QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

March 2007

Q: Don G. asked “What was Docs First name?”
A: Galan

Q: Stephen M asked: What ever happened to Roger Ewing?”
A: “Good question!” I have not been in contact with Roger for many years, and I don’t know if he is still acting or what he is doing these days

Q: Many fans Asked: “How can they get a copy of my interview on the Bill O’Reiley Show?
A: You can contact Fox News in New York.

Q: Tony S. Asked: “How many of the Gunsmoke cast members are still living?”
A: Of the original cast members I’m sorry to say that I am the only cast member left. Dennis Weaver past away in 2006. Buck Taylor and Burt Reynolds are still living and doing well. They were a great addition to the show.

Q: Ed A. Asked: “Were you on the set when the assassination of President Kennedy happened and how did I react? “
A: No, I was not on the set when I heard the news that president Kennedy had been shot. I was actually on an airplane heading for Hawaii. Our reaction was shock and great sadness. That weekend was so eerie because everything was closed and there were no people or cars on the street it was as if time stood still.

Q: Bob A Asked: Do you still keep in touch with Morgan Woodward?
A: Yes, Morgan is a good friend of mine. We’ve done so many Gunsmoke’s together and have great memories of the show and the cast members.

Q: Shiley I. asked: “Do you think Janet could answer the question, How much of James Arness is in the Matt Dillon character?
A: Yes, it will all be in the upcoming book.

Q: Many fans Asked: Where can they get the movie “How The West Was Won”?
A: As far as I know it is not available on DVD. It was filmed by MGM Studios and was aired on ABC Network.

Q: Hallie C. Asked: What did your parents do for a living?
A: My father worked for Becton-Dickenson in sales of medical instruments. The company is still in business today. My mother was a homemaker until my brother and I were in our 20s, then she wrote a column for a newspaper in Minnesota.

Q: Mike B. Asked: Do you still watch reruns of Gunsmoke? Where was the location of the filming when it was not on the studio?”
A: Yes, I watch the reruns on TV Land. Some of the locations when we were not on the set were in Thousand Oaks (The Getty Ranch), also at Sherwood Lake in West Lake. We also filmed in Simi Valley and then there were times when we would go out of state and to work on locations for example Kanab, Utah and Oregon, just to name a few.

Q: Molina A. Asked: “Do you receive gifts from your fans?”
A: Yes on special occasions such as Christmas or my birthday people have been gracious in sending special cards or gifts. For my last birthday two girls that are Gunsmoke fans gave me a handmade scrap book with photos I had never seen before and cute captions to go with them. It was truly a labor of love and much appreciated.

Q: Duane C. Asked: How did you come up with the name Gunsmoke?”
A: That was the name that was used for the original radio show, and they decided to put it on television and they used the same name.

Q: Jerry S. Asked: Did you ever make a movie or TV show in which Peter Graves was also an actor?”
A: No. My brother and I have never acted in a movie or show together.

Q: Gerry J. Asked: “Who was your favorite guest star and why?”
A: After making over 600 episodes it would really be hard to pick a favorite guest star. There were so many actors who came on the show, many of them were unknowns at the time and later had great careers. That has been gratifying to watch over the years.

Q: Ken B. Asked: Who was the voice of the radio version of Gunsmoke?
A: That was the actor William Conrad. He had a great voice, and years later I asked him to do some voice over’s for How The West Was Won. It made the show that much better.

Q: Mary R. Asked: “Did you do your own stunts and riding?” Did you have a favorite horse to ride?”
A: Yes, I did most of my own stunts and fight scenes unless it was really dangerous then I had great stunt men who would stand in for me. I also did all the riding and over the years I had a number of horses that I used on the show. All their names were Buck, which is a question many fans have asked.