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

[JohnHopper]

GUNSMOKE SEASON 9 • THE SCORES

INDEX OF COMPOSERS ONSCREEN CREDITS

Wilbur Hatch
“Comanches is Soft”

Tommy Morgan (2)
“Mayblossom”
“The Promoter”

Nathan Scott
“Kitty Cornered”

Richard Shores
“The Kite”

Fred Steiner (4)
“Kate Heller”
“Lover Boy”
“My Sister’s Keeper”
“Extradition, Part I & II”

Notes
All the composers worked on The Twilight Zone. Moreover, Nathan Scott (starting from season 5), Richard Shores (starting from season 6), Fred Steiner (starting from season 3) also worked on Rawhide. Three composers fashion scores for a Festus episode: see Wilbur Hatch for “Comanches is Soft”, Tommy Morgan for “Mayblossom” and Richard Shores for “The Kite”. In the end, Fred Steiner was a major artist on CBS during that era.

 

[ponset]

Its not my favorite GS era but Seasons 8-10 are interesting to me.
I like the mix of Chester, Quint, and Festus.
Just wish Chester and Festus had a couple of more episodes together.

 

[JohnHopper]

Its not my favorite GS era but Seasons 8-10 are interesting to me.
I like the mix of Chester, Quint, and Festus.
Just wish Chester and Festus had a couple of more episodes together.

View attachment 94332

So what's your favorite Gunsmoke era?
You mean you are rather Mantley's era (from season 10 to 20).

 

[ponset]

My favorite era is the Half-Hour episodes. Seasons 1-6.

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ Next on Gunsmoke: season 8, starting from May 3!​

¶ I unwind completely in the countryside.​

¶ Load your gun and be ready!​

¶​

​

​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ Hey, don’t go. I’m still in bed at the office.​

¶ Prepare your gunbelt and your badge …​

¶​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​

 

[ponset]

The Duke and The Marshall.

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ Hey! Don’t go away! I’m still sleeping!​

¶ See you on Monday 3 for season 8 reviews.​

¶​

​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​

 

[JohnHopper]

I’m still going back to the old days of the series so next stop is season 8!

GUNSMOKE • Season 8 (1962-1963) (38 episodes • 50 mins • b&w)
The team of regular characters sees the addition of a new member: half Comanche Quint Asper (episode #3 “Quint Asper Comes Home”) played by future movie star Burt Reynolds. One episode (episode #13 “Us Haggen”) introduces a future regular named Festus Haggen! For the anecdote, three episodes feature the name Quint in the title: see “Quint Asper Comes Home”, “Quint’s Indian”, “Quint-Cident”. It contains more episodes than the previous season 7, in short 38 against 34 and, for the record, the 25 minutes format used to have 39 and that means the series reaches a peak in terms of production. This is the last season with the original set decoration of the Dodge House.

The men behind the eighth season of Gunsmoke are still the same tandem of producers (Norman MacDonnell and Frank Paris). We continue moving into the first regime of the series and the second format—50 minutes formula starting from season 7 with associate producer Frank Paris replacing James Arness—within the first regime. The most prolific composers remain Fred Steiner and Nathan Van Cleave with a total of three onscreen credits. Moreover, Steiner works back-to-back on Rawhide. Other composers participate as Wilbur Hatch, Tommy Morgan, Nathan Scott, Leith Stevens. The pool of writers is very good: see Les Crutchfield who creates Festus, Kathleen Hite, John Meston who creates Quint, Paul Savage.

This season sees some interesting directors: radio and film actor William Conrad, British-born western film-maker/John Wayne’s recurring director/Gunsmoke’s most prolific craftsman Andrew V. McLaglen, Rawhide director Ted Post, Joseph Sargent. For the record, Andrew V. McLaglen directs the first episode that highlights Quint (episode #3 “Quint Asper Comes Home”) and Festus (episode #13 “Us Haggen”). Meanwhile, another western series continues: Rawhide, during its fifth season.

PRODUCTION TEAM
producer: Norman MacDonnell
associate producer: Frank Paris
directors of photography: Fleet Southcott, Robert Pittack, Frank Phillips
camera operator: Fred J. Koenekamp (uncredited)

Norman MacDonnell was the creator of Gunsmoke for the radio in 1951 along with writer John Meston, started on the television series from season 1 as associate producer and then switched to producer during season 2.

Frank Paris started as assistant to the producer from season 5 and as associate producer from season 7 and will leave at the end of season 10. Paris was the sidekick of producer Norman MacDonnell.

Director of photography Fleet Southcott started from season 1 and will end mid-season 8 and used to participate at the western series Have Gun - Will Travel and will be associated to the espionage series I Spy.

Director of photography Robert Pittack only managed three episodes (“Quint’s Indian”, “Anybody Can Kill a Marshal”, “Two of a Kind”) from season 8 as a one shot replacement and left for good but previously worked on the third season of The Twilight Zone and stopped during season 5. For the anecdote, he started his career in late 30’s and shot 104 episodes for the western series The Lone Ranger.

Director of photography Frank Phillips started from late season 8 (episode #28 “I Call Him Wonder”) as a steady replacement and shot ten episodes while working back-to-back on Have Gun - Will Travel and will later work with art director Albert Heschong on the pilot of The Wild Wild West.

Camera operator Fred J. Koenekamp started from season 8 and from episode #17 (“Louie Pheeters”) and will end at the start of season 9. He will be popular for many series (The Lieutenant, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) and, above all, feature films including some (Patton, Papillon, Islands in the Stream) for director Franklin J. Schaffner.

CAST OF CHARACTERS
regular cast: James Arness (US Marshal Matthew “Matt” Dillon), Dennis Weaver (Marshal assistant “Chester” Goode), Milburn Stone (“Doc” Adams), Amanda Blake (Miss “Kitty” Russell), Burt Reynolds (Blacksmith “Quint” Asper).

supporting cast: Glenn Strange (Bartender “Sam” Noonan), George Selk (Livery stable owner “Moss” Grimmick), Hank Patterson (Livery stable owner “Hank” Miller), Dabbs Greer (General Store owner Mr. Jonas), Ollie O’Toole (Telegrapher “Milt”), Howard Culver (Dodge House hotel clerk “Howie”), Roy Roberts (Banker Harry Botkin), James Nusser (wino “Louie” Pheeters).

A male semi regular character named Dan Binney (actor Wallace Rooney), owner of the Boss Billiards, appears four times: “Call Me Dodie”, “Abe Blocker”, “Uncle Sunday”, “False Front”.

A female semi regular character named Ma Smalley (actress Sarah Selby), owner of a boarding house, returns three times: “The Hunger”, “Cotter’s Girl”, “Shona”.

The strength of season 8 is the colorful guest actors that add weight to the story: see Claude Akins, John Anderson, R.G. Armstrong, Henry Beckman (2), James Best, Peter Breck, Anthony Caruso (2), Lonny Chapman, Michael Constantine, Ken Curtis, Audrey Dalton, John Dehner (2), Richard Devon, Jason Evers, Sharon Farrell, Shug Fisher, Michael Forest, Beverly Garland, Virginia Gregg, Kevin Hagen, Mariette Hartley, Ron Hayes (2), Sherry Jackson, Richard Jaeckel, Ben Johnson, John Larkin, Ruta Lee, Joanne Linville, Strother Martin, Ed Nelson, Leonard Nimoy (2), Woodrow Parfrey, Andrew Prine, Denver Pyle (2), Ford Rainey, Chris Robinson, William Schallert, Jacqueline Scott, Milton Selzer, Kent Smith, Warren Stevens, Roy Thinnes (2), Larry Ward, Adam West, Elen Willard, Chill Wills, William Windom, Ben Wright, H.M. Wynant.

THE DVD SETS
The prints are restored and look wonderful and the picture quality highlights the cinematography of Fleet Southcott, Robert Pittack and Frank Phillips. It features a selection of separated from the episodes next week trailers presented by the three leads (James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake) which are the sure added value, the sponsor material after the main titles for disc #5 and #10 and, also, English subtitles.

 

[JohnHopper]

I’m still going back to the old days of the series so next stop is season 8!

GUNSMOKE • Season 8 (1962-1963) (38 episodes • 50 mins • b&w)
The team of regular characters sees the addition of a new member: half Comanche Quint Asper (episode #3 “Quint Asper Comes Home”) played by future movie star Burt Reynolds. One episode (episode #13 “Us Haggen”) introduces a future regular named Festus Haggen! For the anecdote, three episodes feature the name Quint in the title: see “Quint Asper Comes Home”, “Quint’s Indian”, “Quint-Cident”. It contains more episodes than the previous season 7, in short 38 against 34 and, for the record, the 25 minutes format used to have 39 and that means the series reaches a peak in terms of production. This is the last season with the original set decoration of the Dodge House.

The men behind the eighth season of Gunsmoke are still the same tandem of producers (Norman MacDonnell and Frank Paris). We continue moving into the first regime of the series and the second format—50 minutes formula starting from season 7 with associate producer Frank Paris replacing James Arness—within the first regime. The most prolific composers remain Fred Steiner and Nathan Van Cleave with a total of three onscreen credits. Moreover, Steiner works back-to-back on Rawhide. Other composers participate as Wilbur Hatch, Tommy Morgan, Nathan Scott, Leith Stevens. The pool of writers is very good: see Les Crutchfield who creates Festus, Kathleen Hite, John Meston who creates Quint, Paul Savage.

This season sees some interesting directors: radio and film actor William Conrad, British-born western film-maker/John Wayne’s recurring director/Gunsmoke’s most prolific craftsman Andrew V. McLaglen, Rawhide director Ted Post, Joseph Sargent. For the record, Andrew V. McLaglen directs the first episode that highlights Quint (episode #3 “Quint Asper Comes Home”) and Festus (episode #13 “Us Haggen”). Meanwhile, another western series continues: Rawhide, during its fifth season.

PRODUCTION TEAM
producer: Norman MacDonnell
associate producer: Frank Paris
directors of photography: Fleet Southcott, Robert Pittack, Frank Phillips
camera operator: Fred J. Koenekamp (uncredited)

Norman MacDonnell was the creator of Gunsmoke for the radio in 1951 along with writer John Meston, started on the television series from season 1 as associate producer and then switched to producer during season 2.

Frank Paris started as assistant to the producer from season 5 and as associate producer from season 7 and will leave at the end of season 10. Paris was the sidekick of producer Norman MacDonnell.

Director of photography Fleet Southcott started from season 1 and will end mid-season 8 and used to participate at the western series Have Gun - Will Travel and will be associated to the espionage series I Spy.

Director of photography Robert Pittack only managed three episodes (“Quint’s Indian”, “Anybody Can Kill a Marshal”, “Two of a Kind”) from season 8 as a one shot replacement and left for good but previously worked on the third season of The Twilight Zone and stopped during season 5. For the anecdote, he started his career in late 30’s and shot 104 episodes for the western series The Lone Ranger.

Director of photography Frank Phillips started from late season 8 (episode #28 “I Call Him Wonder”) as a steady replacement and shot ten episodes while working back-to-back on Have Gun - Will Travel and will later work with art director Albert Heschong on the pilot of The Wild Wild West.

Camera operator Fred J. Koenekamp started from season 8 and from episode #17 (“Louie Pheeters”) and will end at the start of season 9. He will be popular for many series (The Lieutenant, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) and, above all, feature films including some (Patton, Papillon, Islands in the Stream) for director Franklin J. Schaffner.

CAST OF CHARACTERS
regular cast: James Arness (US Marshal Matthew “Matt” Dillon), Dennis Weaver (Marshal assistant “Chester” Goode), Milburn Stone (“Doc” Adams), Amanda Blake (Miss “Kitty” Russell), Burt Reynolds (Blacksmith “Quint” Asper).

supporting cast: Glenn Strange (Bartender “Sam” Noonan), George Selk (Livery stable owner “Moss” Grimmick), Hank Patterson (Livery stable owner “Hank” Miller), Dabbs Greer (General Store owner Mr. Jonas), Ollie O’Toole (Telegrapher “Milt”), Howard Culver (Dodge House hotel clerk “Howie”), Roy Roberts (Banker Harry Botkin), James Nusser (wino “Louie” Pheeters).

A male semi regular character named Dan Binney (actor Wallace Rooney), owner of the Boss Billiards, appears four times: “Call Me Dodie”, “Abe Blocker”, “Uncle Sunday”, “False Front”.

A female semi regular character named Ma Smalley (actress Sarah Selby), owner of a boarding house, returns three times: “The Hunger”, “Cotter’s Girl”, “Shona”.

The strength of season 8 is the colorful guest actors that add weight to the story: see Claude Akins, John Anderson, R.G. Armstrong, Henry Beckman (2), James Best, Peter Breck, Anthony Caruso (2), Lonny Chapman, Michael Constantine, Ken Curtis, Audrey Dalton, John Dehner (2), Richard Devon, Jason Evers, Sharon Farrell, Shug Fisher, Michael Forest, Beverly Garland, Virginia Gregg, Kevin Hagen, Mariette Hartley, Ron Hayes (2), Sherry Jackson, Richard Jaeckel, Ben Johnson, John Larkin, Ruta Lee, Joanne Linville, Strother Martin, Ed Nelson, Leonard Nimoy (2), Woodrow Parfrey, Andrew Prine, Denver Pyle (2), Ford Rainey, Chris Robinson, William Schallert, Jacqueline Scott, Milton Selzer, Kent Smith, Warren Stevens, Roy Thinnes (2), Larry Ward, Adam West, Elen Willard, Chill Wills, William Windom, Ben Wright, H.M. Wynant.

THE DVD SETS
The prints are restored and look wonderful and the picture quality highlights the cinematography of Fleet Southcott, Robert Pittack and Frank Phillips. It features a selection of separated from the episodes next week trailers presented by the three leads (James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake) which are the sure added value, the sponsor material after the main titles for disc #5 and #10 and, also, English subtitles.

Onscreen credits for the three cinematographers.

Logos from Gunsmoke season 8.

 

[JohnHopper]

¶​

¶ This is a season 8 announcement!​

¶ “… That’s what happens on our next show. Why don’t you plan to be with us.” (James Arness)​

¶​

​