Gunsmoke - Murder Warrant

Here we have another look at how the radio version of Gunsmoke led the way for the tv version.

From season 2 on the radio and from season 4 on tv here is the episode "Murder Warrant"
written by John Meston.

Thanks to Bob Camardella and his great podcast Boxcars711 for the radio broadcast.

Originally aired on CBS Radio April 24th 1954


Aired on CBS television April 18th 1959

The Story of Gunsmoke Followup

In yesterday's posting of the 6 part series "The Story of Gunsmoke" (courtesy of Buck Benny's Podcast) they had the episode of "Marshall Proudfoot" which aired July 20th 1958 on CBS radio season 6.

The TV version of the episode also called "Marshall Proudfoot", but instead of Chester's father coming to visit it was his uncle but otherwise the script stay pretty close to the radio version.  This aired January 10th 1959, season 4.

Happy Birthday Jack Benny

Today would have been the 39th birthday of Jack Benny (wink wink).  To celebrate we have The Lucky Strike Program starring Jack Benny from 02/16/1947.


Jack celebrates his birthday with Ronald and Benita Coleman, who are fantastic as always and special guest Isaac Stern.

Gunsmoke - Chester's Hanging

Time for another Gunsmoke on Radio and Gunsmoke on TV comparison.   Tonight's episode is Chester's Hanging which originally aired on radio Feb 12 1955 (Season 3) and then was made into a tv episode which aired May 17th 1958 (Season 3) on CBS television.


Here is the radio episode




The TV version

Jack Benny Christmas

One of the famous running gags for the Jack Benny Show was always Jack going Christmas shopping to buy gifts for Don, Phil, Rochester, Dennis and even Mary.   Usually the clerk was Mel Blanc who by the end was so exhausted dealing with the skin flint Jack that was ready to shoot himself.

here from the 1957 season of the TV version of Jack's show features the classic lineup with Mel as the clerk and Frank Nelson as the smartalec floor walker he made famous on the radio show.




Click here for the radio classic, the 1946 Christmas shopping episode

Have Gun Will Travel

On Saturday at 930pm, September 14th 1957 CBS television debuted a western that was to become just as legendary as Gunsmoke in the annals of TV westerns,  Have Gun Will Travel.
Starring Richard Boone this was the story of a man called Paladin, a gun for hire in San Francisco.
The show ran on tv until the end of the 1962-63 season, a total of 225 episodes and became almost more famous for its tremendous closing theme song "Ballad of Paladin" written and performed by Johnny Western.

The premiere episode was titled "Three Bells to Perdido" 

November 23rd of 1958 "Have Gun Will Travel" debuted on the CBS Radio network as one of its last radio dramas to feature continuing characters. This version featured radio veteran and Gunsmoke regular John Dehner as Paladin.
The radio version ran until November 22nd 1960 and initially each episode was a radio version of the episode that aired on television earlier in the week.  Eventually original stories were written and produced for the radio show including the finale when Paladin left San Francisco to collect an inheritance back east.

Thanks again to the great Buck Benny podcast for the posting of the debut radio episode and the second episode of Have Gun Will Travel.