Gunsmoke or Bonanza...discuss

[movieman1957]

Anne:

I must have missed the first couple of minutes because I didn't see that. Described that way that has huge implications. Of course if she is still mad from learning it the night before the night before that sets it in a different light. I like your version better.

This morning we got to meet Festus. Interesting facts are that Festus had two brothers. One was a twin named Fergis. Pretty good story with Denver Pyle playing an uncle to Festus.

[JackFavell]

with Denver Pyle playing an uncle to Festus.

That sounds like perfect casting.

[mrsl]

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It is good casting but apparently, the way the show ended with Festus and the girl walking off together, giving the impression they are getting together, this show with Festus was a one time thing with no plan for Festus to return, let alone become a steady member of the cast. It's funny but when I saw photos or ads for the show, or bits and pieces as I would be channel surfing, I always thought I would prefer Chester to Festus, but I find myself missing Festus and his silly way of talking and his way of mooching breakfast and beers off of Doc, Matt and Kitty. Festus is sharp as a tack under all that grime and those back woods ways, but Chester really is dumb. He figures things out, but he doesn't realize he's gotten to the core of a subject or event. He goes through a whole diatribe of how a thing came about from the first idea to the end, and his next words are always: "I'll never understand." Which he really doesn't.
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[MissGoddess]

Right now is airing one of the later "Gunsmokes" (on TV Land) featuring two familiar film noir faces,
Marie Windsor and Mike Mazurki. That's what I love about these shows. And they have good
roles, too, just not big enough.

[stuart.uk]

If you haven't seen them, I highly recomend the Gunsmoke movies. I'll try and find a link. I found them better than the Bonanza movies of the same period, but then the former still had James Arness, but the latter had none of the original cast

Here's the link-One Man's Justice where Matt saves his daughter's life

[MissGoddess]

Thanks, Stuart. I've tried to watch the movies, but I didn't care for them I'm afraid.

[MikeBSG]

Denver Pyle apparently almost got the part of Matt Dillon. The producer and director of "Gunsmoke"'s first season, Charles Marquis Warren, told him he as good as had the part, "but the network wants me to interview this seven-foot freak."

(Jim Arness is about 6 feet, 7 inches.

At least Denver Pyle got to be a fairly frequent guest star on "Gunsmoke."

[mrsl]

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Mike bsg:

That's funny considering his first acting job was, I believe, the monster in The Thing (from another world), who got electrocuted. I always wonder if he and Peter are blood brothers because I barely see any resemblance between them, do you?
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[MikeBSG]

I think I see a resemblance between James Arness and Peter Graves if I ignore their hair and look at the nose and eyes part of their faces. When I heard they were brothers, it made sense to me, but I hadn't thought (before I heard that) "They must be brothers because they look so much alike."

[MissGoddess]

I always thought their voices sounded very alike, with Peter's diction being perhaps a slight degree more clipped.

[stuart.uk]

As far as I believe William Conrad played Dillon on radio, but wasn't considered for the tv role because of his large figure. He had the last laugh though, playing the the well built action hero in Cannon in the 70s when it was probably more acceptable to have large built actors playing the hero

[mrsl]

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This early mornings' Gunsmoke episode was quite a departure from the ordinary. MaryBeth Hartley ("I'm not James Garners wife, and Z window blinds), was a mid teen orphan that Matt promised to find and get off to an aunt in another town, but he was expecting a little 10 year old, and was faced with a lovely teenager instead who instantly developed a hero-worship for Matt, and calling him 'Dillon' while explaining that a hug was the best form of thanks. Watching his character squirm and try, in a nice way, to fight off her hugs cracked me up a few times and Doc and Miss Kitty were no help at all, to his injured pride, that is. it was like no other Gunsmoke episode I've seen yet. There have been others that had overtones of comedy and lightness, but this one was pure sweetness all the way through. Naturally, never having had schooling, MaryBeth spoke with terrible English, but that added to the charm of the show with her mistakes making more sense sometimes, than the proper phrase would have.

But . . . * * * SPOILER * * * at the very end when Matt finally got her on the stagecoach to go to her aunt, suddenly Kitty jumps on his back saying "I was a-missing you Dillon", and sent me onto the floor in laughter from the look on his face.
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[MissGoddess]

That's a cute one, Anne, I remember it well.

Tonight was one of my favorite "Gunsmokes"...it's called "The Dealer" and it features
Gary Clarke (from "The Virginian") and a little actress I really like, based only on a few
appearances I've seen her make in these western tv shows, Judi Meredith. Judi is the
daughter of a crooked faro dealer that Gary killed in self defense, and she's vowed to
get revenge. Complicating things is the fact Gary is dead smitten with her and determined
to make up to her for killing her Pa. Like the Mariette Hartley episode, it's a very sweet
and tender story, a wonderful love story really. I always cry at the end. The girl has such
expressive eyes. Kitty also has a funny line at the end, with Matt, who makes an odd sort
of cupid.

Anyway, I sure wish I knew it was on because that's one not yet on DVD (from Season 7) and
I'd enjoy having it recorded. I'll have to see if it comes on in the morning again soon.

Oh! Yay! It's on YouTube!
[youtube][/youtube]

[mrsl]

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Since I was married by 1962, I was able to see a lot of the Bonanza episodes on the little B&W TV in the kitchen. But even at that, it was so long ago that I've forgotten most of the ones I saw. I recall the guest stars, but not the story. Anyway, this week and probably the next two weeks, they are playing the very original 1959 episodes, including the first one ever. From these, I'm enjoying seeing how some of the changes have come about, into the later years. In the beginning, Ben was a big loudmouth always yelling around the house, for dinner, his horse, his paper, etc. It was later that he took on the more laid back attitude that we're used to. From the start, Ben had his big buckskin horse, and Little Joe had his pinto. I'm sure they had several look-alike horses through the years, but they did stick to those two, throughout the series. Adam and Hoss never seemed to have a special steed that I saw. Clothing also was a standout. In the start, Ben did not have his highly polished, stiff leather vest and white shirt, and Little Joe had not yet adopted his green bolero length suede jacket, nor had Adam gone to black yet. Hoss wore whatever they gave him that day. I'm also watching to see when the ranch house comes into being. Today, in the third episode thus far, the Ponderosa is only talked about, not seen.

The most interesting change however, is that all four Cartwrights are semi cattle/timber/land barons who shoot first and ask questions later. They all pull their guns immediately upon any upset and Joe is prone to literally jump into battle at the flash of an eyelash, while Adam has not yet found his quiet, intelligent manner.

The fifties site explains that as Lorne Greene became more popular and started to pull more weight around, he had more and more freedom to add, or change the script and that is why they all became less bloodthirsty.

This is almost like comparing an original movie with its remake.
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[movieman1957]

This morning's "Gunsmoke" was kind of creepy. There is Ken Curtis not playing Festus. He plays a man who takes up with a married woman and even has time to kill someone along the way before meeting up with his demise. What is even stranger is it looked like he wore the same boots and spurs he wore later when he did play Festus.