Most ‘Gunsmoke’ Viewer Complaints Were About James Arness’ Horse
Actor James Arness became a big actor working on Gunsmoke. The story moved from radio to television and immortalized the cast of actors in one of the greatest Western series to ever grace television screens. However, Gunsmoke viewer complaints were at an all-time high as a result of Arness’ horse. Nevertheless, audiences couldn’t take their eye off of his character’s journey, as it drove viewer interaction to an all-time high for the franchise.
‘Gunsmoke’ actor James Arness’ Matt Dillon went through a lot of changes
Matt Dillon was originally named Mark Dillon in the radio pilot for Gunsmoke, who Arness would later come to play on the television series. However, the character would evolve in several ways over the nine years he was on CBS Radio and the 20 years he was on the television iteration.
William Conrad originally voiced the character for the radio iteration. He had an instantly recognizable deep voice that presented a strong leading role. However, Arness wouldn’t initially stray too far from the way that Conrad vocally played him. Nevertheless, the actor would progressively make the part his own over the course of the show’s 20-year run.
‘Gunsmoke’ viewers complained about James Arness’ horse
According to TV Guide, writer John Meston talked about some of the most notable behind-the-scenes moments in the television series. Gunsmoke fans regularly wrote into the show to give their feedback, especially when it came to Arness and his horse. His trusty steed never saved his life or led the way, which was an intentional decision. Meston explained that Westerners of the 1870s didn’t have a sentimentality toward the horses, so he followed suit in the television and radio stories.
“The greatest number of viewer complaints over the years concerned Matt’s horse,” Meston said. “Why did they have such a little horse carrying that huge man? The problem is Arness is so big, he would make even a Percheron look abused.”
Producer John Mantley credited the best Gunsmoke scene to involving a complicated three-camera setup that found a horse falling on Ken Curtis’ Festus. As a result, the scene instigated a whole lot of fan mail asking questions about the horse, but no one said a word about Festus.
Viewers paid close attention to Matt Dillon’s journey
Mantley told TV Guide that the most dramatic moment on Gunsmoke involved one specific plot point with Arness. The scene found Matt riding into a five-man ambush, despite the danger that he knew was coming. Milburn Stone’s Doc pronounced Matt dead in front of Festus and Amanda Blake’s Kitty, who then walked away. The sequence ended with “a shot of that huge carcass lying there all alone.”
Mantley noted that survey data indicated that viewer attention for the rest of the show was at an all-time high. It’s clear that audiences values Arness and his journey as Matt over the course of the franchise.
