Gunsmoke and the Old-West Lawman
The classic radio show "Gunsmoke," was the epitome of old west drama. Set in the frontier town of Dodge City during the 1870's and 80's, Gunsmoke followed U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon through his many adventures. Matt Dillon was the embodiment of the stereotypical lawman of the old west. He is set apart as an old west hero by his independence, self-reliance, and sense of justice.
Matt Dillon works as an independent law-man. In our modern times we are used to policemen who work interdependently of a greater police force. In the old west however, the independent enforcer prevailed. As you listen to the episodes of Gunsmoke, you realize how much Dillon typifies the persona of a lone hero. With the only assistance coming from his deputy Chester, Dillon acts as the lone voice of law and reason.
This independent attitude makes Dillon be self-reliant. When it comes to dealing with outlaws, he relies on his own intuition and expertise to solve the situation. In one instance, Dillon is trying to find an outlaw, but when he finds him he realizes that he has actually "gone straight." He finds this by talking to him and seeing his new character. Just like in this situation, being an independent law-man requires him to rely on his senses and abilities to take care of any situation that might arise.
What really sets Dillon apart as a great old-west hero is his keen sense of justice. Even when his own life is on the line, Dillon never wavers from his responsibilities of justice. One day somebody comes into town looking to kill for the person who killed his father. It turns out that it was Dillon who killed him. Instead of trying to protect himself however, he does everything he can to simply talk to him and make him see the reason that his father died. Moreover, he correctly identifies the real criminal. Through his own investigative judgment, he deals with a situation that could otherwise prove to be dreadful and appalling.
The typical lawman is personified in the character of Matt Dillon. The old-west lawman might not have necessarily been as respectable as Dillon, but the old-west stories have been mythologized to create this typical character. In essence, Dillon stands for the virtuous elements of the old-west, and carries them out in his daily life.
When considering the attributes of the Old West lawman, the mind frequently turns to the lawmen made familiar through works of fiction, created for the purposes of entertainment. One specific example of such a fictional depiction of "the lawman" exists in the episodic radio series entitled, "Gunsmoke." In this series, Matt Dillon, the Sheriff of Dodge City, repeatedly exhibits many qualities, which could be labeled as stereotypical. After analyzing several Gunsmoke episodes, and reviewing the analyses of many others, one trait, which seems to be present in Matt Dillon, is that of invincibility. Matt Dillon shoots the "bad guy" but never gets shot. He is always victorious. He always wins. We can see this pattern exemplified in three diverse situations. First, Dillon always wins a face to face gunfight. Secondly, Dillon is victorious even when he is ambushed or unprepared for an attack. And finally, Dillon wins even when no physical violence or gunplay takes place.
The old-west lawman is an American hero and represents the ideals of American society. He is immediately thought of when one contemplates strength of character and other fine qualities. As an irreplaceable part of American tradition, his characteristics are looked upon as a model to all other Americans. Much of what is known about the old-west lawman comes from stories of fiction one of these being the radio program Gunsmoke. Matt Dillon, a U.S. Marshall, plays the lead role in this favorite American radio series. In each episode he beats the odds as he protects his home of Dodge City. Demonstrating the qualities of the old-west lawman, Matt Dillon, of Gunsmoke, is trusting, respectful, and courageous.
Gunsmoke the radio program, which aired on the CBS Radio Network, was first broadcast on April 26, 1952 and the final broadcast aired on June 18, 1961. During its nine year radio run, Gunsmoke would air 413 radio stories and six of the seasons would coincide with Gunsmoke the television series. Many of the original cast members of the radio show would go on to have memorable television careers: William Conrad, who played Matt Dillon, went on to play in "Cannon", "Nero Wolfe" and the "Fat Man", from "Jake and the Fat Man". Parley Baer, who played Chester, would go on to play Darby in the television show "Ozzie and Harriet", and Howard McNear, who played the doctor, would go on to play Floyd the Barber in the old "Andy Griffith Show" (http://comp.uark.edu/~tsnyder/Gunsmoke/gun-radio.html). Gunsmoke sought to capture the essence of the west and those individuals who would tame it. Matt Dillon was a hard-bitten, independent, self-reliant and just law man. His character summed up all of the stereo-typical ideas of the old west hero.
Dave Saunders was the man that was almost a man. Dave knew he wasn’t seen as the most masculine boy and he strived for the title of being a man. But what did being a man mean to Dave? For him, it meant having a gun. “a man oughta have a little gun aftah he done hard worked all day.” (Wright 294) because Dave has it stuck in his head, that to be a man he needs a gun, he won’t stop until he gets one.
The west was filled with various characters ranging from cowboys, bandits, bar owners, and ultimately the law. The different attitudes towards men of authority during the western era can be seen through the national radio show of Gun smoke. The knowledgeable, caring, and just sheriff of Dodge County named Matt Dillon portrays many societal roles as he is faced with perplexing situations. Through three episodes of Gunskmoke, the reoccurring theme is that Matt Dillon is the law, the judge, and often the jury. The rise of the west needed a figure of authority and Matt Dillon was that symbol. He was the first person the lawbreakers saw and also the last they wanted to meet.
"Esteban's memory eternal and they were going to break their backs digging for springs among the stones and planting flowers on the cliffs so that the future years at dawn the passengers on great liners would awaken, suffocated by the smell of gardens on the high seas, and the captain would have to come down from the bridge in his dress uniform, with his astrolabe, his pole star, and his row of war medals and, pointing to the promontory of roses on the horizon, he would say in fourteen languages, look there, where the wind is so peaceful now that it's gone to sleep beneath the beds, over there, where the sun's bright that the sunflowers don't know which way to turn, yes, over there, that's Esteban's Village (Handsomest)"
In “The Thematic Paradigm,” Robert Ray explains how there are two vastly different heroes: the outlaw hero and the official hero. The official hero has common values and traditional beliefs. The outlaw hero has a clear view of right and wrong but unlike the official hero, works above the law. Ray explains how the role of an outlaw hero has many traits. The morals of these heroes can be compared clearly. Films that contain official heroes and outlaw heroes are effective because they promise viewer’s strength, power, intelligence, and authority whether you are above the law or below it.
In “The Thematic Paradigm,” University of Florida professor of film studies, Robert Ray, defines two types of heroes pervading American films, the outlaw hero and the official hero. Often the two types are merged in a reconciliatory pattern, he argues. In fact, this
Few Hollywood film makers have captured America’s Wild West history as depicted in the movies, Rio Bravo and El Dorado. Most Western movies had fairly simple but very similar plots, including personal conflicts, land rights, crimes and of course, failed romances that typically led to drinking more alcoholic beverages than could respectfully be consumed by any one person, as they attempted to drown their sorrows away. The 1958 Rio Bravo and 1967 El Dorado Western movies directed by Howard Hawks, and starring John Wayne have a similar theme and plot. They tell the story of a sheriff and three of his deputies, as they stand alone against adversity in the name of the law. Western movies like these two have forever left a memorable and lasting impressions in the memory of every viewer, with its gunfighters, action filled saloons and sardonic showdowns all in the name of masculinity, revenge and unlawful aggressive behavior. Featuring some of the most famous backdrops in the world ranging from the rustic Red Rock Mountains of Monument Valley in Utah, to the jagged snow capped Mountain tops of the Teton Range in Wyoming, gun-slinging cowboys out in search of mischief and most often at their own misfortune traveled far and wide, seeking one dangerous encounter after another, and unfortunately, ending in their own demise.
The image created for the outlaw hero is the “natural man.” They are adventurous but also wanderers, and loners. Outlaw heroes are more likely to commit a crime, use weapons and carry guns. The outlaw hero represents self-determination and freedom from conflicts. On the other hand, the official hero is portrayed to be “the civilized” man. He often follows the norms of society, and has typical roles such as a lawyer, teacher, and family man.
While the western frontier was still new and untamed, the western hero often took on the role of a vigilante. The vigilante’s role in the frontier was that of extralegal verve which was used to restrain criminal threats to the civil peace and opulence of a local community. Vigilantism was typical to the settler-state societies of the western frontier where the structures and powers of government were at first very feeble and weak. The typical cowboy hero had a willingness to use this extralegal verve. The Virginian demonstrated this throughout with his interactions with Trampas, most notably in the interactions leading up to the shoot out and during the shoot-out itself. “Others struggled with Trampas, and his bullet smashed the ceiling before they could drag the pistol from him… Yet the Virginian stood quiet by the...
In 1998 the (AphA) adopted policies recognizing a pharmacist’s right to refuse dispensing medications based on personal belief. However, if the pharmacist refuses they still have duty to the patient to refer them to another pharmacist. The dilemma is now whether to refer or not. Potential ramifications of not referring are employment termination, civil liability, or disciplinary action form state pharmacy board.
The Wild West is known for its cowboys and gunslingers. In the Wild West the pistol
The development of the Western genre originally had its beginnings in biographies of frontiersmen and novels written about the western frontier in the late 1800’s based on myth and Manifest Destiny. When the film industry decided to turn its lenses onto the cowboy in 1903 with The Great Train Robbery there was a plethora of literature on the subject both in non-fiction and fiction. The Western also found roots in the ‘Wild West’ stage productions and rodeos of the time. Within the early areas of American literature and stage productions the legend and fear of the west being a savage untamed wilderness was set in the minds of the American people. The productions and rodeos added action and frivolity to the Western film genre.
The story is an Eastern take on the Hollywood western with a dash of satire,