Mysterious Doors ?

[caryc]

A while back there was a thread about something and Gunsmoke and the Long Branch was brought up. One of the guys here said he wondered how they kept bad weather out of the Long Branch with just those bat wing doors.

I posted back that there was a set of regular doors besides those bat wing doors. I know in one episode when Matt was stuck with a baby, he came to the long branch in the middle of the night and woke up Miss Kitty to give her the baby. He knocked on the regular doors since they were closed up for the night.

Ever since then I've been looking to see those regular doors either on the inside or the outside but they are just not there. Today's episode had a real clear view or the outside entrance and the inside exit and there were no regular doors.

Do any of you remember seeing those regular doors or am I just going crazy?

 

[Pat-inCO]

Can you say "what ever the story needed"?

If it was like any other set, there were multiple copies of it for multiple
angles.

 

[gasbag]

Do any of you remember seeing those regular doors or am I just going crazy?

Would I be out of line if I voted for "You are going crazy?"

I watched Gunsmoke. Loved that show.
Having said that, it's a tv show and historical accuracy would take second place
to the budget. If there were "regular doors" to close at night and against the weather
I would imagine they just left them out for convenience and monetary reasons.

 

[GunnyGene]

The real Longbranch Saloon.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-longbranchsaloon.html

 

[Mike J]

I do not remember the episode or the circumstance Cary but I do remember seeing the doors in one episode a very long time ago.

Gunny Gene - Thanks for the link. Interesting stuff.

 

[GunnyGene]

I do not remember the episode or the circumstance Cary but I do remember seeing the doors in one episode a very long time ago.

Gunny Gene - Thanks for the link. Interesting stuff.

There's a lot of surprising stuff on the site. Here's one experience the author relates. :lol:

Even in today's communication age, some people still believe that Oklahoma and Texas exist as it did in the 1890's. Back in the late 1980's, I had traveled to Florida. While there, someone asked me where I was from. When I said Oklahoma, they had this puzzled look come across their face.

After a moment or two, this individual seemed to have made the connection they were looking for. She asked me, "So, how did you get to Florida?"

I was confused. I said, "Well, I drove."

She responded, "Oh, so you stopped along the way and bought a car?"

I said, "No. I had the car before I left."

I could see a "deer in the headlights" moment, and then I heard her soon-to-be-famous words, "I thought everyone in Oklahoma rode on horses and in wagons. What about the Indians? Do you all still have problems with the Indians?"

True story. No kidding. It is hard to believe, I know. I would not have believed it myself if I had not been there to hear it.

Yes, some people believe that we still live as we did 100 years ago.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-hollywoodwest.html

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

To the best of my knowledge I believe the story Cary mentioned was not the only show, that had the doors closed. But I do remember it. It was one of our favorite family shows.

 

[caryc]

I do not remember the episode or the circumstance Cary but I do remember seeing the doors in one episode a very long time ago.

Gunny Gene - Thanks for the link. Interesting stuff.

Yes, of course, they had to have regular doors. How else would they keep people from walking in there in the middle of the night and just helping themselves? :mrgreen:

 

[SAJohn]

To give credit where it is due, "Gunsmoke" (especially in the later years) put a lot of effort into creating realistic sets. The very best at that was Stan Lynde's comic strip "Rick O'Shay" back in the 60's and 70's

 

[mohavesam]

To give credit where it is due, "Gunsmoke" (especially in the later years) put a lot of effort into creating realistic sets.

- They just never got their clothes dirty... and Miss Kitty just served drinks.

 

[RSIno1]

No doors here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqyojnM9tlc

 

[CLAYPOOL]

Man ain't it great being "Alive", (and listening to this stuff).....

 

[caryc]

No doors here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqyojnM9tlc

Nope, no doors but at least the bat wing doors got a little fancier in the later episodes.

 

[jgt]

Saloons were always changing their doors, window, mirrors, and furniture. The bar fights tore up the old ones so they had to replace them with new ones. Out west you could only get what the carpenter could build or buy from the lumber yard. Ask any script writer, he'll tell you.

 

[vito]

You all have way too much time on your hands!

 

[coach]

BTW-What was the purpose of the bat wing doors? Were the really used or just a Hollywood invention. As I recall Kansas can get pretty cold in the winter.

 

[caryc]

BTW-What was the purpose of the bat wing doors? Were the really used or just a Hollywood invention. As I recall Kansas can get pretty cold in the winter.

I supposed one could stroll by and hear the music and see that the joint was jumping and then head on in to join the fun.

Plus the bat wing doors were easier to throw drunks out of.

 

[caryc]

Just for the record here's a proper set of saloon doors. From the movie "The Last Challenge" with Glen Ford. You see the bat wings behind Chad Everet.

It's just kind of strange that as many years as Gunsmoke was running that they wouldn't do the doors correctly. Isn't that what the continuity people are on the sets for?

 

[Rick Courtright]

The real Longbranch Saloon.

Hi,

It looks a lot better in that picture than it did in the summer of 1961 when I was there as an impressionable kid. Somewhere in there I recall a glass case with skeletal remains, supposedly those of one of Wyatt Earp's brothers. Don't remember which one, and I can't find any verification of that claim today.

As luck would have it, I have a little more connection to the place than just to have been there once:

The author of that article says the saloon was sold in 1878 and the new owners worked hard to clean it up. Prior to that the place was pretty wild and woolly, and for a few years, Luke Short either owned or had a sizable financial interest in the Long Branch. One of my shirt tail kin, Long Hair Jim Courtright, was the Marshall there for a while, and the stories have it he was certainly no Matt Dillon. The Marshall had a profitable extortion game going on, with the saloon ponying up "protection" money to keep its own money flowing in.

Eventually, Short tired of the deal, and left town for Fort Worth. There he built a huge, gaudy saloon called The White Elephant. Of several versions of the story, my favorite has it my errant relative followed him down there, put on another Marshall's star, and decided they could renew their previous business arrangement. He went to the saloon, to talk to Short, who suggested it would be better to go talk on the sidewalk out of earshot of his patrons. Short, Bat Masterson and Long Hair Jim went outside. There Masterson acted as a lookout, and when he indicated the coast was clear, Short shot Jim, killing him right there. Some accounts have it there was a duel or gunfight, but the most reputable sources I've found indicate it was just a cold blooded murder, which kinda fits in with stories of Luke Short's temperament.

The White Elephant burned down, and was rebuilt down the street. It's still there, near the old stockyards, and every year on Feb. 8 they have a celebration/re-enactment of that 1887 killing. I've made the offer before, but it's been years, so here it is again: if anyone can get there for that re-enactment and post up some pictures, I'll reimburse 'em for the beer!

And if you see a ghost who looks like this coming thru the swinging doors, that's the guy:

Rick C

 

[kentucky yeti]

The real Longbranch Saloon.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-longbranchsaloon.html

Been there on my way to southwest Colorado on a hunting trip. No way could we drive by without stopping in Dodge City and having a drink at the Long Branch.

 

[Colonialgirl]

I do not remember the episode or the circumstance Cary but I do remember seeing the doors in one episode a very long time ago.

Gunny Gene - Thanks for the link. Interesting stuff.

There's a lot of surprising stuff on the site. Here's one experience the author relates. :lol:

Even in today's communication age, some people still believe that Oklahoma and Texas exist as it did in the 1890's. Back in the late 1980's, I had traveled to Florida. While there, someone asked me where I was from. When I said Oklahoma, they had this puzzled look come across their face.

After a moment or two, this individual seemed to have made the connection they were looking for. She asked me, "So, how did you get to Florida?"

I was confused. I said, "Well, I drove."

She responded, "Oh, so you stopped along the way and bought a car?"

I said, "No. I had the car before I left."

I could see a "deer in the headlights" moment, and then I heard her soon-to-be-famous words, "I thought everyone in Oklahoma rode on horses and in wagons. What about the Indians? Do you all still have problems with the Indians?"

True story. No kidding. It is hard to believe, I know. I would not have believed it myself if I had not been there to hear it.

Yes, some people believe that we still live as we did 100 years ago.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-hollywoodwest.html

Well, WhenI was in the Sixth Grade, My Dad was stationed in French Morocco by the Navy and we joined him there. Later he got out and we moved to Oklahoma where I started the 7th grade, When they learned I had lived in Morocco which is "in" Africa, they all wanted to know if I had seen any lions and tigers; NO; but we DID see lots of Camels and Donkey's.

 

[whichwatch]

It is TV, they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, not worth losing sleep over.

 

[hdxr750]

Just watched a story about a Wm. Mannos real person I don't know. But they showed the outer doors, stained Glass and good looking.

 

[mohavesam]

These doors have been swingin over a hunnert years. Anyone?

 

[Viking Queen]

My grandparents lived in Bucklin Ks. When they decided to get married they had to take the train to Dodge City as it was the county seat.

They planned to get married on Feb. 14, 1905 but when they woke that morning there was a fierce snowstorm. Grandad said "Maudie, maybe we should go another day, after the storm passes." She said "We get married today or we don't get married at all." (All 4 ft 5" of her)

They took the train to Dodge City that day, Valentine' s Day, 1905, and got married. We celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1955. I was 6 yrs old. Grandma and Grandpa had a favorite television show.....it was Gunsmoke!

I have been to the Long Branch saloon , Dodge City Ks. It is a fun place to visit.

Viking Queen

Viking Queen

 

[caryc]

Well, they're back. Watching Gunsmoke today and in this episode dated 1966 you can plainly see the two outside doors on either side of the batwing doors.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

And yet, in the "Last Challenge" they are on the inside.

Probably makes more sense to have them on the outside to protect the bat-wings from the weather.

Not that TV or Hollywood needs to make sense.

 

[Poco Oso]

For your amusement...Some fun facts.

http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/trivia.htm

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Well,
While living and working in Singapore we would go to the Cowboy and Indian bars in the Indian section of Singapore. You might ask what the hell is a C&I bar. Well let me told you. They had bat wing doors and the bar was owned by an Indian. So when us from Texas would go there to throw darts and drink beer they became a Cowboy and Indian Bar
Doesn't take much to make a Texan Happy :wink:

 

[Fox Mike]

Look at the 7:26 mark and you can see the outside door hinges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynUDi0TOD1s