Who's Who: Dodge City, Kansas c. 1870s Quiz

Answer:

"Gunsmoke" ran for twenty seasons, airing 635 episodes; 233 episodes were thirty minutes in length, while 402 were sixty minutes long. It is still one of the longest-running scripted series in the history of television.

Matt Dillon was some guy - a hero who is timeless! Tough and compassionate, as U.S. Marshal, he took care of the people who came to Dodge City. While very little was ever revealed about his past life - a few old friends would turn up, but not tell much - it was clear that he had a strict moral code. Dillon was fair and honest, a loyal friend and completely incorruptible. He also had the fastest gun around, and proficiently won the occasional fistfight. And - it was clear that he had his hands full as the show not only dealt with the town's lawlessness, but also issues with Native Americans, PTSD suffered by Civil War veterans, and the treatment of women along with other social and moral issues of the 1870s. James Arness was Matt Dillon for twenty years, and appeared in every one of the show's 635 episodes. While his 6'7" height made him ineligible to serve as a naval fighter pilot during WWI, it made his character on "Gunsmoke" quite formidable.

Kitty Russell was a member of Dillon's close circle of friends. During season 1, she was an employee at a saloon, however, after working hard and saving her money she was able to become co-owner of the Long Branch in season 2; eventually she became the sole proprietor. While the exact nature of her relationship with Matt was a bit vague, he found that her assessment of both men and women was usually correct, and learned to follow her advice. Amanda Blake played Miss Kitty for nineteen years and appeared in 423 episodes of the show. She reportedly found traveling to site locations quite difficult, and left the show, which ran for only one more season. Its cancellation came as quite a surprise to all the members of the cast; high production costs and declining ratings were cited by CBS as reasons for dropping the show.

Miss Kitty was never lacking a protector, but from time to time she needed someone who was always at the Long Branch watching out for her best interests. That task fell to Sam Noonan, who not only served drinks at the bar, but also wielded a pretty threatening shotgun whenever necessary. Glenn Strange appeared in 222 episodes of the series as Sam, with some of the episodes being aired after he had passed away. Did you know that Strange also played Frankenstein's monster in three movies during the 1940s?

Galen Adams, another member of the circle of friends, was the wise and caring town doctor. Doc stayed in Dodge City and took care of both the good and bad people who needed tending. While he was often a sarcastic curmudgeon, and there was an occasional hint that he might enjoy having a personal life (season 16, episode 4), Doc never left his post as the caretaker of the people of Dodge City. Milburn Stone was Doc Adams in 604 episodes of "Gunsmoke". He missed seven episodes in 1971 when he had heart surgery. In 1968, he received the Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama for his role as Doc Adams.

Chester Goode was Matt Dillon's assistant, appearing in 206 series episodes; while he was described as a deputy, Chester never wore a badge or a gun. Nevertheless, he was a devoted friend and ally who served "Mr. Dillon" well. His characteristic limp was the idea of Dennis Weaver, the actor who portrayed Chester from 1955-1964. Weaver suggested the limp as a way to portray Chester as a side kick rather than the leading man. Weaver was a pretty decent athlete and thought the limp was a disability he could easily manage; the limp, however, was part of the reason that Weaver left the show. He was afraid of being typecast, and nine years of limping was taking a toll on his body. In fact, some sources say that the limp had become such a part of him that Weaver had a tough time remembering that he didn't need to limp anymore! Chester's exit from the show was never addressed. He last appeared in the episode "Bently" (season 9, episode 28), where he had to investigate a murder alone because the Marshal was out of town. Weaver won an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama for his portrayal of Chester in 1959.

Chester's exit created the need for a new assistant to the Marshal, and for fifty episodes in seasons 8-10, Quint Asper filled the void, first appearing in "Quint Asper Comes Home" (season 8/episode 3). Quint, who was half-White and half-Commanche, came to Dodge hunting for the men who had killed his father. Matt convinced Quint to put aside his need for revenge and live in Dodge City. There Quint made a living as the town blacksmith and helped Matt when needed. Played by Burt Reynolds, Quint left Dodge City without explanation when Reynolds wanted to pursue other career opportunities.

Festus Haggen had already been introduced as a cast member before Quint left. He became Matt's assistant in season 9, but, unlike Chester or Quint, he was eventually given a deputy's badge (season 10). Quite a colorful character, Festus was first introduced (season 8, episode 13), riding into Dodge on his mule, Ruth. He was looking for the man who was responsible for the death of his twin brother, Fergus, after Fergus had been wounded trying to rob a bank. And, while it may be surprising that someone whose family seemed to always be on the wrong side of the law would become a deputy, Matt did need someone he trusted to watch Dodge City when he had to leave town, and Festus was that person. Ken Curtis was the faithful sidekick Festus for 306 episodes.

After making an impression on the television show in a guest appearance, Roger Ewing, was added to the cast as another deputy to Marshal Dillon named Thad Greenwood. It makes sense, doesn't it that such a thriving community would need another lawman? Actually, at the time James Arness and CBS were involved in a contract dispute, and Greenwood was seen as a possible replacement should Marshal Dillon move on from Dodge City. When the dispute was resolved, Thad Greenwood, who had appeared in 36 episodes, was written out of the show, and replaced by another deputy.

Newly O'Brien was played by Buck Taylor, who had already appeared on the show in a different role. Having made an impression (like Roger Ewing), he was invited to join the cast in season 13 as a recurring character, became a main character in season 14, and stayed until the show was ultimately cancelled, appearing in 103 episodes. The producers hoped that the younger Buck Taylor would help to attract a younger audience to the show. Newly was a gunsmith who eventually earned the U.S. Deputy Marshal badge, while helping Marshal Dillon enforce the laws and studying to become a doctor with Doc Adams.

There were many recurring characters on "Gunsmoke", such as Moss Grimmick, the owner of the livery, and Barney, who worked in the telegraph office, but Howie Uzzell, the hotel clerk, was chosen for the quiz because Howard Culver played the role every season of the show whenever a hotel clerk was needed for the story with the exception of season 5.

The incorrect choices are characters that appeared on "The Rifleman", which ran from 1958-1963.