Misplaced Pages

#137862

92-502: The term is not synonymous with "graduates": people can be alumni without graduating, e.g. Burt Reynolds was an alumnus of Florida State University but did not graduate. The term is sometimes used to refer to former employees, former members of an organization, former contributors, or former inmates. The Latin noun alumnus means "foster son" or "pupil". It is derived from the Latin verb alere "to nourish". Separate, but from

184-532: A Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series . His performance as high-minded pornographer Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson 's Boogie Nights (1997) brought him renewed critical attention, earning Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture , with nominations for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor . Burton Leon Reynolds Jr.

276-486: A charge of murder. However, McNear's performances steadily became more warm-hearted and sympathetic. Doc wandered throughout the territories until he settled in Dodge City 17 years later under the name of Charles Adams. Conrad borrowed the surname from cartoonist Charles Addams as a testament to Doc's initially ghoulish comportment. Milburn Stone was given free rein to choose the character's first name, and chose that of

368-672: A final, wrap-up show. We finished the 20th year, we all expected to go on for another season, or two or three. The (network) never told anybody they were thinking of cancelling. The cast and crew read the news in the trade papers. Chester and Festus Haggen are Dillon's sidekicks , though others became acting deputies for 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 - to 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 -year stints: Quint Asper ( Burt Reynolds ) (1962–65), Thad Greenwood (Roger Ewing) (1965–67), and Newly O'Brien (Buck Taylor) (1967–75), who served as both back-up deputy and doctor-in-training, having some studies in medicine through his uncle, which then continued under Doc Adams. Initially on

460-417: A grown-up Hopalong Cassidy . Dunning writes that Meston was especially disgusted by the archetypal Western hero and set out "to destroy [that type of] character he loathed". In Meston's view, "Dillon was almost as scarred as the homicidal psychopaths who drifted into Dodge from all directions." Howard McNear starred as Dr. Charles Adams in the radio series, and Milburn Stone portrayed Dr. Galen Adams in

552-503: A lifelong close friendship with Dick Howser . Reynolds' father eventually became Chief of Police of Riviera Beach, which is adjacent to the north end of West Palm Beach, Florida . His nickname in Riviera Beach was "Buddy". (The childhood nicknames of Marlon Brando , the superstar actor whom Reynolds was said to resemble and with whom he feuded, were "Bud" and "Buddy".) During 10th grade at Palm Beach High School , Reynolds

644-428: A live television show. Reynolds began acting for television during the late 1950s, guest featuring for shows like Flight , M Squad , Schlitz Playhouse , The Lawless Years and Pony Express . He signed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios. "I don't care whether he can act or not", said Wasserman. "Anyone who has this effect on women deserves a break." Reynolds' first big opportunity came when he

736-508: A live-action, primetime television series, began its 21st season in February 2022. As of 2017 , it had the highest number of scripted episodes for any U.S. primetime, commercial, live-action television series. On April 29, 2018, The Simpsons surpassed the show for the most scripted episodes. Some foreign-made programs have been broadcast in the U.S. and contend for the position as the longest-running prime-time series. As of 2016 , Gunsmoke

828-475: A lynching. He amputated a dying man's leg and lost the patient anyway. He saved a girl from brutal rapists, then found himself unable to offer her what she needed to stop her from moving into ... life as a prostitute." Some listeners, such as Dunning, argue the radio version was more realistic. Episodes were aimed at adults with some of the most explicit content of their time, including violent crimes, scalpings , massacres , and opium addicts. Many episodes end on

920-650: A number of subsequent financial successes, such as White Lightning (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), Smokey and the Bandit (1977) (which started a six-year box-office reign), Semi-Tough (1977), The End (1978), Hooper (1978), Starting Over (1979), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), The Cannonball Run (1981), Sharky's Machine (1981), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), and Cannonball Run II (1984), several of which he directed. He

1012-413: A play he was producing, Outward Bound . He cast him in the lead role based on having heard him read Shakespeare in class, resulting in his winning the 1956 Florida State Drama Award for his performance. "I read two words and they gave me a lead", he later said. In his autobiography, he referred to Duncan as his mentor and the most influential person of his life. The Florida State Drama Award included

SECTION 10

#1732790827138

1104-463: A really good movie," he said in 1972. "I made so many bad pictures. I was never able to turn anyone down. The greatest curse in Hollywood is to be a well-known unknown." Gunsmoke Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston . It centered on Dodge City, Kansas , in the 1870s, during the settlement of

1196-589: A scholarship to the Hyde Park Playhouse, a summer stock theater , in Hyde Park, New York . Reynolds considered the opportunity as an agreeable alternative to more physically demanding summer jobs, but did not yet consider acting as a possible career. While working there, Reynolds met Joanne Woodward , who helped him find an agent. "I don't think I ever actually saw him perform", said Woodward later. "I knew him as this cute, shy, attractive boy. He had

1288-466: A screen test after studio talent agent Lew Wasserman saw the effect Reynolds had on secretaries in his office but the test was unsuccessful. ) He worked in a variety of jobs, such as waiting tables, washing dishes, driving a delivery truck and as a bouncer at the Roseland Ballroom . Reynolds wrote that, while working as a dockworker , he was offered $ 150 to jump through a glass window on

1380-407: A somber note, and villains often get away with their crimes. The program was set after the arrival of the railroad in Dodge City (1872), and Kansas had been a state since 1861. In reality, a U.S. Marshal (actually a deputy marshal, because only the senior officer in the district holds the title "marshal") would not be based in Dodge City and would not be involved in local law enforcement. Apart from

1472-522: A vengeful former rival returning to Dodge City to entrap him. In 1990, the second telefilm, Gunsmoke: The Last Apache , premiered. Because Amanda Blake had died the year before, the writers revisited a 1973 episode for the movie. The episode was based on "Matt's Love Story". In the episode, Matt loses his memory and his heart during a brief liaison with "Mike" Yardner (played by Michael Learned , better known for playing Olivia in The Waltons ). In

1564-504: Is "obviously not selling chocolate bars ". The television show first portrayed Kitty as a saloon dance hall employee, then from season two, episode 36 ("Daddy-O"), as half-owner of the Long Branch Saloon . Dillon and Kitty clearly have a close personal relationship. Gunsmoke is often a somber program, particularly in its early years. Dunning writes that Dillon "played his hand and often lost. He arrived too late to prevent

1656-480: Is a former student or a graduate of an educational institution (school, college, university). According to the United States Department of Education , the term alumnae is used in conjunction with either women's colleges or a female group of students. The term alumni is used in conjunction with either men's colleges , a male group of students, or a mixed group of students: In accordance with

1748-470: Is gone. Both deputies are shown to be loyal, but often inept or indecisive at handling problems when Dillon is not around. Although Dillon and Miss Kitty are never portrayed in a romantic relationship, it is apparent they care deeply for each other. Doc Adams is portrayed as a very competent and caring physician, but his conservative treatment methods often frustrate his patients who expect a quick recovery. Doc and both deputies are often used as comic relief over

1840-471: Is sometimes limited just to graduates rather than all alumni, e.g. at Harvard University . Universities with validation agreements may limit some alumni benefits to graduates who studied at that university rather than at validated institutions. In British English , the terms " old boy " or "old girl" are often preferred for a former pupil of a primary or secondary school, while universities refer to their former students as alumni. Some universities, including

1932-409: Is the second Western television series written for adults, premiering on September 10, 1955, four days after The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp . The first 12 seasons aired Saturdays at 10 pm, seasons 13 through 16 aired Mondays at 7:30 pm, and the last four seasons aired Mondays at 8 pm. During its second season in 1956, the program joined the list of the top-10 television programs broadcast in

SECTION 20

#1732790827138

2024-505: Is where his family lived when his father was drafted into the United States Army . Reynolds, his mother, and his sister joined his father at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri , where they subsequently lived for two years. When his father was sent to Europe, the family relocated to Lake City, Michigan , where his mother had been raised. In 1946, the family relocated to Riviera Beach, Florida , where in sixth grade Reynolds began

2116-690: The Gunsmoke: Volume I box set, and another twelve episodes, from 1964 to 1975, were selected for the Gunsmoke: Volume II box set. Both sets are also available as a combined single "Gift Box Set". A third unique DVD box set, known as Gunsmoke: The Directors Collection , was also released with 10 selected episodes from certain seasons throughout the series' 20-year history. All of these box sets are available on Region 1 DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS DVD . Additionally, Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS DVD have released

2208-664: The Italian Western Navajo Joe (1966) filmed in Spain. "It wasn't my favorite picture", ...he said later... "I had two expressions—mad and madder." He guest featured in Gentle Ben and made a pilot for a TV series, Lassiter , where he would have played a magazine journalist. It did not develop into a series. Reynolds then made a series of movies in quick succession. Shark! (1969), filmed in Mexico,

2300-566: The Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Reynolds had an outstanding freshman year as a football player. However, he injured his knee in the first game of his sophomore season, and, later that year, lost his spleen and injured his other knee in a bad car accident. He did not return to the university for almost two years. To keep up with his studies, he enrolled at Palm Beach Junior College (PBJC) in neighboring Lake Park in early 1956. When Reynolds returned to Florida State in 1957, he rejoined

2392-577: The University of Cambridge , the University of California, San Francisco and Yale University , include former postdoctoral researchers as alumni, in recognition of the trainee status of such positions. Others, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , consider them 'associate alumni', without full access to alumni benefits. Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018)

2484-422: The 1980s.) The Brando-Reynolds feud became Hollywood legend. Reynolds said he could not understand Brando's enmity towards him. In a 2015 interview with The Guardian , Reynolds said, "He was a strange man. He didn't like me at all." He did not consciously imitate Brando, or act like him, or try to look like him, and he even grew a mustache so that people would stop saying he looked like Brando. When he finally

2576-475: The American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon , played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television. The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961. John Dunning wrote that, among radio drama enthusiasts, " Gunsmoke is routinely placed among the best shows of any kind and any time." It ran unsponsored for its first few years, with CBS funding its production. In 1955,

2668-556: The Carson, Griffin, Frost , Dinah's show , suddenly I have a personality." "I realized that people liked me, that I was enough", said Reynolds. "So if I could transfer that character—the irreverent, self-deprecating side of me, my favorite side of me—onto the screen, I could have a big career. Reynolds was considered for the role of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather , but Francis Ford Coppola 's desire to cast James Caan in

2760-619: The Crooked Wheel", from mid-1948. Two versions were recorded. The first, recorded in June 1949, was very much like a hardcore detective series and starred Michael Rye (credited as Rye Billsbury) as Dillon; the second, recorded in July 1949, starred Straight Arrow actor Howard Culver in a more Western, lighter version of the same script. CBS liked the Culver version better, and Ackerman

2852-638: The TV show a sham and its players impostors should surprise no one. That the TV show was not a sham is due in no small part to the continued strength of Meston's scripts." Macdonnell and Meston continued the radio version of Gunsmoke until 1961, making it one of the most enduring vintage radio dramas. Conrad directed two television episodes, in 1963 and 1971, and McNear appeared on six, playing characters other than Doc, including three times as storekeeper Howard Rudd. The television series ran from September 10, 1955, to March 31, 1975, on CBS, with 635 total episodes. It

Alumni - Misplaced Pages Continue

2944-610: The UK. The words "alum/alums" and "alumn/alumns" (pronounced with a silent "n") are both pronounced with the accent on the second syllable (al-UM), as opposed to the chemical compound alum and its plural, "alums" (pron. AL-um). Many universities have alumni offices that coordinate fundraising and offer benefits to registered alumni. Alumni reunions are popular events at many institutions. These may be organized by alumni offices or by alumni associations , and are often social occasions for fundraising . Full membership of alumni associations

3036-809: The United States. It quickly moved to number one and stayed there until 1961. It remained among the top-20 programs until 1964. Set in Dodge City, Kansas during the years following the American Civil War , the series follows the lives of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon and the citizens he is sworn to protect. Among them are his deputies, Chester Goode, and later Festus Hagen, town physician Galen “Doc” Adams, and saloon owner, Miss Kitty Russell. Most episodes involve disruptions caused by those arriving from outside Dodge City. Since Dillon’s authority extends beyond town, some episodes focus on his travels, while other plots revolve around mishaps occurring while Dillon

3128-530: The ancient Greek physician and medical researcher Galen . Kitty was played by actress Georgia Ellis on radio, and by Amanda Blake on television. Ellis first appeared in the radio episode "Billy the Kid" (April 26, 1952) as "Francie Richards" – a former girlfriend of Matt Dillon's and the widow of a criminal, but the character of "Miss Kitty" did not appear until the May 10, 1952, episode "Jaliscoe". Sometime in 1959, Ellis

3220-417: The cast of Gunsmoke , one of the top rated shows in the country. The producers developed a new character, "halfbreed" blacksmith Quint Asper: Reynolds was cast, chosen over 300 other contenders. Reynolds announced he would stay on the show "until it ends. I think it's a terrible mistake for an actor to leave a series in the middle of it." Reynolds left Gunsmoke in 1965. He later said that being in that show

3312-604: The characters Olivia Benson and Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for over 25 and 24 consecutive years to date, respectively. George Walsh, the announcer for Gunsmoke , began in 1952 on the radio series and continued until the television series was canceled in 1975. James Arness, Milburn Stone, Ken Curtis, Dennis Weaver, and Amanda Blake are all inductees of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum . Dodge City 's Boot Hill Museum has

3404-401: The course of the series. When Gunsmoke was adapted for television in 1955, contrary to a campaign to persuade the network, the network was not interested in bringing either Conrad or his radio costars to the television medium. Conrad's weight was rumored to be a deciding factor. Denver Pyle was also considered for the role, as was Raymond Burr , who was ultimately also seen as too heavy for

3496-478: The dime novel and the pulp Western as romanticized by Buntline , Harte , and Twain . It was ever the stuff of legend." Five made-for-TV movies were produced after its 20-year run. The show won 15 Primetime Emmy Awards as well as other accolades. It was frequently well received, holding a top-10 spot in the Nielsen ratings for several seasons. The United Kingdom series was initially titled Gun Law . In

3588-425: The doleful tone, Gunsmoke is distinct from other radio Westerns, as the dialogue is often slow and halting, and the outstanding sound effects give a palpable sense of the prairie setting. The effects are subtle but multilayered, giving the show a spacious feel. John Dunning wrote, "The listener heard extraneous dialogue in the background, just above the muted shouts of kids playing in an alley. He heard noises from

3680-424: The end, the primary roles were all recast, with Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon (on the recommendation of Wayne, who also introduced the pilot), Dennis Weaver as Chester Goode, Milburn Stone as Dr. G. "Doc" Adams (the G. later specified as standing for Galen), and Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russell. Macdonnell became the associate producer of the television show and later the producer. Meston was head writer. The series

3772-620: The executive producer, and that he had "a stupid part". Reynolds then said that he "couldn't get a job. I didn't have a very good reputation. You just don't walk out on a network television series." Reynolds returned to guest featuring in television shows. As he put it, "I played heavies in every series in town", appearing in episodes of Playhouse 90 , Johnny Ringo , Alfred Hitchcock Presents , Lock Up , The Blue Angels , Michael Shayne , Zane Grey Theater , The Aquanauts and The Brothers Brannagan . "They were depressing years", he later said. Reynolds made his movie debut in

Alumni - Misplaced Pages Continue

3864-463: The film, Learned returns as Mike, who reveals to Marshal Dillon that he is the father of their daughter, Beth (played by Amy Stock-Poynton ) and asks him for help in saving her from a band on Apaches. Other films included Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (1992), Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (1993), and Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice (1994). Arness stars in all five made-for-television movies. Gunsmoke

3956-467: The film. Milburn Stone had died seven years earlier in 1980 and the role of Doc was not recast. Ken Curtis balked at the salary offer he received and said that he should be paid based on Festus's importance in the character hierarchy. The screenwriters responded to Curtis's absence by making Newly the new Dodge City marshal. The film, shot in Alberta , features a now-retired Marshal Dillon being attacked and

4048-410: The football team, although his leg injured by the car accident slowed him. He was blamed, fairly or not, for the team's loss to North Carolina State University on October 12, 1957. Immediately after the game he told his teammates that he was done with football. During his term at PBJC in early 1956, Reynolds was in an English class taught by Watson B. Duncan III . Duncan encouraged him to try out for

4140-412: The fringes of Dodge society, Festus Haggen was slowly phased in as a reliable sidekick and part-time deputy to Matt Dillon when Reynolds left in 1965. When Milburn Stone temporarily left for heart bypass surgery in 1971, Pat Hingle played Dr. John Chapman for several episodes. The Gunsmoke radio theme song and later television theme is titled "Old Trails", also known as "Boothill". The Gunsmoke theme

4232-747: The kind of lovely personality that made you want to do something for him." He was cast in Tea and Sympathy at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. After his Broadway debut in Look, We've Come Through , he received favorable reviews for his performance and went on tour with the cast, driving the bus as well as appearing on stage. After the tour, Reynolds returned to New York and enrolled in acting classes, along with Frank Gifford , Carol Lawrence , Red Buttons and Jan Murray . "I

4324-601: The kind of movies "they show in airplanes or prisons or anywhere else the people can't get out". He proved enormously popular and was frequently asked back by Griffin and Johnny Carson; he even guest hosted the Tonight Show . He was so popular as a guest that he was offered his own talk show but he wanted to continue as an actor. He later said his talk show appearances were "the best thing that ever happened to me. They changed everything drastically overnight. I spent ten years looking virile, saying, 'Put up your hands.' After

4416-732: The late 1940s, CBS chairman William S. Paley , a fan of the Philip Marlowe radio series, asked his programming chief, Hubell Robinson, to develop a hardcore Western series, about a "Philip Marlowe of the Old West". Robinson delegated this to his West Coast CBS vice president, Harry Ackerman , who had developed the Philip Marlowe series. Ackerman and his scriptwriters, Mort Fine and David Friedkin , created an audition script called "Mark Dillon Goes to Gouge Eye" based on one of their Michael Shayne radio scripts, "The Case of

4508-797: The low budget Angel Baby (1961), billed fourth. He followed it with a role in a war movie, Armored Command (1961). "It was the one picture that Howard Keel didn't sing on", reminisced Reynolds later. "That was a terrible mistake." In 1961, he returned to Broadway to appear in Look, We've Come Through , directed by José Quintero , but it lasted only five performances. Reynolds continued to guest feature for shows such as Naked City , Ripcord , Everglades , Route 66 , Perry Mason , and The Twilight Zone (" The Bard ", an hour-long send-up of Reynolds' look-alike Marlon Brando ). He later said, "I learned more about my craft in these guest shots than I did standing around and looking virile on Riverboat." In 1962, Dennis Weaver wanted to quit

4600-411: The many inscriptions about alumni, Boswell concluded that it referred to exposed children who were taken into a household where they were "regarded as somewhere between an heir and a slave, partaking in different ways of both categories." Despite the warmth of feelings between the parent and child, "an alumnus might be treated both as a beloved child and as a household servant." An alumnus or alumna

4692-440: The network cut Gilligan's Island , instead. The show continued in its new time slot at 8 pm on Mondays. This scheduling move led to a spike in ratings that had it once again rally to the top 10 in the Nielsen ratings , which again saved the series when CBS purged most of its rural content in 1971. The series remained in the top 10 until the 1973–74 television season. After its last original airing on March 31, 1975, Gunsmoke

SECTION 50

#1732790827138

4784-430: The next block, too, where the inevitable dog was barking." Gunsmoke is unique from other Westerns in that it was unsponsored in the first few years of production. The program was funded by CBS in the first two years. Series producers said that if the show were sponsored, they would have to "clean the show up". The producers wanted to find a sponsor that would allow them to keep the show the way it was. Not long after

4876-501: The part prevailed. There was talk that Reynolds' participation was vetoed by Marlon Brando , who had a lack of respect for him. Brando denied he played a role in thwarting the casting of Reynolds, saying in a January 1979 Playboy interview that Coppola would not have cast Reynolds in the part. Reynolds later claimed that he refused the role of Sonny. ( Godfather producer Albert S. Ruddy would produce Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II , two Reynolds movie successes during

4968-454: The part. Charles Warren , television Gunsmoke ' s first director, said, "His voice was fine, but he was too big. When he stood up, his chair stood with him." It has long been rumored that John Wayne was offered the role of Matt Dillon; according to Dennis Weaver's comments on the 50th Anniversary DVD, disc one, episode "Hack Prine", John Wayne was never even considered for the role; to have done so would have been preposterous, since Wayne

5060-455: The police television drama Dan August (1970–71), produced by Quinn Martin . Reynolds had previously guest-featured in two episodes of Martin's production The F.B.I. The series was given a full-season order of 26 episodes based on the reputation of Martin and Reynolds but struggled in the ratings against Hawaii Five-0 and was not renewed. Albert R. Broccoli asked Reynolds to play James Bond after Sean Connery , but Reynolds refused

5152-716: The producer hands me a script and says 'I know it's not there now kid, but I know we can make it work.'" Reynolds was offered in a lead role in the series M*A*S*H (1970), but he refused it after "they told me the other two leads would be Barbra Streisand's husband and that tall, skinny guy who was in The Dirty Dozen ." Tom Skerritt played the role and Reynolds, instead, played in Skullduggery (1970), filmed in Jamaica. Reynolds joked that after making "those wonderful, forgettable pictures... I suddenly realized I

5244-408: The radio show began, talk began of adapting it to television. Privately, Macdonnell had a guarded interest in taking the show to television, but publicly, he declared, "our show is perfect for radio", and he feared, as Dunning writes, " Gunsmoke confined by a picture could not possibly be as authentic or attentive to detail. ... In the end, CBS simply took it away from Macdonnell and began preparing for

5336-595: The role, saying, "An American can't play James Bond. It just can't be done." After the cancellation of the series, Reynolds did his first stage play in six years, a production of The Tender Trap at Arlington Park Theatre. He was offered other TV pilots but was reluctant to play a detective again. Around this time, he had become well known as a charismatic talk-show guest, starting with an appearance on The Merv Griffin Show . He made jokes at his own expense, calling himself America's most " well-known unknown " who only made

5428-601: The rules of grammar governing the inflexion of nouns in the Romance languages , the masculine plural alumni is correctly used for groups composed of both sexes: the alumni of Princeton University . The term is sometimes informally shortened to "alum" (optional plural "alums"). This is increasingly being used more formally as a gender-neutral alternative. However, and for this latter purpose, the option "alumn" and "alumns" are also used in some institutions in Australia, Europe and

5520-428: The same root, is the adjective almus "nourishing", found in the phrase alma mater , a title for a person's home university. In Latin, alumnus is a legal term ( Roman law ) to describe a child placed in fosterage . According to John Boswell , the word "is nowhere defined in relation to status, privilege, or obligation." Citing the research of Henri Leclercq , Teresa Nani , and Beryl Rawson , who studied

5612-741: The series in its entirety on DVD for 13 years between 2007 and 2020 in Region 1 (all of the seasons except for season one and seasons sixteen through twenty were split into two volumes). A complete series box set was released on May 5, 2020. All DVDs have been released with English audio and close captioning from season 1 to 5 and starting season 6 English SDH. In 1987, CBS commissioned a reunion movie titled Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge . James Arness and Amanda Blake returned in their iconic roles of Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty, with Fran Ryan returning as Kitty's friend and saloon-owner Hannah and Buck Taylor as Newly O'Brian. Doc Adams and Festus Haggen were not featured in

SECTION 60

#1732790827138

5704-489: The series was adapted for television and ran for 20 seasons. It ran for half-hour episodes from 1955 to 1961, and one-hour episodes from 1961 to 1975. A total of 635 episodes were aired over its 20 year run. At the end of its run in 1975, Los Angeles Times columnist Cecil Smith wrote: " Gunsmoke was the dramatization of the American epic legend of the west. Our own Iliad and Odyssey , created from standard elements of

5796-631: The show since its inception in 1996, Encore Westerns , INSP , and Weigel Broadcasting 's MeTV digital subchannel network. Individual stations such as KFWD in Dallas also carry the series in their markets. It has also been shown on satellite channel CBS Action in the UK, Ireland, and Poland. The series also appears intermittently on MeTV's themed sister network Decades . In 2006, as part of Gunsmoke ' s 50th anniversary on television, selected episodes were released on DVD in three different box sets. Twelve episodes, from 1955 to 1964, were selected for

5888-403: The starring role. After the play closed, the director, John Forsythe , arranged a movie audition with Joshua Logan for Reynolds. The movie was Sayonara (1957). Reynolds was told he could not be in the movie because he looked too much like Marlon Brando . Logan advised Reynolds to go to Hollywood , although Reynolds did not feel confident enough to do so. (Another source says Reynolds did

5980-452: The television version. In the radio series, "Doc" Adams was initially a self-interested and somewhat dark character with a predilection for constantly attempting to increase his revenue through the procurement of autopsy fees. He was acerbic, somewhat mercenary, and borderline alcoholic, in the program's early years. His real name was Dr. Calvin Moore. He came west and changed his name to escape

6072-455: The television version." Conrad and the others were given auditions, but they were little more than token efforts – especially in Conrad's case, due to his obesity. However, Meston was kept as the main writer. In the early years, most of the television episodes were adapted from the radio scripts, often using identical scenes and dialogue. Dunning wrote, "That radio fans considered

6164-414: The upending of cherished Western fiction clichés and said that few Westerns gave any inkling of how brutal the Old West was in reality. Many episodes were based on man's cruelty to man and woman, inasmuch as the prairie woman's life and the painful treatment of women as chattels were touched on well ahead of the time of most media. As originally pitched to CBS executives, this was to be an adult Western, not

6256-557: Was "the happiest period of my life. I hated to leave that show but I felt I had served my apprenticeship and there wasn't room for two leading men." He was cast in his first lead role in a movie, the low-budget action movie, Operation C.I.A. (1965). He guest featured in the television series Flipper , The F.B.I. and 12 O'Clock High . Reynolds was given the title role of a TV series, Hawk (1966–67), playing Native American detective John Hawk. It ran for 17 episodes before being cancelled. He played another Native American in

6348-600: Was "way ahead of its time. I was playing light comedy and nobody cared." Reynolds featured with Jim Brown and Raquel Welch in another western movie, 100 Rifles (1969), later saying, "I spent the entire time refereeing fights between Jim Brown and Raquel Welch." In a 1969 interview, he expressed interest in playing roles like the John Garfield part in The Postman Always Rings Twice , but no one gave him those opportunities. "Instead,

6440-500: Was a half-hour show, retitled Marshal Dillon in syndication. It then went to an hour-long format. The series was retitled Gun Law in the UK. The Marshal Dillon syndicated reruns of half-hour episodes lasted from 1961 until 1964 on CBS, originally on Tuesday nights within its time in reruns. In syndication, the entire 20-year run of Gunsmoke is separated into three packages by CBS Television Distribution : The program currently airs on four major venues: TV Land , which has carried

6532-447: Was a top movie leading man. The belief that Wayne was asked to star is disputed by Warren. Although he agrees Wayne encouraged Arness to take the role, Warren says, "I hired Jim Arness on the strength of a picture he's done for me ... I never thought for a moment of offering it to Wayne." According to Thomas "Duke" Miller, a television and movie celebrity expert, this story was told to him by legendary actor James Stewart : "Jimmy said he

6624-417: Was a working actor for two years before I finally took my first real acting class (with Wynn Handman at the Neighborhood Playhouse )", he said. "It was a lot of technique, truth, moment-to-moment, how to listen, improv." After a botched improvisation in acting class, Reynolds briefly considered returning to Florida, but soon gained a part in a revival of Mister Roberts , in which Charlton Heston played

6716-399: Was already one of radio's busiest actors. Though Meston championed him, Macdonnell thought Conrad might be overexposed. During his audition, however, Conrad won over Macdonnell after reading only a few lines. Dillon, as portrayed by Conrad, was a lonely, isolated man, toughened by a hard life. Macdonnell later claimed, "Much of Matt Dillon's character grew out of Bill Conrad." Meston relished

6808-483: Was an American actor, most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. Reynolds first became known well as a result of featuring in television series, such as Gunsmoke (1962–1965), Hawk (1966), and Dan August (1970–1971). He had leading roles in movies, such as Navajo Joe (1966) and 100 Rifles (1969), and his breakthrough role was as Lewis Medlock in Deliverance (1972). Reynolds played leading roles in

6900-414: Was as hot as Leo Gorcey ." Reynolds featured in two television movies: Hunters Are for Killing (1970) and Run, Simon, Run (1970). In Hunters Are for Killing , his character was originally a Native American, but Reynolds requested this element be changed, feeling he had played that role too many times already, and it was not needed for the character anyway. Reynolds played the title character in

6992-475: Was billed as Georgia Hawkins instead of Georgia Ellis. Amanda Blake appeared in over 500 episodes of the television series, with her last being the April 1, 1974, episode titled, "The Disciple". In the radio series, Kitty's profession was hinted at, but never explicit; in a 1953 interview with Time , Macdonnell declared, "Kitty is just someone Matt has to visit every once in a while". The magazine observed that she

7084-576: Was born on February 11, 1936, to Burton Milo Reynolds Sr. and Harriet Fernette "Fern" ( née Miller) His family descended from Dutch , English, Scots-Irish , and Scottish ancestry. Reynolds also claimed some Cherokee and Italian ancestry. During his career, Reynolds often claimed to have been born in Waycross, Georgia , although in 2015, he stated that he was actually born in Lansing, Michigan . In his autobiography, he stated that Lansing

7176-584: Was canceled after a 20-year run (with reruns continuing to air until September), even though it still ranked among the top 30 programs in the ratings; the Mary Tyler Moore spin-offs Rhoda (which was going into its second year in the Fall-1975 season) and Phyllis (a fall-1975 freshman) would be scheduled for the 8 pm hour previously occupied by Gunsmoke that fall. Thirty television Westerns came and went during its 20-year tenure, and Gunsmoke

7268-475: Was cast alongside Darren McGavin who was the main actor of the television series Riverboat (1959–61), playing Ben Frazer (the boat's pilot, in which he had several episodes where he managed the boat when McGavin's character would leave for some gambling). According to a contemporary report, Reynolds was considered "a double for Marlon Brando ". The show played for two seasons but Reynolds quit after only 20 episodes, claiming he did not get along with McGavin or

7360-471: Was composed by Rex Koury. The original radio version was conducted by Koury. The television version was thought to have been first conducted by CBS west coast music director Lud Gluskin . The lyrics of the theme, never aired on the radio or television show, were recorded and released by Tex Ritter in 1955. Ritter was backed on that Capitol record by Rex Koury and the radio Gunsmoke orchestra. Other notable composers included: From 1955 to 1961, Gunsmoke

7452-590: Was directed by Sam Fuller , who removed his name from it, after which its release was held up for a number of years. Reynolds described Fade In as "the best thing I've ever done", but it was not released for a number of years, and the director, Jud Taylor , took his name off. Impasse (1969) was a war movie filmed in the Philippines. He played the title role in Sam Whiskey (1969), a comic Western written by William W. Norton , which Reynolds later said

7544-513: Was filmed at the present site of California Lutheran University (CLU) and nearby Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, California . In 1975, CBS made the decision not to renew Gunsmoke for a 21st season, without making any public announcement or informing the producers or cast members ahead of time. The entire cast was stunned by the cancellation, as they were unaware that CBS was considering it. According to Arness: We didn't do

7636-405: Was in the office with Charles Warren when Mr. Wayne came in. Mr. Warren asked Wayne if he knew James Arness, and Mr. Wayne said yes. Mr. Warren told Mr. Wayne about the transition of the show from radio to television, and Mr. Wayne readily agreed that James Arness would be a terrific choice for the part of Matt Dillon. I have no reason to doubt the story, because Jimmy absolutely knew everybody." In

7728-488: Was introduced to Brando, Reynolds said he told him that he was the finest actor in the world. Brando replied, "I wish I could say the same for you". He had a major role in the movie Deliverance , directed by John Boorman , who cast him on the basis of a talk show appearance. "It's the first time I haven't had a script with Paul Newman 's and Robert Redford 's fingerprints all over it," Reynolds joked. "The producers actually came to me first". "I've waited 15 years to do

7820-402: Was named First Team All State and All Southern as a fullback , and received multiple scholarship offers. After graduating from Palm Beach High School, he attended Florida State University on a football scholarship and played halfback , starting in 1954. While at Florida State, he roomed with future college-football coach, broadcaster, and analyst Lee Corso , and also became a brother of

7912-482: Was nominated twice for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . Reynolds was voted the world's number one movie actor from 1978 to 1982 in the annual Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll , a record that he shares with Bing Crosby . After a number of box-office failures, Reynolds returned to television, featuring in the situation comedy Evening Shade (1990–1994) which won

8004-403: Was played on radio by William Conrad and on television by James Arness. Two versions of the same pilot episode titled "Mark Dillon Goes to Gouge Eye" were produced with Rye Billsbury and Howard Culver playing Marshal Mark Dillon as the lead, not yet played by Conrad. Conrad was one of the last actors to audition for the role of Marshal Dillon. With a resonantly powerful and distinctive voice, Conrad

8096-426: Was rated fourth globally, after Doctor Who (1963–present), Taggart (1983–2010), and The Bill (1984–2010). James Arness and Milburn Stone portrayed their Gunsmoke characters for 20 consecutive years, a feat later matched by Kelsey Grammer as the character Frasier Crane , but over two half-hour sitcoms ( Cheers and Frasier ). This was surpassed by Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T , who have portrayed

8188-509: Was set in Dodge City, Kansas, during the thriving cattle days of the 1870s. Dunning notes, "The show drew critical acclaim for unprecedented realism." The radio series first aired on CBS on April 26, 1952, with the episode "Billy the Kid", written by Walter Newman , and ended on June 18, 1961. The show stars William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Dillon's assistant, Chester Wesley Proudfoot. Matt Dillon

8280-537: Was television's number one ranked show from 1957 to 1961, then it expanded to one hour and slipped into a decline. CBS planned to cancel the series in 1967 after the twelfth season, but widespread viewer reaction prevented its demise, including a mention in Congress and pressure from Babe Paley , the wife of CBS's longtime president William S. Paley. Gilligan's Island producer Sherwood Schwartz states that Babe pressured her husband not to cancel Gunsmoke in 1967, so

8372-519: Was the sole survivor, with Alias Smith and Jones and Bonanza both leaving the airwaves 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 years earlier in January 1973. The television series was the longest-running, primetime, live-action television series at 20 seasons, until September 2019 with the 21st-season premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit . The original Law & Order , which was canceled in 2010 after tying Gunsmoke ' s longevity record for

8464-488: Was told to proceed. A complication arose when Culver's contract as the star of Straight Arrow would not allow him to do another Western series. The project was suspended for three years, when producer Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston discovered it while creating an adult Western series of their own. Macdonnell and Meston wanted to create a radio Western for adults, in contrast to the prevailing juvenile fare such as The Lone Ranger and The Cisco Kid . Gunsmoke

#137862