Gunsmoke: An American Institution, Celebrating 50 Years of Television's Best Western

Starting on September 10, 1955, and continuing for more than 600 episodes over the next twenty years, Gunsmoke ruled the airwaves. Each week, Marshal Matt Dillon and his friends would face a new threat to the peace and lawfulness of their frontier home of Dodge City, Kansas—and each week, goodness and determination prevailed. Author, Ben Costello produced a remarkable testament to the on-screen characters and off-screen individuals who made the story lines come alive. With lead performer biographies, hundreds of episode and behind-the-scenes photographs, complete episode logs, updates on all the surviving cast members, and interviews with the show’s luminaries,GUNSMOKE:An American Institutionwill be a favorite for fans and historians alike.Gunsmoke: An American Institutionis a 'must read' for anyone who grew up with Matt Dillion, Miss Kitty, Doc, Chester, Festus, and all the other denizens of Dodge City and the Old West." The Midwest Book Review,"Five Pounds of Pleasure Fellow Festus fanciers, look no further! The perfect Christmas gift is here.Gunsmoke: An American Institutionby Ben Costello is the ultimate, be-all, end-all, definitive work on this television classic. Ben was my guest on "Topeka Talks" today and I was disappointed that the book had not arrived in time for the interview. Lo and behold, in this season of miracles, the promised goodies arrived DURING the interview.... It's a hefty volume--5 pounds and not an ounce of fat. Every page is a treasure. There is a synopsis of each episode along with the cast of guests for that show, as well as interviews, narrative, quotes, and hundreds of photos. There are endless hours of pleasure in this volume."Sadly we lost Ben in 2021. What follows is a tribute to Ben Costello from his publisher, Linda Radke.Words are my business, and yet, words escape me now. Ben Costello was my author, and I was his publisher. It all started over 15 years ago when his agent, Janette Anderson, approached me about publishing his book commemorating the 50th anniversary of America’s