Posted on 06/03/2011 10:35:24 AM PDT by Wilum
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Yeah, I remember ice milk. It was good!
If you watch the early, 30-minute episodes of Gunsmoke, there are some fairly obvious references to Miss Kitty’s bar (The Long Branch) as a brothel, as well as a watering hole. In some of the wider shots, you’ll see a man periodically head upstairs with one of the bar maids, and other couples coming back down the staircase.
In an interview, Jim Arness said the cast and writers were certain that network censors would demand removal of the inferences to prostitution, and the scenes reshot. Amazingly, the censors never said a word, and in some of those black-and-white episdoes, you can still see cowboys heading upstairs for a little recreation.
One more note: despite the “staircase” scenes, the TV version was somewhat tame compared to the radio series. On radio, Matt Dillion (William Conrad) was depicted as a lonely, isolated man and Doc Adams (Howard McNear) was an alcoholic and something of a quack. Georgia Ellis, who played Kitty, identified her character as a “prostitute, pure and simple.” The radio series was extremely well-done, although it was (ultimately) over-shadowed by the TV version.
Heh, a lot of the time the Kansas prairie looked a heck of a lot like the mojave desert for some reason.
Arness was also good as that mountain man in the “how the west was won” miniseries for TV.
One of the things I really dig about the old western shows is all the different character actors that they ALL used. Sometimes you just see the same face over and over. I think my favorites that show up in everything are Lee Van Cleef and Warren Oates.
Freegards
Wow! There wasn’t a big, ugly truck in his driveway, was there? That’s great he was your neighbor.
Thanks for the tips! And yeah, it seems they just play a lot of the same movies over and over and over...
The last thing I really dug, besides the TV shows was the “six gun salute” to Lee Van Cleef they had a while ago.
Freegards
I didn’t know about that. Thanks for the information.
Art, this might make you feel better; it did for me... there are quite a number of Gunsmoke fans - some who are clearly young people - commenting on episodes of Gunsmoke on the “Gunsmoke Channel” over at YouTube. They seem to really enjoy the shows.
Buck was a famous horse in his own right. He was also rode by Lorne Greene on Bonanza.
Interesting that he was one of those men who actually get better looking as they get older. I wonder how old he was in that picture.
Yes, K.C. cleaned-up real good! I’ve always thought his character of Festus was a work of genius. It was a total transformation, right down to his singing voice.
There’s an image of him... I wish I could find it. He’s dressed and made-up as Festus, and he’s leaning against a tree. But he’s smiling directly at the camera as Ken Curtis. Quite a handsome photo.
Aw, mine, too. Gunsmoke kind of helps with the feelings of loss... time sort of fades away.
LOL!
Gunsmoke - Chester or Festus? I vote Festus. Chester was just too whiney.
Ken Curtis also played a recurring role (not too far removed from the Festus character) in two episodes of Have Gun-Will Travel. One of these showcased his singing skills.
Another actor remained all 20 seasons, Howard Culver as Howie Uzzell, the Dodge House clerk. George Walsh was the original radio announcer for Gunsmoke and remained as the TV announcer for all 20 seasons.
Hey, thanks! Oh, that’s wonderful! He seems half-way-in-and-out of being Festus. Quite extraordinary! The one I’m thinking of was taken the same time this one was... same tree, only his back is against it.
Thanks for the link, bcsco, you ol’ scudder you! I’m going over there just as soon as I finish reading through the thread.
Chester was wonderful, but, oh, I can’t help it, I just love Festus.
‘I have been amazed by how many TV shows have had mountains visible in the background of “Kansas”.’
The show ‘Pensacola, Wings of Gold’, had snow capped mountains in ‘Florida’.
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