GUNSMOKE 1955-1975 / Festus or Chester???

[gyusher]

Any Gunsmoke watchers out there?? TV Land has several episodes every day and with nothing better to do I started watching it again after over 30 years.

I love it even bought a couple DVD sets that have only about 30 episodes out of the 635 that were made. . .True some are kinda cheesy but others are great. . . I can't seem to get enough of Gunsmake lately. . .

Chester started and was in them until 65 with Festus comming around the time that Quint (Bert Reynolds) came and stayed until 75. . .The first 6 years were 1/2 hour B&W , the next 5 or 6 years were 1 hour B&W wile the last 6 or 8 years were color.

Some of the black and white 1 hour shows are as good as anything on TV or better. . .

Come on guys don't hold back unless you can't say something civil . . If you can't play nice don't play at all. . .

[Fisher-Dave]

Yeah boy!! I'm hooked on Gunsmoke. Ole Festus is hard to beat.
I love it when Festus and doc try talking to each other lol.

[eljr]

Festus

[pen_man]

My grandfather loved Gunsmoke. I have lot of memories of the show and watching it with him and my grandmother. Festus was a real character. To me, it seems like the kind of show that was meant to be seen in B&W.

[gyusher]

I really like the little 30 minute episodes. . .They move quick and fast forward through the commercials you get a good story in only a few minutes. . .

I like old Festus too. . .He does a great job. . .

[Chip - HP]

Originally Posted by gyusher

I really like the little 30 minute episodes. . .They move quick and fast forward through the commercials you get a good story in only a few minutes. . .

... me too ... especially the ones that start out with Matt on Boot Hill ... I am old enough to have seen them in prime time ... I have quite a few on Columbia House DVDs (6 episodes per DVD) which I bought for $5 each when CH discountinued them ... wish I could get some more ... but the ones I don't have from the first 3 seasons go for more than I wanna pay on eBay ...

Chester ... I like Festus ... but he "ain't no Chester" ...

[Donny]

Another vote for Festus. My dad and I used to watch that show all the time. Rifleman was great too and the tv series of lonesome dove. Westerns had good values and characters something that most of todays shows lack.

[Urizen]

Festus!

[jonman]

Who was the one they had between Chester and Festus, I think it was Dusty, but I am not sure. Does anyone remember?

[gyusher]

Originally Posted by jonman

Who was the one they had between Chester and Festus, I think it was Dusty, but I am not sure. Does anyone remember?

Thad and Quint. . .Quint was Bert Reynolds. Thad was a big tall kid.

There is also Newley too a gunsmith who also is one of Matt's deputys. . .

I do like Quint much better than Bert Reynolds if that makes sense. . .

I'd like to have more DVDs. . .I found all 635 or some such episodes for 400 bucks. . .123 DVDs. . .Don't care to buy 400 bucks worth unless I knew I could either sell them or went in with someone else.

TV Land has started adding episodes that I haven't seen though so maybe there will be plenty to choose from for awhile.

I remember the first episodes too. . . My Grandaddy and I would watch them sometimes. . .

I also started watching a few Riflemans and a few of the ones Gene Barry is in. . .can't think right now. . .

I also watch all the old John Wayne and Joel McCrea movies on the Westerns channel. . .

Watched Howard Hughes's "Outlaw" the other night. . .puugh. . .it stank. . .but an old western. . .

[gyusher]

One more. . .

Wish I could find "Wagon Train" again. . . I love old Wagon Train movies. . .I think there is a place today for a well done Wagon Train movie. One that dealt realisticly with their journey. . .One with thousands of wagons like some wagon trains really were. . . These movies with 6 or 8 wagons fighting Indians just don't cut it for me. . .

[opt80]

Wagon Train was my favorite western

[gyusher]

Originally Posted by opt80

Wagon Train was my favorite western

It's been years since I've seen Wagon Train. . . I used to like the older Ward Bond episides as I remember. . .

Like I said I like'em. . . Think I'll hunt up some WT DVDs. . .Seems like I've seen a few here and there. . .

[Twenty20Man]

festus, never could stand Dennis Weaver

[Toasted Almond]

Gene Barry? Bat Masterson.

Sugarfoot - Will Hutchins
Bronco - Ty Hardin
Cheyenne - Clint Walker
Maverick - Jack Kelly, James Garner, Roger Moore (cousin Bo from England)
The Lawman - John Russell (Jane's bro), Peter Brown
The Restless Gun - John Payne
Colt .45 - Sam Somethingorother
The Deputy - ?
Tombstone Epitaph - ?
Rawhide - Clint of course
Yancy Derringer - Jock Mahoney
Wyatt Earp - Hugh O'Brien
The Rebel - Nick Adams
Wanted: Dead or Alive - McQueen
Have Gun, Will Travel - Richard Boone (at the time, the ugliest man in America)

A great score is Pops Round-Up. Contains a great medley of all the great western themes from the 50's and 60's. The original was Art Fiedler and Boston, with a great re-make on Telarc's "Happy Trails" cd by Kunzel and Cincinnati. I have both, and they're mandatory if you're hardcore. The Happy Trails even has Roy singing "Happy Trails" at the end, backed by The Pops. Man, I just love the shit out of those two cd's. "Happy Trails" was the follow-up to Telarc's "Round-Up" cd. Got that baby too, and it's got really great stuff. Frankie Laine doing Rawhide backed by The Pops, The William Tell Overture (The Lone Ranger), The Magnificent Seven Theme, How The West Was Won, and many, many more important pieces. Oops, almost forgot, Happy Trails has a GREAT version of Ghost Riders in the Sky. You need these discs if you love these songs, shows, and the better times they represent, in my opinion.

Chester for me.