8/13/2023 0 Comments Gunsmoke season 14![]() ![]() The series returned to prominence in 1967 following a shift in its programming time from Saturday to Monday night. It remained at number one until 1961 and stayed in the top 20 until 1964. During season two, Gunsmoke became one of the 10 most popular programs on American television and moved to number one in the third season. Of the hour-long episodes, 176 were in black-and-white and 226 were in color. During its run, 635 episodes were broadcast, of which 233 were 30 minutes and 402 were 60 minutes in length. ![]() The series expanded to an hour in length with season seven and began filming in color in season 12. Gunsmoke was originally a half-hour program filmed in black-and-white. In the United Kingdom, Gunsmoke was originally broadcast under the title Gun Law. The first episode aired in the United States on September 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on March 31, 1975. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longest-running Western in television history. Gunsmoke is an American Western television series developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name. It is not likely many people in the area would have paid that exorbitant amount, even if they had the means.Clockwise from top: Ken Curtis (Festus), Arness (Matt), Amanda Blake (Kitty) and Milburn Stone (Doc) in 1968 It seems quite unlikely a restaurant in Dodge City, Kansas during the time this episode is set would go to the trouble of acquiring raw oysters, keeping them on ice - considering the difficulty of making ice during the time, and then offering them at that price. The chalkboard in the restaurant reads, "Today's Special, Oysters $2 per dozen." Two dollars in 1875 would be more than fifty dollars today! The price probably makes sense under the circumstances. (A mildly curious side note to this episode: Early in the story, the drunken Corley character is shown shucking and eating raw oysters. This is a highly recommended, thought-provoking installment of Gunsmoke. It is not often the Gunsmoke writers and producers would delve into historical events in this manner. Those looking for a lot of action and gunplay are likely to find this episode disappointing. One of the oddest guest performances is from Stanley Clements as the character McInnerny, who snores through most of every scene where he is present. This was Coughlin's first participation in the show, but he would eventually appear in four other episodes before he was hit by a speeding car and killed when he was only 31 years old. Another fine talent, Kevin Coughlin, plays Tom Driscoll, the son of Tim and Louise. DoQui's only other Gunsmoke performance was in the episode "The Good Samaritans" later in the season. Talented actor Robert DoQui makes one of his two Season 14 appearances in a Gunsmoke episode as one of Corley's companions named Sadler. Louise Latham, who previously appeared in that Robert Totten directed "Waco" episode earlier in Season 14, is Louise Driscoll, Tim's wife. He contributed the story for one Gunsmoke epsiode, Season 13's "Nowhere to Run." A vastly different looking Bob Totten sans facial hair would star in another Season 14 episode, "The Long Night." Nehemiah Persoff makes another of his many Gunsmoke appearances as the Tim Driscoll character. ![]() Totten guested in eight different Gunsmoke episodes over the years, and he directed twenty-five episodes between season 11 and 17, including the "Waco" episode from earlier in Season 14. Robert Totten's performance as Corley truly shines among a strong cast of guests. As such, this episode can be interpreted as a statement about the horror of war and its lingering effects. The strength of this episode is that Tim Driscoll's situation is resolved, but the larger issue is not. I also agree with the reviewer grizzledgeezer. As for the plot of this story, I recommend reading the excellent historical perspective provided by kenstallings-65346. ![]()
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