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The cast of Gunsmoke used this surprising ingredient to create a realistic effect
The sweet secret behind the blood on Gunsmoke.
The magic of movies and television has amazed us for years. As time goes on, special effects have become more creative and advanced. Gunsmoke is a great example of how effects evolved even throughout the 20 years the series was on the air.
According to a 1966 interview with the El Paso Herald-Post, the Gunsmoke cast used chocolate syrup as blood when the series was still filming in black-and-white.
After the series switched to color episodes in 1966, that all changed. The cast stopped licking their wounds—literally. This time, the solution was a little less sweet. With the transition to color TV, the show had to get more creative and use something that looked convincingly red.
"It was delicious," Blake said. "I love chocolate syrup! I don’t know what the new blood consists of, but I’ve already tasted it, and it isn’t good. It’s some formula devised by the studio."
The switch from chocolate syrup wasn’t the only change Gunsmoke underwent as the series progressed.
Other major changes included cast changes, a shift in filming locations, expanded set designs, improved special effects, enhanced cinematography with tracking shots and wider landscapes, and more dynamic gunfight sequences.
Gunsmoke's ability to evolve with the times was a major reason for its long lasting success. That, and according to Blake, because of the series leading stars, Marshal Matt Dillon, palyed by James Arness.
"Matt is not the blue-shirted hero," Blake said. "He's a compassionate man, and there's always a valid reason he can't just arrest the villain and run them out of town. He's got to make sure the villain's constitutional rights aren't violated."
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