Gunsmoke: 50th Anniversary, Volume 2

Before "Gunsmoke" became a comfy institution, it fought hard for its TV turf. The show's dramatic early success often is credited to its adult subject matter, unheard of in TV Westerns of the early 1950s. (The series "is honest, it's adult, it's realistic," the Duke cautioned the first episode's audience.)

"Gunsmoke" writers such as Sam Peckinpah and series co-creator John Meston had the freedom to tell tales of rape, slavery, thrill kills, child abuse and, of course, prostitution. A long way from Zorro and the Lone Ranger. This is the side of "Gunsmoke" a lot of people haven't seen, and it's on display here in volume 1.

Paramount's new sets -- by far the best "Gunsmoke" product out there -- go for the star power. DVD producer Paul Brownstein corralled episodes with such guest stars as Charles Bronson, Jon Voight, Richard Chamberlain, John Drew Barrymore, Leonard Nimoy, Kurt Russell and Jodie Foster.

The all-star approach yields a tree-ring view that wouldn't have been possible with greatest-hits collections. Some shows are definitely weaker than others, usually coinciding with one of the series' format changes. The writers, for example, didn't know what to do with all that extra time when the show went from 30 minutes to 60. There are plenty of terrific episodes, though, including star James Arness' favorites "Chato" (with Ricardo Montalban as a renegade Apache) and the charming comedy "A Quiet Day in Dodge."

Images range from excellent to barely passable. The black-and-white shows look a bit flat but are solid overall; there's surprisingly little wear, considering. Check out the noir-influenced lighting that revealed the evils of Dodge City after dark.

The color episodes from the mid-'60s show their age; two are borderline unwatchable. One of the stranger shows ("The Jailer") feels like one of those old 3-D demos, with the actors dressed in bright colors and garish makeup -- like Fellini characters -- to demonstrate TV's new color palette. A bizarre performance by Bette Davis (highlighted by her blue eyes and green teeth) completes the experience. The DVDs' mono audio gets the job done -- dialog is clear, gunshots sharp.

The DVD sets' 11 commentaries include talks from guest stars Angie Dickinson, George Kennedy, Ed Asner and Bruce Dern. Arness, 82, provides two rewarding commentaries as well as short introductions to all of the episodes. Dennis Weaver (Chester) and Buck Taylor (Newly) also do talks. (Cast "family members" Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone (Doc) and Ken Curtis (Festus) all died before the DVD era.)

The generous collection of extras are spread about the six discs. Most are short, upbeat and nostalgic. Among the more interesting bits are two 1970s talk show appearances with Blake, who tells Mike Douglas she left the show because she "couldn't take it anymore ... (being) locked in this saloon all these years." A panel discussion with Blake and Arness was filmed in the year of her death, showing the actress frail and still ready to rumble. The sets lack a strong "Gunsmoke" documentary, a real missed opportunity.

The new "Gunsmoke 50th Anniversary Collection, Volume Two" DVD set is actually just as good as Volume One. Here is where the show changed into a program more about the lives of people in and around Dodge City, rather than just the main cast. But it is still a great show because it keeps the same spirit that it always had, while at the same time surprising us with new storylines that are always exciting. "GUNSMOKE" was, still is, and always will be an excellent show, and I hope it will always keep that same feeling living inside of its many fans. Below is a list of episodes included in this 3-disc set.

--- Ratings based on my opinion of episode; 4 **** Rating System---

1. HUNG HIGH ****

2. ONE KILLER ON ICE ****

3. TREASURE OF JOHN WALKING FOX ****

4. THE JAILER ****

5. THE WRONG MAN ***

6. QUAKER GIRL ***1/2

7. THE PILLAGERS ***1/2

8. THE PRISONER ***1/2

9. CHATO ****

10. P.S. MURRY CHRISTMAS ***

11. A QUIET DAY IN DODGE ****

12. TRAIL OF BLOODSHED ****

SPECIAL FEATURES
"HUNG HIGH" audio commentary by Ed Asner
"THE JAILER" audio commentary by Bruce Dern
"THE PILLAGERS" audio commentary by Buck Taylor
"A QUIET DAY IN DODGE" audio commentary by James Arness
James Arness birthday surprise blooper
CBS Fall Preview (1963)
1968 Emmy Awards: Best Supporting Actor Milburn Stone
Amanda Blake on "THE DAVID FROST SHOW" (1972)
Gag Reel (1973)
Amanda Blake on "THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW" (1974)
A CBS executive remembers "Gunsmoke"
Photo Gallery
Westerns Channel Gunsmoke Memories: Dennis on Milburn
Westerns Channel Gunsmoke Memories: Chester and Newly
Two syndication promos

THIS REVIEW IS DEDICATED TO ANYONE, LIVING OR DEAD, INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF "GUNSMOKE".

Gunsmoke 50th Anniversary - Volume 2 is the second of three outstanding DVD collectors sets of the long-running and much beloved Western television series. But from the outset, let's be clear that Volume 1, Volume 2, and the Directors Collection is only whetting the appetite of Gunsmoke fans for complete season collector sets. I'm afraid that nothing short of that is going to please us, and you'll sell more than enough to make a tidy profit.

But anyway, this continuation of season-by-season episodes proves why we won't be satisfied with partial collections. This show was too good. The acting was too natural, the cast too endearing, the plots too unpredictable, the writing too genuine, and the directing too perfect for Gunsmoke fans to not want to own every single episode every produced. Episodes such as "One Killer On Ice," with John Barrymore Jr. (father of Drew) playing a bounty hunter who enlists Matt's help in capturing a wanted fugitive, "The Treasure of John Walking Fox," starring Leonard Nimoy as an Indian who appears to have gold stolen from a Federal shipment, "The Jailer," starring the incomparable Bette Davis as a vengeful widow set on hanging Matt for bringing her hanged husband to justice, and "Chato," starring Ricardo Montalban as a lawman-killing Indian who hiding out in the New Mexico mountains.

Gunsmoke 50th Anniversary - Volume Two is enjoyable and worth watching. But it's still not enough.

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