The late, great Johnny Cash, talking between songs on one of his albums, admitted he used to stand in front of the TV and try to outdraw actor James Arness during the opening sequence of “Gunsmoke.”
Tulsan Mike Summers said he’s sure many other “Gunsmoke” viewers attempted the same thing.
“I hear that story a lot,” Summers said. “A lot of people blew up their television sets trying to outdraw Matt Dillon.”
Summers, if he was so inclined, could try it with Dillon’s gun.
“Gunsmoke,” a revered Western television series that ran from 1955-75, is turning 60 as soon as the calendar page turns.
Summers has a connection to the show, and he is a collector of “Gunsmoke” memorabilia. He said there are probably 500 items in his collection, including Festus’ spurs and three props that once belonged to series star Arness — a holster, a badge and a Colt .45.
Lots of people spend huge sums of money for all kinds of memorabilia from old TV shows and movies. Does the buyer of Citizen Kane's "Rosebud" sled, at $235,000, have a "sled fetish"? Is this "how sled nuts are made"?
ReplyDeleteAs for the Mike Summers mentioned here--he has around 500 "Gunsmoke" items in his memorabilia collection, with one that we know of being a firearm. Does he also have a "spur fetish"? Is this "how spur nuts are made"?