Gil Doud

GIL DOUD

Prairie Mean Time

   Gil Doud wrote many an episode for many a radio show,
but only one for radio Gunsmoke--'Gunshot Wound,'
which aired on October 14, 1956.
If the "I'm dead already but still alive, tick-tick-tick,
I don't have much time left, but I'll spend it wreaking revenge" idea
reminds you of the 1949 movie D.O.A.,
note that Gil Doud worked with its director in the 1953 movie Forbidden.
Protagonists may die, but Hollywood concepts remain alive.
   What distinguishes Gil Doud from the other original Gunsmoke writers
is that he's the one who met with most success in theatrical movies,
just as Virginia Christine holds that asterisk among the actors.
He shares writing credits in three fairly big movies:
Thunder Bay (1953) starring James Stewart and directed by Anthony Mann,
Saskatchewan (1954) starring Alan Ladd and directed by Raoul Walsh,
and To Hell and Back (1955) starring Audie Murphy as Audie Murphy.
   There were also four not-as-popular movies,
including one where Audie Murphy played not himself
but real life Indian agent John P. Clum,
possibly the only Indian agent ever who didn't patronize the Indians,
take advantage of them, and bilk the U.S. government.

   Gil Doud wrote one episode of Gunsmoke's
sibling radio show Fort Laramie--
'Lost Child,' which aired April 1, 1956.

   He also adapted five John Meston original Gunsmoke radio scripts
to television:

September 22, 1956 Custer
November 24, 1956 The Mistake
February 2, 1957 Executioner
February 23, 1957 Skid Row
April 27, 1957 What the Whiskey Drummer Heard

   For the radio series Suspense, Gil Doud wrote several westerns:
one downright awful episode--'The Love and Death Of Joaquin Murietta';
and three superlative ones--'The Hunting Of Bob Lee,' 'The Spencer Brothers,'
and 'A Killing In Abilene' (co-written with Antony Ellis, and produced twice).

   Co-writers Paul Dudley and Gil Doud wrote the audition
of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar which aired on December 7, 1948.
With Dudley and by himself, Doud went on to write a good number
of episodes for Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in the next five years.
One of the actors who played Johnny Dollar was Edmond O'Brien,
who played the main character in D.O.A.

September 16, 2005