James Arness Movies
American actor James Arness had an unremarkable Minneapolis childhood, but his wartime experiences shattered that normality - literally. During the battle of Anzio, Arness' right leg was peppered with machine gun bullets, and when the bones were set they didn't mend properly, leaving him with a slight but permanent limp. The trauma of the experience mellowed into aimlessness after the war. Arness became a "beach bum," lived out of his car, and worked intermittently as a salesman and carpenter. Acting was treated equally lackadaisically, but by 1947 Arness had managed to break into Hollywood on the basis of his rugged good looks and his 6'6" frame. Few of his screen roles were memorable, though one has become an object of cult worship: Arness was cast as the menacingly glowing space alien, described by one character as "an intellectual carrot," in The Thing (1951). For a time it looked as though Arness would continue to flounder in supporting roles, while his younger brother, actor Peter Graves, seemed destined for stardom. John Wayne took a liking to Arness when the latter was cast in Wayne's Big Jim McLain (1953). Wayne took it upon himself to line up work for Arness, becoming one of the withdrawn young actor's few friends. In 1955, Wayne was offered the role of Matt Dillon in the TV version of the popular radio series Gunsmoke. Wayne turned it down but recommended that Arness be cast and even went so far as to introduce him to the nation's viewers in a specially filmed prologue to the first Gunsmoke episode. Truth be told, Arness wasn't any keener than Wayne to be tied down to a weekly series, and as each season ended he'd make noises indicating he planned to leave. This game went on for each of the 20 seasons that Gunsmoke was on the air, the annual result being a bigger salary for Arness, more creative control over the program (it was being produced by his own company within a few years) and a sizeable chunk of the profits and residuals. When Gunsmoke finally left the air in 1975, Arness was the only one of the original four principals (including Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone and Dennis Weaver) still appearing on the series. Arness made plans to take it easy after his two-decade Gunsmoke hitch, but was lured back to the tube for a one-shot TV movie, The Macahans (1976). This evolved into the six-hour miniseries How the West Was Won (1977) which in turn led to a single-season weekly series in 1978. All these incarnations starred Arness, back in the saddle as Zeb Macahan. The actor tried to alter his sagebrush image in a 1981 modern-day cop series, McClain's Law -- which being set in the southwest permitted Arness to ride a horse or two. It appeared, however that James Arness would always be Matt Dillon in the hearts and minds of fans, thus Arness obliged his still-faithful public with three Gunsmoke TV movies, the last one (Gunsmoke: The Last Apache) released in 1992. In between these assignments, James Arness starred in a 1988 TV-movie remake of the 1948 western film classic Red River, in which he filled the role previously played by his friend and mentor John Wayne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
This made-for-TV movie, one of a series that brought back James Arness in the role of Marshall Matt Dillon from the long-running TV Western serial Gunsmoke, finds Dillon on the trail of an angry young man whose mother was killed during a robbery of a stagecoach. The boy has sworn vengeance against the men who murdered his mother, but Dillon is determined to see the bandits brought to trial -- and to prevent the headstrong young man from being killed by the bloodthirsty gunmen. As Dillon hits the trail, he's joined by a stranger named David Healy (Bruce Boxleitner), whose eagerness to help doesn't quite disguise the fact that he has a secret agenda of his own. Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice, the fifth and final movie in the revived Gunsmoke series, was first aired on February 10, 1994. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Bruce Boxleitner, (more)
When retired lawman Matt Dillon takes off hunting for some stolen cattle, he and his daughter discover a vigilante gang and get involved in one of the bloodiest and most deadly feuds in the history of the West. Gunsmoke fans will not be disappointed by this James Arness outing. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Pat Hingle, (more)
- 1992
James Arness made his first appearance as Marshal Matt Dillon in eight years in the 1993 TV movie Gunsmoke: The Long Ride. Inasmuch as Amanda Blake (Kitty) and Milburn Stone (Doc) had passed on, and Dennis Weaver was disinclined to revive the role of Chester, big Jim pretty much goes it alone in this one. The plot is set in motion by a trio of murderous robbers. Matt Dillon chases after the threesome, while he in turn is being chased by a posse who thinks that Matt is the gang's boss. Featured in the cast are James Brolin as a helpful frontiersmen, and Ali McGraw as "Uncle" Jane Merkel (we're not about to explain that one). Gunsmoke: The Long Ride was originally telecast May 8, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, James Brolin, (more)
Matt Dillon is the only one available from the series in this movie. This time he discovers that he has a daughter he never even knew that he had. Unfortunately, however, she has been kidnapped by some renegade Apaches. Needless to say, the now retired Marshall Dillon comes out of retirement to go to her rescue. Surprisingly respectful and thoughtful with regards to Native American relations. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Richard Kiley, (more)
- 1988
Inasmuch as Gunsmoke star James Arness was the protégé of movie luminary John Wayne, it is altogether fitting and proper that Arness step into Wayne's role in the 1988 TV-movie remake of the film classic Red River (1948). The remake follows the original slavishly, at least during the first half. Taciturn, no-nonsense trail boss Arness, in charge of a major cattle drive, runs roughshod over his hired hands. The trail boss' adopted son (Bruce Boxleitner playing the role essayed by Montgomery Clift in the original) finally rebels against the old man's tyranny and signs on with a rival outfit. Gregory Harrison, who also co-produced the film, co-stars as the hot-headed character played by John Ireland back in 1948. Incredibly, Arness is largely absent in the closing scene of the TV version of Red River (1988), thereby weakening the story's fabled showdown denouncement. The film pales in comparison to the original, though TV fans will find compensation in the presence of several former western-series stars (Guy Madison, Ty Hardin, Robert Horton, John Lupton) in supporting roles. Red River (1988) first rode over the TV horizon on April 10, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
James Arness returns to the role of US marshal Matt Dillon after a twelve-year absence in the made-for-TV Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge. Amanda Blake is also back as Miss Kitty, "hostess" of Dodge City's Long Branch saloon. The plot involves Dillon's reunion with Kitty in a Dodge City festooned with bad guys, chief among them a plugugly named Mannon (Steve Forrest), who has sworn to kill Matt. For those who weren't around for the original Gunsmoke TV series (which ran from 1955 through 1975), this film provides us with several clips from the old series, presented as flashbacks. Vincent McEveety, director of many an old Gunsmoke installment, calls the shots on this reunion special. Filmed not in the wilds of Kansas but in Alberta, Canada, Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge premiered on September 26, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1987
The valor and anguish of the Alamo is resurrected in this '80s effort that features a considerably accomplished cast. Brian Keith plays Davy Crockett and James Arness is Jim Bowie who, although at odds at times with his leader Colonel William Travis (Alec Baldwin), is able to focus upon the battle against the Mexican soldiers. Highlights of this film are the battle action scenes. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1976
The Macahans is a two-hour TV movie utilizing characters originally created for the 1962 Cinerama extravaganza How the West Was Won. In his first post-Gunsmoke project, Zeb Macahan stars as frontiersman Zeb Macahan, who in the early 1860s returns to Virginia to visit his family. It takes only the slightest encouragement for Zeb's brother (Richard Kiley) to agree to bring his family along with Zeb on another westward trek. Eva Marie Saint, the brother's wife, isn't keen on leaving her cozy Southern household, but neither is she anxious to be in Virginia when the Civil War breaks out. Narrated by William Conrad (who had coincidentally starred on the radio version of Gunsmoke) and jam packed with action, The Macahans served as the pilot for the subsequent James Arness TV series How the West Was Won, which ran from 1978 to 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
The record-breaking 20th season of Gunsmoke also proved to be the series' last stand--not because it had lost its huge fan base (the series still managed to rank among the 30 highest-rated series for the 1974-75 season) but because, after two decades, James Arness had decided to move beyond his familiar role of Matt Dillon, US Marshall of Dodge City, Kansas. Of the six main characters, only Arness and Milburn Stone had been with the show from the get-go; Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen was a comparative newcomer, having joined the cast during Season Eight, while Buck Taylor as Newly O'Brien was practically a babe in the woods, with a mere eight seasons to his credit. Wait, we said six regulars, and that's only five. What of Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russell, owner of the Long Branch Saloon, a role she too had been essaying since 1955. Well, actress Blake had opted to call it quits at the end of Season 19, after nearly six hundred episodes of warning her erstwhile sweetheart Matt Dillon to "be careful". Rather than hire a Kitty lookalike as Blake's replacement, the produced chose an older, less glamorous but no less talented performer as the new owner of the Long Branch: Fran Ryan, cast as "Miss Hannah". This cast change aside, life went on as usual in Dodge, with stalwart Marshal Dillon keeping a tight rein on his jurisdiction and making sure that outlaws, drunks, bullies, rapists and other riffraff would not remain in town for long (though he no longer shot down an unidentified miscreant in the middle of main street, as he'd done in the opening sequence of the earlier episodes: That particular sequence had long since been replaced by an "action" shot of Matt Dillon riding his horse on the open Kansas prairie). The 635th and final episode, "The Sharecroppers", was a low-key comic exercise emphasizing Festus, in no way suggesting that a two-decade era was about to come to an abrupt end. In point of fact, it hadn't ended--at least not for James Arness, who would star in half a dozen feature-length Gunsmoke specials produced between 1987 and 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Milburn Stone, (more)
- 1973
That Gunsmoke was the longest-running dramatic series in TV history was common knowledge by the time the program entered its nineteenth season in the fall of 1973. What few could have predicted that year was Gunsmoke's unassailable popularity despite its age, as proven by the fact that it would rank as the season's 15th highest-rated program, outranking such favorites as Good Times, Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco and The Carol Burnett Show. Fewer still could possibly imagine that this would be the final season for one of the series' three original stars. No, James Arness hadn't hung up his guns in the role of Marshal Matt Dillon, despite his yearly song-and-dance about retiring, which was generally staged in order to secure a better financial deal from CBS. Nor was Milburn Stone preparing to take down his shingle as Doc Adams, even though he had not entirely recovered from the heart attack that had briefly sidelined him in 1971. It was Amanda Blake,who since the show's inception in 1955 had brought her unique combination of ethereal beauty and earthy practicality to the role of golden-hearted saloon owner Kitty Russell, who was preparing to make her exit. Nothing was said about Kitty's imminent departure in Blake's final regular Gunsmoke episode "Disciple"; in fact, it would not be until the made-for-TV movie sequel Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge in 1987 that we found out Kitty had left Dodge to start life anew in New Orleans. (Ironically, "Disciple" was written in such a manner to suggest that it was actually James Arness' swan song--which of course proved not to be the case!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1972
With the cancellation of Bonanza in December of 1972, Gunsmoke remained standing as the last of the "golden age" TV westerns as it entered its record-breaking eighteenth season on the air. Heading the cast just as they had way back when the show got under way in 1955 are James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Milburn Stone (back from a brief respite while recovering from a heart attack) as Doc Adams. Also, Buck Taylor returns for his sixth season in the role of gunsmith Newly O'Brien, just as Ken Curtis is back for his ELEVENTH season as deputy Festus Haggen. If nothing else, Gunsmoke certainly afforded job security to actors! The season begins with one of the series' rare two-parters, "The River", a showcase for star James Arness as Matt is ambushed, left to drown in a raging river, and rescued by a brace of "raft" kids. Figuring prominently in the proceedings are several reliable character actors, among them Jack Elam and Slim Pickens. Subsequent episodes would provide ample acting opportunity for such familiar players as Richard Kiley, Mariette Hartley, Victor French, Anne Francis, Vic Tayback, Harry Morgan, Alan Hale Jr., Diana Hyland, Margaret Hamilton, William Devane and a young, pre-stardom Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss! By season's end, it was clear as crystal that Gunsmoke had not yet worn out its welcome: The series closed out its eighteenth season as America's fourth highest-rated TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1971
Seventeen seasons and 540 episodes since it burst on the TV scene as the first truly "adult" western back in 1955, Gunsmoke returned with 24 all-new episodes in the fall of 1971. Amazingly, two of the original regulars are still on tap: James Arness as US Marshal Matt Dillon of Dodge City, and Amanda Blake as golden-hearted saloon owner Miss Kitty Russell; also, Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen and Buck Taylor as Newly O'Brien are back in the saddle, having been with the series for ten and five seasons, respectively. Conspicuous by his absence for during the first few months of Season Seventeen is Milburn Stone as cantankerous Doc Adams. Having suffered a heart attack, Stone went on a brief hiatus, replaced in seven consecutive episodes by Pat Hingle as Dr. John Chapman, who makes his first appearance in the appropriately titled episode "New Doctor in Town (it was explained that Doc had to go to Baltimore to "update" his medical skills). Stone returned in the season's 12th installment "Gold Train", Part One of the only three-part story in Gunsmoke history. Nor is Pat Hingle the only prominent actor to make a guest appearance this season. Others include Mercedes McCambridge, Ellen Burstyn, Jan-Michael Vincent, Richard Kiley, Pippa Scott, Buddy Ebsen, Harry Carey Jr., Henry Jones, and Jeanette Nolan, in a reprise of her colorful "Dirty Sally" characterization. Gunsmoke closed out its record-breaking seventeenth season as the fourth highest-rated TV series in America--beating out even its NBC competition, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1970
Having twice "cheated the hangman" by eluding CBS' efforts to cancel the series, the venerable western Gunsmoke was still safely imbedded in its by-now-familiar Monday evening slot for a sixteenth season--the longest-running dramatic series in TV history, with no end in sight! Still in harness after all those years were three of the series' original regulars: James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Milburn Stone as Doc Adams. Likewise in attendance were two relative newcomers, no less popular: Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen and Buck Taylor as Newly O'Brien. Among the guest actors passing through Dodge this season are Ricardo Montalban, Suzanne Pleshette, Vera Miles, Loretta Swit, L.Q. Jones, Annette O'Toole, Anthony Zerbe, Forrest Tucker and David Carradine. Perhaps the most interesting episode of the season is "Captain Sligo", which was directed by William Conrad, the actor who originated the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in the original radio version of Gunsmoke. A close second in the "most interesting" category is the two-part "Pike", in which Jeanette Nolan guest stars as a grizzled female desert rat named "Dirty Sally" Fergus, a recurring character who proved entertaining enough to be spun off into her own series, Dirty Sally, in January of 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1969
Rescued from cancellation when it was moved from Saturdays to Mondays during its thirteen season, the venerable TV western Gunsmoke continued to steadily climb in the ratings throughout the next two years, and by the time Season Fifteen rolled around the series was the second most popular TV program in America, beaten out only by its Monday-night competition Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. There are three essential elements keeping Gunsmoke afloat in its fifteenth year on the air: The consistent excellence of the scripts, the brilliantly chosen supporting players, and of course the irresistible chemistry amongst its leading players. James Arness (Matt Dillon), Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) and Milburn Stone (Doc) had been with the show since its inception in 1955; Ken Curtis (Festus Haggen) was entering his eighth season with the series, and his sixth as a full-fledged costar; and Buck Taylor (Newly O'Brien) had registered so well during his two years on Gunsmoke that he was finally afforded billing in the opening credits this year. Incredibly, CBS was determined that the 15th season of Gunsmoke would be its last--not because of any falloff of viewership, but because it "skewed old" so far as sponsors were concerned. The network was in the process of "de-ruralizing" itself, and over the next two years would drop such longtime favorites as The Beverly Hillbillies and The Ed Sullivan Show in order to clear the way for hipper, "younger" shows that would appeal to a more urban audience. As it turned out, however, Gunsmoke would be spared the axe by a widespread grass-roots campaign to keep the show on the air--a movement that went all the way to Washington DC, with a statement bemoaning the series' imminent demise entered into the Congressional Record! Needless to say, when the fans spoke, CBS listened, and Gunsmoke was at the very last moment renewed for a 16th season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1968
Despite stiff competition from NBC's top-rated Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, the venerable CBS western Gunsmoke continued to flourish in its (relatively) new Monday-night timeslot during its 14th season on the air, finishing the year as America's sixth most popular TV program, with a 24.9 ratings share. Still at peak form were the series' veteran stars James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen, with relative newcomer Buck Taylor no less impressive in the role of garrulous gunsmith Newly O'Brien. Also, though the program had started way back in the censor-ridden 1950s, Gunsmoke had admirably grown and matured with changing times, offering hard-hitting episodes about racial prejudice, sexual harrassment, child abuse, alcoholism and other social ills that were just as timely in Dodge City of the 1870s as they were in the United States of the late 1960s. Among the talented actors appearing in guest roles in the 26 episodes comprising Season Fourteen are future Dallas patriarch Jim Davis, octogenarian character man Burt Mustin (playing a man even older than himself!), John Ford "regular" Harry Carey Jr., longtime Michael Landon costar and associate Victor French, soon-to-be Police Squad stalwart Leslie Nielsen, and the ubiquitous Bruce Dern, who seems to have appeared in every TV western ever made except for The Cisco Kid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1967
Rescued from cancellation by an eleventh-hour decision from CBS president William Paley, Gunsmoke entered its 13th season in a brand-new timeslot: Monday evenings at 7:30 PM, rather than Saturdays at 10. It was felt that an earlier slot would attract younger fans and stronger sponsors; and besides, the only real competition at that time was NBC's The Man From UNCLE, which was dying on the vine in its fourth and final season. However, NBC pulled a fast one by cancelling UNCLE in January of 1968 and replacing it with Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, which turned out to be the "hottest" show of the year. Even so, Paley's instincts were right on target: Despite Laugh-In's spectacular ratings ascendancy, Gunsmoke performed better than it had in years, ending the season as network television's fourth most popular series. Nor was it only the timeshift that brought Gunsmoke back from the dead. With the dismissal of producer Philip Leacock, whose executive decisions had met with wide disfavor not only with the series' fans but also with its four main stars, Gunsmoke became the creative responsibility of John Mantley, who'd been on the producing staff since 1965. Quickly, Mantley repaired much of the damage incurred during the past few seasons by hiring writers who were simpatico with the established Gunsmoke format in particular and the "adult western" genre in general, and paring down the use of celebrity guest stars who, in the past, had only been sporadically effective within the show's framework. Also, Mantley managed to hire one of the series' most welcome cast additions: Buck Taylor as Dodge City's new gunsmith Newly O'Brien, a man of infinite resourcefulness--as he proved in his debut episode "The Plunderers", in which he used his wits to save both himself and Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) from a dangerous pack of bandits--and unlimited charm. Although actor Taylor (the son of veteran western sidekick Dub Taylor) had appeared only once before on Gunsmoke in a villainous role, he adapted to the series like a fish to water, more than holding his own with veteran series stars James Arness (Marshal Matt Dillon), Milburn Stone (Doc Adams), Ken Curtis (Festus Haggen) and the aforementioned Amanda Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1966
Beginning with its 12th season, Gunsmoke switched from black-and-white to color, one of the last major network series to do so. This necessitated the reshooting of the series' familiar opening sequence, in which Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) outdraws an unidentified desperado on the deserted main street of Dodge City. Happily, the sequence was moved back outdoors, where it belonged: During the past several seasons, the "showdown" opening had been staged in a painfully phony studio "exterior". Also,the addition of color rather surprisingly enhanced rather than detracted from the naturalistic "look" of the four main players, James Arness, Amanda Blake (as Miss Kitty), Milburn Stone (as Doc) and Ken Curtis (as Festus). Unfortunately, for the most part the series was still weighed down by the phlegmatic writing that had plagued season eleven; of the 29 new episodes this season, only a handful (notably the two-part season finale "Nitro!") are truly memorable. Conversely, the season's guest-star roster is much stronger than in the previous year. Among the talented players making one-shot appearances are such up-and-coming youngsters as Bruce Dern (and his then-wife Diane Ladd), Jon Voight, Tom Skerritt) and Zalman King, and such veterans as Carroll O'Connor, Fritz Weaver and Alan Hale Jr.. And in the episode "The Jailer", the great Bette Davis etches an searing portrait of an embittered woman who lives only for revenge. With the western format in the doldrums on network television, and with Gunsmoke's ratings lower than ever, the decision was made to cancel the series at the end of season 12. But at the very last moment, CBS president William Paley decided to give the venerable property a new lease on life--and in a brand-new timeslot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1965
By the time Gunsmoke entered its record-breaking eleventh season in the fall of 1965, the series had past beyond the realm of ordinary western and into the lofty heights of American institution. Unfortunately, its ratings were not quite so lofty: The series had long ago relinquished the Number One slot to rival western Bonanza, and had dropped to 30th place, just belong the juvenile adventure series Flipper. Blame for this cannot be laid at the feet of its ever-reliable leading players, James Arness (Matt Dillon), Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty), or Milburn Stone (Doc Adams), nor the newest member of the regular cast, Ken Curtis as erstwhile deputy Festus Haggen. Rather, the series' drop in viewership and quality was most likely the result of new producer Philip Leacock's habit of hiring writers who seemed either uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the established Gunsmoke formula, and with his over-reliance upon celebrity guest stars. Some of these players, notably Forrest Tucker, John Saxon, Michael Ansara, James Gregory, Darren McGavin, Lee Van Cleef and James Whitmore, adapted quite well to their surroundings; others (and why mention names?) did not. This season marks the first time that all four of the main Gunsmoke actors are billed in the opening credits, rather than just James Arness. Also, the design of the closing titles was altered, replacing the standard line art of the Dodge City skyline with photographs of the various artifacts found in Matt Dillon's office--including that old, battered coffeepot. Finally, in an ongoing effort to provide the series with a tall, good-looking male supporting character (Burt Reynolds had long since left the series), Roger Ewing was cast as Thad Greenwood, a gangly townsman who occasionally aided Matt and Festus in tracking down miscreants. Unfortunately, Ewing's character was uncompelling and vaguely defined, and by the end of Season Eleven he was gone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1964
The fact that Gunsmoke is able to enter its 10th season despite ever-descending ratings is a tribute not only to the series' solid story and production values but also its most fervent fans. Had it been any other series, Gunsmoke would have ground to a halt as the result of its many artistic setbacks during its tenth year on the air. For one thing, the series lost its longtime producer and spiritual guide Norman McDonnell, who had grown weary of battling over story content and dialogue with star James Arness, who for all intents and purposes now "owned" the Gunsmoke franchise. McDonnell's replacement was British-born Philip Leacock, who at first seemed to have a strong grip on the series' established formula, but who within a year would compromise Gunsmoke's austerity and realism with an influx of writers unfamiliar with the western format--not to mention a plethora of "celebrity" guest stars who were hired more for name value than their appropriateness to the series. The first inkling of this trend occurred during the first weeks of Season Ten, when Leacock dreamed up a publicity stunt whereby local TV personalities from the various CBS affiliates throughout the land would appear in minor roles on Gunsmoke; for example, Chicago talk-show hostess Lee Philips showed up as a frightened stagecoach passenger, while Milwaukee kiddie-show emcee Tommy Richards was seen as a big-time gambler. These appearances, though amusing, invariably smacked of gimmickry, something Gunsmoke had never been guilty of in the past. By the time Gunsmoke reached the end of its tenth season, producer Leacock would have gone far beyond local TV personalities and provided guest roles for the likes of Jean Arthur and Betty Hutton--talented ladies admittedly, but rather out of place in Dodge City. Also, Dennis Weaver,aka the loyal lovable deputy marshal Chester Good, had left the series, never to return. The producers still hadn't hit upon a suitable replacement for Chester, despite trying out Burt Reynolds in the role of halfbreed blacksmith Quint Asper and Ken Curtis as mercurial hillbilly Festus Haggen. Fortunately, Curtis firmly cemented his position on the series with the mid-season episode "Deputy Festus", and would remain with Gunsmoke until its final episode ten years later. For Reynolds, however, Season Ten was the end of the line: he was clearly far more comfortable as a leading man than as a supporting player, and within seven years he would ascend to the top of his profession in theatrical features. Happily, James Arness, Amanda Blake and Milburn Stone were still in fine fettle in their respective roles as Matt Dillon, Miss Kitty and Doc Adams. And, of course, Gunsmoke benefited from a steady stream of reliable supporting players, among them George Kennedy, Denver Pyle, Jack Elam, Mariette Hartley, Claude Akins, Jeanette Nolan, Hal Needham and Forrest Tucker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1963
Entering its ninth season on CBS, Gunsmoke has already made history as the first TV western series to surpass 300 episodes, and one of the few programs of any kind to rate as America's Number One series for four consecutive years. However, since expanding from 30 to 60 minutes two seasons back, and because of heavy competition from NBC's Saturday Night at the Movies, the series has been steadily bleeding viewers, and has dropped to 20th place in the overall ratings. Too, longtime Gunsmoke fans are upset by the defection of one of the series' most popular characters: Although James Arness, Amanda Blake and Milburn Stone are still around and about as, respectively, marshall Matt Dillon, Kitty Russell and Doc Stone, Dennis Weaver has made a firm commitment to forsake his familiar role as Matt's deputy Chester in favor of his own starring series, which will debut in the fall of 1964 under the title Kentucky Jones. In preparation for Weaver's inevitable exit, the series' producers have latched upon two potential "Chester" replacements: Muscular half-breed blacksmith Quint Asper, played by a pre-stardom Burt Reynolds, and skuzzy hillbilly Festus Haggen, played by Ken Curtis. While Reynolds is committed to the role of Quint, Curtis hasn't quite settled down as Festus: In fact, he appears in an entirely different role in the ninth-season episode "Lover Boy." Gradually, however, the actor and Festus fuse as one in the eyes of the viewers, and it is clear that, somewhere down the line, Marshall Dillon will have a deputy who prefers to call him "Matth-yoo" rather than "Muster Dillon." Among the well-known actors appearing in guest roles during Gunsmoke's ninth season are Sheree North, George Kennedy L.Q. Jones, George Lindsey (aka "Goober" on The Andy Griffth Show) and Strother Martin. This season also boasts the series' first two-part episode, Extradition, in which Matt Dillon heads South of the Border to catch an elusive murderer, only to butt heads with an enigmatic Mexican lawman played by Gilbert Roland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1962
The decision to expand Gunsmoke from 30 to 60 minutes during its seventh season may have made sense insofar as offering more in-depth storytelling and providing a larger forum for potential sponsors, but it didn't do much for the series' ratings. After riding high as America's top-rated series for four consecutive years, Gunsmoke dropped to third place during Season Seven, then plummeted to tenth place in Season Eight. In all fairness, however, this may have had less to do with the series' quality than its stiff NBC competition, Saturday Night at the Movies, as well as an overall flagging of audience interest in TV westerns (in 1960, nine westerns were listed among the Top Thirty programs; that number had dropped to five by 1962). That said, the series' eighth season still boasted the top-flight production and story values that had won the hearts and minds of viewers way back when Gunsmoke started in 1955. And if anything, stars James Arness (Matt Dillon), Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty), Milburn Stone (Doc) and Dennis Weaver (Chester) were delivering better and more realistic performances than ever. In fact, Dennis Weaver had decided that he had gotten all out of his Gunsmoke role than he would ever get, and had opted to leave the series, in hopes of landing a starring vehicle of his own. Although Chester was not entirely absent from the eighth season, he was nowhere to be found for the most part, obliging the writers to offer up a brace of potential replacments for the popular supporting character. The episode "Quint Asper Comes Home" introduces a young Burt Reynolds as the title character, a half-breed who has returned to Dodge to bury his murdered white father and to escort his Comanche mother back to her tribe. Although rampant prejudice and bigotry has turned Quint against the white race, he changes his mind by episode's end and set up a blacksmith shop in Dodge. In later episodes, Quint will assist his friend Matt Dillon in tracking down various miscreants, never officially deputized by always on call if he's needed. Burt Reynolds will remain with Gunsmoke on a recurring basis throughout the next three seasons. And in "Us Haggens", Ken Curtis, a popular singing cowboy and John Ford regular, is introduced in the role of Festus Haggen, a scraggly hillbilly who hails from a family of scoundrels, thieves and murderers--but who, adhering to his own peculiar set of values and brand of loyalty, casts his lot with lawman Matt Dillon and agrees to "go straight" in Dodge. It would, however, be several years before Festus would matriculate to full deputy--and full costar--status. At any rate, it wasn't possible during Season Three, due to the frequent reappearances of Dennis Weaver. Of the season's 38 episodes, the most intriguing is "I Call Him Wonder", which was clearly designed as the pilot for a spinoff series headlining guest star Ron Hayes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1961
1961 was a year of transition for Gunsmoke. The radio version of the popular series, which had been running since 1952, was cancelled; the Prime Time TV version, which had adhered to the 30-minute format since its inception in 1955, expanded to a full hour; and Dennis Weaver, cast as Matt Dillon's drawling deputy sheriff Chester Good, had announced his intention to leave the show as soon as he was able to secure a suitable starring series of his own. The series' seventh season began with a newly-filmed version of the familiar Gunsmoke opening sequence, in which Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) outdraws an unidentified opponent on the deserted streets of Dodge City. This would be one of the few "exterior" glimpses of Dodge we'd see this year; to compensate for the extra cost of filming a 60-minute program each week, the series moved indoors for most of its shooting schedule, in a studio-fabricated facsimile of Matt's familiar stomping grounds. Too, the interior of the Long Branch Saloon, owned by Matt's great and good friend Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake), now boasted a brighter, cleaner "look", not to mention a new face behind the bar: Loyal bartender Sam, played by veteran movie heavy Glenn Strange (best known for his portrayal of the Frankenstein monster in several Universal horror epics of the 1940s!) One thing hadn't changed, however: The shabby office of Dodge City's venerable "sawbones" Doc Adams (Milburn Stone), who took full advantage of the new one-hour format to launch longer and more vitriolic verbal attacks against his "friendly enemy" Chester. The extended length of each episode also permitted the producers and writers to more fully flesh out the supporting characters and the various good and bad guys (and girls) who rode through Dodge on a weekly basis. Season Seven established the soon-to-be-familiar Gunsmoke pattern of spending several minutes establishing what seemed to be the main plotline, only to veer off in another direction entirely when unexpected events (usually violent in nature) dictated such a radical development. Too, the hour-long episodes contained far less of Matt Dillon than in previous seasons: Frequently he wouldn't show up until well into the story, and sometimes he'd barely appear at all until the end, when he'd rush in to solve the dilemma at hand with gun and fist. Although it wasn't well publicized at the time, star James Arness (who now owned a hefty percentage of the show) had worked out a contract whereby he'd only be required to work three days a week, explaining Dillon's increasingly conspicuous absences. As in previous season, the 34 episodes featured during Season Seven were an embarrassment of riches insofar as familiar character actors were concerned. Among those appearing this season are George Kennedy, Buddy Ebsen, Leonard Nimoy, Harry Dean Stanton, Lois Nettleton and Edgar Buchanan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1960
Having ridden high in the saddle as America's top-rated TV series for the past three years Gunsmoke managed to retain this lofty status as the series entered its Sixth season on the air--which was also its final season in the half-hour format. Thanks to the series' popularity, a major influx of westerns had been ushered onto the Big Three networks, with four other "oaters" being telecast on the same Saturday night in which Gunsmoke had been safely entrenched since 1955. In addition, no fewer than eight westerns were ranked in the Top 30 ratings during the 1960-61 season--including Rawhide, produced by Gunsmoke expatriate Charles Marquis Warren. Not only did Gunsmoke uphold the no-nonsense austerity that had distinguished its earlier seasons, but the four major actors--James Arness (Matt Dillon), Dennis Weaver (Chester), Amanda Blake (Kitty) and Milburn Stone (Doc) were delivering better and more realistic performances than ever before. Dennis Weaver in particular was benefiting from his Gunsmoke exposure by taking "outside" dramatic roles on such series as The Twilight Zone, and their were rumors circulating that he would soon leave the role of Chester to pursue a starring TV vehicle of his own. Among the prominent character actors appearing in the 38 Gunsmoke entries offered up during Season Six were George Kennedy (in the episodes "The Blacksmith", "Kitty Shot" and "Big Man"), John Dehner ("The Badge"), Denver Pyle ("The Wake), Harry Carey Jr. ("Bad Sheriff") and Strother Martin ("Tall Trapper"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
- 1959
Gunsmoke's fifth season on CBS marked the third consecutive year that the series ranked as America's top-rated television program. In fact, it was good year all around for TV westerns: Four of the "top ten" shows were shoot-em-ups, with seven additional westerns ranking in the overall Top Twenty. Adding to Gunsmoke's appeal was the seeming public accessibility of three of its four stars: Throught 1959 and 1960, Dennis Weaver (Chester), Amanda Blake (Kitty) and Milburn Stone (Doc) toured the state and county fair circuit with their own musical-comedy act, delightfully playing upon their established Gunsmoke personalities as well as astonishing their fans with their overall versatility. The antics of these three seasoned troupers more than compensated for the Garboesque behavior of series star James Arness, who seldom appeared in public on any occasion, and who virtually never gave out interviews. And when he did deign to speak to the press, it was generally to tell the reporters that he hated publicity and that they should mind their own business! Within the confines of Gunsmoke, however, Arness apparently had a lot to say: It was well known throughout the industry that he controlled virtually every aspect of the program, from choice of scripts to casting of supporting actors; and indeed, within a year the series would be officially designated as an "Arness Production." By the time Season Five rolled around, Gunsmoke was relying almost exclusive on original script material, as opposed to the standard practice of earlier seasons, wherein many of the episodes had been adapted from the long-running Gunsmoke radio series. Even so, the show's chief scriptwriter remained John Meston, who'd also been responsible for the bulk of the radio episodes. And while Gunsmoke still disdained the use of "celebrity" guest stars, the supporting casts this season remained topheavy with familiar character actors, among them John Carradine, Karl Swenson, John Anderson, Jack Elam, Elisha Cook Jr. and Allyn Joslyn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, Amanda Blake, (more)
