Gunsmoke: To the Last Man

Of all the TV western series that have hit our screens since the 1950s, Gunsmoke is usually regarded as the grandaddy of them all. Starring James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, it is closer to such psychological westerns as High Noon than the horse operas beloved of matinée audiences everywhere. Made 16 years after the original series ended, this third TV movie spin-off is a pretty predictable affair, with cattle rustlers, feuding farmers and unforgiving vigilantes. Fittingly, the proceedings are shrouded in plenty of gun smoke, with Arness making light of his 68 years to cut an imposing figure as Dodge City's most famous lawman.