold Immel (11)
“Matt Dillon Must Die!”
“A Town in Chains”
“Thirty a Month and Found”
“Island in the Desert, Part 1 & 2”
“The Hiders”
“Larkin”
“The Fires of Ignorance”
“The Angry Land”
“I Have Promises to Keep”
“The Busters”
“Manolo”

Martin L. Klein & Bruce Broughton (5)
“The Fourth Victim”
“The Tarnished Badge”
“In Performance of Duty”
“Hard Labor”
“The Sharecroppers”

Johnny Parker (3)
“The Guns of Cibola Blanca, Part 1 & 2”
“The Colonel”
“The Squaw”

Notes
Despite his monumental onscreen credits, Jerrold Immel just writes a handful of original scores. After Leon Klatzkin, John Parker is the second most enduring composer from the Mantley’s regime, starting from season 13 and lasting eight seasons. John Parker’s output decreases starting from season 19. For the record, composers Bruce Broughton, Jerrold Immel, John Parker will later work on another John Mantley’s series: How the West Was Won (1976-1979). Find a new supervising music editor named Robert Y. Takagi that replaces veteran Gene Feldman that starts from season 5 (1959-1960) as a music editor.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Hi there, I just visited the Amazon website and the complete series set is due to be back in stock on October 4th, but can be ordered right now. Thankfully, might I say, cause the Amazon marketplace prices were closing in on $500.

My box is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. When I ordered the price was $338.50.

 

[JohnHopper]

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I decided to publish my season 9 reviews of Gunsmoke from February 2021.​

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[Robbie^Blackmon]

____________________________________________​

I decided to publish my season 9 reviews of Gunsmoke from February 2021.​

​

Interested to see what you have to say about Episode 28, "Bentley". It's Chester's last and he swaps places with Dillon. He becomes smart, alpha and in charge!
Obviously, the episode was written for Arness, but they gave it to Weaver just for fun.

 

[ponset]

Arness and Boxleitner would have one more Gunsmoke adventure together in,
GUNSMOKE: ONE MAN'S JUSTICE.
It would be Arness final turn as Matt Dillion.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

As was the case for most people, my box arrived with one seam completely ripped out. I'm not sure it's worthwhile trying to get it replaced.

EDIT: Well, Amazon made my decision to return easier. They're currently selling the box for $217, so I sent back the busted one and ordered the new one that's $100+ cheaper.

 

[DennisBassi]

It’s 180 today.

 

[JohnHopper]

_____________________________________​

Meanwhile in Festusland, here is the song “Since the Mud Creek Incident” …​

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[ponset]

GUNSMOKE "Christmas Story" from the radio series is one my favorite episodes.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

[JohnHopper]

________________________________
Overview of Gunsmoke structure

Gunsmoke has two main production regimes:​

Norman MacDonnell (season 1-10)​

John Mantley (season 10-20)​

​

Gunsmoke has two formats:​

25 minutes (season 1-6)​

50 minutes (season 7-20) with new semi regulars (Sam, Louie)​

​

Gunsmoke has three regular character phases:​

the classic era (season 1-7) with the memorable quartet (Matt, Chester, Doc, Kitty)​

the transitory era (season 8-12) with alternating assistants (Quint, Festus, Thad)​

the new era (season 13-20) with the tough quintet (Matt, Festus, Newly, Doc, Kitty).​

 

[ClassicTVMan1981X]

Did CBS ever re-run two half-hour episodes (those from the first six seasons) back-to-back during the 1961-64 period, fusing the two stories together into a single one-hour episode?

What I mean is: after the end of the first of the two half-hour episodes rerun, CBS would show a short bumper reminding viewers to stay tuned for the next story. There would also be a single end title sequence featuring the cast and crew unique to both the half-hours rerun.

And speaking further of episodes run back-to-back, did CBS ever show two consecutive 1-hour episodes (seasons 7-up) of Gunsmoke during special times (instead of a feature film), again with a short bumper after the end of the first 60 minutes reminding viewers to stay tuned for the next story and a single combined end credits sequence?

~Ben