Classic TV Westerns- Discussion (Archive)

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  • Gunsmoke would have to be the best and most venerable of TV Westerns. Just about anybody who was an active character actor during its run appeared on the series.


    As a bit of trivia - William Conrad was the radio Matt Dillon, but his appearance was not that of a leading man and so when the TV series evolved, he was dropped.
    His voice was just right for radio - everyone may remember him from Cannon and Jake and the Fatman.


    Cheers -


    Jay :)

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"

  • Quote

    Originally posted by Jay J. Foraker@Jan 11 2005, 06:22 PM
    Gunsmoke would have to be the best and most venerable of TV Westerns. Just about anybody who was an active character actor during its run appeared on the series.


    "Gunsmoke" wasn't only a popular Western. According to "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present", 20th Anniversary Edition (1999), which is considered the "Bible" for info about television shows, "Gunsmoke" is rated the second most popular TV hit (of any genre) of all time, just behind "60 Minutes". "Bonanza" ranks 4th. "Wagon Train", " "Have Gun, Will Travel" and "The Virginian" are also ranked among the top 100 most popular shows of all time. You'd think that with the popularity of these shows the suits in Hollyweird would see the light and revive the Western genre.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • Hi,


    In all the research I have been doing lately when looking at the television history of nearly all the 1940s actors, it seems that they all started with bit parts in the lone Rnger series from 1949. If my memory serves me right that series didn't have a cast of thousands, and it seems strange that so many people appeared in so few a series.



    Regards


    Arthur

    Walk Tall - Talk Low

  • :cowboy: I would like to add two series that I really injoyed in the 70'ies, one being with James Arness, :wub: The macahans, the other, :wub: The centennial, with David janssen and many others great actors. :cowboy:

  • :cowboy: Speaking about Gunsmoke.


    I was cruising through IMDB (thanks to Stumpy posting the link for me) and I was looking at all the non-regular guest stars there. I was surprised at some of the names I saw there. John Banner who played Sergeant Schultz in Hogan's Heroes. He was in I think 2-3 episodes. Werner Klemperer was in at least one episode. Deforest Kelley (Dr. McCoy of Star Trek) was in only one episode to my surprise. He guested on at least 20 Western TV series since 1949. I had expected more than one appearance for him in Gunsmoke though.


    One that really shocked me as appearing in Western TV series was Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock on Star Trek) He guested on 16 different Western TV shows including four times on Gunsmoke. THAT was a shocker to me.


    To continue with Gunsmoke. There were appx 640 Gunsmoke episodes!


    Best regards--TRK.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • Hi All -


    Since the memory cells don't always connect, I have a question regarding Gunsmoke - didn't the show begin as a half-hour series before evolving into an hour format? I know the Western Channel (premium channel, unfortunately for many) is running two episodes every evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST (off the top of my head, so not sure) :headbonk: , but they have all been the hour-long episodes in B&W.


    Anyway, the ones I have been able to watch reinforces my (and a majority from what I have seen on this board) sense that this was just about the best western on TV, bar none!


    Cheers -


    Jay :)

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"

  • :cowboy: Hi Jay, i'm not sure but, I think only the radio show was only 30 minutes long, but I do not know for sure.


    Best regards--TRK.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..


  • Your memory cells are okay, Jay. According to the book I mentioned earlier, "Gunsmoke" did premiere as a half-hour series, appearing at 10:00 PM on CBS each Saturday night. In 1961 it was expanded to an hour, still on Saturday nights, and stayed in that time slot through 1966, , when it was moved to Monday evenings at 7:30 PM.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • :cowboy: Hi Jay, quite welcome :D I THINK I recently found a site that discussed the Gunsmoke radio show and showed soem interesting photo's as well. I'll see if I can find it and post a link for you if I do locate it.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • Fans of the classic western series "The Life And Legend Of Wyatt Earp" starring Hugh O'Brian, may want to check out the cable channel TV Land. On Sat Feb 5 the station will start rerunning episodes of this late 50's series.

    They'd never forget the day,the stranger rode into town

  • I saw that announced in the paper this morning. The item went on to say how sanitized the series was since Wyatt Earp was as much a scoundrel as he was a righteous character. This series was made before the "spaghetti westerns" knocked all those clean, spotless scenarios into a cocked hat.


    Cheers - Jay ^^

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"

  • :cowboy: I'm stunned!! You mean TV Land is actually changing their schedule a bit? (W o W). At any rate, i'll be looking forward to that change. I hope they are dropping Green Acres from their line up. Also, they are probably going to try to compete a bit with teh Hallmark Channel since they have a full day of Westerns on the weekends. That's where I get my dosage of The Virginian.


    And thanks for bringing this to our attention :D

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • There are some programs I can't (couldn't) stand. "Green Acres" was one (how Eddie Albert got roped into that one, I don't know?) and "I Dream of Jeannie" was another. I'm sure there are others that will come to mind, but because of their inept concepts, they are better left forgotten!


    Jay :dead:

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"

  • :cowboy: Jay, I fully agree with you. I'd thought that Eddie Albert would have picked a better show to be in. After all, he did a pretty good job as a WWI Doughboy in an episode of COMBAT.


    I wonder if we will ever get lucky and get a chance to see episodes from Twelve O'Clock High? I have never seen that show here and only saw any because a friend from Canada sent me a tape with a few recorded episodes.


    The mere thought of being forced to watch green acres makes me :fear:

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • There are so many different Western TV shows that I've never seen, but of the ones that I've seen I'd have to say that my favorites are...


    Bonanza
    Rawhide
    Maverick
    The Big Valley
    Wild, Wild West


    I've never really liked Gunsmoke all that much - but most of the episodes I've seen came from the mid to late years, so I have no idea if the show was better earlier on or not. The episodes that I've seen were never bad, but just not up to the quality of the shows above, IMO. It may just be that I haven't seen the show at it's best, but at this point it doesn't make my list (short as that list may be).


    I have never seen a bad, or even mediocre, episode of Rawhide. I've only seen about 20 episodes, but they have all been very good or great. That's a show I'd love to get on DVD.

  • Quote

    Originally posted by B5Erik@Jan 29 2005, 11:03 AM
    That's a show I'd love to get on DVD.


    Stick around. It'll probably be there sooner or later because they seem to be releasing everything that ever appeared on TV on disc, even the garbage.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • :cowboy: Hi Smokey.


    My Mother spent several years travelling to Austin and to Oklahoma City (with me tagging along at times) and spent many many hours at the Archives in those cities. My Mother was working on our family tree. Anyway, on one of the trips to Oklahoma, my mother was visiting the archives spending the full day there and came across info on a Cousin we never knew exhisted. I don't recall axactly how she got the info that we were related to her but it had to do with this Cousin of ours.


    My Cousin was then 88 yrs, which was about 1980 or 1981-not sure. Her Father (Sam Cooper) had been a Colonel in command of a Confederate Cavalry Regiment during the Civil War. He was originally from Tennessee. Half or more, of my Mother's family came from there. I'm also related to Cordell Hull on my Mom's side. Anyway, Barbara Eden's relation to us was because I think it was her mother or an Aunt, was Sisters with someone in Cordell Hulls family, who was also related to my Grandmother somehow.


    Anyway, it turns out that our newly discovered Cousin was also related to Barbara Eden. How? I do not recall. Anyway, some other famous people we are related to are: U.S.Grant, Eric the Red, King Haakon the VII, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Robert Evans (killed at The Alamo) There are probably others who I have left out but not on purpose.


    I don't know if this is even more confusing or not but, that's about all I know except that Sam Cooper had lost one of his legs at the Battle of Shiloh due to a cannon ball, and that after the Civil War, he was a Sheriff in Dodge City, Kansas. Other than that, I don't know anything on them and since my mon passed away, I don't know who has all the info she found out in doing our family tree.


    One thing I remember from one of our trips to Austin, was that I found it amazing that I and every member of my family born here in Texas, was listed in a book by our birthdate, name etc.


    Best regards--TRK.


    Oh, I almost forgot, our relative who still live in Tennessee, still own part of the Lookout Mountain battlefield. My mother stayed with them for a month back in the late 1970's and said that going into their house was like being in a museum, as they had many many artifacts from the Lookout Mountain battlefield on display on walls and shelves. I have never met with these relatives before but would like to do so some year.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..