Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of Gunsmoke. He is the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. The character was created by writer John Meston.

Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.

Gunsmoke: Created by Charles Marquis Warren, Clyde Ware. With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis. Marshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.

James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke. He has the distinction of having played the role of Dillon in five decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) and four more made ...

Marshal Dillon was the original title of the CBS-TV series Gunsmoke which was adapted from the popular CBS Radio series created by Norman Macdonnell and John Meston, who would continue to have a strong creative hand in the television series, which would be adapted for TV by Charles Marquis Warren.

Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of Gunsmoke. He serves as the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s.

Find out how James Arness evolved the character of Marshal Matt Dillon and why he's still inspiring today.

Nov 29, 2022 · James Arness' U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon didn't always succeed, but 'Gunsmoke' always kept him a hero in various ways that kept audiences coming back for more.

Jan 20, 2021 · James Arness was an actor most well known for starring as Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke. However, many fans of the classic TV Western may not know that he wasn’t the original star to portray the iconic character.

Sep 30, 2020 · Marshall Matt Dillon, right, played by James Arness, and his deputy Chester, played by Dennis Weaver, are shown in a scene from CBS' "Gunsmoke" in 1956. (AP Photo) Originally a popular radio...