Gunsmokes broadcast history can be divided into four eras. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longestrunning western in television history. Matt dillon finds a young injured man named cale, who was thrown from his horse. As somone in my late fourtys i never watched the early gunsmoke episodes when they aired.
Marshal matt dillon and the citizenry of dodge city, kansas. Gunsmoke s broadcast history can be divided into four eras. Indeed, as these new video masters attest, gunsmoke is often classically lush and handsome, with exceptionally good 35mm color photography. Watch gunsmoke episodes online season 20 1975 tv guide. Feb 17, 2020 gunsmoke first season 30 minute episodes leila loolee. In 1957, ballantine books published a collection of short stories. A good reason to purchase more gunsmoke dvds from the first 11 years. This is especially astounding when one compares early70s gunsmoke to tv production methods today. Arness 20year primetime run as the marshal was tied only in recent. I bought a bunch of seasons already for my old uncle.
For those who grew up with gunsmokes fullhour color episodes, this first season will be something of a revelation. By the time the series left the air in 1975, a generation had grown up with it. Gunsmoke first season 30 minute episodes leila loolee. Gunsmoke is an american radio and television western drama series created by director. For its first six seasons, from 1955 to 1961, the show ran as a half hour in black and white. For starters, the western went from black and white to color. The radio series first aired on cbs on april 26, 1952 with the episode billy the kid, written by walter newman, and ended on june 18, 1961.
Wayne suggested arness would be perfect as dillon, and even introduced the first episode, before the opening credits. Marshal matt dillon keeps the peace in rough and tumble dodge city. Beginning with its twelfth season, gunsmoke was filmed in color. Watch all 39 gunsmoke episodes from season 1,view pictures, get episode information and more. The first episode aired in the united states on september 10, 1955, and the. The new opening titles the second use of the series logo. It started as a radio series, then moved to cbs television with a completely different cast in 1955. Not the best in the world, but its a tv image from 60 years ago. Why doesnt fox release a legit edition of this as a remastered box set. Not that dodge city is deadwood, by any means, but its reputation as the gomorrah of the plains, as dillon notes in the first episode, is well earned. Reversing the usual pattern, the first season was produced entirely in color, while the second season was forced to save money by shooting in blackandwhite. View attachment 54821 view attachment 54822 matt dillons face and the first use of the series logo. When rustling, gunfights or brawling disrupt the peace, its up to dillon to restore law and order.
The first 11 seasons were filmed in black and white, the last 9 seasons were filmed in color. With james arness, dennis weaver, milburn stone, amanda blake. Matt quits his job as marshal when he shoots ray gilcher, a prisoner and wartime buddy, dead in apparent self defense and it turns out glicher was actually trying to save matts life. The first episode aired in the united states on september 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on march 31, 1975. Gunsmoke is an american television western drama series created by director norman macdonnell and writer john meston. Here are shots from the very first color episode, through the time barrier, with sterling holloway as professor twiddle, the one where the main cast of characters goes back in time to caveman days. Watch gunsmoke episodes, get episode information, recaps and more. As far as i can tell, youtube is the only source for science fiction theatre, which ran for two seasons, from 195557. Gunsmoke was one of the most popular westerns during this golden age of television. A long, long running western series about the adventures of u. Gunsmoke was the first tv western that appealed to adult viewers, depicting life as it might have been in a frontier town. Starring james arness, milburn stone, amanda blake, dennis weaver, ken curtis, burt reynolds, buck taylor, glenn strange, roger ewing and many other regular stars and guest stars. Yes, cbs paramount did somehow, some way manage to pack all 39 halfhour episodes of gunsmoke the first season into that standard size dvd case. Sep 26, 2016 gunsmoke was one of the most popular westerns during this golden age of television.
Amanda blake february 20, 1929 august 16, 1989 was an american actress best known for the role of the redhaired saloon proprietress miss kitty russell on the western television series gunsmoke. Gunsmoke is an american western television series developed by charles marquis warren. Tvguide has every full episode so you can stayuptodate and watch your favorite show gunsmoke anytime, anywhere. Originally, a radio show, gunsmoke came to television at a time when westerns were written for a very young audience. At first, gunsmoke was half an hour, and filmed in black and white. Gunsmoke 19551975 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Matt is critically wounded while attempting to arrest superfast gunman dan grat.
For those who grew up with gunsmoke s fullhour color episodes, this first season will be something of a revelation. Matt was gunned down and nearly killed in the series premiere, and several. Actually a frequent bit of surgery any time someone got shot and the bullet didnt go straight through but likely necessary to facilitate proper healing. As watchers of the later color episodes will attest, dillons character evolved in. Along with her third husband, frank gilbert, she ran one of the first successful programs for breeding cheetahs in. A few key storylines are in the mix, too, including gunsmokes first episode, dated. The central character is lawman marshal matt dillon, played by william conrad on radio and james arness on television. The first episode of gunsmoke to be broadcast in color 17 sep.
Gunsmoke is an american radio and television western drama series created by director norman macdonnell and writer john meston. The show is in black and white, and, at a halfhour, lean and gritty. Arrange the following names into the order that they were presented. Amanda blakes last episode on gunsmoke was the disciple, which originally aired on april 1, 1974. Gunsmoke is an american western television series based on the radio program of the same name.
In the color years, it is still obvious that all the main cast care about each other, and the chemistry between the characters is what really sets gunsmoke apart for me from other westerns, but there is just something different and so special about the half hour black and white episodes. Even in the 21st century, the wild west holds a tight rein on the american spirit, a fact thats embodied by the enduring popularity of a famous show called gunsmoke. The shows very name harkens to a dark and dangerous time when gutsy men and wily women struggled to survive on the treacherous frontier. Season 12, episode 1 snap decision was the first episode to be shown in color. The stories take place in and around dodge city, kansas, during the settlement of the american west. Gunsmoke television show free to watch online gunsmoke started out on radio in 1952. Matt decides to go for help across dangerous territory. Gunsmoke is an american western television series developed by charles marquis warren and based on the radio program of the same name. The name of the gunfighter that shot dillon in the first episode of televisions gunsmoke was.
Along with her third husband, frank gilbert, she ran one of the first successful programs for breeding cheetahs in captivity. Asked in movies, tv programming and commercials, the twilight saga, gunsmoke tv and radio show. Grat runs rampant in dodge while matt recovers, but is unpleasantly surprised when the recovered marshal challenges him again. Gunsmoke was on tv for 20 seasons, from 1955 to 1975. The first 233 episodes were originally titled marshal dillon and are one half hour long. In all the color episodes of gunsmoke, the introduction had the major stars pictured sequentially in ovals as the gunsmoke theme played in the background.
Check out gunsmoke det510, one of the 1996 paint colors from dunnedwards. Marshal matt dillon james arness presides over dodge city, a wild west town that sees more than its fair share of frontier lawlessness. Used to watch gunsmoke with my dad in the early 70s. Blakes character was miss kathleen kitty russell, the proprietor of a saloon in dodge city, the setting for gunsmoke. A snake oil salesman and his three sons hatch a scheme to swindle the citizens of dodge. The new showdown main titles matt dillons handgun and matt dillon faces a gunslinger.
Many big named actors got part of their start on gunsmoke. He even introduced the series in the first episode. In the fall of 1961, gunsmoke stretched out into an hourlong drama. After six halfhour years, it expanded to a full hour. Gunsmoke 1959 episode 427 chester meets the soontobe festus by thordan. In your honor, heres the very first episode of gunsmoke, matt gets it, which aired on sept. In a marvel of engineering, all six singlesided discs are crammed rather comfortably, actually, into its seethrough case, which enables synopses of all the episodes on the flipside of the dvd sleeve. Dodge city is a typical town of the late 1800s, with its share of saloon brawls, family arguments.
See more ideas about actor, tv westerns and movie stars. I was brought on on the colored 1 hour versions with festus as. With james arness, milburn stone, amanda blake, ken curtis. For season twelve, the western leaped into the world of color.