When Gunsmoke aired its final episode on March 31, 1975, many viewers weren’t ready to say goodbye. 50 years later, there’s still plenty of love to be had for this groundbreaking series. For over twenty years, fans had followed Marshal Matt Dillon as he enforced the law in the 1890s Dodge City, Kansas, first through the radio and then on television. On the 50th anniversary of its finale, here are some facts about Gunsmoke in its early days, at the dawn of its journey to making television history.
By the time it ended, Gunsmoke had made its mark in television history. The series aired for 20 seasons, becoming the longest-running primetime live-action show in the U.S. until Law & Order matched its record in 2010. That record was later surpassed by Law & Order: SVU in 2019. Even so, and even to this day, the show’s legacy remains strong and formative.
The ‘Gunsmoke’ radio cast were given the chance to audition for the TV show
When CBS decided to move Gunsmoke from radio to television in 1955, the original radio cast was invited to audition for their roles again. William Conrad, who had played Matt Dillon on the radio, lost out on the TV version, a decision that reportedly hit him hard. Instead, producers turned to James Arness, an actor who had caught John Wayne’s attention a few years earlier.
Arness had appeared in Wayne’s 1952 film Big Jim McLain, and when the role of Marshal Dillon came up, Wayne encouraged him to take it. None of the key radio stars ended up in the main cast of the TV series. The network chose new faces to lead the visual version of the show.
More ‘Gunsmoke’ facts include that it never really ended, and only brought back some familiar faces
Though CBS unexpectedly canceled Gunsmoke in 1975 without warning the cast or giving a final episode, the story didn’t end there. James Arness returned to play Matt Dillon in five made-for-TV films. These aired between 1987 and 1994 and included Return to Dodge, The Last Apache, To the Last Man, The Long Ride, and One Man’s Justice, which became Arness’s last acting credit.
Amanda Blake, who played saloon owner Kitty Russell during the series, also returned for Return to Dodge before passing away in 1989. The movies helped tie up parts of the story that were left hanging after the series ended so suddenly.