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| Image Alt: | Gunsmoke (title screen) |
| Starring: | |
| Num Episodes: | 39 |
| Network: | CBS |
| Episode List: | List of Gunsmoke (TV series) episodes |
Gunsmoke is an American Western television series developed by Charles Marquis Warren and based on the radio program of the same name. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longest-running Western in television history.
The first episode of season 4 aired in the United States on September 13, 1958, and the final episode aired on June 13, 1959. All episodes were broadcast in the U.S. by CBS.
Season 4 of Gunsmoke was a half-hour program filmed in black-and-white, as one hour episodes were not introduced until season 7, and color episodes were not filmed until season 12.
Gunsmoke is set in and around Dodge City, Kansas, in the post-Civil War era and centers on United States Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) as he enforces law and order in the city. In its original format, the series also focuses on Dillon's friendship with three other citizens of Dodge City: Doctor Galen "Doc" Adams (Milburn Stone), the town's physician; Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake), saloon girl and later owner of the Long Branch Saloon; and Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver), Dillon's assistant.
See main article: List of Gunsmoke cast members.
Season 4 consisted of 39 half-hour black-and-white episodes produced by Norman Macdonnell.
Ken Curtis appears in this season prior to his casting as Festus Haggen. He was cast in episode 21, "Jayhawkers" and episode 32, "Change of Heart".
Eddie Little Sky, who played the warrior in episode 39, "Cheyennes", was a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. He was one of the first Native American actors to play Native American roles. Kim Winona who played the daughter in the same episode, was an enrolled member of the Santee Sioux people.
As in previous seasons, scripts would occasionally use real-life characters in the storyline. In episode 38, "Blue Horse", the character Blue Horse was an Oglala Lakota chief who had signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, along with his brothers Chief American Horse the Elder and Chief Red Cloud.
Sets were often reused across multiple episodes. The ranch used in episode 36, "Print Asper", was also used in several prior episodes. The cabin with the wooden bridge across the ditch in the beginning scenes of episode 39, "Cheyennes", was also used in multiple episodes.
Producers were not always careful about consistency with the time period. In the background of episode 24, "Doc Quits", there's a Pabst Blue Ribbon advertising sign on the wall behind Doc in the Long Branch when the new doctor approaches him. The sign may be out of place since the label wasn't created until 1893. In episode 36, "Print Asper", when Will Asper is eavesdropping at the lawyer's window you can see an electrical outlet on the wall, next to the tree.
See also: List of Gunsmoke (TV series) episodes.
Season four aired Saturdays at 10:00-10:30 pm (EST) on CBS.
The fourth season was released on DVD by Paramount Home Entertainment in two volumes. The first 19 episodes were released on October 5, 2010, and the remaining 20 episodes were released on October 5, 2010.
Gunsmoke held the number one primetime spot in the Nielsen ratings four years straight, for the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons.
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) / Work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 1959 | Best Actor in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series | James Arness | ||
| Best Supporting Actor (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series | Dennis Weaver | ||||
| Best Supporting Actress (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series | Amanda Blake | ||||
| Best Western Series | Gunsmoke |