[Speed Gibson,
Wednesday February 14, 2007 at 7:21am]
Gunsmoke
One of my Christmas presents was a DVD sampling of many Gunsmoke episodes, from the original half hour black and white with Chester to the later full hour color episodes with Festus. One of the episodes was Ken Curtis's debut in that character.
There's also nice commentary and four old time radio episodes that were made into TV episodes. It's a nice set, and brings back a lot of memories watching it in my youth.
The radio episodes are new to me, though, starting less than five years ago. I have to say that the radio versions are the superior experience, despite the limitations of the technology back then.
James Arness is "the big SOB" the producers wanted, picked over Raymond Burr, no less. But Arness really is only a so-so actor, really just a big SOB. William Conrad, radio's Matt Dillon is really much better, and they wrote him a bit tougher, "the first man the outlaws look for and the last they want to meet."
I'd also give radio's Chester (Parley Baer) the edge over the more "Barney Fife" TV Chester. Georgia Ellis (radio) and Amanda Blake (TV) are both good.
Milburn Stone (Doc) is the best actor on the TV series in my opinion, and really shows up Howard McNear's radio version of Doc. McNear was a true radio veteran who incidentally had top billing as Speed Gibson's uncle/agent Clint in this blog's namesake. But Stone really understood the role, a true member of the old west, not merely a country doctor.
The radio scripts were tighter, more adult, too, and have given me much pleasure listening to them in bed. I'm jealous of those who grew up in this marvelous world of imagination.
There's also nice commentary and four old time radio episodes that were made into TV episodes. It's a nice set, and brings back a lot of memories watching it in my youth.
The radio episodes are new to me, though, starting less than five years ago. I have to say that the radio versions are the superior experience, despite the limitations of the technology back then.
James Arness is "the big SOB" the producers wanted, picked over Raymond Burr, no less. But Arness really is only a so-so actor, really just a big SOB. William Conrad, radio's Matt Dillon is really much better, and they wrote him a bit tougher, "the first man the outlaws look for and the last they want to meet."
I'd also give radio's Chester (Parley Baer) the edge over the more "Barney Fife" TV Chester. Georgia Ellis (radio) and Amanda Blake (TV) are both good.
Milburn Stone (Doc) is the best actor on the TV series in my opinion, and really shows up Howard McNear's radio version of Doc. McNear was a true radio veteran who incidentally had top billing as Speed Gibson's uncle/agent Clint in this blog's namesake. But Stone really understood the role, a true member of the old west, not merely a country doctor.
The radio scripts were tighter, more adult, too, and have given me much pleasure listening to them in bed. I'm jealous of those who grew up in this marvelous world of imagination.