EIJUSTUS
  • The Gunsmoke Primer II
    • The Original Gunsmoke Primer
    • Search
    • Contact
    • Links
  • Kathleen Hite
  • Kitty
    • Kitty in a Tub >
      • Peggie Castle
    • Prairie Predators
    • Cape
  • Matt
    • What If the Two Matts Met?
    • The Two Matts Meet
    • Two Actors Meet
  • Dodge
    • Dodger
    • Church
    • Orphanage
    • Saloon
    • Hotel
    • Restaurant
    • General Store
    • Buggy Anchor
    • Rope Portiere
    • Vittle >
      • Vittles
  • Hysteria
    • Matt Mania I
    • Matt Mania II
    • Matt Mania III
    • Matt Mania XIII
  • Gunsmoke
    • The word is gunsmoke
    • Alias
    • Gunsmoke Announcers >
      • Gunsmoke Announcer
  • Writers
    • Antony Ellis >
      • Antony Ellis II
    • Marian Clark
    • Gil Doud
  • Actresses
    • Jeanette Nolan >
      • The McIntires
    • Virginia Gregg & Virginia Christine >
      • Virginia Gregg
      • Virginia Christine
    • Jeanne Bates
    • Helen Kleeb
    • Vivi Janiss
    • Lillian Buyeff
    • Peggy Webber
  • Actors
    • James Nusser >
      • James Nusser II
    • William Conrad >
      • William Conrad III
      • William Conrad IV
    • Ralph Moody >
      • Ralph Moody II
    • John Dehner >
      • John Dehner II
    • Parley Baer
    • Howard McNear
    • Harry Bartell
    • Vic Perrin >
      • Vic Perrin II
    • Ben Wright >
      • Ben Wright II
      • Ben Wright III
      • Ben Wright Meets Bette Davis
    • Richard Beals >
      • Johnny McGovern & Sammy Ogg
    • Joseph Kearns
    • Sam Edwards >
      • Sam Edwards II
    • Howard Culver >
      • Howard Culver II
  • Other Actors
    • Jack Kruschen
    • Lou Krugman
    • Barney Phillips
    • Ken Lynch
    • Frank Gerstle
    • Tony Barrett
    • Stacy Harris
    • Herb Ellis
  • Radio Announcers
  • The Makins'

SAM   EDWARDS


There are many places in Gunsmoke to learn Sam Edward's voice, 
but the first scene of the Fort Laramie episode 'Stage Coach Stop' 
juxtaposes his voice with that of Vic Perrin's—  
Edwards plays trooper Harrison, Perrin is Sergeant Gorce. 
Perrin's voice is usually compared or likened 
to his friend Harry Bartell's, and a similarity in speech pattern 
may give that general impression; but when it comes to timbre, 
it was really more akin to Sam Edwards'. 
Between Perrin's and Edwards' voices, 
the difference is that Edward's sounds lighter, thinner, 
more nasal, more elastic, and sometimes shriller. 
For that reason, Edwards' voice was perfect 
for punk villains or younger men (which hits a true note in terms of history, 
because contrary to the standard image given us by movies & television, 
the cowboys of the real West were teenagers). 

Vocally, Sam Edwards definitely had an age niche—  
for example, his playing adult bartender Sam in 'Fiery Arrest' 
and adolescent Dave in 'Dave's Lesson,' 
can at best be called interesting experiments. 


For getting a good look at Sam Edwards, 
he was sublimely perfect in the tv Gunsmoke episode 'Gunsmuggler,' 
as the rider that Matt, Chester, and Tobeel meet on the prairie. 
But for a more glorious and lengthier screen appearance, 
the best place is the John Wayne movie Operation Pacific (1951). 
Not only does Sam Edwards get a lot of lines and screen time, 
but he has his very own scene with Wayne. 


Around this period when Gunsmoke started its radio run, 
Sam Edwards was cast in four other war movies besides Operation Pacific: 
Twelve O'Clock High (1949), Flying Leathernecks (1951, also with Wayne), 
The McConnell Story (1955), and Between Heaven and Hell (1956). 
Clearly, war pictures made better use of his youthfulness than westerns. 


Beyond his voice and its effects, Sam Edwards himself 
was no more a teenager than Richard Beals was a boy. 
Just as Beals was almost 25, Edwards was a month short of 37 
when Gunsmoke began. 
He was born on a 26th, the same as John Wayne, 
the same as James Arness, the same as Gunsmoke. 



July 21, 2006 




Copyright © 2006-2013 E. A. Villafranca, Jr. 
All Rights Reserved 



Protected by Copyscape Web Plagiarism Check