Gunsmoke: A Complete History, by SuzAnne Barabas ( HC, in fine condition, issued without a DJ, 1990, $35, which is 1/3 the internet price)
This book comes from my own collection. I bought it for my mom at NYC's Museum of Television and Radio.
When this book was titled "a complete history", the author was not kidding.
Gunsmoke's radio version ran from April 1952 to June 1961. William Conrad played Matt Dillon for 413 shows. The TV version started Sept. 1955, so for 6 amazing years Gunsmoke was produced in both forms! John Wayne was offered the part of TV Matt Dillon, but he said no, and suggested using James Arness. The Duke even introduces James Arness at the beginning of the first episode. (Hey, with the Duke plugging for you, how can you fail!)
TV Gunsmoke would run for 20 years. The first 233 episodes lasted only a half hour. The later 402 were an hour long. Included here is a description of every radio show (83 pages) and every TV episode (282 pages). There are also 128 pages of photos. One of the most memorable photo shows one of Gunsmoke's creators carrying a shovel and a garbage can down the road. If you think about how many horses there were on the set, you will have a good idea of what he was doing. (Those days things were different. I doubt today's TV show creators would get their hands dirty doing something like that!) The other amazing photo is an Amanda Blake' MGM movie still from 1954. Wow, this is NOT the woman I remember seeing when I watched the show with my mom in the 1970s.
Should you be interested in the real Dodge, the western film genre, or the history of radio and television shows, read this book! There are also, oh, so many interviews with both the stars and guest stars. Just about everyone starred on the show at some point- Ed Asner, Gary Busey, Anne Francis, DeForest Kelley, George Kennedy, Michael Learned, Carroll O'Connor, and scores more.
I loved this book, and my mom loved it even more, but she is gone,and I would like someone else to be able to enjoy it. Look for this in the glass case. (Hey, it is in great condition, but since it is listed on the internet at over $90, it needs to rest in a special spot.)
