Mysteryshows.com

Larry · Joined: 09 Feb 2012 Posts: 6

I have been listening to the radio version of Gunsmoke for a number of months thanks to websites such as www.mysteryshows.com.

If I never heard William Conrad play Marshal Matt Dylan, I would prefer the TV version of this classic western however in my opinion, no one could top the cast that acted in the show on radio.

It's too bad that when the TV episodes went on the air, they didn't use the original cast.

Don't get me wrong. The TV show was okay but if a contest were to be held as to which one was better, I think the radio version of Gunsmoke would win hands down.

22Vines · Joined: 21 Nov 2011 Posts: 18 Location: Eastern WA

Agree on radio version of Gunsmoke, very good. I found the Rifleman to be a good series on TV. Have you heard any from the Ft. Laramie radio series or the Six Shooter? Thoughts?

angelranger · Joined: 02 Aug 2012 Posts: 9 Location: Chicago, Illinois

"Yaw, yaw, I've heard the Six Shooter too. Had to judge pies at the town fair too. Yaw, yaw."

Gunsmoke Radio shows with Bill Conrad are excellent indeed. Parley Baer
as Chester. Bill Conrad wasn't tall enough and a little rotund to make the TV show, which went to 6' 7" James Arness. We know William Conrad as Cannon on TV. He was a CBS regular and appears in all kinds of radio shows, not always credited. Tex Ritter recorded the full lyrical theme song in 1955 on Capitol records. It can be found on the web.

Mike Hobart · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 217 Location: Australia

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I grew up watching the television series with James Arness, but I suspect that having heard the radio series it would be difficult for me to go back to the video version.

A bit like the British TV series that adapts Alan Hunter's Inspector Gently novels -- the character is so different on TV to the books that I can't watch the TV show.
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tuned in from down under