In the 1950's episodes, which only last 30 minutes, Matt is a much darker Marshal. He is more prone to shoot 1st and ask questions later. There are some outlaws that he could have taken alive, but he doesn't. He takes a couple of bad guys that he can't arrest out behind the jail and pounds them pretty good before telling them to "Get out of Dodge".
Probable cause? Civil rights? Get real, this is Dodge City bitch!
What amazes me are all the times when the bad guy says something like, "He ain't dead, so you can't arrest me." This after he's beaten the hell out of somebody, raped somebody, or other wise committed grievous bodily harm. Were there really no laws against assault back then? (Yes, I know it's fiction, but in the real old West, were there not such laws?)
I much rather the episodes with Festus than Chester. All Chester did was whine ..... Mr. Dillon.... Mr. Dillon. Festus was a scrapper and would fight at the drop of a hat .
I always enjoyed “The High Chaparral” and “The Virginian.”
The Virginian is free on Prime, so I tried to get into it. I don't think I made it through the first season. Too slow and boring. Most episodes seemed to be some variation on the same theme, i.e., someone was falsely accused of murder and the boys have to figure out how to help him clear his name.
Radio Gunsmoke.was awesome. Like it better than the TV show Doc Adams was played by Howard McNear of Floyd's Barber Shop fame and was a slightly different character than the TV Doc (had a ugly past).
There were more bars in the radio show where the folks went to.wet their whistle as well. Long Branch, Texas Trail and the Alafraganza
Got me curious so I read Robert Blake's wikipedia page.
Quote
In 1959, Blake turned down the role of Little Joe Cartwright, a character ultimately portrayed by Michael Landon, in NBC's western television series Bonanza.
Both left handed. Was that a requirement to audition for Little Joe?
James Arness was a big dude, 6' 7" tall. Even taller than Clint Walker, who was 6' 6" tall.
He limps throughout the show from a WWII wound he got in Anzio Beach…
Yes,Jim was always in pain from that wound, but as he grew older and the show continued, the pain grew worse and prevented him from riding his horse. If he were going to ride, he'd mount up, then the camera would do a"cutaway," and then back to Matt riding off, or galloping along, whatever the script called for Dillon to be doing in the scene. But, the rider was not Jim Arness, but his double.
His double -- and now I can't recall his name as I only met him briefly once -- would quite often come to the huge LA. Gun Show at the L.A. County Fairgrounds, dressed exactly like Jim on Gunsmoke. Or sometimes he would come dressed in the garb John Wayne wore in many of his movies, as he often doubled for Wayne.
Speaking of Jim's horse, just as an aside, I and several other Gunsmoke writers with whom I was friends, used to write in our scripts our version of the horse's name. We called him "Alpo." (Remember the dog food, "Alpo?") As in, "Matt comes from the Marshal's office, mounts Alpo, and rides up the street."
FWIW.
L.W.
"Always go straight forward, and if you meet the devil, cut him in two and go between the pieces." (William Sturgis, clipper ship captain, 1830s.)
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