The West Old & New Vol. III Issue IV April 2014 | Page 7

burly bare-knuckle prize fighters. On television, Matt tended to be a man of fewer words, which can largely be attributed to the fundamental fact that television is a visual medium. Since the audience can see what is happening, there is
less need to describe surroundings or events through the use of dialog. Arness's Matt thus naturally evolved into a
"strong, silent" type of character who tended to act rather than talk at length about possible courses of action.
During the 9-year run of the radio version of Gunsmoke and the 20-year run of the television version, surprisingly
little was revealed about Matt's family history or about events in his past that may have shaped his views or his attitude
toward his work. In both the radio and the television episodes, stories would occasionally center around individuals
with whom he had once been close friends. Usually his experiences with these friends involved jobs on the periphery of
law enforcement, such as tracking down rustlers or lost cattle for ranch owners. It was often implied that he had led an
adventurous and sometimes nomadic lifestyle before becoming a U. S. Marshal and one of his old friends proudly
stated that "I knew Matt Dillon before he was civilized!" On another occasion, Matt stated that he had once been a
preacher but that "...the pay was too small to support (his) gambling habit". This was apparently said in jest, as there
was no other mention of it during the series' run on radio or television.
Certain of Matt's characteristics remained common to both the radio and television versions. Throughout both, Matt
remained steadfast, honest, absolutely incorruptible, and dedicated to the cause of bringing genuine law and order to the
violent and untamed American West. He rarely acted in an impetuous manner and he was invariably fair and impartial
in the performance of his duties, even when it required subordinating his personal views concerning people or incidents.
However, a certain edge was often evident in his voice when dealing with individuals who seemed destined to cause
trouble and he would occasionally mete out harsh treatment to those who publicly challenged his authority or unwisely
pushed him too far. He was fast and accurate with the single gun he carried and could easily outdraw almost any adversary, despite the fact that he virtually always allowed them to draw first. Matt was also notably compassionate toward
those who had fallen on hard times or who had lost a loved one to crime or violence. In both the television and the radio
versions, his closest friends were his assistant Chester, town physician "Doc" Adams, and saloon-keeper Kitty Russell.
These three individuals were among Matt's few real friends because he knew that he could trust them in any situation.
In the television version, Chester was eventually replaced by Festus Haggen, an uneducated but savvy plainsman who
ultimately became a badge-wearing Deputy U. S. Marshal (a position that always eluded Chester).
In both the radio and television versions, the exact nature of Matt's relationship with Kitty Russell was deliberately
kept somewhat vague. Kitty was portrayed by Georgia Ellis in the radio version and by Amanda Blake in the television
version. In both versions, she was initially just another saloon hostess, and a popular story holds that she was actually a
prostitute in the early radio episodes. However, this was never actually stated (or even directly implied) in any of the
story lines and Kitty eventually acquired a considerable measure of respectability by becoming a part-owner (and ultimately the sole owner) of the thriving Long Branch Saloon. In both the radio and television versions, Matt frequently
dined and socialized with Kitty and he rarely showed more than polite interest in any other woman. Kitty was similarly
devoted to Matt. Her job bro ՝