A Saturday Night in the 1950s

Could we, Dad, could we please, please?

We’ll be quiet, really, really quiet. We

won’t say one word, promise. Huh, Dad,

please? So it was frequently in the 1950s

for my two brothers and me begging our

Dad on a Saturday night to stay up past

our bedtime and watch Gunsmoke on TV.

C’mon, Dad, could we please? We won’t

make a peep, promise, not a word, please?

And with a stern but yielding look, one

of hesitation yet reluctant belief, our Dad

agreed. Okay, boys, but just this once,

and absolute quiet, please. And then we

settled in, eyes wide and affixed on the TV

as Marshall Dillon appeared on a lonely

and dusty Dodge City street. He stared

down the bad guy and both drew their guns.

Marshall Matt shot once and was left stand-

ing. (We never saw what happened to the

other guy, but everyone knew he lost.) Then,

up came the music, and the word Gunsmoke

appeared on the screen. The saga was about

to begin as three boys sat quietly with their

dad, figuring in our promised silence that in

the end, Matt Dillon, US Marshall of Dodge

City, Kansas was certain to win again.

Chris Hanch 11-10-19