John Wayne happened to be a big name in movies during the 1950s and television came calling for a TV show titled Gunsmoke.
What’s interesting about this show is that it didn’t start on TV. It was a radio show with William Conrad providing the voice for the lead character, Marshal Matt Dillon. But taking the show and its characters to the world of television called for some changes to happen.
A big one is that Conrad wouldn’t be playing Dillon. Therefore, a replacement was needed and show producers were looking for a new star.
Setting their sights on Wayne was a good idea. If they could persuade him to come on board, then their TV show gets instant credibility. The show took to TV in the 1950s, a fertile time when Westerns dominated the networks. It’s so funny when looking back at these network schedules. You couldn’t find a place to breathe without a Western being before or after your TV show.
The Search For A New Star Rolls On
With the dawning of this new show, producers were looking far and wide for their star. It put a dent in their hopes when Wayne turned them down. While he did that, though, he didn’t leave them empty-handed. It just so happens that John Wayne knew of a young actor who might work just fine.
He had a friendship with a tall, lanky guy named James Arness. Wayne and Arness even worked on a couple of movies together. They’d struck up a friendship and stayed close. When John Wayne was approached with the Gunsmoke role, he turned them down. But he presented Arness for the Dillon role.
Well, Arness, who had some films under his belt, may have had some reservations about being on television. This still was a new medium, filling itself up with sitcoms, variety shows, and Westerns. How long would this last? Was it something that might flame out quickly? These and other questions may have been rattling around Arness’ brain.
Eventually, though, Arness went ahead with starring as Dillon. Producers were in a quandary: How do we get Arness over with the public?
John Wayne Supports James Arness For ‘Gunsmoke’
A wise choice was made just before the first episode of Gunsmoke aired. Wayne wanted his friend to succeed and did him a favor. When the opening camera shot of the premiere aired in 1955, viewers got a shot of John Wayne.
What does “The Duke” do? He proceeds to talk up his friend. John Wayne wanted CBS’ audience to know that he was giving his blessing, if you will, to Arness. What’s also pretty amazing about this is that Wayne never starred in his own television series. His career was tied to the movie industry, not TV. Over the years, he made guest-starring appearances on sitcoms and variety shows.
But Gunsmoke was going to have its star in James Arness. And boy, was it a good choice. Arness didn’t have to worry about looking for a new gig at all. The show aired for 20 years, ending in 1975. Arness shared the small screen with other cast members like Amanda Blake and Milburn Stone. Others included Ken Curtis, Dennis Weaver, Burt Reynolds, and Buck Taylor.
Now, the show was quite popular. It scored numerous high-ranking numbers in the Nielsen ratings. The Western also survived a challenge to its network spot. At one time, Gilligan’s Island was going to get a chance to extend its run on CBS. That didn’t happen, though, and Gunsmoke was saved from the cancellation heap.
These days, reruns can be seen on TV Land at times. It also has its own channel on PlutoTV where fans can flock and see Dodge City’s antics 24 hours a day.
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