The show that trended off of John Ford films carved itself a longevity record and still appeals to a passel of Western aficionados every blessed day.
The radio show version starred William Conrad first. For the TV series, John Wayne was too busy to play Marshal Matt Dillon, but he gave his stamp of approval in a 1955 TV plug for newcomer James Arness.
Dennis Weaver played sidekick Chester Goode for nine years before moving on from the show, at which point John Ford's son-in-law Ken Curtis assumed the role of the squinty-eyed, squeaky-voiced Festus from 1965 through the show's final season in 1975. Weaver, by the way, a pioneer of environmentalism, lived in a house built from recycled materials. Before becoming an actor, Curtis was a singer with the Sons of the Pioneers.
Gunsmoke revolves around the Wild West town of Dodge City, Kansas. Like all the great TV shows of the past, Gunsmoke features many an actor who went on to further fame--Warren Oates, Strother Martin, and Leonard Nimoy to name a few. Even Burt Reynolds got his start on the show.
The main characters who hold the series together include Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russel, owner of the Long Branch saloon, Milburn Stone as cantankerous old Doc Adams, the aforementioned sidekicks, and of course Arness as the all-around sturdy and decent US Marshal who maintains the law in an otherwise lawless town.
A law of the show stipulates that if two guys come into town, then they shall be bickering slobs up to no good, and generally ripe with bad traits and low character. Usually one beats up on the other, both in tattered rags.
One of the main reasons why the show lasted so long (only The Simpsons lasted longer as a scripted prime-time series) has to be because James Arness was also the producer. He'd had a bit role as a big alien monster in Howard Hawks' The Thing From Another World (1951). Apparently having had enough of that, when he found a good role, he stuck with it.
In one of the many excellent episodes, Marshall Dillon shows real character by not only giving the first drink of water from a canteen to a man he's taking into Dodge City for his resemblance to a man on a Wanted poster, but also when he realizes he has the wrong man, he's big enough to admit his mistake and apologize.
A common theme to the show is that Wild West folks don't cotton to the law. They all got their own ways, and don't like outsiders interfering. But as intractable as these folks generally are, they find Matt Dillon's determination is the determination that counts.
And yet he never takes advantage of his authority. On top that, he gets results. When, for example, he hears about a crooked sheriff in another town, he pays a visit to an overpriced saloon run by the sheriff's thugs, who want to charge him five times the price for a beer. A couple of sniveling goons trying to intimidate him find themselves miserably unable to carry through with their threats. Dillon finishes his beer, chucks the appropriate price at the barkeep, and strolls out unfazed.
Hunt down a packaged season box-set, and when you find one...hold it!
By the way, I'm Stew, I'm a writer, and I don't care if people see my art. All I'm motivated by is creating it. Enjoy, or not. All righty then, take ease!
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