Author Topic: Gunsmoke 1956 (Read 723 times)

Bob Riebe · « **on:** January 20, 2022, 04:11:34 PM »

I am watching a episode of Gunsmoke on INSPD network.
I have not seen that early an episode since 1956, very, very different in style.

Eddie Southgate · « **Reply #1 on:** January 20, 2022, 04:50:09 PM »

I like those old 30 minute shows best , always liked old Chester Goode . Funny but Chester walked with an exaggerated limp that Dennis Weaver did not have ,and James Arness , although he actually did have a bit of a limp, always hid his to the point that you had to watch for it to see it.

ironglow · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2022, 12:09:31 AM »

.
..And don't overlook "Festus", where Ken Curtis was required to fake a squinty eye and rather Biden-like foolishness.

That was a great cast of characters with Miss Kity and Doc thrown in ! I enjoyed the continual repartee that

a regular part of the interaction between Doc and Festus...

As I recall, Festus was Chester's replacement, when Dennis Weaver moved on.

DDZ · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2022, 01:34:42 AM »

Always liked watching Gunsmoke when I was a kid. Another show I really used to like as a kid was The Rifleman.

Dee · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2022, 01:52:31 AM »

Ah yes, Dennis Weaver. One of Hollywoods pioneer liberal idiots.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Weaver

billy_56081 · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2022, 02:50:34 AM »

I hated Chester, I always hoped he got shot. The Festus character was pure genius.

Dee · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2022, 03:18:32 AM »

Quote from: TM7 on January 21, 2022, 02:44:59 AM

Quote from: Dee on January 21, 2022, 01:52:31 AM
Ah yes, Dennis Weaver. One of Hollywoods pioneer liberal idiots.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Weaver

So? The Chester character he created was pretty good. Even Trump and Reagan were demoncrats once.
.

Agreed. We're too hard on folks like Alec Baldwin, Johnny Depp, madonna, Ashley Judd and other actors.
They've created some good characters on screen, and may eventually become Republicans.

phalanx · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2022, 04:47:15 AM »

There were a lot of Westerns back then. Paladin, Rawhide where Clint Eastwood got his start as Rowdy Yates. Bonanza came about in color a few years later.

Bob Riebe · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2022, 05:29:45 AM »

1956 was the first year.
Miss Kitty was just a saloon girl, she did not own the joint, and looks far different than she did in later years, and the introduction to the show has Matt giving a speech as he walk through boot hill.

I always though Chester was wimpy but I have seen two shows where he shot and killed some one, including one where he and Matt just plain execute, in their own words, the bad guys.

The Westerner by Sam Peckinpah , with Brian Keith, was probably the most accurate Western TV show ever made; its hard core reality is said to be one reason it had such a short run.

phalanx · « **Reply #9 on:** January 21, 2022, 06:10:51 AM »

Let’s not forget the Rifleman.

oldandslower · « **Reply #10 on:** January 21, 2022, 06:27:57 AM »

I was actually glad when Chester was gone. His nasal, "Mr. Dillon, Mr. Dillion", really annoyed me by the time he disappeared.

Graybeard · « **Reply #11 on:** January 21, 2022, 11:08:03 AM »

I never found much to like about the Chester character and agree I didn't miss him when gone. Burt Reynolds was not bad when he took over but Festus to me was the best of the three of them. He sure could sing.

oldandslow · « **Reply #12 on:** January 22, 2022, 05:13:49 AM »

Ken Curtis appeared here as the main act at our annual rodeo in costume as Festus and complete with his mule for quite a few years. He always closed his act with "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and is probably the most liked entertainer ever to appear here. Dale Robertson of "Wells Fargo" fame replaced him. What a dud. We have been watching "Wells Fargo" reruns and Ol' Jim's hair never gets out of place. Take off his hat, perfect, after a rough and tumble fight, perfect.

I found "The Westerner" on Prime video and we watched several episodes of it last night. I had never heard of the series as I was busy with cars and girls back in '56. I set out in the big wide world in "56 and had no television and didn't want one.

mcbammer · « **Reply #13 on:** January 22, 2022, 11:21:32 AM »

Quote from: oldandslow on January 22, 2022, 05:13:49 AM

Ken Curtis appeared here as the main act at our annual rodeo in costume as Festus and complete with his mule for quite a few years. He always closed his act with "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and is probably the most liked entertainer ever to appear here. Dale Robertson of "Wells Fargo" fame replaced him. What a dud. We have been watching "Wells Fargo" reruns and Ol' Jim's hair never gets out of place. Take off his hat, perfect, after a rough and tumble fight, perfect.

I found "The Westerner" on Prime video and we watched several episodes of it last night. I had never heard of the series as I was busy with cars and girls back in '56. I set out in the big wide world in "56 and had no television and didn't want one.

Dale Robertson received The Bronze & silver star plus a purlpe heart after being wounded twice . while serving in a tank crew In North Africa ,he was standing in the hatch when a enemy round hit his tank ,Robertson was blown out of the tank and survived but the rest of his crew perished .

mcbammer · « **Reply #14 on:** January 22, 2022, 11:34:43 AM »

Yeah well, I don't know much about Dennis Weaver's politics aside from the facts he was an environmentalist and dabbled in environment
homes and buildings, and personal introspection. Nothing wrong with that. He was just an old time democrat, and as far as I know his politics were a far cry from today's modern radical left.

So if you got a big wide paint brush and want to spew on Dennis Weaver, I guess this is the place to do it. But all I'm saying as a thespian in the well written early Gunsmoke episodes, the Chester role Weaver created was a key ingredient in the drama and success of the series. As I said to the original poster, many of these early episodes were like 'cine noir' dramas, and the odd Chester character was essential cast member to carry the play.
.
[/quote] One thing about Weaver , He made a bad career choice when he left Gunsmoke , a character actor was all he achieved , it was all downhill from then on .

Bob Riebe · « **Reply #15 on:** January 22, 2022, 11:57:40 AM »

I like his TV movie series McCLeod.

oldandslow · « **Reply #16 on:** January 23, 2022, 05:24:07 AM »

Quote from: mcbammer on January 22, 2022, 11:21:32 AM

Quote from: oldandslow on January 22, 2022, 05:13:49 AM
Ken Curtis appeared here as the main act at our annual rodeo in costume as Festus and complete with his mule for quite a few years. He always closed his act with "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and is probably the most liked entertainer ever to appear here. Dale Robertson of "Wells Fargo" fame replaced him. What a dud. We have been watching "Wells Fargo" reruns and Ol' Jim's hair never gets out of place. Take off his hat, perfect, after a rough and tumble fight, perfect.

I found "The Westerner" on Prime video and we watched several episodes of it last night. I had never heard of the series as I was busy with cars and girls back in '56. I set out in the big wide world in "56 and had no television and didn't want one.
Dale Robertson received The Bronze & silver star plus a purlpe heart after being wounded twice . while serving in a tank crew In North Africa ,he was standing in the hatch when a enemy round hit his tank ,Robertson was blown out of the tank and survived but the rest of his crew perished .

I didn't say anything about him as a person except that he was dud as a rodeo act. I actually liked him as an actor and enjoyed "Well Fargo" originally and now in re-runs on Grit TV plus they are showing some old movies he was in. The hair comment was a knock on the makeup department They must have put glue on his hair to keep it from getting one loose hair during his scenes. My post had nothing to do with his personal character or war service.

We finished up "The Westerner" last night. It might have been done as a one season series as a little senorita roped him in in the last episode.

mcbammer · « **Reply #17 on:** January 23, 2022, 06:05:30 AM »

Quote from: oldandslow on January 23, 2022, 05:24:07 AM

Quote from: mcbammer on January 22, 2022, 11:21:32 AM
Quote from: oldandslow on January 22, 2022, 05:13:49 AM
Ken Curtis appeared here as the main act at our annual rodeo in costume as Festus and complete with his mule for quite a few years. He always closed his act with "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and is probably the most liked entertainer ever to appear here. Dale Robertson of "Wells Fargo" fame replaced him. What a dud. We have been watching "Wells Fargo" reruns and Ol' Jim's hair never gets out of place. Take off his hat, perfect, after a rough and tumble fight, perfect.

I found "The Westerner" on Prime video and we watched several episodes of it last night. I had never heard of the series as I was busy with cars and girls back in '56. I set out in the big wide world in "56 and had no television and didn't want one.
Dale Robertson received The Bronze & silver star plus a purlpe heart after being wounded twice . while serving in a tank crew In North Africa ,he was standing in the hatch when a enemy round hit his tank ,Robertson was blown out of the tank and survived but the rest of his crew perished .

I didn't say anything about him as a person except that he was dud as a rodeo act. I actually liked him as an actor and enjoyed "Well Fargo" originally and now in re-runs on Grit TV plus they are showing some old movies he was in. The hair comment was a knock on the makeup department They must have put glue on his hair to keep it from getting one loose hair during his scenes. My post had nothing to do with his personal character or war service.

We finished up "The Westerner" last night. It might have been done as a one season series as a little senorita roped him in in the last episode.

One of my hobbies is researching old actors life history , sorry if you took my information as to insinuate you were degrading his character .

oldandslow · « **Reply #18 on:** January 23, 2022, 10:22:58 AM »

It was presented rather bluntly so a bit hard to take it any other way. Thanks for clearing it up.

Bob Riebe · « **Reply #19 on:** January 23, 2022, 12:32:26 PM »

Right now I am watching a 1962 episonde of Gunsmoke, "Us Haggens" the first episode with Festus.
He is a lot younger and a more rough tough character from his later years.

I finally read , he was supposed to be in the later Gunsmoke movies as the Federal Marshall but they offered him so little money he refused.