"Gunsmoke" (1955) TV series 1955-1975

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Release Date:

10 September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

Marshall Matt Dillon keeps the peace in the rough and tumble Dodge City.

Plot Keywords:

Marshal | Cult Western | Famous Opening Theme | Saloon Owner | One Word Title

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

James Arness	...	Marshal Matt Dillon / ... (617 episodes, 1955-1975)
Milburn Stone	...	Dr. Galen 'Doc' Adams / ... (460 episodes, 1955-1975)
Amanda Blake	...	Kitty Russell / ... (423 episodes, 1955-1974)
Ken Curtis	...	Festus Haggen / ... (252 episodes, 1959-1975)

Also Known As:

Gun Law (UK)
Marshal Dillon (USA) (rerun title)

Runtime:

USA:30 min (1955-1961) (233 episodes) (including commercials) | USA:60 min (1961-1975) (402 episodes) (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White (1955-1966) | Colour (1966-1975)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:TV-G (some episodes) | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Bell Ranch, Santa Susana, California, USA

Company:

Arness Production Company

Trivia:

At 20 years and 633 episodes, the longest-running American prime-time drama TV series to date. (2008)

Quotes:

[the teaser of the very first episode, "Matt Gets It."]
John Wayne: Good evening. My name's Wayne. Some of you may have seen me before. I hope so. I've been kicking around Hollywood a long time. I've made a lot of pictures out here. All kinds. Some of them have been westerns and that's what I'm here to tell you about tonight...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Ben Stiller Show: With James Doohan (#1.3)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

The Old Trail

Not only a good Western,but action drama at its best

For the 20 years that it ran on CBS,"Gunsmoke" was the essential Western to watch. Not only it was about a Marshal who retain law and order in Dodge City in the 1800's,but set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Kansas frontier. The stories kept its viewers on edge no matter what its characters were going through as Matt Dillon(played by James Arness) kept the peace alongside his deputies Chester Goode(played by Dennis Weaver from 1955-1963),Quint Aspen(played by Burt Reynolds from 1961-1964),Festus Hagen(played by Ken Curtis from 1963-1975),and Newly(played by Buck Taylor from 1967-1975). It also had Dillon saving Miss Kitty(Amanda Blake)for great danger in some of the episodes which in some sparked a love interest. It may have been cancelled,but CBS executives saved the series in the late 1960's as it switched from Saturday nights(where it ran for 10 years including the extension to an hour format in 1961,and in 1965 which the show made the transition to color) to Monday nights(where it stayed until the show's final episode in 1975,marking the end of the TV western) outdoing its precessdor Bonanza,which was on a rival network for an astounding 14 seasons.

The series afterward spawn three Gunsmoke TV movies that followed and there will be a fourth installment of the series which CBS is producing. Kudos to James Arness,the true Marshal Dillon. Catch the episodes(some of the color and black and white installments)on TV Land!!!