When it comes to Western TV shows, there’s none more iconic thanGunsmoke, which owes a lot of its legendary status to a single actor. Thelongest-running seriesin the genre’s history is chock-full of terrific supporting performances and famous guest stars, from Burt Reynolds to Bette Davis. Fundamentally, though,Gunsmokerelied on its central protagonist to hold everything together.
The great James Arness fronted the show throughout its two-decade run on CBS, cementing his place in history as arguably thebest-ever Western TV actor. What’s more, Arness is one of the greatest TV actors in any genre to have made his name in only one role. As U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon,he anchoredGunsmokefrom start to finish.
Arness had other TV roles, and famously appeared alongside John Wayne in the 1953 Western movieHondo, his second of four films with the Duke. Buthe was immortalized in screen history by the singular figure of Matt Dillon, an all-around television hero whom it’s now impossible to imagine any other actor playing.
James Arness’ Role In Gunsmoke Is The Longest-Running In Western TV History
It Also Set A Record In The History Of American Television
Along with Doc Adams actor Milburn Stone, James Arness is one of just two stars to have featured inall 20 seasons ofGunsmoke. But even that isn’t the full extent of his association with the series, as Arness later reprised his role as Matt Dillon for sixGunsmokeTV movies.
The last of these movies came in 1994, 39 years after his first appearance as the character. This length of time isthe longest that a single actor has played any one character in American television history. Arness’ entire career is synonymous with Dillon, given that his performance asGunsmoke’s protagonist spanned four decades.
He did have other notable TV roles, including as mountain man and US soldier Zeb Mahacan inThe Mahacansand its spinoffHow the West Was Won, immediately after Gunsmoke ended. He also played Jim Bowie in the 1987 TV movieThe Alamo: 13 Days to Glory. However, both of these releases have faded into relative obscurity.
On the other hand,Gunsmokeand Matt Dillon remain fundamental pillars of the Western TV genre. The inextricable identification of Arness with this iconic role is aided by the fact that offscreen, the actor was an intensely private person who actively sought to distance himself from the limelight (viaMPR News).
Why James Arness Was So Important To Gunsmoke
He Anchored The Show With His Authoritative Screen Presence
James Arness’ importance toGunsmoke’s status as a Western TV juggernaut can’t be emphasized enough.The actor’s natural likeness to John Waynemade him the closest thing to the Duke’s Western heroesin any TV show. This likeness probably has something to do with thefalse rumor that Wayne rejected Arness’ lead role inGunsmoke.
James Arness did get hisGunsmokepart because of John Wayne, because the two actors were friends, and Wayne recommended him for the role. But the Duke himself was never asked to play Matt Dillon.
Yet simply equating Arness with a TV version of John Wayne does the actor a major disservice.He was an icon of the Western genre in his own right, who ledGunsmokefrom the front, just as Matt Dillon is the venerated leader of Dodge City, Kansas, in the show’s story.
Without Arness playing the anchor role in the series for 20 years, the onscreen talent that came and went around him wouldn’t have had the impact they did.He keptGunsmokeon course, making his authoritative presence felt in every scene he was in, and ensuring the show maintained its place near the top of television ratings throughout the 1960s.
Matt Dillon Is One Of The Greatest Characters In The Western Genre
He’s An All-Round Western Hero Who Enacts Justice With His Gun Alongside Caring For His Community
Besides the impressive screen presence James Arness himself brought to the table, his character, Matt Dillon, is a true Western hero.Dillon combines brains with brawn, seeing straight through every newcomer who rides into town, and maintaining law and order in Dodge City like no one else could.
As well as a skilled cowboy,Dillon is a deadly sharpshooter, who faces down every one ofGunsmoke’s several hundred villains.His death count totals at least 300, a number even John Wayne or Clint Eastwood would struggle to match. It’s fitting that thefinale ofGunsmoke’s last TV moviesees Dillon down one last villain with his gun.
In addition to his dead-eyed shooting ability, though, Matt Dillon is a caring, paternalistic figure inGunsmoke, who makes a point of looking out for those in Dodge City who need help. James Arness balances expertly between Dillon’s no-nonsense approach to justice and the character’s softer side. The U.S. Marshal’s strong, consistent moral compass is among his greatest attributes.
Matt Dillon’s strengths as a character reflect the abilities of James Arness as an actor.Gunsmoke’s biggest star wasa true all-rounder who could do pretty much anything that was asked of him. At the same time, Arness was a humble figure who avoided attention wherever possible and was always happy for others to get the credit.
The actor’s understated approach to life is a major reason why Matt Dillon is such a likable character, and what maintained his position as one of television’s biggest draws for such a prolonged period. Many terrific characters passed throughGunsmokeat one time or another. But Matt Dillon was always the show’s heartbeat, in his own unassuming way.
