Gunsmoke, America's longest running television Western, aired on CBS from 1955-75. In 1956, its second season on the air, the series entered the list of top ten programs on U.S. television and moved quickly to number one. It remained in that position until 1961 and in the top twenty until 1964. Following a shift in its programming time in 1967, Gunsmoke returned to prominence within the top twenty for the next seven years, dropping out only in its final year. From 1987 to the present there have been four Gunsmoke "reunion" programs, presented as two-hour, made-for-television movies.

    This exceptionally successful program is often referred to as the medium's first "adult Western." The term is used to indicate differences between the Hollywood "B" Westerns and versions of the genre designed for the small screen in the 1950s and 1960s. Without recourse to panoramic vistas, thundering herds of cattle, and massed charges by "Indians" or the United States Cavalry, the television Western often concentrated on character relationships and tense psychological drama. Gunsmoke set the style and tone for many of these shows.

    Set in Dodge City, Kansas in the 1890s, the series focused on the character of United States Marshall, Matt Dillon, played by James Arness. The part was designed for John Wayne, who chose not to complicate his still-successful film career with commitment to a long-term television contract. Wayne, who appeared on air to introduce the first episode of Gunsmoke, suggested the younger actor for the lead role. The tall, rugged-looking Arness, who until this time had played minor film roles, became synonymous with his character during the next twenty years.

    Surrounding Dillon were characters who became one of television's best known "work-place families." Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake) owned and managed a local saloon, The Longbranch, and over the years developed a deep friendship with Dillon that always seemed to border on something more intimate. Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) represented science, rationality and crusty wisdom. His medical skills were never questioned and he patched up everyone on the show, often more than once. Dennis Weaver portrayed tender-hearted and gullible Chester Goode, Deputy Marshall. Chester's openness and honesty were often played against frontier villainy, and his loyalty to Dillon was unquestionable. When Weaver left the show in 1964 he was replaced by Ken Curtis as Festus Hagen, a character equally adept at providing humor in the often grim world of Dodge and a foil to the taciturn and sometimes obsessive professionalism of Dillon. Burt Reynolds appeared on Gunsmoke from 1962-65 in the role of Quint Asper.

    While Gunsmoke had its share of shoot-outs, bank robberies, cattle rustlings, and the like, the great strength of the program was the ongoing exploration of life in this community, with these people, in this place, at this time. In Gunsmoke, Dodge City stands as an outpost of civilization, the edge of America at the end of a century. It is one of the central images of the Western in any of its media creations--a small town, a group of professionals, perhaps a school and a church, surrounded by the dangers of the frontier, its values of peace, harmony, and justice always under threat from untamed forces. Such a setting becomes a magnified experiment for the exploration of fundamental ideas about American culture and society. Issues faced by the characters and community in Gunsmoke ranged from questions of legitimate violence to the treatment of minority groups, from the meaning of family to the power of religious commitment. Even topics drawn from American life in the 1950s and 1960s were examined in this setting. The historical frame of the Western, and television's reliance on well-known, continuing characters allowed a sense of distance and gave producers the freedom to treat almost any topic.

    The dramatic formula for the series, particularly in later years, was simple. Some type of "outsider"--a family separated from a wagon train, an ex-Confederate officer, a wandering theatre troupe--entered the world of the regular characters. With the outsiders came conflict. With the conflict came the need for decision and action. If violence was called for, it was applied reluctantly. If compassion was the answer, it was available. Often, no solution so simple solved the problems. Many sides of the same issue could be presented, especially when moral problems, not action and adventure, were the central concerns. In such cases Gunsmoke often ended in ambiguity, requiring the ideas and issues to be pondered by viewers. As the series progressed into its last seasons, it became highly self-conscious of its own history. Characters explored their own motivations with some frequency, and memories became plot devices.

    In the history of American popular culture, Gunsmoke has claimed a position of prominence. Innovative within traditional trappings, it testified to the breadth and resilience of the Western genre and to television's ability to interweave character, idea and action into narratives that could attract and compel audiences for decades.

    -Horace Newcomb

    CAST

    Marshal Matt Dillon................................... James Arness

    Dr. Galen (Doc) Adams............................. Milburn Stone

    Kitty Russell (1955-1974).......................... Amanda Blake

    Chester Goode (1955 1964)...................... Dennis Weaver

    Festus Haggen (1964-1975)............................ Ken Curtis

    Quint Asper (1962-1965)........................... Burt Reynolds

    Sam, the bartender (1962-1974)................ Glenn Strange

    Clayton Thaddeus (Thad) Greenwood (1965-1967)..............Roger Ewing

    Newly O'Brien (1967-l975)............................. Buck Taylor

    Mr. Jones (1955-1960)................................. Dabbs Greer

    Louie Pheeters......................................... James Nusser

    Barney....................................................... Charles Seel

    Howie ......................................................Howard Culver

    Ed O'Connor..................................................Tom Brown

    Percy Crump............................................... John Harper

    Hank (1957-1975)................................... Hank Patterson

    Ma Smalley (1962-1975)............................... Sarah Selby

    Nathan Burke (1964-1975)............................. Ted Jordan

    Mr. Bodkin (1965-1975)............................... Roy Roberts

    Mr. Lathrop (1966-1975)........................ Woody Chamblis

    Halligan (1967-1975)................... .....Charles Wagenheim

    Miss Hannah (1974-1975)............................... Fran Ryan

    PRODUCERS

    Charles Warren, John Mantley, Phillip Leacock, Norman MacDonald, Joseph Drackow, Leonard Katzman

    PROGRAMMING HISTORY

    233 Half-hour Episodes; 400 One-hour Episodes

    CBS

    September 1955-September 1961   Saturday 10:00-10:30

    September 1961-September 1967   Saturday l0:00-11:00

    October 1961-June 1964   Tuesday 7:30-8:00

    September 1967-September 1971   Monday 7:30-8:30

    September 1971-September 1975   Monday 8:00-9:00

    FURTHER READING

    Barabas, SuzAnne and Gabor Barabas. Gunsmoke: A Complete History and Analysis of the Legendary Broadcast Series with a Comprehensive Episode-By-Episode Guide to Both the Radio and Television Programs. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1990.

    Gordon, S. "Gunsmoke's Chester." Look (New York), 12 September 1961.

    Jackson, Ronald. Classic TV Westerns: A Pictorial History. Seacaucus, New Jersey: Carol, 1994.

    MacDonald, J. Fred. Who Shot The Sheriff: The Rise And Fall Of The Television Western. New York: Praeger, 1987.

    Marsden, Michael T. and Jack Nachbar. "The Modern Popular Western: Radio, Television, Film and Print." In, A Literary History of the American West. Sponsored by The Western Literature Association. Fort Worth, Texas: Texas Christian University Press, 1987.

    Morhaim, Joe. "Why Gunsmoke's Amanda Blake, James Arness Won't Kiss." TV Guide (Radnor, Pennsylvania), 15 March 1958.

    Peel, John. Gunsmoke Years: The Behind-The-Scenes Story: Exclusive Interviews with the Writers and Directors: A Complete Guide to Every Episode Aired: The Longest Running Network Television Drama Ever! Las Vegas, Nevada: Pioneer, 1989.

    West, Richard. Television Westerns: Major And Minor Series, 1946-1978. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1987.

    Whitney, Dwight. "Why Gunsmoke Keeps Blazing." TV Guide (Radnor, Pennsylvania), 6 December 1958.

    _______________. "What's Gunsmoke's Secret." TV Guide (Radnor, Pennsylvania), 22 August 1970.

    Yoggy, Gary A. Riding the Video Range: The Rise and Fall of the Western on Television. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1994.

    Thumbnail of James Arness

    James Arness on Dodge City, the setting of Gunsmoke

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    Thumbnail of Dennis Weaver

    Dennis Weaver on the concept of Gunsmoke

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    Thumbnail of John Rich

    John Rich on directing Gunsmoke and James Arness

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    Thumbnail of Leonard Nimoy

    Leonard Nimoy on the plot of a Gunsmoke episode he guest-starred in, "Treasure of John Walking Fox"

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    Thumbnail of Fred Silverman

    Fred Silverman on how CBS Chair William S. Paley insisted on keeping his favorite show, Gunsmoke, on the air

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    Thumbnail of Arthur Hiller

    Arthur Hiller on directing Gunsmoke starring James Arness

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    James Arness

    James Arness on being cast as "Marshall Matt Dillon" on Gunsmoke

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    James Arness on John Wayne introducing the first episode of Gunsmoke

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    James Arness on the concept of Gunsmoke, and on the production schedule of the show

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    James Arness on the character of "Marshall Matt Dillon" on Gunsmoke

    03:20

    James Arness on the rules the writers set for his character "Marshall Matt Dillon" on Gunsmoke

    02:56

    James Arness on CBS president William S. Paley's affinity for Gunsmoke

    01:17

    James Arness on "Matt Dillon's" relationship with "Miss Kitty" played by Amanda Blake on Gunsmoke

    03:22

    James Arness on Dennis Weaver as "Chester" on Gunsmoke

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    James Arness on making personal appearances with Dennis Weaver during the run of Gunsmoke

    03:21

    James Arness on Ken Curtis as "Festus" on Gunsmoke

    02:41

    James Arness on Milburn Stone as "Doc" on Gunsmoke

    04:54

    James Arness on Burt Reynolds as "Quint" on Gunsmoke

    02:37

    James Arness on Dodge City, the setting of Gunsmoke

    02:33

    James Arness on the various storylines of Gunsmoke, and on how his character changed over the years

    03:16

    James Arness on working with the behind-the-scenes staff of Gunsmoke

    08:24

    James Arness on hiring New York actors to appear on Gunsmoke

    02:52

    James Arness on casting actors for Gunsmoke

    02:23

    James Arness on Gunsmoke expanding from a half-hour to an hour, and on how it impacted the storyline

    02:46

    James Arness on William S. Paley saving Gunsmoke from cancellation

    02:31

    James Arness on Bette Davis guest-starring on Gunsmoke

    02:54

    James Arness on Gilbert Roland guest-starring on Gunsmoke

    01:12

    James Arness on Fran Ryan guest-starring on Gunsmoke

    01:09

    James Arness on favorite Gunsmoke storylines

    08:28

    James Arness on the cancellation of Gunsmoke in 1975

    02:04

    James Arness on doing several Gunsmoke reunion movies

    02:11

    James Arness on the legacy of Gunsmoke

    01:53

    Thomas Azzari

    Thomas Azzari on doing set design for Gunsmoke

    04:50

    Eric Braeden

    Eric Braeden on guest-starring on Gunsmoke

    02:18

    Robert Butler

    Robert Butler on directing episodes of Gunsmoke

    02:24

    David Canary

    David Canary on his guest appearance on Gunsmoke

    00:42

    Leo Chaloukian

    Leo Chaloukian on the challenges of doing sound for Gunsmoke

    02:28

    Richard Chamberlain

    Richard Chamberlain on his first role in Gunsmoke

    00:41

    Barbara Eden

    Barbara Eden on one of her first television jobs, on Gunsmoke

    00:58

    George Faber

    George Faber on doing publicity for Gunsmoke

    00:28

    William Froug

    William Froug on seeing the first radio script for Gunsmoke

    01:20

    Melissa Gilbert

    Melissa Gilbert on her first TV role - on Gunsmoke

    02:25

    Katherine Helmond

    Katherine Helmond on appearing on Gunsmoke, her first acting role

    35:43

    Albert Heschong

    Albert Heschong on returning to CBS and art directing various shows including Gunsmoke and Pete and Gladys

    03:39

    Albert Heschong on being hired on Gunsmoke as the production designer

    04:58

    Albert Heschong on working with "forced perspective" on Gunsmoke

    01:48

    Albert Heschong on working with the cast and crew of Gunsmoke, and on the sets of the show

    03:53

    Arthur Hiller

    Arthur Hiller on directing Gunsmoke

    03:51

    Arthur Hiller on directing Gunsmoke starring James Arness

    07:53

    Roy Huggins

    Roy Huggins on the Maverick episode "Guy-Shy," which was a spoof of Gunsmoke

    07:09

    Joseph Jennings

    Joseph Jennings on acting as art director for Gunsmoke, and dealing with that show's transition from black and white to color

    05:33

    Joseph Jennings on the challenges of being art director for Gunsmoke

    09:08

    Joseph Jennings on working with the producers of Gunsmoke

    02:10

    Joseph Jennings on dealing with the height of James Arness who played "Matt Dillon" on Gunsmoke

    01:20

    Joseph Jennings on Gunsmoke's shooting schedule and the handling of the show's sets

    03:02

    Joseph Jennings on working on the Gunsmoke reunion

    01:48

    Rocky Kalish with Emerson College

    Rocky and Irma Kalish on writing for non-comedy shows like Gunsmoke, and on writing shows for the Writers Guild

    00:56

    Michael Learned

    Michael Learned on guest starring on television shows, including Gunsmoke

    04:46

    Rose Marie

    Rose Marie on her first dramatic role, playing a 60-year-old woman on Gunsmoke in the episode "Twelfth Night" (airdate: December, 1957)

    02:14

    Harry Morgan

    Harry Morgan on guest appearances on Gunsmoke

    01:21

    Diana Muldaur

    Diana Muldaur on working on Gunsmoke

    02:07

    Hal Needham

    Hal Needham on being under contract to Warner Brothers Television

    07:34

    Hal Needham on doing stunts for Gunsmoke

    02:13

    Hal Needham on working with actors and the challenge of seeming the right weight or height

    02:53

    Anne Nelson

    Anne Nelson on doing the deal for Gunsmoke, starring James Arness

    03:16

    Leonard Nimoy

    Leonard Nimoy on the plot of a Gunsmoke episode he guest-starred in, "Treasure of John Walking Fox"

    02:30

    Leonard Nimoy on fellow actor James Arness mentioning that he'd been cast on Gunsmoke

    01:15

    Leonard Nimoy on Marc Daniels directing him in his last TV guest role (on Gunsmoke) before they collaborated on Star Trek

    00:31

    Hugh O'Brian

    Hugh O'Brian on appearing in a Gunsmoke TV movie

    01:35

    Pam Polifroni

    Pam Polifroni on casting Gunsmoke, and on working with Ethel Winant at CBS

    03:35

    Pam Polifroni on the challenge of casting Gunsmoke, and on working with show producer John Mantley

    03:00

    Pam Polifroni on working with James Arness as "Matt Dillon" and Amanda Blake as "Miss Kitty" on Gunsmoke

    01:21

    Pam Polifroni on casting various roles on Gunsmoke

    02:33

    Pam Polifroni on casting Bette Davis in a guest-starring role on Gunsmoke

    02:30

    Pam Polifroni on casting Jon Voight in a guest-starring role on Gunsmoke

    02:57

    Pam Polifroni on casting Jodie Foster in a guest-starring role on Gunsmoke

    01:10

    Pam Polifroni on Bruce Boxleitner, Cicely Tyson, and Clint and Ron Howard appearing on Gunsmoke

    02:51

    Pam Polifroni on the success of Gunsmoke, and on casting How the West was Won

    02:26

    Pam Polifroni on casting the Gunsmoke reunion movies, and on the legacy of the show

    02:47

    John Rich

    John Rich on directing Gunsmoke when he wanted to switch to drama from comedy directing

    16:09

    John Rich on the actors of Gunsmoke

    01:39

    John Rich on directing Gunsmoke and James Arness

    02:22

    Joseph Sargent

    Joseph Sargent on acting on and later directing Gunsmoke

    01:17

    Joseph Sargent on directing Gunsmoke

    02:50

    Joseph Sargent on directing James Arness on Gunsmoke

    03:27

    Joseph Sargent on the cast of Gunsmoke

    00:59

    Joseph Sargent on the editing of Gunsmoke and staging actors

    04:50

    Joseph Sargent on casting black extras on Gunsmoke

    01:49

    William Schallert

    William Schallert on his work in the TV Western Gunsmoke

    03:16

    Fred Silverman

    Fred Silverman on how CBS Chair William S. Paley insisted on keeping his favorite show, Gunsmoke, on the air

    01:00

    Abby Singer

    Abby Singer on being production manager on Gunsmoke

    01:11

    Doris Singleton

    Doris Singleton on working on Gunsmoke

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    Doris Singleton on a photo of her on Gunsmoke

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    Lynn Stalmaster

    Lynn Stalmaster on casting Gunsmoke

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    Lynn Stalmaster on the process of casting Gunsmoke

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    Lynn Stalmaster on the challenges of casting Gunsmoke

    01:20

    Fred Steiner

    Fred Steiner on composing for Gunsmoke

    03:58

    Fred Steiner on recurring themes he wrote for Gunsmoke

    01:23

    Daniel J. Travanti

    Daniel J. Travanti on his guest appearances on Gunsmoke

    03:58

    Robert Vaughn

    Robert Vaughn on his work in television westerns

    01:54

    Dennis Weaver

    Dennis Weaver on the concept of Gunsmoke

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    Dennis Weaver on auditioning for Gunsmoke

    04:32

    Dennis Weaver on his Gunsmoke character "Chester's" limp on Gunsmoke

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    Dennis Weaver on "Chester's" relationship with "Matt Dillon" played by James Arness on Gunsmoke

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    Dennis Weaver on "Chester's" relationship with "Matt Dillion" on Gunsmoke

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    Dennis Weaver on working with Amanda Blake as "Miss Kitty" on Gunsmoke

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    Dennis Weaver on Milburn Stone as "Doc Adams" on Gunsmoke

    01:26

    Dennis Weaver on directing some episodes of Gunsmoke

    01:02

    Dennis Weaver on the setting and filming locations of Gunsmoke

    00:52

    Dennis Weaver on the storylines of Gunsmoke

    01:28

    Dennis Weaver on his Gunsmoke Emmy Awards, and on working with the writers and producers

    52:14

    Dennis Weaver on the production schedule for Gunsmoke, and on his directing the series

    03:31

    Dennis Weaver on leaving Gunsmoke

    02:31

    Adam West

    Adam West on appearing on Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Geronimo, and Perry Mason

    04:48

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