Gunsmoke - The First Season

starring: James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, Dennis Weaver See Larger Image List Price: $38.99 You Pay Only: $22.99 You Save: $16.00 (41%) Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Brand: Paramount EAN: 0097368521346 Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Black & White, NTSC Label: Paramount Manufacturer: Paramount Number Of Items: 6 Publisher: Paramount Region Code: 1 Release Date: July 17, 2007 Running Time: 1051 minutes Sales Rank: 1704 Studio: Paramount Theatrical Release Date: September 10, 1955 Related Items: Gunsmoke - The Second Season, Vol. 1 Gunsmoke: The Second Season, Vol. 2 Rawhide - The Complete First Season Wanted: Dead or Alive - Season Two The Fugitive - Season One, Vol. 1 see more Editorial Review: Description: Marshall Matt Dillon is responsible for keeping the law and respectability in Dodge City in this western action-drama. Gunsmoke captured the courage, character and spirit of the Western Frontier. Amazon.com: A TV series doesn't get a more auspicious launch than did Gunsmoke, the first episode of which, broadcast on Sept. 10, 1955, was introduced by none other than John Wayne ('Some of you may have seen me before'). In this historic prologue (included in this first-season round-up), Wayne hypes Gunsmoke as 'honest, adult, and realistic.' Of James Arness, starring as United States Marshal Matt Dillon, Wayne predicts, 'He'll be a big star, so you might as well get used to him.' Viewers did more than get used to him. 'Mr. Dillon,' as his sidekick Chester (Dennis Weaver) calls him, became a television icon who literally stood tall as a steadfast, incorruptible symbol of justice through two of America's most tumultuous decades. The Bravo network ranked him among TV's 50 greatest characters. Gunsmoke was television's longest running Western, and Arness's 20-year stint as Dillon would be matched only by Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane (and, by the way, Milburn Stone, who costarred with Arness as crusty, 'vinegar face' Doc Adams). For those who grew up with Gunsmoke's full-hour color episodes, this first season will be something of a revelation. The show is in black and white, and, at a half-hour, lean and gritty. Not that Dodge City is Deadwood, by any means, but its reputation as 'the Gomorrah of the plains,' as Dillon notes in the first episode, is well earned. Most episodes begin with Dillon setting the stage, Dragnet-style, like a frontier Joe Friday. 'A man will choose his gun quicker to make a point than he'll draw on his logic,' he ruminates at one point. 'That's where I come in.' Gunsmoke has its share of shootouts and traditional Western action, but the best episodes are gripping psychological dramas. In 'Reward for Matt,' the embittered widow of a racist Dillon was forced to gun down puts a price on his head. In 'The Killer,' Dillon exposes a gunslinger (guest star Charles Bronson) for the coward he is. Even an otherwise light-hearted holiday episode, 'Magnus,' in which Chester's backwards, backwoods brother comes to visit, is darkened by a twisted man gunning for 'wicked' dance hall woman Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake), queen of the Longbranch saloon (and a close friend of the marshal—just how close is only hinted at). John Wayne was right: More than 50 years later, Gunsmoke remains 'the best thing of its kind to come along.' --Donald Liebenson Beyond Gunsmoke More TV Westerns 50th Anniversary Collection Director’s Collection Stills from Gunsmoke: The First Season (click for larger image) Customer Reviews Average Rating: Rating: - THE KING OF ALL TV WESTERNS The television series ran from September 10, 1955 to March 31, 1975 on CBS for 635 episodes. Until 2005, it was the longest run of any scripted primetime series with continuing characters in American primetime television. Conrad was the first choice to play Marshal Dillon on TV, having established the role, but his increasing obesity led to more photogenic actors being considered. Losing the role embittered Conrad for years, though he later starred in another CBS television series, Cannon (1971-1975). Denver Pyle was also considered for the role, as was Raymond Burr who was ultimately seen as too heavyset for the part. According to a James Arness interview, John Wayne was offered the role, but wouldn't do it; Wayne was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and at that time, working in television was seen as a huge step down in prestige for a star actor. In the end, the primary roles were all recast, with James Arness taking on the lead role of Marshal Matt Dillon upon the recommendation of John Wayne, who also introduced the first episode of the series; Dennis Weaver playing Chester Goode; Milburn Stone being cast as Dr. Galen "Doc" Adams; and Amanda Blake taking on the role of Miss Kitty Russell, owner of the Long Branch Saloon. MacDonnell became the associate producer of the TV show and later the producer. Meston was named head writer. Arness, in his role on Gunsmoke, achieved what no other actor at the time had ever matched: he played the same character on the same scripted ... Read More Rating: - Best TV western Ever This is it. The real Gunsmoke. This is the half hour broadcasts heavy on drama and character acting and in glorious black and white. The series picked up right from the radio program that was so popular in the early fifties. John Wayne even introduced the series with a brief introduction. These are beautiful short morality tales of the kind that have gone with the wind. Tough stuff with a heart. Rating: - better than expected My father grew up watching gunsmoke and I thought it would be another hokey cowboy show. I was pleasently surpised to find out that it was very well written and full of life lessons applicable to anytime and place. Rating: - 1st Season Gunsmoke This was purchased as a gift for my brother and if you like older TV shows this is a good buy. Rating: - See how it all began for the longest running dramatic series in the history of television! "GUNSMOKE" premiered in 1955 and was canceled in 1975, for a total of 20 seasons and 635 episodes. It is one of the best, if not the best, television series of all time. Originally, it was in the black and white half hour format, then it went to black and white full hour, and finally to the beloved color full hour programming. The episodes in color are probably the best known to today's audiences. But I guarantee you that the episodes from the original black and white programming are just as good, and the first season is no exception. This great show also had an excellent cast. James Arness was Marshal Matt Dillon of Dodge City, Kansas, Amanda Blake was Miss Kitty Russell, a prostitute at first, and then later the full owner of The Long Branch. When the show first started out, Kitty was just a madame, or, as the show so cleverly disguised it, a "saloon girl". Over time, the many fans of the show began to see her profession as awkward, because how could she work in the saloon when there was a certain special relationship between her and Matt? Since the show was so strongly devoted to its fans, the writers changed Miss Kitty to at first half owner, and then later, full owner. However, the show never took Kitty and Matt's relationship to a higher level. It would be strange to see Marshal Dillon come home to a house full of kids, now wouldn't it? Also in the main cast were Dennis Weaver as Chester Goode, and Milburn Stone as Galen "Doc" Adams. Chester was not a deputy, but more of a helper to Matt. He was best ... Read More More Gunsmoke - The First Season Reviews Browse for similar items by category: Television - Drama - Genres - DVD - Video - General AAS Television - Genres - DVD - Video - General Classic TV - Television - Genres - DVD - Video - General AAS G - TV Series By Letter - Television - Genres - DVD - Video - Gunsmoke Westerns - Genres - DVD - Video - General

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