Gunsmoke Question

[trbii]

My guess also. Depending on how long they shoot Im sure it gets annoying after awhile.

Landrum C YouTube video explains about Arness’s bad leg/knee pain affected the shooting schedule of Gunsmoke. They had to shoot all footage of Matt Dillon , standing up moving around early in the day, because of his pain mounting as the hours went by.

 

[trbii]

My understanding of the holsters being built for the Colt SAA style revolvers back then was that they were generously sized, simple, sturdy, open topped. Now considered “bucket holsters”. No retention features, so hammer “tie down” leather strings were a common fix for civilian use. U.S. Army Cavalry used full flap holsters during the civil war, then onward through the Indian wars, Spanish American war (Roosevelt’s Rough Riders), WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War and so on. I read the hand gun bearer through the late 1800’s kept the tie down looped over his hammer spur while riding, then thumbed it off after his feet hit the ground. If a mountain lion or bear rushed him while in camp, he was ready. The holsters that really needed a leg strap to keep it in place during a fast, emergency draw was the soft, calfskin, thin unsuitable models like they had Buck Cannon carrying on most of the old episode of High Chaparral in the late 1960’s. Supposedly, the calfskin holsters would clamp down, squeeze, drag and impede the fast draw attempt horribly. To the writers of that western you have to give them credit for practicle type reality script/plot lines. Not a lot of fast drawing, silly gun fights. A lot of battle scenes with the Apache’s and Mexican bandits showing a lot of shooting, and missing. From horseback and ground positions.

 

[Snattlerake]

OK, Who was the fastest pistol draw in the TV westerns?
My vote is Jess Harper (Robert Fuller) on the show Laramie. He could take Paladin or Little Joe anytime.

 

[trbii]

Hard to say, you could be right. I saw/read something once that said Nick Barkley On The Big Valley worked on it hard and was damn fast drawing a peacemaker. I always marveled at that wide belt he wore. So stout looking. Peter Breck, stage name.

 

[trbii]

A great test drill would be stand all of the old actors at 25 yards in front of full size metal silhouettes, draw when the electronic timer beeps, put a round on the target.

 

[hunter966]

Fastest draw.....gotta be Jim Hardy.

 

[SoonerP226]

Fastest draw.....gotta be Jim Hardy.

Especially with that handicap of his, shooting with the wrong hand and all.

 

[Aries]

I read somewhere that James Arness was so slow that for the opening of Gunsmoke, where he draws and shoots a guy, they had to hire a guy who was good at looking like he was slower than Arness.

 

[dennishoddy]

OK, Who was the fastest pistol draw in the TV westerns?
My vote is Jess Harper (Robert Fuller) on the show Laramie. He could take Paladin or Little Joe anytime.

Sammy Davis Jr.
He was incredible in the fast draw.

 

[Beau B]

Watched every episode with my Daddy when I was a youg'un.

It was my favorite show when I was a kid, haven’t seen it in a long time.