"Gunsmoke" (1955-1975), the First and Longest-Running Western on TV - Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon

[DonRocks]

I'd never before seen a single episode of "Gunsmoke," so I thought, well, why not at least watch the pilot, "Matt Gets It."

This can be seen, albeit with very poor quality, for free right here on dailymotion.com. 

Within the first two minutes of the video, you'll notice a couple of remarkable things:

* Look who gives the introduction to the series.

* Just after the first shot of the cardboard cutout that is Dodge City (a real town in Kansas), Marshall Matt Dillon (James Arness) is giving a soliloquy in a graveyard. Keep your eye on the tombstone at the left of your screen (it's not subtle).

Also, note that Chester Goode, Matt Dillon's partner, is played by Dennis Weaver (whom most people know from "McCloud"; you should know him from "Duel").