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Post by Allen Wiener on Jun 3, 2011 14:34:43 GMT -5
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jun 3, 2011 15:28:39 GMT -5
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Post by Hiram on Jun 3, 2011 16:21:49 GMT -5
Thanks for posting the images, Allen. Heavy hearts all around, R.I.P Marshall...
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Post by TRK on Jun 3, 2011 21:13:28 GMT -5
He was a big part of my youth, and beyond. He was a solid guy. Peace to him.
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Post by mjbrathwaite on Jun 3, 2011 23:19:51 GMT -5
I'm sorry to hear of his passing. I don't think it was reported in new Zealand. When I was twelve, I wrote him a fan letter, and received the nicest reply I ever got from a star: most of them sent duplicated letters (although sometimes they were personally signed), but his was a typed letter which responded to the matters I had raised in my letter, and I still treasure it.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jun 4, 2011 0:12:51 GMT -5
One of the items on that display in my office is a personal note from Jim Arness to me in response to a letter I wrote to him after "Gunsmoke" was cancelled in 1975; his response included the autographed photo below the note. The other letter, also from 1975, was from "Gunsmoke's" producer, John Mantley, transmitting and authenticating the two bullet casings (which may be hard to see), which were fired by Matt Dillon in his shootout with "Mannon."
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Jun 4, 2011 5:34:57 GMT -5
Oh, man -- people of our generation could not have grown up without knowing who James Arness was. You are right, Allen -- 'tis a sad day, indeed. We're losing all the good 'uns, for sure.
Paul
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Post by loucapitano on Jun 4, 2011 11:19:03 GMT -5
Another star of our youth "Lies Asleep in the Arms of the Lord." His portrayal of Bowie in "13 Days to Glory" was one of the few high spots of a not so good movie. However, he was magnificent in two of the best B/W Sci-fi movies of the 50's "Them" as an FBI Agent and "The Thing from Another World" where he played the alien. It's also heartwarming to know he was a regular guy and not a snooty Hollywood type. Bless him and keep him - PAX Lou
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jun 4, 2011 13:47:16 GMT -5
My daughter pointed out that it was the real Arness, more than the character Matt Dillon, who was an envied role model for her generation. She said there were no people like that to really look up to when she was a kid; the world had already become too cynical and off-screen "personalities" are more typified by the likes of Charlie Sheen than anyone like Jim Arness or Fess Parker, who were the real deal, off the screen as well as on. I don't think a single person who worked on Gunsmoke or with Arness at all had anything but the highest praise for him, especially his legendary sense of humor and practical jokes.
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Post by Paul Sylvain on Jun 4, 2011 17:58:31 GMT -5
You have raised a most-wise daughter, Allen.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Jun 4, 2011 20:09:11 GMT -5
Thanks, Paul! Let's hope so!
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johnk
Full Member
Posts: 67
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Post by johnk on Oct 6, 2011 21:08:03 GMT -5
Gunsmoke..........I bet was was the first experience of the west of my age group (60) in the UK.....Matt Dillon,what a program along with Bronco,Cheyenne,Have gun will travel,Virginian.........Good family viewing... Times gone by never to be repeated.
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Post by Bill Manuel on Oct 7, 2011 6:16:45 GMT -5
Oh this is so sad. Another great one gone. Seems like all the wonderful stars are passing on. I also loved to watch him when I was younger in Gunsmoke. May he rest in peace.
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Post by richard on Oct 16, 2011 10:45:28 GMT -5
They are screening Gunsmoke in England now, and although they are in black and white, they are really good, you can understand why they went on for so long.
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Post by Allen Wiener on Oct 16, 2011 12:35:25 GMT -5
Richard, GUNSMOKE ran for 20 consecutive years on CBS-TV (1955-1975), 635 episodes of GUNSMOKE were filmed. 233 of these are half-hour episodes and 402 are one hour episodes. The program expanded from half-hour to a full hour at the start of the seventh season (1961). The first eleven seasons were filmed in black and white, the last nine in color.
In its first season, GUNSMOKE was not a big hit. It premiered on Saturday nights opposite the popular George Gobel show and did not finish in the top 15. However, in its second season, GUNSMOKE jumped to 8th in the ratings and in its third thru sixth seasons, GUNSMOKE was the Number One show on Television. It declined in the mid-1960's, but in 1967 the show was moved to Monday nights and returned to the top ten. In addition to the 635 episodes of GUNSMOKE, 12 years after the the series ended, five GUNSMOKE made-for-TV movies were filmed for CBS from 1987 to 1994.
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