Gunsmoke actor James Arness became quite a force in the television industry on one of the biggest shows ever hitting the air. As a result, longtime fans continue to watch the Western series in the modern-day, embracing Dodge City and its colorful characters. Arness had that in common with his fans, as he said that he watched it every day after it ended.
‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness didn’t initially want to play Matt Dillon
After serving in World War II, Arness wanted to pursue a career in acting. Similar to many other folks, he initially had some difficulties finding the exact lane he would follow along. He wanted to star in motion pictures, and he managed to secure some roles in. However, many of Hollywood’s leading men didn’t want to share the screen with him because of his height.
Friend and employer John Wayne released Arness from his contract to star as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke. The actor didn’t initially want to get stuck in television, but Wayne encouraged him to take the part, regardless. The decision to accept the role was the correct one, as he became a valuable asset for CBS on one of television’s biggest shows.
James Arness watched ‘Gunsmoke’ every day
In an interview with Signal, Arness talked about his own viewing habits when it came to Gunsmoke and other Western-themed television. The show ran for an incredible 20 seasons, setting records that would remain in place for many years. Some actors don’t like to watch their own work, but Arness wasn’t one of them.
When asked if Arness ever watches Westerns on TV, he said, “Oh, every day. Whenever I can. I always watch Gunsmoke.”
“I love to watch the old shows,” Arness said. “Many of them I never had a chance to see when we did them, because it was [on television] on Saturday night, and I was usually out doing something else at the time.”
Arness continued: “So there are many of the shows that I had never seen. It’s a lot of fun to watch. TV Land, they’re on there; we were on the Westerns channel, but then a few months ago, they took us off. That was too bad, because we were on two hours every night, seven days a week. That’s 14 hours a week, plus TV land—.”
His fans kept sending messages long after it ended
Arness was accustomed to interacting with Gunsmoke fans for many years. In the early days of the show’s run, he would attend rodeos and other events to interact with the audience directly as Matt. Over the years, his co-stars, including Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russell, took on the duty.
As of the 2006 Signal interview, Arness said, “People still — we get 100 e-mails a week from people who still watch it. It’s still out there.” The show grew a longtime viewing audience that stuck with it for many years after CBS’ shocking cancelation in 1975 that even took the cast and crew by surprise.