James Arness Refused to Make 90-Minute ‘Gunsmoke’ Episodes

Gunsmoke actor James Arness stuck with the adult Western television show from its first season through to the end after 20 seasons. However, the show went through many changes over the years to try and adapt to the ever-changing marketplace. Arness refused to follow along with some of these Gunsmoke changes, wanting to keep the integrity of the show intact. As a result, he knew that he needed to put his foot down.

‘Gunsmoke’ went from half-hour to hour-long episodes

Gunsmoke was originally a radio show that was adapted into a television show. However, the casting process wasn’t so simple. A long line of men tried out to play U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, but Arness ultimately scored the part, largely thanks to a recommendation from movie star John Wayne.

The show started in 1955 and ran for 20 seasons until 1975. The longest-running Western television show started as a half-hour program, but season 7 was the beginning of its one-hour black-and-white era. Meanwhile, season 12 was the beginning of the one-hour color era.

‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness refused to make 90-minute episodes

According to a 1966 article in The Bridgeport Post, Arness knew when he opposed certain changes to the Gunsmoke formula. It worked as it was and audiences made it the top show in the country for a few years. Arness had a strong understanding of the Gunsmoke audience, always referring to it as an “adult Western” to keep it separated from its competition.

At the beginning of 1966, CBS wanted to turn Gunsmoke into 90-minute weekly episodes. This runtime would essentially signify a movie’s worth of content airing on a weekly basis. The network executives were likely looking at other television Westerns, some of which went for longer runtimes, such as Wagon Train. However, it did ultimately reduce its episode times back down to 60 minutes after some time.

However, Arness hated the idea of making Gunsmoke a 90-minute affair and pushed against it. He didn’t want the show to feel bloated and he certainly didn’t want the additional work to eat into his personal life.

“We’ve kept the show from becoming gaudy,” Arness said. “Towns like Dodge City were drab and dirty. We’ve maintained that flavor.” He was careful not to allow the switch to color to “pretty up” the atmosphere of the show.

The actor valued his family time

Arness wasn’t afraid to play around on the Gunsmoke set, but he did take the show’s integrity quite seriously. He didn’t want anybody to tarnish the show or Matt’s image. However, that isn’t to say that the show was his entire life. When he wasn’t on the set, the actor was at home spending quality time with his family. It remained so important to him that he made CBS schedule his shooting days to allow for longer weekends.

“Being an owner got to be a burden,” Arness told The Bridgeport Post. “I’m not a businessman. I wanted my weekends and evenings free to spend with the children.” He had three children over the course of his life.