I had always wanted to see the black and white, Chester episodes but never could find them and figured they weren't synidcated. Then discoveded them one day on one of Me TV's cable channels labeled as "Marshall Dillon". A wiki search told me they show had never been titled this way, but in syndication sometimes the older Gunsmokes were shown with this title.
I find the shows very similar and sometimes the exact same script as what I've been listening to. A much grittier show than the more tame Gunsmokes in the later years. Can finally see Amanda Blake's true beauty. In the older shows she just looked like a heavily made up grandma. She's quite hot in the 50s episodes.
And Chester is wonderful. I was a Dennis Weaver fan from his McCloud days. Nice to finally see what he brought to the Chester role. Many episodes he plays the same comic foil that Ken Curtis played as Festus later. But every so often he is given a chance to shine. And James Arness always seems to shine as Matt in the early episodes.
One I just watched that I'll have to go look up to see if it won an Emmy, was called "Bloody Hands".
It's an episode where Dillon questions the constant killing his job requires and begins to long for a "normal" life.
In an early scene I was reminded of the powerful climax of Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven. Matt faces down 4 bank robber/killlers. Three of them get a shot off first. They all fire wildly and miss. Matt takes his time and shots two men..one at a time with each side of his shotgun. Ok , that part wasn't realistic as the shotgun would have mowed down all three of them and at least wounded them. But I can forgive that one inaccuracy.
He then pulls out a pistol and shots a third man. The entire time the outlaws are firing wildly and missing. The fourth man gives up. But challenged Dillon as slaughtering men like hogs. James Arness does such a good job of acting just with his expressions. He doesn't do a lot of talking but you can tell the comments affect him. He had bad dreams. And finally he resigns and tries to have that perfect life.
In the final scene Chester rides up to him and Ms. Kitty on a picnic. He brings Dillon's gun and gives a speech about how he would stop "the bad guy" in town who was killing people but he's just not good enough. But Dillon is good enough sadly and must take the responsibility to protect those who can't protect themselves. Really a great Dennis Weaver/James Arness moment.
Really good episode of a really good consistent show.
Took me awhile to get used to the 30 minute length. Not much time for character development. But when I watch the 1 hour length later show, I find about 15 minutes what seems like filler just to make the hour. Maybe 45 minutes would be perfect.
Also watching Have Gun Will Travel but that's another topic.
