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Authenticity is Everything
GUNSMOKE AUTOGRAPHS
GUNSMOKE ran from 1955-1975 the first episode was introduced by none other than John Wayne. The actor chosen to play the title role was James Arness who had appeared in many movies including some with John Wayne. Arness was not yet a star though, but the show would soon make him one. Gunsmoke was already a hit radio show with William Conrad voicing the lead character "Matt Dillon." This was still early for television and the radio would continue to air until June 11, 1961. The original three main characters of the television show were James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doctor "Doc" Adams and Dennis Weaver as Chester. Later Chester was replaced by Ken Curtis as Festus. Those five were the major stars of the show. Major supporting roles included Bert Rumsey as the first bartender Sam Noonan, Glenn Strange replaced Rumsey, Roger Ewing as Thad, Buck Taylor as Newly and Bert Reynolds as Quint the blacksmith. Other supporting roles included Ted Jordan as Burke, James Nusser as Louie the town drunk, Dabbs Greer as Mr. Jonas, George Selk as Moss Grimmick plus too many more to mention. Jordan is the man who gets shot in every color episode opening. He also wrote a tell all book about his romance with Marilyn Monroe.
Gunsmoke is one of those shows that is impossible to collect everyone since so many are hard to find. I have myself settled for the top five plus Glenn Strange all of those did over 230 episodes no others matched that. I have scores of others that were in Gunsmoke but long ago gave up on concentrating on it. Without doubt it is my favorite television western and I watch it over and over. As a boy watching every Saturday I was sure that Matt was a goner since the bullet was also next to the spine! The real Matt Dillon I have always assumed died of lead poisoning while Festus and Newly likely of fractured skulls from being knocked out so many times. My favorite episode of all time was "The Snow Train" a two part episode. If there was a western star that did not appear on Gunsmoke it is probably because they were on Bonanza or Big Valley. A sad fact that so few young people today know about those shows let alone ever watch them.
James Arness in talking about the show stated his character "Matt Dillon" hated violence of any kind. This may be a surprising statement for the star of a western but it is absolutely true. Dillon never shot a man unless forced into and as Arness said there was always a reaction shot of him with a look of being repulsed by the fact he had to kill a man. Matt Dillon was not a "Dirty Harry" he did not want any one to make his day by drawing on him. He was a honest peace officer in the strictest sense of the word. Gunsmoke was called the first "adult" western and watching it today there are so many things I missed as boy. I will add that the best villain that ever appeared in an episode was Bette Davis! She is absolutely frightening in it.
The number of episodes a person appears is not always a good indication of what to collect but in the case of Gunsmoke it is a good start. The numbers are from internet movie database and include a few episodes that the person is credited but did not appear in. Buck Taylor with 174 and Ted Jordan with 131 were the only ones to reach 100 episodes other than bit players. Honorable mention needs to be made to Pat Hingle who took over the major role as "Dr. John Chapman" who filled in for "Doc" for six episodes in 1971 when Milburn Stone had surgery. For my own personal collection, I consider the must have autographs to be the following:
James Arness (635)
Milburn Stone (605)
Amanda Blake (569)
Ken Curtis (306)
Dennis Weaver (290)
Glenn Strange (238)
Buck Taylor (173)
Roger Ewing (52)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by CJCollector on
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One of my favs of Dennis Weaver is "Duel." I love that movie!!!
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Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on
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Thank you Christopher that was one of the great made for TV thrillers of the 70s they just do not make them like that anymore. They didn't even need computer generated graphics for that one.
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Aside from acting on Gunsmoke in 1961 Dennis Weaver actually was the director for four episodes. The only other time he directed was in a Christmas episode of his own crime drama McCloud in 1976. For those too young to remember "Sam McCloud" was a town marshal in New Mexico sent to New York City to catch a criminal and gets a temporary assignment there to learn big city police methods. JD Cannon is great as the exasperated police captain that has to put up with McCloud's sometimes unorthodox methods.
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Dennis Weaver this is an 8x10.
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GLENN STRANGE (1899-1973) best known as the second "Sam Noonan" the bartender on the television western Gunsmoke and the monster in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) . He was also in the Universal horror classics House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and The Mummy's Tomb (1942). He also played the monster in the Bowery Boys comedy movie Master Minds (1949) with Leo Gorcey and Hutnz Hall. Strange was often cast in B-westerns as a tough guy or villain. One of the best westerns he was in was Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). He was in the Bob Hope comedy-western Alias Jesse James (1959) and The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939). Strange appeared in the Abbott and Costello movie The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947) and did an episode of their television show. He appeared on such shows as Petticoat Junction, The Rifleman, Tales of the Wells Fargo, Space Patrol and Hopalong Cassidy.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on
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I believe that there are Glenn Strange proxy signatures in play and many offered as authentic are indeed proxy. I need to throw together a visual compare from my files.
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Glenn Strange from Dr. Brucato's Classic Entertainment Autographs.
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GLENN STRANGE the earliest signature I have found is from his World War I draft registration card dated 1918. He signs his name G. G. Strange (for George Glenn Strange) at age 19.
For next of kin he listed his father W[illiam] R[ussell] Strange.
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Nice read, Scott.
I still watch Gunsmoke today.
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I have been a Gunsmoke fan and autograph collector for many years. I love seeing this topic.
I have listened to all 500 or so Gunsmoke radio shows and am working on the TV shows now. I've watched many, but still have a way to go.
I'll post some of my examples in this thread, as well as some common fakes. Right now, there is a seller on ebay who has been selling a ton of cast signed fakes, including many Gunsmokes.
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Thank you Steve look forward to seeing more. I am the opposite of you I have seen nearly all the TV shows but have quite a ways to go with the radio ones. Do you have Burt Rumsey?
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Here are some examples I got directly from James Arness.
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