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- John Wayne helped James Arness get the role of Marshal Matt Dillon. By the early 1950s, Westerns were the biggest movies on the big screen, and the biggest actor in them was the Duke, John Wayne.
- Dillon was the hardest role to cast. Long before Batman became the role every actor in Hollywood wanted to play, it was Matt Dillon that practically every actor in town was fighting over.
- Polly Bond turned down the role of Miss Kitty. John Wayne wasn't the only actor to turn down a leading role in "Gunsmoke." And if fate had turned another way, starring opposite James Arness would have been someone very different than Amanda Blake — who played saloon owner Miss Kitty Russell.
- The series featured a number of actors before they were famous. Debuting in the fall of 1955, and closing out its two decades on the air in 1975, "Gunsmoke" aired more than 600 episodes.
- Amanda Blake Required Complicated Makeup in ‘Gunsmoke’ to Become Kitty Russell
- Amanda Blake Stormed Off The ‘Gunsmoke’ Set After A Long Day of No Scenes
- James Arness Was The only Actor to Make The Set Fun
According to a 1964 TV Mirror interview, Blake talked about the long preparation to play Kitty on Gunsmoke. She explained how the process of physically transforming into the character while in the makeup chair took quite some time. The interviewer called the application “complicated … by the flock of pesky freckles which go with a redhead’s fair sk...
Blake recalled the particular day on the Gunsmokeset that started like any other day. She sat in the makeup chair to undergo all of the behind-the-scenes magic to officially step into the role of Kitty. However, Blake wasn’t getting any time in front of the camera. TV Mirror pointed to the fact that she wasn’t used for a single shot by the time the...
Blake explained that Arness was the positivity on Gunsmokethat she needed. Without his energy, she would have had a lot more “frayed nerves and blow-ups” than she actually did. Arness is who turned things around and made the show enjoyable to do over the course of his 20 seasons on the show. “The big reason the show is still fun to do is Jim,” Blak...
- James Arness' War Wounds Affected The Shooting Schedule. James was severely wounded while serving as a rifleman in the Army. His life-changing injury happened during Operation Shingle, at Anzio, Italy, in 1944.
- Several Kids From 'The Brady Bunch' Appeared On The Show. Christopher Knight (Peter Brady), Eve Plumb (Jan Brady), and Susan Olsen (Cindy Brady) all made appearances at one point or another during the show's 20-year run on CBS.
- The Cast Had No Idea When They Were Canceled. Many of the cast members had to read about the cancellation in trade publications instead of hearing it directly from the network or producers.
- Dennis Weaver Auditioned Twice. Dennis didn't think his first audition went very well, so he convinced the casting directors and the other folks in charge to let him give it a second go.
Aug 10, 2023 · Behind the Curtain: Exposing the Hidden Secrets of Gunsmoke TV Series! Timeless Elegance. 1.9K subscribers. Subscribed. 0. 14 views 9 months ago. James Arness as Matt Dillon Milburn Stone...
- 12 min
- 18
- Timeless Elegance
- There were multiple famous guest stars. Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Scotty from Star Trek all appeared on the show. You also get to see Peter, Jan, and Cindy from The Brady Bunch.
- James Arness is the only actor to appear in every episode. Milburn Stone was almost there with him in his role as Doc but suffered a heart attack that led him to miss six episodes.
- Amanda Blake was not the first choice for Miss Kitty Russell. The role was initially offered to Polly Bond. After she declined, it was all Blake.
- The show was a number one hit. From 1957-61 this was the number one show on television. Quite the run.
How the West Was Won’s Bruce Boxleitner talks about his mentor Gunsmoke’s Matt Dillon—James Arness. Go behind the scenes with Boxleitner’s personal stories. From mentor to friend, James Arness helps shape Bruce Boxleitner's career.
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Mar 31, 2022 · When Wayne was approached for the role of Marshal Matt Dillon, the lead character of "Gunsmoke," he turned it down, then suggested Arness for the role instead.
