Gunsmoke

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Gunsmoke
Legends Of Radio

 $59.95
  $24.95  - 60% Off

Radio's greatest adult Western, told "the story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man who moved with it.” That man was Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas. In Dodge, Dillon was surrounded by hardened, but heartfelt, townsfolk, including his deputy, Chester Wesley Proudfoot; the town physician/mortician, Dr. Charles Adams; and, the owner of the Long Branch Saloon, Miss Kitty Russell. In this 10-hour collection, featuring a free 32-page collectible booklet, Willam Conrad stars as Marshall Dillon. Steadfastly upholding the law, and a moral code of his own, he straightened out everything from misunderstandings to murders. No man in Dodge escaped justice…if the Marshall could help it.

 Episodes Inlcude:

1. Mark Dillon Goes To Gouge Eye (Audition) 7-13-49
2. Billy The Kid  4-26-52
3. Carmen  5-31-52
4. Jailbait Janet  6-14-52
5. Never Pester Chester  7-5-52
6. The Boughten Bride  7-12-52
7. Doc Holiday  7-19-52
8. Gentlemen's Disagreement  7-26-52
9. The Lynching  8-16-52
10. Shakespeare  8-23-52
11. Home Surgery  9-13-52
12. The Overland Express  10-31-52
13. The Christmas Story  12-20-52
14. The Cabin  12-27-52
15. Westbound  1-3-53
16. Word Of Honor  1-10-53
17. The Cast  12-12-53
18. Hack Prine  7-5-54
19. Matt for Murder  7-26-54
20. Matt Gets it  10-2-54
21. Kitty Caught  10-16-54
22. Chester's Murder  1-15-55
23. Bloody Hands  4-2-55
24. The Gypsum Hills Feud  4-16-55
25. Man who Would Be Marshall  3-18-56
26- Man Hunter  5-27-56
27. Daddy-O  6-10-56
28. Belle's Back  9-9-56
29. Ozymandias  1-13-57
30. The surgery  2-23-58
31. The Squaw  4-27-58
32. Old Flame  6-15-58
33. Marshall Proudfoot  7-20-58
34. The Piano  8-17-58
35. Doc's Indians  6-7-59
36. Old Fool  8-7-60
37. Jedro's Woman  11-6-60
38. Kitty's Love  2-19-61
39. Doc's Visitor  6-11-61
40. Letter Of The Law  6-18-61

About Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke, on radio from 1952-1961, is perhaps the greatest radio drama of all - not just the best western radio drama. It is a perfect example of all the elements of creative broadcast radio coming together week after week to create a place and time in your mind (Dodge City, mid-1880's or so), populated with living people who you grow to know personally and care about. Chester, Doc, Kitty and Matt Dillon, US Marshal, "the first man they look for, and the last they want to meet." become as real to us as our neighbors.

The cast featured Parley Baer as Chester, Howard McNear (who went on to be Floyd the Barber on TV's Andy Griffith Show) as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty, The weekly supporting casts were always well drawn and believable. Producer/director Norm Macdonnell, the creative genius who made the show what it was, always took care that everything sounded just right.

Sound engineers Ray Kemper, and Tom Hanley, along with producer/director Norman Macdonnell.

William Conrad, already a major radio actor with terrific work on Escape, was at first overlooked as being ubiquitous. But they tested him anyway, and he was Matt Dillon right from the start. The role became Conrad's greatest achievement, and must be considered as perhaps the best portrayal of show character ever heard on radio. Conrad was distraught that he wasn't considered to play Matt Dillon on TV, being short and heavy, but he went on to a solid career in TV (best remembered for the series Cannon).

The old time radio show is Gunsmoke at its most creative and varied. The gritty dialog of the superb scripts, the honest acting, sound effects and music makes Dodge as real as any place ever created on radio. For example, Kitty's saloon scenes featured a real honky-tonk "pieannah" being played live in a crowd of extras as the show was transcribed. Gunshots were the authentic weapons recorded and carefully mixed. The staff was the best in the business.

Happily, we have the whole run of the old time radio show, so "the story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man who moved with it" will live on.