Posted on 06/03/2011 10:35:24 AM PDT by Wilum
Gunsmoke was my Grandfather’s favorite show, and back in the 50’s when I would stay over there we’d watch it together every time. My Grandmother would bring us two, tall glasses of “ice milk”...not ice creame, but Ice Milk...better than ice cream. Whatever happened to that anyway, did the “food police” take it?””
Everytime I hear the theme song (which is often since I have all the episodes) I go right back in time to my Grandfather’s living room where we watched Gunsmoke when I was 5 and 6 years old. I miss them both.
When he died I was so confused because back in the day they had many of the shows on tape (filmed during the summer I guess)
He died on Nov 5th 1960 and they continued to have shows with him in them until March of 1961.
I was sure that the papers must have made a mistake.
So sorry to hear about Mr. Dillon. DH and I watch Gunsmoke reruns every night. He will be missed.
I just saw Ken Curtis in a “have gun—will travel” episode. He was made up to be an old man, the only thing that tipped me off was the voice.
RIP, Matthew. Haggens folk’l miss the best marshal Dodge ever done had anyhow.
Freegards, c’mon Ruth
I watched that when I was 9 years old - scared the living poop out of me!!! Man did I NOT open any doors at the end of hallways for a while!!!!
I was much, much older when I finally figured out why girls lived in the rooms of the 2nd floor of the Long Branch Saloon.
(I thought Miss Kitty was just being nice, LOL!)
RIP Mr. Arness....thanks for everything.
Growing up in our house, Gunsmoke was a show to “never miss”.
Condolences to Jim Arness’ family.
I think they were the same height exactly.
I thought that perhaps time would have dampened my memory at how good that show was.
It hasn't. That show is better than 75% of the stuff on television today.
..and they are playing them in order. Got about one more season worth of shows before Ward Bond dies.
I believe he and his wife, Janet, have a grandson who suffers from Cerebral Palsy. They were very active in United Cerebral Palsy in raising money for a cure. Lending a hand, or a dollar, might be a nice way to thank him.
Encore Westerns and Baseball is about the only things I watch on the boob tube anymore. And yeah, the writing is so much better for all those shows. My fav is Have Gun, it’s just amazing how much they cram into such a short little segment. Lawman is they same way.
The fast theme for Wagon Train they used to play at the end of the episode got into my skull for a few weeks, “only had a wagon and a .44”. Good stuff.
Freegards
I remember seeing him interviewed a few years ago. James Arness was a conservative and a class act.
I remember hearing a story about how Arness had to do something around town and was driving around with the make-up on.
Freegards
My crush on that show was Robert Horton. Just found an old, yellowed magazine photo of him in the attic the other day. Those strong TV cowboys and western types sure had our little hearts fluttering. Mine still does.
Great memory! When I hear it, I feel like my folks are still with me. I can see all of us hunkered down in front of the TV. We were always ready for Gunsmoke... cooking out of the way, chores and homework finished.
Speaking of old TV westerns, there’s an episode of “Maverick”, involving a buried Confederate treasure, which I watched for half-an-hour before realizing it was a satire of Gunsmoke, with a small poke at “Have Gun, Will Travel” thrown in for good measure.
The TV Gunsmoke movies, made sometime in the late 80’s, were pretty good. Of course, the geography of the first one is terribly confused — Matt Dillon is shot somewhere in the Rockies and his canoe carries him alive all the way to Dodge City.
Interestingly, most of the Big Radio WAMU Sunday 7PM streaming broadcasts always include a Conrad Gunsmoke broadcast. See http://wamu.org/programs/bb/11/06/#2011-06-06
There is usually a Sunday afternoon Freeper Posting reminder in "General / Chat" ...and... almost always a synopsis posting of that weekend's Big Radio programs including for Gunsmoke.
I usually listen every Sunday evening.
Regards,
Yes, Mr. Curtis had a beautiful voice! The characterization of “Festus” is even more remarkable when you see and hear the real Ken Curtis. He was a most attractive gentleman, but I hear, to delight the public, he remained kind of “scruffy” looking in his life after Gunsmoke.
I think his Dad was the sheriff of Los Alamos, Colorado, and Ken grew up with his family in the rooms below the jail about 100 miles from Dodge City, Kansas. Milburn Stone, who played “Doc Adams”, was from Burrton, Kansas.
I have been amazed by how many TV shows have had mountains visible in the background of “Kansas”.
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