Gunsmoke Characters

The Real Characters of Dodge

Characters from Gunsmoke had real who lived and worked in nineteeth century Dodge City. Here is the Gunsmoke character, their occupation and the real Dodge City match.

Gunsmoke Character Longevity

Below is a list of actors with continuing parts on Gunsmoke, the characters they played, and how many years they were on the series.

• James Arness Matt 20
• Milburn Stone Doc 20
• Amanda Blake Kitty 19
• Hank Patterson Hank 18
• Burt Reynolds Quint Asper 13
• Sarah Selby Ma Smalley 13
• Glenn Strange Sam 12
• Ken Curtis Festus 11
• Ted Jordan Nathan Burke 11
• Roy Roberts Halligan 10
• Woody Chamblis Lathrope 9
• Dennis Weaver Chester 9
• Buck Taylor Newly 8
• Dabbs Greer Mr. Jonus 5
• Roger Ewing Thad Greenwood 2
• Fran Ryan Miss Hannah 1
  
  
  

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Other Long Running Television Series

Runner Up Westerns

Gunsmoke ran twenty years, more than any other western and, indeed, longer than any other weekly television program with continuing characters. Here are the westerns that were runner up in longevity.

• Death Valley Days 1952-70
• Bonanza, 1959-73
• The Virginian, 1962-71
• The Lone Ranger, 1949-57
  
  

Television Programs Running Longer Than Gunsmoke

• Sixty Minutes
• Meet the Press, started Nov. 20, 1947 and still going strong,
• Search for Tomorrow, premiered Sept. 3, 1961
• Love of Life, premiered Sept. 9, 1951
• The Today Show, Jan. 14, 1952 to present,
• The Guiding Light, premiered June 30, 1952
• The Ed Sulliven Show, 23 years,
• The Tonight Show, Sept. 27, 1954 to present,
• Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, 22 and a half years,
• Captain Kangaroo, 21 and a half years,
• As the World Turns, premiered April 2, 1956
• Edge of Night, premiered April 2, 1956
• Ted Mack and the Original Amerture Hour, 20 and a half years,
• The Secret Storm, 20 and a half years and
• American Bandstand,
  
  

Gunsmoke ran for 20 years.

Awards

Academy Award Winners

The following actors and actresses have won Acadamy Awards (Oscars) for their work in motion pictures. Each, earlier in their careers, had guest spots on Gunsmoke.

• Jack Albertson
• Ben Johnson
• Ed Begley
• George Kennedy
• Bette Davis
• Martin Landau
• Cloris Leachman
• Jodi Foster
• Mercedes McCambridge
• Eileen Heckert
• John Wayne (introduced the first episode of Gunsmoke)
  

Academy Award Nominees

The following actors and actresses were nominated for Acadamy Awards (Oscars) for their work in motion pictures. Each, earlier in their careers, had guest spots on Gunsmoke.

• Jean Arthur
• Arthur Hunnicutt
• Lew Ayres
• John Ireland
• Ralph Bellamy
• Richard Jaeckel
• Theodore Bikel
• John Kerr
• Beulah Bondi
• John Marley
• Ellen Burstyn
• Ron Moody
• Dyan Cannon
• J. Carroll Naish
• Lynn Carlin
• Nancy Olson
• Jack Cassidy
• Katherine Ross
• Stanley Clements
• Alfred Ryder
• Lee J. Cobb
• Cicely Tyson
• Nina Foch
• Jon Voight
• Vincent Gardenia
• James Whitmore
• Thomas Gomez
• Chill Wills

Tony Award Winners

These actors and actresses have played roles on Gunsmoke. They have also won Tony Awards.

• Ed Begley
• David Wayne
• Ralph Bellamy
• Fritz Weaver
• Harry Jones
• Ellen Burstyn
• Richard Kiley
  
  
  
  
  
  

Emmy Award Winners

These actors and actresses have played roles on Gunsmoke. They have also won television's Emmy Award.

• Jack Albertson
• Michael Learned
• Ed Asner
• Kathleen Nolan
• Ellen Corby
• Carroll O'Connor
• James Daly
• Milburn Stone
• Cloris Leachman
• Frank Sutton
  
• Dennis Weaver won an Emmy for his work in Gunsmoke. Click HERE for a picture.
• Milburn Stone won an Emmy for his work in Gunsmoke. Click HERE for a picture.
  
  

Western Writers of America

• Golden Spur Award to Paul Edwards (writer) and to Gunsmoke for Cahto as Best Western Teleplay for the 1970-1971 season, 6/17/71
• Golden Spur Award to executive story consultant and writer Jack Miller and to Gunsmoke for two-part Pike as Best Western Teleplay for the 1971-1972 season, 6/22/72
• Radio Daily's Annual All-American Poll
• 4th place under Best Filmed Series, 1/15/57
• Tied with Wagon Train for 1st place under Western Show of Year for TV, 1/20/58
• 1st place under Western Show of Year for TV, 1/19/59
• 3rd place under Western Show of Year for TV, 1/29/60
• 2nd place under Western Show of Year for TV, 1/29/62
• 2nd place under under Best Western on TV, 2/25/63
• 2nd place under under Best Western of Year for TV, 1/28/64
• 2nd place place under under Best Western of Year for TV, 1/26/65
  

Motion Picture Daily Annual Television Poll

• 1st place in Best Western Series, 1/15/60
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/16/61
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/18/62
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/21/63
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/20/64
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/25/65
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/24/66
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/23/67
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/22/68
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/22/69
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/21/70
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 2/10/71
• 2nd place in Best Western Series, 1/21/72
  
  
  
  
  

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmy)

• Best dramatic series with continuing characters, 4/15/58
• Emmy to Mike Posen for best TV film editing in How to Kill a Woman.
• Emmy to Dennis Weaver for best supporting actor (continuing character) in a dramatic series, 5/6/59
• Emmy to Milburn Stone for outstanding continuing performance by an actor in a supporting role in a drama, 5/19/68
• Emmys to Richard E. Raderman and Norman Karlin for outstanding achievement in film sound editing in Charlie Noon, 5/l8/70
  
  
  

TV-Radio Mirror Poll

• Favorite TV Western Program, May, 1958
• Favorite half hour TV dramatic program, May, 1959
  
  

Other Awards

• Look Television Poll: Voted Best Action Series ``For the series that most effectively presented Western, mystery or other adventure stories'', 12/30/58
• Reno Chamber of Commerce: Silver Spurs Award to James Arness as outstanding Western actor of the year, 5/28/60
• National Headliner Award: Award to Kathleen Hite for her scripts, 8/27/64
• National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center Wrangler Trophy for episode aired, 4/14/67
• Calvin Clements, writer; Mark Tydell, director; Philip Leacock, producer; and, John Mantley, associate producer, 1/8/66
• National Cowboy Hall of Fame, Amanda Blake became the first woman inducted into the Hall of Fame of Great Westen Performers,
• Wrangler Award
• to executive producer John Mantley and composer-conductor John Parker for Show Train, 4/24/71
• Wrangler Award to executive producer John Mantley, producer Leonard Katsman, writer Jack Miller, and guest cast Jeanette Nolan and back Rambo and all regular cast for two-part Pike, 4/22/72
• Nebraskaland Days, Buffalo Bill Cody Award: to Amanda Blake, the first woman to receive it for outstanding contributions to quality family entertainment, 6/21/72

International Broadcasting Awards:

• James Arness was honored as Man of the Year, 3/20/73
  
  

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Other Work of the Stars of Gunsmoke

James Arness

• The Farmer's Daughter, (Loretta Young won an Oscar for her performance. Billing was for James Aurness, Arness' real name) (1947)
• Wagonmaster, The motivation for the great television western series Wagon Train. (1950)
• The Thing (From Another World),Arness plays the title role. (1951)
• Big Jim McClain,John Wayne played the title role. (1952).
• Them!, (1954)
  

Milburn Stone

• Wild Hill Hickock, ``The Silver Mine Protection Story", (1952)
• Dragnet, ``The Big Jump", (1952)
• TV Reader's Digest, ``A Million Dollar Story", (5/22/55)
• Gunsmoke (1955-75)
• Front Row Center, ``Morals Squad", (3/11/56)
  
  
  
• The Fighting Marines, 1935
• Ladies Crave Excitement, 1935
• Rendezvous, 1935
• The Three Mesquiteers, 1935
• The Milky Way, 1936
• China Clipper, 1936
• The Princess Comes Across, 1936
• Two In a Crowd, 1936
• A Doctor's Diary, 1937
• Atlantic Flight, 1937
• Federal Bullets, 1937
• Wings Over Honolulu, 1937
• Blazing Barriers, 1937
• Music For Madame, 1937
• Swing It, Professor, 1937
• Youth On Parole, 1937
• The Thirteenth Man, 1937
• The Man In Blue, 1937
• Mr. Boggs Steps Out, 1937
• The Port Of Missing Girls, 1938
• Come School, 1938
• Wives Under Suspicion, 1938
• The Storm, 1938
• Paroled From The Big House, 1938
• California Frontier, 1938
• Sinners In Paradise, 1938
• Tall Spin, 1939
• Mystery Plane/Sky Pilot, 1939
• Young Mr. Lincoln, 1939
• Tropic Fury, 1939
• King Of The Turf, 1939
• Society Smugglers, 1939
• Fighting Mad, 1939
• Blind Alley, 1939
• Stunt Pilot, 1939
• When Tomorrow Comes, 1939
• Sky Patrol, 1939
• Made For Each Other, 1939
• Danger Flight, 1939
• Crashing Through, 1939
• Charlie McCaarhy, Detective, 1939
• Nick Carter - Master Detective, 1939
• Give Us Wings, 1940
• Chasing Trouble, 1940
• Johnny Apollo, 1940
• An Angel From Texas, 1940
• Framed, 194l
• Lillian Russell, 1940
• Colorado, 1940
• The Great Train Robbery, 1940
• The Great Train Robbery, 1941
• The Phantom Cowboy, 1941
• Death Valley Outlaws, 1941
• Frisco Lil, 1942
• Rubber Racketeers, 1942
• Eyes In the Night, 1942
• Invisible Agent, 1942
• Police Bullets, 1942
• Pacific Rendezvous, 1942
• Reap The Wild Wind, 1942
• Captive Wild Woman, 1943
• Keep `em Slugging, 1943
• You Can't Beat The Law, 1943
• Get Going, 1943
• Corvette K-225/The Nelson Touch, 1943
• Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, 1943
• The Mad Ghoul, 1943
• Gung Ho!, 1943
• The Imposter, 1944
• Hi, Good Looking, 1944
• Jungle Woman, 1944
• The Great Alaskan Mystery, 1944
• Hat Check Honey, 1944
• Moon Over Las Vegas, 1944
• Phantom Lady, 1944
• Twilight On the Prairie, 1944
• The Master Key, 1945
• The Beautiful Cheat/What A Woman, 1945
• She Gets Her Man, 1945
• The Frozen Ghost, 1945
• The Daltons Ride Again, 1945
• I'll Remember April, 1945
• On Stage Everybody, 1945
• Strange Confession, 1945
• Sing Out, Sister, 1945
• The Royal Mounted Rides Again, 1945
• Thc Spider Woman Strikes Back, 1946
• Inside Job, 1946
• Danger Woman, 1946
• Smooth As Silk, 1946
• Little Miss Big/Baxter's Millions, 1946
• Strange Couquest, 1946
• Her Adventurous Night, 1946
• Cass Tunberlane, 1947
• Killer Dill, 1947
• The Michigan Kid, 1947
• Headin' For Heaven, 1947
• Buck Privates Come Home/Rockies Come Home, 1947
• Train To Alcatraz, 1948
• The Judge/The Gamblers, 1948
• The Green Promise/Raging Waters, 1949
• Calamity Jane And Sam Bass, 1949
• Sky Dragon, 1949
• No Man Of Her Own, 1950
• The Fireball, 1950
• Snow Dog, 1950
• Branded, 1951
• The Racket, 1951
• Road Block, 1951
• Flying Leathernecks, 1951
• The Atomic City, 1952
• The Savage, 1952
• Behind Southern Lines, 1952
• The Sun Shines Bright, 1953
• Invaders From Mars, 1953
• Second Chance, 1953
• Pickup On South Street, 1953
• Arrowhead, 1953
• The Siege At Red River, 1954
• Black Tuesday, 1955
• The Long Gray Line, 1955
• White Feather, 1955
• Smoke Signal, 1955
• The Private War Of Major Benson, 1955
• Durango, 1957
• The World Of Sport Fishing, 1972
  
  

Amanda Blake

• Schlitz Playhouse Of The Stars
• ``Crossroads" (8/1/52)
• ``Double Exposure" (8/15/52)
  
• Cavalcade Of America, ``Breakfast at Nancy's", (10/23/53)
• Fireside Theater, ``Nine Quarts Of Water", (4/20/54)
• Four Star Playhouse, ``Vote Of Confidence" (11/11/54)
• Gunsmoke (1955-74)
• Matinee Theatre, ``Sound Of Fear", (9/27/56)
• Studio One, ``Tide Of Corruption", (2/17/58)
• GE Theatre, ``Night Club", (10/11/59)
• The Quest, ``Day Of Outrage", 10/27/76
  
  

Movies

• Battleground, 1950
• Duchess Of Idaho, 1950
• Stars In My Crown, 1950
• Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard, 1951
• Smuggler's Gold, 1951
• Scarlet Angel, 1952
• Cattle Town, 1952
• Lili, 1953
• Sabre Jet, 1953
• Cinderella's Glass Slipper, 1953
• Miss Robin Crusoe, 1954
• About Mrs. Leslie, 1954
• The Adventurcs Of Hajji Babi, 1954
• A Star Is Born, 1954
• High Society, 1955
• Betrayal, 1974 (Made for TV)
• Gunsmoke Return To Dodge, 1987 (Made for TV)
  
  

Ken Curtis

Television

• Gunsmoke, (1964-1975)
• Ripcord, (1961-1963)
• The Yellow Rose, (1983-1984)
  
  

Movies

• The Quiet Man, (1952)
• The Searchers, (1956)
• The Alamo, (1960)
• How The West Was Won, (1962)
• Cheyenne Autumn, (1964)
• The Killer Shrews, (1959) - as producer
• The Giant Gila Monster, (1959) - as producer
  
  
  

Dennis Weaver

Television

• Gunsmoke, (1955-64)
• Kentucky Jones, (1964-65)
• Gentle Ben, (1967-69)
• McCloud, (1970-77)
• Ccntennial, (1978-79)
• Stone, (1979-80)
• Emerald Point, NAS, (1983-84)
• Dragnet, ``The Big Bible", (12/2/54)
• Schlitz Playhouse Of The Stars, ``Underground", (1/21/55)
• Dragnet, ``The Big Screen", (1/27/55)
• Big Town, ``Crime In The Ciry Room", (5/15/56)
• The Silent Service, ``Two Davids And Goliath", (7/5/57)
• Climax!, ``Burst Of Fire", (1/30/58)
• Playhouse 90, ``The Dungeon", (4/10/58)
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents, ``Insomnia", (5/8/60)
• The Twilight Zone, ``Shadow Play", (5/5/61)
• Dr. Kildare, ``A Reverence For Life", (4/29/65)
• Combat, ``The Farmer",, (10/12/65)
• Judd, For The Defense, ``The View From The Ivy Tower", (3/7/69)
• The Name Of The Game, ``Give Till It Hurts", (10/31/69)
• The Virginisn, ``Train Of Darkness", (2/4/70)
• The Hardy Roys And Nancy Drew,
• ``The Mystery Of The Hollyweod Phantom"
  
  

Movies

• Horizons West, (1952)
• The Lawless Breed, (1952)
• The Raiders, (1952)
• Mississippi Gambler, (1953)
• War Arrow, (1954)
• Dangerous Mission, (1954)
• The Bridges At Toko-Ri, (1955)
• Seven Angry Men, (1955)
• Storm Fear, (1955)
• Touch Of Evil, (1958)
• The Gallant Hours, (1960)
• Duel At Diablo, (1966)
• Way, Way Out, (1966)
• Gentle Giant, (1967)
• Mission Batangas, (1968)
• A Man Called Sledge, (1971)
• What's The Matter With Helen?, (1971)
• The Forgotten Man, (1971) TV
• Duel, (1971) TV
• Rolling Man, (l972) TV
• Female Artillery, (1971) TV
• The Great Man's Whiskers, (1973) TV
• Terror On the Beach, (1973) TV
• Intimate Strangers, (1977) TV
• The Islander, (1978) TV
• Pearl, (l978) TV
• lshi: The last Of His Tribe, (1978) TV
• The Ordeal Of Patty Hearst, (1979) TV
• Amber Waves, (1980) TV
• The Ordeal Of Dr. Mudd, (1980) TV
• The Day The Loving Stopped, (1981) TV
• Don't Go To Sleep, (1982) TV
• Cocaine: One Man's Seduction, (1983) TV
  

Buck Taylor

Television

• Gunsmoke, (1967-75)
• The Monroes, (1967)
• Ben Casey
• The Fugitive
• Big Valley
  
  

Glenn Strange

Television

• Gunsmoke, (1962-74)
  
  

Movies

• House of Frankenstein, Strange played the title role in this and his other two movies. (1944)
• House of Dracula, (1945)
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, (1948)
  
  
  

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Popularity Contests

People Magazine

In People Magazine's special issue on the 50th Anniversary of television, James Arness was in the list of television's top 25 stars. Here are the others.

1. Jonnny Carson

2. Lucille Ball

3. Jackie Gleason

4. Walter Cronkite

5. Sid Caesar

6. James Arness (Click HERE to see the article about Arness)

7. Mary Tyler Moore

8. Bill Cosby

9. Carroll O'Connor

10. Milton Berle

11. Larry Hagman

12. Ed Sullivan

13. Alan Alda

14. Carol Burnett

15. Kermit

16. Dick Clark

17. Farrah Fawcett

18. James Garner

19. Ernie Kovacs

20. Barbara Walters

21. David Janssen

22. The Beaver

23. John Belushi

24. David Letterman

25. Ronald Reagan

Of the people on this list, only one, Carrol O'Connor, appeared in a Gunsmoke episode.

Gunsmoke Dates

• July 5, 1904, Milburn Stone born in Burton, Kansas
• July 2, 1916, Ken Curtis born in Lamar, Colorado
• May 26, 1923 James Arness born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
• June 4, 1924 Dennis Weaver born in Toplin, Missouri
• February 20, 1927 Amanda Blake born in Buffalo, New York as Beverly Loise Neill.
• February 20, 1931 Amanda Blake born in Buffalo, New York
• February 11, 1936 Burt Reynolds born in Waycross, Goergia.
• June 11, 1949 The first Gunsmoke audition tape is made.
• April 26, 1952 First radio broadcast of Gunsmoke.
• September 10, 1955 Gunsmoke premiers on network television.
• February 13, 1960 Gunsmoke has its largest audience ever.
• September 30, 1961 The first hour lonf episode of Gunsmoke airs in black and white.
• September 17, 1966 Gunsmoke is first aired in color.
• March 31, 1975 Gunsmoke's last first run weekly program.
• June 12, 1980, Milburn Stone dies
• August 16, 1989, Amanda Blake dies.
• April 28, 1991, Ken Curtis dies.

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