Did The Gunsmoke Cast Drink Real Beer?

The cast of Gunsmoke drank real beer on set. However, when their characters were drinking whiskey, they were actually consuming tea or coloured water. This was a common practice in Westerns, as real whiskey was often too expensive to be used as a prop. In fact, in the Old West, whiskey was usually unaged and basic, and it was cheaper to drink beer.

The cast drank real beer

The cast of Gunsmoke drank real beer on set. While the actors were depicted drinking "beer", the whiskey they drank was actually tea or coloured water. This was confirmed by Arizona's official historian and vice president of the Wild West History Association, Marshall Trimble.

In the show, Miss Kitty frequently offers Marshal Dillon a cold beer at the Longbranch Saloon. The show is set in Dodge City, Kansas, during the 1870s. While beer was not widely bottled until pasteurisation came in 1873, brewers could keep their beer cool by cutting ice from frozen rivers and storing it underground.

The Gunsmoke cast were not the only ones drinking real beer. In the film Drinking Buddies, co-star Olivia Wilde confirmed that real beer was used because it was cheaper than using props.

Whiskey was substituted with tea or coloured water

The cast of Gunsmoke drank real beer on set. However, whiskey was substituted with tea or coloured water. Marshall Trimble, Arizona's official historian and vice president of the Wild West History Association, confirms this.

Tea or coloured water was used in place of whiskey by the cast of Gunsmoke. This was done to avoid the cast getting drunk, as multiple takes would be required to film a scene. Whiskey was substituted with tea or coloured water to maintain the accuracy of the Wild West setting in Gunsmoke. Whiskey was commonly consumed in saloons during this time period.

The substitution of whiskey with tea or coloured water was a common practice in Western films and television shows. It was important to maintain the authenticity of the setting and the accuracy of the characters' actions. Whiskey was often associated with the Wild West and was consumed by cowboys and outlaws. By substituting whiskey with tea or coloured water, the cast of Gunsmoke was able to portray accurate depictions of life in the Wild West without the negative consequences of consuming large amounts of alcohol.

The use of tea or coloured water allowed the actors to stay focused and maintain their energy levels throughout the filming process. It also helped to avoid any potential issues with drunkenness or impaired judgment that could have impacted the production schedule or the quality of the performance.

In addition to the use of tea or coloured water as a substitute for whiskey, the cast of Gunsmoke also had to be careful with the consumption of real beer. The beer used on set was "near beer," which had a low alcohol content of 3.2% and was salted to maintain a foamy head under hot studio lights. This ensured that the cast could sip the beer without becoming intoxicated, as multiple takes were often required for scenes.

'Gunsmoke' is the longest-running dramatic series in network TV history

The cast of Gunsmoke, the longest-running dramatic series in network TV history, drank real beer on set. However, when their characters were drinking whiskey, they were actually consuming tea or coloured water.

The show is based on a radio drama that began in 1952 and aired from 1955 to 1975. During this time, it accumulated 635 episodes over 20 seasons, making it the second-longest-running television series of all time.

The show's popularity led to it extending from a half-hour to a full-hour show. It also inspired five TV movies, which were made from 1987 to 1994.

The show's longevity can be attributed to its captivating storylines, memorable characters, and talented cast. James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon, is the only actor to appear in every episode. Other notable cast members include Dennis Weaver, who played Dillon's deputy Chester, and Milburn Stone, who portrayed Doc and appeared in all twenty seasons.

The show's impact extended beyond the small screen, popularising the phrase "Get out of Dodge" and providing a launchpad for future stars like Harrison Ford and Jodie Foster.

The show was adapted from a radio show called 'Gun Law'

The TV show Gunsmoke was adapted from a radio show called Gun Law. The radio show first aired on CBS on April 26, 1952, and ended on June 18, 1961. The show was created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston, and it centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on the radio and James Arness on television.

The radio series ran from 1952 to 1961, and during that time, a total of 480 original episodes were broadcast, including shows with reused or adapted scripts. The television version of the series premiered in 1955 and ran for 20 seasons. It is considered one of the most popular TV westerns in television history.

The show popularized the phrase 'Get out of Dodge'

The long-running TV series Gunsmoke is set in Dodge City, Kansas, during the 1870s. The show features Marshall Matt Dillon, played by James Arness, who regularly defeats villains and engages in shootouts in the wild west town. The show popularized the phrase "Get out of Dodge", as Dillon would often tell criminals to "Get outta Dodge", referring to the town of Dodge City. The phrase became so popular that teens started using it, and it has endured as a common idiom.

The show was based on a radio drama that began in 1952, and it ran from 1955 to 1975, making it the longest-running dramatic series in network television history at the time. Gunsmoke was extremely popular, ranking as the number one show on television from 1957 to 1961. The show had 20 seasons and 635 episodes, and even spawned five TV movies.

The show featured many famous guest stars, including Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Scotty from Star Trek, as well as three of the Brady kids. James Arness was the only actor to appear in every episode, though Milburn Stone, who played Doc, appeared in all twenty seasons as well.

An interesting fact about the show is that the Gunsmoke actors drank real beer on set, but the whiskey they drank was actually tea or coloured water.

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