Gunsmoke

[Flopper]

Series like Gunsmoke and other westerners are criticized due to their lack of authenticity. The Dodge City in Gunsmoke is nothing like the real Dodge City and no lawman in the old west was anything like Matt Dillion. The image of two gunslingers with violent reputation squaring off in a street is a Hollywood invention. For the most part the old west was not that exciting. The greatest danger was not from outlaws or Indians but diseases such as cholera, small pox, flu, measles, mumps, and tuberculosis, which could spread quickly through towns, wagon and mining camps. For farmers on the plains the weather, crop failures, and isolation drove most of them to abandon their farms within two years. Although we know westerns are not realistic, they continue to capture audiences just as science fiction. In fact, there are lots of similarities between western fiction and science fiction.

 

[Flopper]

Where are the nice women who love to come over and watch GunSmoke Season 3, Episode 11 with us?

Ok, I give up. What was the season 3 episode 11 about?

 

[JOSweetHeart]

I have only watched one episode of this show and the name of it is The Returning and it was shown in February of 1967. At the age of just fourteen years old, my most favorite deceased singer plays a very important role in it, I love Steve Sanders of the Oak Ridge Boys so much.

God bless you and his family always!!!

Holly

 

[Likkmee]

 

[lg325]

Series like Gunsmoke and other westerners are criticized due to their lack of authenticity. The Dodge City in Gunsmoke is nothing like the real Dodge City and no lawman in the old west was anything like Matt Dillion. The image of two gunslingers with violent reputation squaring off in a street is a Hollywood invention. For the most part the old west was not that exciting. The greatest danger was not from outlaws or Indians but diseases such as cholera, small pox, flu, measles, mumps, and tuberculosis, which could spread quickly through towns, wagon and mining camps. For farmers on the plains the weather, crop failures, and isolation drove most of them to abandon their farms within two years. Although we know westerns are not realistic, they continue to capture audiences just as science fiction. In fact, there are lots of similarities between western fiction and science fiction.

Had the time of reading my great grandfathers business journal before it was donated .He was in Dodge city at the age of 16 year 1885 .He described it with the front street like is shown in the TV show but he wrote it was mostly a city of tents. And one comment that confirmed the cities reputation. He wrote'' it is a town where you keep the Colt loose in the holster.''

 

[lg325]

Ok, I give up. What was the season 3 episode 11 about?

... and this odd episode of Gunsmoke shows that was particularly true for one guy.

John Larch plays Jim Cobbett, a pretty well liked 40ish homesteader with a nice spread living outside of Dodge. However, Hank Luz is spreading rumors that Cobbett killed his first wife - she disappeared without a trace - and now he is getting ready to marry a second time. Luz has a grudge against Cobbett because Cobbett legally claimed a piece of land with water on it before Luz could. Matt doesn't believe the rumors, and he and Chester attend the nuptials for Cobbett and the bride, who knew Jim back east and has, up to now, always lived back east.

Shortly thereafter, Luz appears in Matt's office again, this time saying that the second Mrs. Cobbett has disappeared too. Matt does the wise thing - he tells Luz to stay away from Cobbett's place and mind his own business AND he decides to ride out to Jim's place and see exactly what is going on. When he gets there he finds a distraught and somewhat traumatized Cobbett with quite a tale to tell. What is that tale? Is it even true? Watch and find out.

This episode deals in a very 50s sanitized TV kind of way with rape, how women often feel it is a fate worse than death, how men often feel responsible for the outcome of their marriages and the protection of their wives regardless of circumstances, and how Matt has to make a decision on Cobbett's character with absolutely nothing to go on but his own past observations and the reputation of the man's character. Definitely worth your time.

 

[danielpalos]

Ok, I give up. What was the season 3 episode 11 about?

"Gunsmoke" Fingered (TV Episode 1957) ⭐ 7.6 | Western

30m | TV-G

www.imdb.com

 

[Flopper]

... and this odd episode of Gunsmoke shows that was particularly true for one guy.

John Larch plays Jim Cobbett, a pretty well liked 40ish homesteader with a nice spread living outside of Dodge. However, Hank Luz is spreading rumors that Cobbett killed his first wife - she disappeared without a trace - and now he is getting ready to marry a second time. Luz has a grudge against Cobbett because Cobbett legally claimed a piece of land with water on it before Luz could. Matt doesn't believe the rumors, and he and Chester attend the nuptials for Cobbett and the bride, who knew Jim back east and has, up to now, always lived back east.

Shortly thereafter, Luz appears in Matt's office again, this time saying that the second Mrs. Cobbett has disappeared too. Matt does the wise thing - he tells Luz to stay away from Cobbett's place and mind his own business AND he decides to ride out to Jim's place and see exactly what is going on. When he gets there he finds a distraught and somewhat traumatized Cobbett with quite a tale to tell. What is that tale? Is it even true? Watch and find out.

This episode deals in a very 50s sanitized TV kind of way with rape, how women often feel it is a fate worse than death, how men often feel responsible for the outcome of their marriages and the protection of their wives regardless of circumstances, and how Matt has to make a decision on Cobbett's character with absolutely nothing to go on but his own past observations and the reputation of the man's character. Definitely worth your time.

I have vague recollection of it.

There are quite a few episodes with stories you would expect to see in a old western of that time period. John Dehner played in 12 Gunsmoke episode, all of which were very good. Between 1955 and 1968, he portrayed a diverse cast of characters, such as a psychotic gunman in the episode "Crack Up", a pathetic town drunk in "The Bottle", a distraught, lonely widower who marries an Indian and must deal with the anger of his only son from that decision in "The Squaw", a dejected and childless farmer in "Caleb", a brain-damaged freight operator who undergoes a drastic personality change in "Ash", bar owner Kitty Russell’s long, lost father in “Daddy-O” and a timid resident of Dodge City who gains fleeting celebrity after killing an outlaw in the episode "The Pariah".

​

 

[Flopper]

... and this odd episode of Gunsmoke shows that was particularly true for one guy.

John Larch plays Jim Cobbett, a pretty well liked 40ish homesteader with a nice spread living outside of Dodge. However, Hank Luz is spreading rumors that Cobbett killed his first wife - she disappeared without a trace - and now he is getting ready to marry a second time. Luz has a grudge against Cobbett because Cobbett legally claimed a piece of land with water on it before Luz could. Matt doesn't believe the rumors, and he and Chester attend the nuptials for Cobbett and the bride, who knew Jim back east and has, up to now, always lived back east.

Shortly thereafter, Luz appears in Matt's office again, this time saying that the second Mrs. Cobbett has disappeared too. Matt does the wise thing - he tells Luz to stay away from Cobbett's place and mind his own business AND he decides to ride out to Jim's place and see exactly what is going on. When he gets there he finds a distraught and somewhat traumatized Cobbett with quite a tale to tell. What is that tale? Is it even true? Watch and find out.

This episode deals in a very 50s sanitized TV kind of way with rape, how women often feel it is a fate worse than death, how men often feel responsible for the outcome of their marriages and the protection of their wives regardless of circumstances, and how Matt has to make a decision on Cobbett's character with absolutely nothing to go on but his own past observations and the reputation of the man's character. Definitely worth your time.

It's interesting how the show handles such taboos of the time period such as rape, incest, prostitution, racial discrimination, etc . Unlike the concept of Gunsmoke, the stories, and the message they carry are as real and timely today as were 50 years ago. IMHO, "Gunsmoke" became an American institution because it was moral. "It shows us good versus evil, and good triumphs in the end. But not always by itself. Sometimes the whole town had to rally and work together. It sounds kind of silly to say stuff like that these days, but wouldn't it be nice if we had more of that morality now?

 

[whitehall]

Soap operas on horseback. Never cared for the show but I could beat Matt Dillon to the draw in every episode.

 

[Flopper]

Soap operas on horseback. Never cared for the show but I could beat Matt Dillon to the draw in every episode.

I wouldn't call it a soap opera because a soap opera deals with family and their problems and is usually a continuing story. Gunsmoke is simply a dramatic series that offers a different story with each episode. About half the episodes feature a guest who stars in the story with Matt, Kitty, and Doc playing subsidiary roll.

Before ‘Gunsmoke, we had Roy Rogers and Gene Autry , the singing cowboy. Those stories weren’t based on real relationships or stories that really dealt with problems of real people and real interesting characters. In the 50's when Gunsmoke came on scene it was something totally different. Unlike previous westerns, Gunsmoke episodes often had unhappy ending, the farmer who does everything right and loses every thing, the good kid who kills a man by mistake ends up in jail, saves Matt's life but still hangs.

 

[themirrorthief]

One of the most iconic Western series ever. It's the longest running western series and one of the longest running dramatic series (1955-1975). I've see all 635 episodes some years ago and they are still running them on TV. IMHO, what makes the series so popular is it's characters, Matt, Doc, and Kitty, all of which have won multiple Emmys. The list of guest stars is amazing. Although some of screenplays are rather dull, some are amazing.

View attachment 528657​

i watched recently and the guests were warren oates harry dean stanton and jack elam wow

 

[monkrules]

My father loved that show. He watched it religiously.

I believe it’s currently running on one of the minor OTA networks like MeTV, GetTV, or Grit.

It's on every day on MeTV. I love the show and watch as often as I can. I wish they'd run episodes all day long, once a week, as they do with Law and Order and Blue Bloods.

My favorite characters are Kitty, Doc, and the little guy who plays the town drunk. I think his character's name is Louie.

There were episodes featuring Jeanette Nolan that ran for a couple of days. She played a good hearted, sort of nutty old lady. I thought she was brilliant in her portrayal of that character.

 

[Flopper]

It's on every day on MeTV. I love the show and watch as often as I can. I wish they'd run episodes all day long, once a week, as they do with Law and Order and Blue Bloods.

My favorite characters are Kitty, Doc, and the little guy who plays the town drunk. I think his character's name is Louie.

There were episodes featuring Jeanette Nolan that ran for a couple of days. She played a good hearted, sort of nutty old lady. I thought she was brilliant in her portrayal of that character.

While gunfights and other action adventures scenes are pure Hollywood, the characters and stores were not. The stories were about relationships and real life problems people faced in those days. Just as in real life the characters run the gauntlet from hard working everyday people to the eccentric. The first six seasons were half hour episodes, just vignette, not long enough to really involve the audience. Beginning with season 7 the show went to a hour black & white format for 4 years, going to color in season 12. IMHO, seasons 7 thru 11 were the best. They had better stories, better guest stars and the lead characters characters were well established in their roles. When the series when to color I believe the episodes lost much of their dramatic impact. It looked more like Bonzana and a half dozen other westerns. By the last season, Matt was showing his age and gut. Kitty, unlike the beautiful young proprietor of the Long Branch looked more like a worn out whorehouse madam and poor old doc missed half the last season due his failing heart.

 

[DudleySmith]

i watched recently and the guests were warren oates harry dean stanton and jack elam wow

All three of those guys were great actors, much better than most of the 'stars' they had to play second and third fiddles to.

 

[DudleySmith]

It's on every day on MeTV. I love the show and watch as often as I can. I wish they'd run episodes all day long, once a week, as they do with Law and Order and Blue Bloods.

My favorite characters are Kitty, Doc, and the little guy who plays the town drunk. I think his character's name is Louie.

There were episodes featuring Jeanette Nolan that ran for a couple of days. She played a good hearted, sort of nutty old lady. I thought she was brilliant in her portrayal of that character.

We have a couple of local channels that run it and lots of other shows all day long one day of the week, dozens in a row. Also the Rifleman, Rawhide, Maverick, The Virginian, Death Valley Days, Laramie, Bonanza, and several others. You get to see a lot of actors as guest stars on them. The last couple of months one channel has been running a lot of Randolph Scott movies, and he made a zillion of them. One of the Ion channels, and a couple in the 50's, 51 and 52 and 55, I think run a lot of series during the day, and part of the Ion group of 6o's channels that run Bluebloods all day Wednesday's and Chicago PD Thursdays and Law And Orders Saturdays. 68-3 is the all westerns channel, Bluebloods and the rest are usually on 68-1. 68-2 is the black channel, mostly gangster thug crap and pity party rubbish, about the probems of halfwits on da meen streetz n stuff.

 

[toobfreak]

One of the most iconic Western series ever. It's the longest running western series and one of the longest running dramatic series (1955-1975). I've see all 635 episodes some years ago and they are still running them on TV. IMHO, what makes the series so popular is it's characters, Matt, Doc, and Kitty, all of which have won multiple Emmys. The list of guest stars is amazing. Although some of screenplays are rather dull, some are amazing.

Gunsmoke had its moments and a lot of good episodes but ran past its prime largely on momentum. But it looked real good on those early color TV sets of the late 60s and early 70s. Still, I remember being saddened upon hearing of its cancellation. But as far as westerns go, overall, I liked The Big Valley better and even Kung-Fu. Being a guest on Gunsmoke often was a career making event like Johnny Carson, and Gunsmoke was a cinematic event unparalleled by and never to be repeated again in television.

 

[DudleySmith]

Gunsmoke had its moments and a lot of good episodes but ran past its prime largely on momentum. But it looked real good on those early color TV sets of the late 60s and early 70s. Still, I remember being saddened upon hearing of its cancellation. But as far as westerns go, overall, I liked The Big Valley better and even Kung-Fu. Being a guest on Gunsmoke often was a career making event like Johnny Carson, and Gunsmoke was a cinematic event unparalleled by and never to be repeated again in television.

It was a half hour black and white to start with, then went a full hour and color. I think the quality of the writing went downhill with the hour show, since most of the good topics had already been done in the half hour show, which made the hour one kind of repetitive, at least for the older audience.

 

[Flopper]

Gunsmoke had its moments and a lot of good episodes but ran past its prime largely on momentum. But it looked real good on those early color TV sets of the late 60s and early 70s. Still, I remember being saddened upon hearing of its cancellation. But as far as westerns go, overall, I liked The Big Valley better and even Kung-Fu. Being a guest on Gunsmoke often was a career making event like Johnny Carson, and Gunsmoke was a cinematic event unparalleled by and never to be repeated again in television.

All good things come to an end. Matt got fat and rich. Kitty, got old, looking like a worn out barroom drunk, and poor Doc's ticker gave way forcing him to miss most of the last season. I prefer to remember them in their early episodes, when the stories were more interesting, the characters were more fresh, and my Dad would come into the kitchen saying, "It's time for Gunsmoke".

 

[toobfreak]

All good things come to an end. Matt got fat and rich. Kitty, got old, looking like a worn out barroom drunk, and poor Doc's ticker gave way forcing him to miss most of the last season. I prefer to remember them in their early episodes, when the stories were more interesting, the characters were more fresh, and my Dad would come into the kitchen saying, "It's time for Gunsmoke".

I just caught a Gunsmoke episode earlier, clicking through the channels. It was a pretty early color one I think. The guests were Jack Elam (had the funny eye) and Slim Pickins. Good ol' Slim.