STORIES

Bonanza ran for 14 seasons (1959-1973) and became one of the most popular and enduring TV Westerns for several key reasons.

Terence Hill was one of the most recognizable figures in European cinema. He made a name for himself with American Western audiences because of his charm, physicality, and comic timing.

Both were lovable sidekicks for the legendary Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. Let’s break down the differences between the two.

For a series that ran 20 years, there was never any real angst among the staff over the years, and the Gunsmoke cast even stayed friends well after the series ended.

Roger Ewing grew up watching Gunsmoke and was surprised that it led to an acting career that included appearing in more than 50 episodes, most notably as Deputy Marshal and handyman Thad Greenwood.

Zane Grey was a famous American Western novelist and one of the most influential writers of frontier and adventure fiction in the early 20th century.

The decision not to give James Drury’s character a name in The Virginian was made so he would be seen as a Western hero defined by his actions more than his name.

Dodge City was made famous because of Gunsmoke’s historic run. But was it a real place led by Marshal Matt Dillon, and if so, where is it? We dig in here.

Joel McCrea appeared in 80 films, including many historic Westerns. One of the oft-asked questions about the star was how much his off-screen life mirrored his on-screen performances.