4 things that irritated & fascinated me about the TV western GUNSMOKE

I watch A LOT of old Gunsmoke episodes quite regularly. Recently, I've come to realize the things that irritated and fascinated me about Gunsmoke as a kid, still kind of resonate with me today. Here's just a few of them..


Gunsmoke
Where the Heck is Matt Dillon?
One-off episodes with guest actors like Carol O'Conner, Jan Michael Vincent, Victor French, Jodie Foster, and Mariette Hartley definitely packed a punch in regards to dramatic acting. However, I tuned in to watch the adventures of Matt Dillon first and foremost. There was stellar acting in the storylines that weren't focused on Marshall Matt Dillon, but they never brought as much joy to me as the Dillon based episodes did. 

It really perturbed me as boy, when I would watch an episode that only featured James Arness for a couple of measly minutes. While James Arness appeared in every single episode of Gunsmoke, it seemed like many an episode, especially towards the end of the series, had him appearing during the last five or ten minutes of the show. It was usually explained away by someone stating he was on the way back from official 'Marshalling business' and that he would be retuning soon. 

The comedic value of sidekicks Festus and Chester was always appreciated as well. The way these two characters interacted with Matt and Doc was comedy gold indeed. When this dynamic was also absent from an episode, it felt like something was truly missing.

New Fangled Color Television
I hated the color episodes as a kid, and I still prefer the black and white ones to this day. There was just something about filming in black and white that gave the Old West represented in the series, a more authentic feel. I remember thinking as a kid, "There's too much color, and everything looks too clean". I even pondered if such colored clothes and wallpaper even existed back in the late 1870s. Color TV also made it more evident that Dodge City was located on a sound stage. In addition to that, the scene shots, camera pans, and editing were much different in the 1970s versus the 50s and 60s. The older style of filming just gave the series a simpler, older, and grittier feel.

The end credit screen
I absolutely loved the black and white end credit screen. I would actually move very close to the television to examine it as closely as I could. I loved trying to count the tombstones on Boot-Hill, and would thoroughly examine everything like the old dead tree, the town buildings, and the night time sky. I would examine the artwork until the credits faded to a final splash screen, stating the show was produced by the 'Arness Company' in conjunction with CBS.

Original end credit screen

James Arness Matt Dillon
A superimposed showdown placed over the screen, later in the series.


Above is a 1970s end credit screen. This screen also kept me watching until the very end of the credits, as it made me feel like I was able to peek in on the world of the Marshall. Seeing things like Marshall Dillon's hat, weapons and old coffee pot, very much kept my attention. I remember telling myself as a young boy, the show was NOT over until the credits finished. 

It really seems like they tried much harder back in the day to keep folks around during the credits. Gunsmoke along with Bonanza in particular, kept my keister planted in front of the TV until the very final credit rolled. 


Ms. Kitty and Sam
Amanda Blake left Gunsmoke before the final season, some 19 years after playing the character of saloon proprietor Miss Kitty Russell. Glenn Strange played her stoic and faithful bartender Sam Noonan from 1961 to 1973. Strange sadly had to leave the show due to ailing health.

I must admit that as a boy watching the show, I never really appreciated these two characters as much as I do now. I do remember watching episodes filmed after they left, and seeing new characters in their places. I believe my exact words were.. "What a Jip".

I watch episodes today that are absent of their characters, and realize it truly affected the dynamic of the show. The life that Blake and Strange breathed into their respective roles, was a testament to their exceptional acting abilities.

Like I said at the start of this article.. I watch A LOT of Gunsmoke. These fleeting thoughts are just a few of many I've had over the years, so I'm sure I'll be sharing more of them in the future once they pile up in my mind again.