James Arness Negotiated for 1 ‘Gunsmoke’ Contract Condition to Avoid ‘Burning Out’
Gunsmoke actor James Arness set longevity records for the length of time he played U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon. He loved the time that the show was on the air, but he also recognized all of the stress and hard work that went into it. As a result, “burning out” was a real possibility, especially as Gunsmoke became more demanding of the cast’s time. Arness negotiated a part of his contract specifically to avoid this from happening.
‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness achieved great fame thanks to the top-rated show
Arness first joined Gunsmoke at the inception of its adaptation from radio to television in 1955. Fans of the radio program weren’t initially very happy to see William Conrad replaced, as they were already familiar with his deep voice. Nevertheless, they would eventually warm up to Arness’ performance and love him in the role. His Matt and co-star Dennis Weaver’s Chester Goode became the most popular characters on the show.
The actor stuck with the show for the entirety of its 20-season run that finally came to a close in 1975. Nevertheless, even CBS’ sudden cancelation couldn’t erase the undeniable impact that Arness had on Gunsmoke. Seasons 3-6 all claimed the coveted top spot in the ratings across all television shows airing at the time, marking its impact on popular culture. The Western series made Arness a household name in the genre.
James Arness negotiated ‘Gunsmoke’ appearances based on episode narratives
Arness wrote about his attorney, Jack O’Melvveny, who helped with his Gunsmoke contract in his book, James Arness: An Autobiography. He came to rely heavily on this attorney, in particular, because of the friendship that they created and the contracts that always benefited the actor financially. In 1961, Gunsmoke changed to hour-long episodes, which meant that the production had to “broaden” its focus. As a result, Arness negotiated his Gunsmoke contract to benefit from the show using other principal actors and guest stars.
The scripts started to include labels to mention how often episodes utilized Arness’ Matt. “Light Matt” meant that the episode primarily focused on other actors, barely requiring Arness on the set. “Medium Matt” meant that he made more appearances and had more of an impact on the episode’s narrative. Finally, “Heavy Matt” tipped him off that Arness would be the star for that week’s Gunsmoke.
Therefore, the actor had the opportunity to take some time off, rather than spend all of that time on the set when he wasn’t required to be there. In addition to the six weeks the cast had off during the summer, this contract negotiation is how he avoided “burning out.”
He loved the beach and traveling
Arness wrote in his book where he went when he wasn’t filming Gunsmoke. After all, he had a lot more free time than before, allowing him to spend it however he saw fit. In this case, he saw this “freedom” as the perfect opportunity to visit beaches and travel. He divorced from his wife, Virginia, in 1958, but he was awarded custody of their children.
The actor spent a lot of time over the course of the 1960s enjoying family time with his kids. He taught them how to swim and what he referred to as his “favorite” sport, which was surfing. When Arness wasn’t filming Gunsmoke, he wanted to continue making valuable memories with the family.
Additionally, he wanted to explore his Norwegian roots, so he spent some time traveling to learn more about his lineage. Arness used the longer breaks to travel overseas for this purpose.
