Gunsmoke: The Second Season, Vol.
2 starring James Arness, Milburn
Stone, Dennis Weaver, Ken Curtis
Gunsmoke-The Second Season Vol.2
Dodge City has a bad reputation. It’s the wickedest, cruelest town in
Kansas, some Wichita yokel notes in the episode, Sweet and Sour. No
decent man could stand it more than a day. Marshall Matt Dillon (James
Arness) is a decent man, but he’s got a reputation, too. Residents know
not to mess with him. When he tells one alcohol-fueled miscreant to give
up his gun in the episode, Chester’s Murder, the man instantly complies,
Sure, I ain’t that drunk. But it’s not just his marksmanship that distinguishes
Dillon. When a former Army officer shows up in Dodge angling for Dillon’s
job in The Man Who Would Be Marshal, Dillon demonstrates his keen
grasp of human nature. Rather than arrest a rowdy sodbuster, he allows
him to blow off steam, explaining, That’s his way of reminding himself he’s
a man. But the psychological toll of the dark and bloody side of Dillon’s job
is the focus of Bloody Hands, one of the best episodes in this collection of

season-concluding episodes. Dillon kills three bank robbers. Its self-
defense, but that doesn’t stop the nightmares, and he resigns. It’s up to his
trusty sidekick, Chester (Dennis Weaver) to appeal to his sense of justice.
The bad guys, he pleads, gotta be stopped, and that’s all. And stop em
Dillon does in his own inimitable style. After punching one man, his friends
complain, You hit him with your fist. We don’t like it. Dillon coolly replies,
How do you know? You haven’t tried it yet As another bad man remarks in
Cheap Labor, That ain’t no way for a lawman to talk. Dillon still has a little
to learn about women. In Sweet and Sour, he insists that Miss Kitty
(Amanda Blake), who becomes the co-owner of the Longbranch saloon,
hire Rena, a pretty newcomer to town. A pretty face will throw you any
time, Kitty cautions. Her kind spells nothing but trouble. Sure enough, four
men are dead after Rena instigates fights over her. Gunsmoke set a new
standard for the television western. Dillon is occasionally wrong, innocent
people are killed, and not all episodes end with justice served or the
expected happy ending. In one episode, a photographer (Sebastian Mr.
French Cabot) sets up his camera in Dodge City. It’s authenticity I’m after,
he insists. In these half-hour black and white episodes, Gunsmoke
achieved it. --Donald Liebenson
Personal Review: Gunsmoke: The Second Season, Vol. 2
starring James Arness, Milburn Stone, Dennis Weaver, Ken
Curtis
Gunsmoke is the ultimate Western. Every episode is a classic most of
which were written by John Meston.
However, I would strongly encourage everyone to write to Paramount
Home Entertainment and complain as to these silly half season releases.
This is the letter I just sent to them:
I am sure that a visit to Amazon.com would convince you that your
company's marketing of TV by the half season is greatly unpopular.
As a fan of CBS's Gunsmoke, I lament in the fact that it might take your
company 20 to 30 years to release this fine series in increments of half
years.
There is a complete logic disconnect when CBS series such as Hawaii 50
are still being released in whole years.
I bought the first complete season of Gunsmoke and I bought your
Gunsmoke Season 2 vol. 1 and Gunsmoke Season 2, vol. 2 (and I am
buying The Untouchables and Perry Mason in this same silly 1/2 season
format). I beg you to reconsider this misguided marketing scheme. It has
garnered your company scathing comments at Amazon.com. Don't be
petty, please return to selling these programs by the whole season. Also
please take into consideration that a 20 year series should be released at
some sort of reasonable pace. At 4 seasons per year it would still take
CBS/Paramount 5 years to release the series. Sometimes it just makes
you wonder who your company has that makes their decisions. I am not
complaining about the price. I understand you need to make a profit (we're

not socialist). I wish CBS/Paramount would consider that if it released
series such as Gunsmoke, Perry Mason and The Untouchables in whole
seasons at a faster release pace, you would gain:
1) Better PR with your consumers (at the moment your popularity is about
par with Chinese cat food manufacturers);
2) Your company would re-establish its brand on these titles - driving black
market products into the shadows where they belong - if it is going to take
you 30 years to release Gunsmoke - or if you choose to discontinue the
release because of lack of interest (caused by your asinine marketing) -
then obviously the black marketer will provide the product the public wants
and which you will not or refuse to provide.
Its too bad that men such as William Paley are dead. People with vision
would see that short term marketing schemes for a company may not
always be the goal of a company that expects to be around for the long
term.
These are black and white programs from the 1950's & 60's that are just
rotting on your shelf. Release them quickly - make a small profit (not much
I admit) and build a better image for your company (you know back in the
day when CBS was a proud company producing decent programming
under a set of established principals, standards and ethics).
For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price:
Gunsmoke: The Second Season, Vol. 2 starring James Arness, Milburn Stone, Dennis
Weaver, Ken Curtis 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price!