JOHN WAYNE introducing the first episode of 'GUNSMOKE' (September 1955)

[grifftrain]

Gunsmoke was a great show. Especially the black and white episodes

[wrybreadspread]

I read in a John Wayne bio, the Duke went to bat for his good friend Jim Arness to get this role. and Arness was unwilling. He wanted to stay in movies. Wayne told him this show would make him a star.. That's farsightedness.

[toucansam3]

In thought his name was Marion?

[Juliaflo]

@toucansam3 Ne Marion Robert Michael Morrison in Winterset, Iowa in 1907.

[djf750]

reno 911 is more realistic than this nonsense

[wrybreadspread]

@djf750 (shrug) it was the early 11950's. most of the other stuff, like Roy Rogers, Rin Tin Tin, and Sky King were even more---how shall I put it--melodramatic. This was gritty. This was the western equivalent of The Untouchables...sort of.

[redplanet57]

Rest In Peace James....You'll live on forever

in reruns!

[pompom11]

look how the fake Gravestones wave in the wind like cardboard, oh, they are :)

Jim and his brother Peter have twin voices, "Hey sonny you ever seen a gladiator movie?" lol.

.

RIP both of you guys you were the best!

[jimidee33]

@pompom11 Yes, they should have made those grave stones a little better! This was supposed to be an adult TV western at the time and it was relative to say,"The Lone Ranger" or TV reruns of Hopalong Cassidy. James Arness was the actor in the original gothic space horror movie "The Thing" due to his size (6'6"). He spoke no lines and he appeared with Wayne in a film or two. He had screen presence and "Gunsmoke" ran for many seasons; perhaps the longest running TV show of them all.

[ttlms]

I guess the Duke got that one right. RIP James Arness.

[ben6959]

grate stuff