"Gunsmoke" (1955) - Review & Commentary

[Chatwoman]

WARNING: SPOILERS. HAPPENING. BELOW. DON'T READ IT IF YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW.

In preparation for going well and full down the Gunsmoke rabbit hole...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunsmoke

Here's how discussion of the show began yesterday...

"Is there spiritual/karmic significance behind historical re-enactments?"
https://www.interstellarmessages.com/thread-18536.html

Amanda Blake, Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke, spent 1/3 of her life playing the character...

In 1955 at age 26 she started on the show, and she left the show in 1974, age 45.

She married 4 times. Her fifth husband was Mark Spaeth, a bisexual (I believe he was simply gay) man, and I guess she functioned as a beard for him. He died of AIDS in 1985, and she died of the same in 1989 at 60 years old.

https://news.amomama.com/277521-gunsmoke...origi.html

Ironically, he claimed that she gave it to him. Considering she was never promiscuous and he was gay/bi, I'm guessing it came from him. But back then I don't think as much was known about AIDS. Maybe he genuinely believed it really did come from her. Sad story all the way around.

But I thought I'd mention Gunsmoke in this thread because it ran for 20 years and that's a VERY long time to play a role, especially a period piece. It's kind of like reenacting.

https://metv.com/stories/amanda-blake-ga...er-married

This article says she pushed hard to get the role and wouldn't settle for otherwise. Sounds like destiny to me. Maybe even the same kinda pull toward destiny that these historical reenactors feel.

You know, I love the fashion of the old west.

The women, particularly the barmaids, had a visually appealing stylistic flair.

But the cowboy attire is what I really love.

I wouldn't wanna have to wear the female garb of the time.

I'd have to invent my own kind of wild west inspired attire.

"Wild West Outlaws: Historical Superstars Of American Culture"
https://www.interstellarmessages.com/thread-17130.html

I just watched my first ever episode of Gunsmoke on purpose...

Season 11, Episode 14 - "The Avengers"

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0594392

Of course I've seen Gunsmoke here and there, probably never a whole episode before and I definitely never WANTED to watch it.

I've never been much into western movies/shows. I liked Bonanza back when, but it's only cuz I had the hots for Michael Landon. Blazing Saddles was my favorite movie as a teenager though and it does remain a top 5 favorite.

In general though, I've avoided westerns. And I'm glad I did... I think things are "saved" for us thanks to our own preferences/aversions because they're supposed to come into our lives at a later time instead.

I'll tell you one thing I don't like about Gunsmoke...

It's Miss Kitty's false eyelashes.

That makeup is over the top.

Maybe in the 1950s the general public didn't know about false lashes and the makeup artists just used them for pure enhancement thinking no one would know they weren't real.

All I know is that shit ain't accurate for the time period.

That said, the way I'd be dressing for wild west roleplay ain't appropriate for the time period either, so who am I to judge?!



I'm watching the very first episode of Gunsmoke now. So far this shit is pretty scandalous!!!

Why fuck me, this ain't the first episode of the whole show, it's just the first episode of season 7 lmao.

Looks like Pluto TV only has a few seasons of it.

There are 600+ episodes of Gunsmoke.

There are 300+ episodes of Supernatural in comparison.

I STILL haven't finished watching Supernatural and I started that process in 2019.

So at that rate it would take me ~7 years to watch Gunsmoke.

Not gonna happen, but I think it's amazing that there's so much of this show to enjoy if I ever WANTED to.

Season 12 premier was the first color episode of Gunsmoke. It would have been a trip to see that back in the day. Grow accustomed to seeing your favorite character in black and white for over a decade, then finally one day, there they are in stunning color.

I wonder if they felt the need to enhance color or other aspects of the attire, sets, etc. in order to play up to the new and exciting world of color TV.

Lol Gunsmoke is so dramatic and inspiring.

I'm watching S8 E12 - "The Way It Is"...

Miss Kitty's super pissed at Matt.

I dunno, there's something so romantic about this show.

They just don't make 'em like this anymore... they couldn't if they tried.

Miss Kitty is definitely not the most likable Gunsmoke character. I think we all know that's Festus, and he wasn't even cast on the show til season 8.

I mean she's hot but... her personality is kinda wank in some instances. Of course she DOES make the show. They probably wouldn't even have stopped if she didn't leave, which seems like a lot of the reason she chose to leave when she did. I would have stuck it through til the 20th season just to make it 20 years on paper, but whatevs.

Man the pickings are fucking slim when it comes to watching Gunsmoke online.

It makes me wonder if they lost the tapes and just aren't telling anybody.

It's all random seasons and the same seasons on different platforms, all in all it's like ~9 seasons available...

Only 2 of those are color episode seasons, and the first few seasons don't appear to be available anywhere.

I was trying to look on other platforms that maybe don't have ads on them so I could watch more and check out some color episodes but...

Literally Pluto TV is the place with the largest selection of episodes and there's no way to pay to remove ads or anything, so kinda just stuck with Pluto if I wanna watch. No BS.

It's not like anybody has enough time in their life to watch 20 seasons of a fucking show anyway but I'd like the option to.

It's a fucking great show though.

How did they make 20 years out of this show?? What the hell were the later seasons even about? Did it actually STAY good???



1:45 dude he smacks the shit out of that bitch, this show is fucking iconic! I want to see more!

Everyone in the comments is bitching about the same old black and white episodes being the only ones that ever air... it's like they only have license to play all the same episodes.

A lot of people are saying they religiously watch the show still.

People in the comments of that vid are saying that Matt and Kitty never actually got anywhere with their romance...

I think that's great because whenever the main characters marry each other, the show inevitably tanks.

https://www.bingeclock.com/s/gunsmoke

Feeling daunted by the massive amount of "Gunsmoke" episodes? Eh, don't bother. Just join "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak in the fun.

Sajak, who hosts the popular game show along with Vanna White, shared his thoughts in a tweet on Friday.

"Started binge-watching Gunsmoke," Sajak writes. "635 episodes, of which 233 were half-hour shows. The rest (402) were hourlong shows. That's 518 1/2 hours. At 3 hours per day, that's about 173 days. I'll be finished around December 8. I'll tweet my thoughts then."

https://outsider.com/entertainment/wheel...g-gunsmoke

BAHAHAHA, holy shit!!! Pat Sajak is my kinda guy?!?!

I mean I knew somebody out there had probably done the math when I searched it, but I never figured it'd be Pat Sajak, roflmao!

This show is juicy as hell.

In this "The Way It Is" episode, Miss Kitty's got a super controlling psycho bro on her tail! He just grabbed her arm. He's blaming his violent controlling behavior on a head injury?!

Marshal Dillon's totally gonna have to kill this guy!!!

Yuuuup, he just shot him. BAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

Dude this show is fucking FIIIIREEEEEEE.

I don't have time for this.

I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THISSSSS.

As I'm sitting here with Gunsmoke playing in the background while I multitask, I feel like I'm in Pink Floyd's The Wall...





DOES ANYBODY HERE REMEMBER VERA LYNNNNN

Wait, wrong song.

I just need to start a Gunsmoke thread because it's pretty clear what's about to go on here.

The episode is "Milly" [Edit: Click here for correct episode title and review on page 43] and I'm 100% unclear on why she married his old ass dad instead of marrying him. I think his dad should have introduced the two instead of being a selfish bastard. Like he didn't predict there was gonna be a problem there? Stop fuckin' with me. His dad ain't even any richer than he is, come on. Now he's gonna have to bang his step-mom who's even younger than him. Guy's dad is a fool, bottom line.

I dunno how any kid who WASN'T born in the '60s COULD be into Gunsmoke, let's be honest... it makes sense I have the taste for it now that I'm old enough to appreciate the finer things.

[Chatwoman]

The episode is "Milly" [Edit: Click here for correct episode title and review on page 43] and I'm 100% unclear on why she married his old ass dad instead of marrying him. I think his dad should have introduced the two instead of being a selfish bastard. Like he didn't predict there was gonna be a problem there? Stop fuckin' with me. His dad ain't even any richer than he is, come on. Now he's gonna have to bang his step-mom who's even younger than him. Guy's dad is a fool, bottom line.

43:35 oh God this is horrible...



I blame his dad. He put him in such an asshole position by marrying this hotass Indian chick.

[Chatwoman]

Chills! They oughta call this shit Cliffhanger instead of Gunsmoke, rofl!

[Chatwoman]

47:40 it's riveting because we still don't know who got shot?!

[Chatwoman]

I CANNOT believe he's trying to blame it on HER!!!!!!!!!!

[Chatwoman]

Man that was some crazy shit!!!

What a great fucking show, oh my God I'm obsessed.

[Chatwoman]

And this is season 7... usually shows suck by then!!!

[user328]

It's unlikely a straight woman gave AIDS to a gay man in 1985. It was a gay disease back then.

[Chatwoman]

Yeah that's what I was thinking... it's just so unlikely. I think the confusion of the time was responsible for that conclusion. I was totally confused and saddened when I first learned about how Amanda Blake died. I used to go by the moniker "Miss Kitty's Left Titty" way back in the day, dunno how that name even came about, but I looked her up out of curiosity and that's when I found out.

[Chatwoman]

Man honestly, this fucking show...

I dunno. I feel like I need Gunsmoke in my life.

It's wholesome and I feel like it's healing my soul a little bit.

[Chatwoman]

If Pat Sajak's old ass can devote some of the last of his precious time to watching it, then so can I!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Chatwoman]

S7 E12 - "Nina's Revenge"

This shit is diabolical. Like I was only half watching up til now, but 28:46 was a plot twist as fuck and I'm so here for it.

[Chatwoman]

Immortalized in literature and film, Kentucky native Carlotta Thompkins Thurmond was the inspiration for Miss Kitty on television's "Gunsmoke." Having toured Europe's best gambling houses as a child with her father, in Texas she called herself "Lottie Deno" -- a play on "lotta dinero."

https://www.nmhistorymuseum.org/blog/202...s-thurmond

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1430....-thurmond

[Chatwoman]

S7 E12 - "Nina's Revenge"

This shit is diabolical. Like I was only half watching up til now, but 34:00 was a plot twist as fuck and I'm so here for it.

48:32 fucking iconic.

[Chatwoman]

Lois Nettleton stars as Nina in this, she was in one of the greatest Twilight Zone episodes of all time, The Midnight Sun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Midnig...ight_Zone)

[Chatwoman]

S9 E1 - "Kate Heller"

This cute feller with the adorable chin dimple playing Andy is actor Tom Lowell, who I know as Hayley Mills' boyfriend Canoe from That Darn Cat! (1965).

One of the great things about long running shows like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and even The Twilight Zone is the huge amount of guest stars that appeared over the years. Like Tom Lowell for example, I can't think of ANYTHING else I've seen him in besides TDC! and here he is in Gunsmoke! So epic.

[Chatwoman]

Unfortunately he's playing an absolute tard in this episode, lmao.

But by golly is he about as cute as they come...

https://imgur.com/a/vuzaik4

[Chatwoman]

7:13 so this Tess lady is a great example of exactly what I've been waiting for watching these few episodes I've seen so far...

PROSTITUTES.

It was basically unspoken (as far as I know) that Kitty was a madame and a retired lady of the night herself.

I'm turnt and lit for more.

[Chatwoman]

10:21 WTF OMG IT'S BURT FUCKING REYNOLLLLDDDDDSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

He's like younger than I've ever seen him and he's epic hot!!!!!!!!!!

[Chatwoman]

I've just been randomly picking episodes and they've all been totally riveting.