I am amazed that a show such as The Simpsons is on track to derail Gunsmoke as the longest-running television program, with a record of 20 years on the air. While some may claim that I am comparing two different types of fruit, so to speak, the issue is really one of quality. Gunsmoke offered viewers so much more than the name implied. Gunsmoke was not so much about shoot-outs and the struggle to maintain law in a harsh land, but dealt with human issues, those that affect people as much today as they did in 1870’s Kansas. Although episodes with half a dozen shootings were not uncommon, neither were those in which no one so much as drew a weapon. Gunsmoke – The Director’s Collection, contains a good sampling of this western classic, from the half-hour, black and white episodes of the 1950’s to the hour-long, full-color shows of the final years. The set contains three DVD’s, and features the following episodes: Magnus, Chester’s Mail Order Bride, How to Kill a Woman, Buffalo Man, The Constable, Old Flame, Love Thy Neighbor, Us Haggens, Cotter’s Girl, Ten Little Indians, Which Dr., Mannon, Captain Sligo, The Legend and Brides and Grooms.
The first episode of Gunsmoke, Matt Gets It, is introduced by John Wayne, who touts the new series as realistic. (This episode is not included in the Director’s Collection). A great show, yes, but realistic, no. Neither lawmen nor outlaws faced each other down in fair fights in the center of the main street in town, and shooting the other fellow in the back was common practice. Many of the villains on Gunsmoke are refined rogues, well-dressed, cultured, delicately puffing on thin cigars while boasting about how they are going to outdraw Marshall Matt Dillon (James Arness). But the thought of a crude, cold-blooded assassination appalls them. The demographics of the Old West are not so accurately portrayed, either. Many cowboys were black and Latino, but not on Gunsmoke. While the show’s creators made a half-hearted effort to tackle issues such as racism, they attempted this through depicting the mistreatment of Native Americans. Blacks at the time, and during the 1950’s when the show began, were treated as badly if not worse than Native Americans. Addressing the issue of white on black discrimination at the onset of the series would have been truly progressive.
A successful TV series is built on the characters, and a strong cast on Gunsmoke made the show a hit. Anchoring the cast was the honest, honorable Marshal Matt Dillon, who possessed traits that even his enemies begrudgingly admired. Although not squeamish about putting a bullet into an unrepentant evil-doer, Dillon always gave fair warning, and insisted that everyone was entitled to a trial. There probably never was a lawman like Matt Dillon, but he was one of the most memorable ever created.
Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver) had his niche in Dillon’s Dodge City, and stayed with the series for the first nine years. With his characteristic limp and exaggerated twang, the amiable and ingenuous assistant to Marshal Dillon found his way into the hearts of two generations of viewers. Never cut out to be a lawman, Chester made a good pot of coffee and kept the marshal’s office clean. His various escapades evoked both laughter and sorrow, admiration and pity. Only a few of the episodes in The Director’s Cut feature Chester, who is later replaced by several other deputies, among them Newly O’Brien (Buck Taylor).
Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake) is the strong, independent woman who owns the Long Branch Saloon. She has a keen understanding of the human psyche, having seen just about everything in her long tenure as proprietor of the Long Branch. I heard many years ago that Miss Kitty was supposed to be a prostitute, but never saw anything in the series to confirm that. If so, the show’s creators handled that matter very delicately. In later episodes of Gunsmoke, including Mannon and The Legend (both in The Director’s Cut), Miss Kitty does not appear to have aged particularly well.
Milburn Stone plays the good Dr. Galen Adams, AKA Doc, the frequently grumpy, but dedicated physician who ministers to the citizens of Dodge City. The bachelor doctor is like a father figure to the other characters, dispensing advice like pills, sometimes with a gentle sermon and sometimes with an irritated rebuke. Buffalo Man, in which the hapless doctor is kidnapped by a band of nomadic hunters, is a great episode.
Festus Haggen (Ken Curtis), made his debut in Us Haggens, becoming a regular later in the series. Deputized by Marshal Dillon, Festus is almost a replacement for Chester, although his twang is even more pronounced, and he is not quite as cultured. Goofy and unrefined, Festus in nonetheless a loyal friend and reliable ally to Dillon. He is extremely funny in Buffalo Man, and is partly responsible for the entire mess.
What amazed me most in viewing The Director’s Cut was the evolution of the series. The earlier episodes were shorter, more condensed, yet conveyed their messages just as effectively as the later, longer episodes. I do wish that the producers had not altered the original beginning, which features a young Marshal Dillon dueling with a sinister figure dressed in black. The music builds to a crescendo, broken by two gunshots, the second one fired by Dillon, who looks on grimly for a moment before holstering his weapon. You never see Dillon’s opponent fire, but obviously assume that he missed. The last few seasons began with Dillon’s galloping on his horse. For a good mix of one of the best western series ever, check out Gunsmoke – The Director’s Cut.
