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15 Little-Known Facts About Gunsmoke
Matt Dillon managed to survive a very long time.
There was a time on network TV when westerns were king. And among this genre, Gunsmoke was the most venerable. Good writing and solid characters were no doubt part of the reason why. Along the way, the series had a lot of memorable guest stars. I’ll go into more detail as we consider things you didn’t know about this epoch series.
1: James Arness was shot in real life.
Arness was shot in the lower leg and foot while hitting the beach at Anzio in World War II. He received both a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service. So, for Arness, a day at the beach doesn’t necessarily refer to having a good time.
2: Both William Conrad and Raymond Burr were considered for the role of Matt Dillion.
And both were considered too fat. Even PETA got involved, wanted to limit the amount of weight horses were forced to carry. Wait, being told that last statement is bogus.
3: Gary Bussey was the last character to die on “Gunsmoke.”
Literally hundreds of characters bit the dust on the series, but the last was Gary Bussey. Busey’s character died after riding a wild horse. And he…
