The TV version was slated to be canceled in 1967, but when President Lyndon B. Johnson reportedly told CBS he was a fan, they had to reevaluate. Moving the show from Saturdays to Mondays had adverse effects for The Skipper and Company, resulting in the cancelation of Gilligan’s Island. Let’s take a look back at the cast of Gunsmoke, then and now.
James Arness (Marshall Matt Dillon)
Hold it, it’s time to talk about The Marshall of Dodge City, Matt Dillon, Justice incarnate. He certainly evolved throughout Gunsmoke. Initially Arness based The Marshall off his radio counterpart, but since Gunsmoke was America’s longest-running action show until Law and Order, Arness had plenty of time to mold the character into his own. Marshall Dillon understood his job would involve violence and grief, but never lost his compassion and fairness. But even after he learned to find peaceful answers, Dillon did what was necessary. For this, he became relatable and admirable. Arness himself would do whatever it took to achieve his goal! First, after recovering from serious injuries he obtained overseas in WWII, he hitchhiked his way to California and began scoping out agencies and casting calls.
He rapidly established himself as a mainstay of the western subgenre and was close friends with John Wayne. Wayne even directly suggested Arness for the part of Dillon. And while the majority of us are familiar with Arness best as the Dodge City Marshall, Europeans first recall him as Zeb from How the West Was Won. It developed become a sort of cult classic in western Europe.
A transplant from Minnesota, Arness adapted to California life swimmingly, his favorite hobby becoming surfing. Beachgoers could spot the 6’1″ Marshall Matt Dillon hanging up his holsters and enjoying some tubular waves. Arness had the unique pleasure of playing Marshall Dillon in five separate decades: ’55 to ’75 for the weekly series and reprising the role for TV Movies in the ’80s and ’90s. All that hard work earned him a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, which now honors the late legend who passed in 2011 at the age of 88.
Dennis Weaver (Chester Goode)
Every Marshall needs a right-hand man, and Matt Dillon could count on Chester Goode. A devoted friend and partner, Weaver’s Chester walked with a limp. Why? Because Weaver looked too much like the lead character, even next to James Arness. Rumor has it that they would place a rock in his boot making his limp more authentic. Ouch.
Before he started to feel uninspired creatively, Dennis Weaver remained with the show for nine years. Weaver feared he would never be free of the persona. And in NBC’s Kentucky Jones in 1964, he finally got rid of the limp and transitioned from a supporting role to a major role. Although the show was short-lived, it provided Weaver a taste of the popularity and freedom he had long craved. He played the titular role of McCloud from 1970 to 1977 and starred in Steven Spielberg’s TV drama Duel in 1971. Weaver was an environmentalist both before and after retirement. Up until his passing in 2006 at the age of 81, he advocated for protection of the ecosystem.
Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty Russell)
A lot of business goes down at the saloon and that’s where Miss Kitty Russell comes in. For almost two decades, Blake played everyone’s favorite sassy redhead with a heart of gold. Miss Kitty and Matt Dillon were part of one of the first and longest-running “will they / won’t they” relationships to the point the show made fun of it. Amanda Blake was so iconic that the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum inducted her into the Hall of Great Western Performers.
Her private life wasn’t quite as consistent a success story. Our saloon proprietress was married four times, but it was while she was with her third husband that she rose to fame as one of the pioneers in successfully raising cheetahs in captivity. In fact, Blake retired early to concentrate on animal welfare. She sadly had a decline in her own health, and at the age of just 60, she passed away in 1989.
Milburn Stone (Doc Adams)
The doctor is in the house! Doc Adams, specifically. Someone had to patch up our rugged heroes after all the scraps they settled (or started). Doc was a testy curmudgeon who stayed on the show for most of its duration. Stone comes from a whole family of artists: his cousin is character actress Madge Blake, who played Mrs. Cooper in nearly 100 episodes of Adam West’s Batman; and his brother Joe actually wrote two episodes of Gunsmoke, Baker’s Dozen in ‘67 and The Fugitives in ‘72.
Imagine Doc in a barbershop quartet right now, because that’s precisely how Stone began his career before making it to Broadway. Stone fought hard with CBS to ensure he paid royalties because Gunsmoke stardom came extremely late in his career—and life. Stone persisted with the program until its conclusion in 1975, at which point he was finally able to retire and take pleasure in the results of his effort. Although it is sad to note that it only lasted five years until Stone passed away at the age of 70, this explains why Doc was absent from all of the Gunsmoke reunion movies.
Ken Curtis (Festus Haggen)
In Chester Goode’s absence, Festus Haggen filled the structural void. Haggen also brought friendship and laughter to the position of deputy. The fierce but inept companion’s verbal spats with Doc Adams were really entertaining. Old Scudder you! As Curtis played several different characters in Gunsmoke before settling as Haggen permanently in season 8, Curtis and Arness had plenty of time to get to know one another early on. Festus was the Marshall’s fifth deputy, and he held the position for the longest—a staggering 11 years—of the five.
After Gunsmoke, Curtis loaded up some more westerns, including 1983’s Sam Elliott led The Yellow Rose. If you haven’t seen that nighttime soap, check it out — it’s got one heck of a cast. He continued acting until he died at 74 years old in 1991, but his image lives on in a Festus Haggen statue in Clovis, California, where Curtis spent his later years.
Buck Taylor (Newly O’Brien)
Few people make us want to see their evil side less than Newly O’Brien. The man knew a thing or two about guns because in addition to being a deputy, he had previously worked as a gunsmith. Although he frequently appeared in westerns, Dallas fans will also recall Buck Taylor as Detective Bussey. He literally went back to Dodge in the 1987 film Gunsmoke. Go back to Dodge.
Only this time, he played the city’s Marshall. What a promotion! But this rugged gunsmith-turned-deputy-turned-marshall has a soft side, too. In fact, he paints! He’s been selling his work since 1993. From 2018 to 2020 he played Emmet Walsh on Yellowstone. He’s now 83 years old.
Glenn Strange (Sam Noonan)
It’s time to relax after a long day in Dodge. Sam Noonan, the local bartender, is the ideal person to observe on the opposite side of the bar. Level-headed Sam entered the bar initially in Season 6, and he continued to appear in the show until his death at age 74 in 1973. Sam, who has witnessed a lot, was undoubtedly the strong voice of reason needed while dealing with gunfights and bar brawls. That made Strange the ideal choice for the part, and he also excelled in The Lone Ranger as the villainous Butch Cavendish.
Throughout his career, Strange appeared in over 300 projects, but his biggest role besides Gunsmoke was monstrous. Strange’s facial features and towering 6 ft 5-inch height made him the perfect Frankenstein’s monster in House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). He even received coaching from horror movie icon Boris Karloff, who originated the role in 1931. The duo became so well-known that when Karloff died, the New York Times put a picture of Glenn Strange as Frankenstein’s monster instead of Karloff. Oops! But it was a nice accidental tribute. Even though Strange died in 1973, his Gunsmoke co-star Buck Taylor actually named his son after him to keep his memory alive. That’s when cast really becomes family.
Burt Reynolds (Quint Aspen)
Burt, who portrayed Quint Aspen, the half-breed blacksmith who could always prevail in battle even without a gun, must not be forgotten. Although you don’t need a reminder, Burt was a standout in roles from Smokey and the Bandit to Deliverance, among many others. He was a member of the Dodge Community during Seasons 8 through 10. At the age of 82, Reynolds passed away in 2018.
This has been quite the return to Dodge. There’s no forgetting the thrilling shootouts, tense chats, and amazing relationships we got to form thanks to this quintessential western. Who was your favorite character from this enduring show? Do you remember a specific episode that you loved? Let us know in the comments; we want to hear from you!