Quotes
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[the teaser of the very first episode, "Matt Gets It."]
John Wayne: Good evening. My name`s Wayne. Some of you may have seen me before. I hope so. I`ve been kicking around Hollywood a long time. I`ve made a lot of pictures out here. All kinds. Some of them have been westerns and that`s what I`m here to tell you about tonight. A western. A new television show called "Gunsmoke". When I first heard about the show "Gunsmoke", I knew there was only one man to play in it. James Arness. He`s a young fellow, and maybe new to some of you. But I`ve worked with him and I predict he`ll be a big star. And now I`m proud to present "Gunsmoke".
Kitty Russell: Matt, you can`t account for everything that happens to people who touch you. You know, I learned a long time ago, there are some things in this life that you just accept the way they are.
U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon: That`s pretty deep for a redhead.
Kitty Russell: I`m a pretty deep redhead.
Festus Haggen: Don`t you think somebody oughta reckon with him, Matthew?
U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon: What did you say his name was again, Festus?
Festus Haggen: I think its Sinclair... Jack Sinclair.
U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon: He`s got no left hand?
Festus Haggen: That`s right. Anyways, don`t you think somebody ought to go reckon with him?
U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon: No!
Festus Haggen: Why not, Matthew?
U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon: Because it was my bullet that took his hand!
Dr. Galen `Doc` Adams: I`ll tell you why the Hagens live so long.
Festus Haggen: Why?
Dr. Galen `Doc` Adams: `Cause they`re too dumb to know they`re dead!
U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon: [to any man seemingly planning to go gunning for somebody.] If you`re gonna to use that gun, you better start on me.
Louie Pheeters: [sitting at the bar in episode "Slocum"] Excepting some women, of course, just ain`t nothing prettier than a full bottle.
Dr. Galen `Doc` Adams: [Festus offers to buy Doc a beer with a silver dollar that he earned from shoeing horses in episode "Whelan`s Men".] Why don`t you take that money and invest it in something? Why don`t you do that?
Festus Haggen: Invest it in what?
Dr. Galen `Doc` Adams: There`s wonderful land values outside of Dodge. Now why don`t you go out there someplace, look around, and buy yourself a lot?
Festus Haggen: A lot of what?
Dr. Galen `Doc` Adams: A lot! A lot of land!
Festus Haggen: Well fiddle, I can`t afford to buy a lot of land. You probably could the way you`ve been a bilking and gouging...
Dr. Galen `Doc` Adams: Oh, hush up! I`m trying to help you, for heaven sakes. It don`t cost a whole lot to buy a little lot.
Festus Haggen: What do you mean it don`t cost a whole lot to buy a little, or a whole lot to buy a lot, what do you mean?
Dr. Galen `Doc` Adams: Well, I mean,... a little lot of land!
Festus Haggen: But there ain`t no such a thing. A little`s a little, and a lot`s a lot, there ain`t no little lot, or lot of little, don`t you see? Now you want that beer or don`t you?
Dr. Galen `Doc` Adams: No I`m... I`m all worn out.
Festus Haggen: [and as Doc walks away Festus Hollers] If you change your mind me and Newly will be over at the Longbranch having a whole lot of little beers.
[Chuckles and flips his silver dollar]
Festus Haggen: Now I`m buying.
Trivia
At 20 years and 633 episodes, the longest-running American prime-time drama TV series to date. (2008)
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# It was originally produced for the CBS Television Network by Filmcrafters at the Producers Studio (now the Raleigh Studio). Around 1960, CBS took over production and moved it to KTLA Studios, then owned by Paramount Pictures. Around 1963 production was moved to CBS Studio Center, formerly Republic Studios, where it remained for the rest of the show`s run. Starting around 1970, CBS produced it in association with The Arness Company (James Arness). Originally syndicated by CBS Films and then by its successor, Viacom, now Paramount Television.
James Arness and Milburn Stone are the only two regulars to stay with the show for its entire 20-year, 633-episode duration on CBS.
The series was the final film project of Glenn Strange.
Slated to be canceled in 1967 due to low ratings, but then-CBS president William Paley reversed the decision. He moved the show from Saturdays to Mondays (cancelling "Gilligan`s Island" (1964) in the process), placing it back in the Nielsen`s Top Ten (Paley and his wife were both big fans of the show).
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# Rumor has it that Rex Koury had so little time to pen the theme song that he hastily scribbled it while in the bathroom. It was originally written for "Gunsmoke" when it was a radio show and later adapted for TV.
"Gunsmoke" was created by writer John Meston and producer Norman MacDonnell as a radio series that premiered on CBS in 1952. Many of the early television episodes are adaptations of Meston`s radio scripts. The radio series ran for more than 400 episodes and lasted until 1961.
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# When a replacement for Dennis Weaver was needed when he was leaving the show it was director Andrew V. McLaglen`s suggestion that Ken Curtis be brought in for a tryout as Festus Haggen in a few episodes. McLaglen had directed Curtis in a similar role in an episode of "Have Gun - Will Travel" (1957). Festus was given the job of deputy to make him different from Weaver`s character of Chester Good (who was never a deputy).
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# The series was set in the 1870s. Kansas entered the Union in 1861. The Marshals Service provided local law enforcement in territories, not in states. The duties Matt Dillon performed would have been handled by a town Marshal or county sheriff (in this case, Ford County). Each state (or federal court district) had one US Marshal, who was in charge of all the Deputy US Marshals in that particular jurisdiction; Matt Dillon would have been a Deputy US Marshal.
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# The actress originally offered the part of Miss Kitty, Polly Bond (aka Polly Ellis), turned it down due to her recent (at the time) marriage to actor Tommy Bond in 1953.
This show, along with "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955) helped launch a great era of the TV western. Westerns became so popular on TV that by the end of the 1950s, there would be as many as 40 Westerns in prime time.
Originated in a 30-minute format, later expanding to 60 minutes.
According to a TV Guide article published in the August 23, 1975 issue (just before the show left the air), 26 actors screen-tested for the role of Matt Dillon. William Conrad (voice of radio`s Matt Dillon) was one, but didn`t look the part. Raymond Burr sounded great, but according to producer-director Charles Marquis Warren: "he was too big; when he stood up his chair stood up with him" (Burr later lost considerable weight to play Perry Mason)). John Pickard almost made it, but did poorly in a love scene with Kitty (he later guest-starred a few times in various roles). Warren and producer Norman MacDonnell stoutly denied that they even considered major film star John Wayne - but they went with James Arness, who looked and sounded a LOT like Wayne. When Arness was reluctant to take the role, Wayne persuaded him and even agreed to introduce the first episode
According to "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows" (8th Edition, pg. 495), John Wayne was the first choice to play Marshal Matt Dillon on `Gunsmoke (1955)`, but declined because he did not want to commit to a weekly TV series. He did, however, recommend his friend James Arness for the role, and gave the on-camera introduction in the pilot.
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Anthony Zerbe
(as Father Hernando Cantrell)
with Salome Jens
(as Katherine)
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