The Corner Penthouse

The Gunsmoke Movie Collection is a 3-Disc DVD set containing these three Gunsmoke reunion TV movies: Return to Dodge (1987), The Last Apache (1990), To The Last Man (1992). My father Joel loved Westerns, so I dedicate this review to him. Read on to find out more about this new release...

The original Gunsmoke series, which ran for a then-unprecedented twenty years (from 1955 to 1975) starred James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doc, Ken Curtis as Festus, Dennis Weaver as Chester, a whole slew of others. To say that it was popular would be an understatement. After twelve years of being off the air, the show was revived for a series of five television movies from 1987 to 1994. The Gunsmoke Movie Collection collects the first three of those movies.


Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) (1:33:38)
Now retired, Matt Dillon is stabbed in a fight with a band of thieves. When word reaches Miss Kitty in New Orleans, she returns to Dodge to be by his side. However, danger strikes again as an old enemy from his past is released from prison and vows to settle the score.


Gunsmoke: The Last Apache (1990) (1:34:00)
Matt Dillon is summoned to the ranch of a long-lost love, only to find it in smoldering ruins after an Apache raid. He is shocked to learn of a daughter he'd never known -- and that she was kidnapped in the raid. Now he must save her from the fierce renegade Apache warrior who stole her away!


Gunsmoke: To The Last Man (1992) (1:32:33)
Back like a bullet, ex-Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself in the middle of a bloody range war. With vigilante ranchers on his back and a headstrong daughter on his tail, Matt takes up the fight to restore peace with his own brand of law and order.

All three movies are presented in the original 1.33:1 (4:3 TV) aspect ratio. Audio languages include English and Spanish for all. There are no subtitles or special features for any of the films.

It seems that the Gunsmoke Movie Collection is a single-case budget-priced repackaging of this 2004 box set which collected the three individual DVD releases. I have no doubt that the three discs in this new set are the same ones originally authored in 2004, as the main menus use the same artwork as the box art from those old DVDs. That's fine with me. Much better to have all three of the same discs in one case, instead of three, and for a much cheaper price.

It should be noted that this set (and the 2004 set) is missing the last two TV movies: Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (1993) and Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice (1994). The rights to them are held by Kino Lorber, so you'll have to purchase those DVDs separately if you want the complete Gumsmoke movie collection.




All images were taken from the DVD case artwork. The item was provided by CBS/Paramount for review on this site.