Did Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty ever get together?
A: Matt Dillon (James Arness) and
Miss Kitty and Marshal Dillon kissed on TV in the late '50s — but not on Gunsmoke.
Ultimately, Arness believed the producers behind “Gunsmoke” made the right choice. They didn't commit to a Dillon/Miss Kitty relationship because it kept viewers invested. They would often tune in each week to see if the two ended up together. Producers used the tension to draw in more viewers.
Despite very small differences in opinion, the cast had remained friendly during the show's run.
"Gunsmoke" I Thee Wed (TV Episode 1960) - IMDb.
Despite the wishes of many fans, Dodge City's most obvious couple never officially got together.
Instead of Kitty, who played the Long Branch saloon owner, Amanda Blake, Michael Learned was the one who received the smooch. “She's the only woman Matt ever kissed on screen,” said Arness.
Bond's wife Polly Bond (aka Polly Ellis), a former model and Miss California, turned down the role of "Miss Kitty" on Gunsmoke (1955).
According to the Chicago Tribune, Amanda had simply grown tired of having to travel to Hollywood. She lived in Phoenix, making her commute rather unbearably long. After 19 years of doing that commute, she decided enough was enough.
CBS likely felt Gunsmoke was outdated and wanted to replace it with more contemporary shows, though it was still performing well. This abrupt cancellation meant the crew weren't able to give Gunsmoke a proper finale, however.
Who was the first choice for Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke?
John Wayne was the first choice to play Marshall Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke but he turned down the part because he didn't want to commit to a TV series.
| Matt Dillon | |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Partner | Roberta Mastromichele (2014–present) |
| Relatives | Kevin Dillon (brother) |
| Awards | Full list |
John Wayne was the first choice to play Marshal Matt Dillon on the small screen. Alas, the Duke did not want to commit to a weekly television series. The Hollywood icon recommended his friend, James Arness, for the role.
“He gets a letter from Mike asking him to come to her ranch. When he gets there, he finds out about his daughter, who has just been taken captive by the Apaches.” Now, it's up to Dillon to rescue the daughter he never knew he had and return her to her mother, played again by the Emmy-winning Learned.
- “Bloody Hands” (1957)
- “The Ex-Urbanites” (1960)
- “Seven Hours to Dawn” (1965)
- “The Jailer” (1966)
- “Pike” aka “Dirty Sally” (1971)
- “Matt's Love Story” (1974)
- “Matt Dillon Must Die!” ( ...
- Edward A.
Matt is now a cattle rancher in the Dragoon Mountains northeast of Tombstone along with his daughter Beth (Amy Stock-Poynton), whose mother "Mike" has just died (from season 19, episode three, wherein Michael Learned portrayed a widowed rancher named Mike Yardner).
Miss Kitty
Amanda Blake appeared in over 500 episodes of the television series, with her last being the April 1, 1974, episode titled, "The Disciple".
Dillon goes after cowboy Jake Bayloe after he guns down his partner in the Long Branch , shooting Kitty in the crossfire and critically wounding her.
Jacqueline Scott, who played both the Fugitive's sister and Festus' love interest.
— “Quieter than a gagged gopher.” — “Sincere as a $5 funeral.” For the record, there were 635 episodes of Gunsmoke and never once did Marshal Dillon kiss longtime girlfriend Miss Kitty.
Where was Gunsmoke filmed?
The television series of Gunsmoke ran from 1955 to 1975 and is said to be one of the longest running prime-time shows on television. There were 635 episodes and many of the outdoor scenes for this show were shot in Johnson Canyon near Kanab, Utah.
A: Matt Dillon (James Arness) and Kitty (Amanda Blake) never married during the series 1955-75 run, although close watchers of the show were convinced they had connected at some time. But in a 1973 episode, Matt had a brief affair with another woman, Mike Yardner (Michael Learned), while he had amnesia.
The gang is gone, but Abelia still acts guilty, denying that she was ever in Dodge City. Soon the little girl, Marianne, gets bitten by a rattlesnake, and Festus helps her by sucking the poison out of the wound. He learns that the family watched in horror as their grandfather died from a similar snake bite.
...
| Amanda Blake | |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1950–1989 |
The Gunsmoke actors actually drank beer, but the whiskey was tea or colored water. Marshall Trimble is Arizona's official historian and vice president of the Wild West History Association.
She was once a two-pack-a-day smoker. In 1984, the Cancer Society gave her its annual Courage Award, which was presented in the Oval Office by President Reagan. Miss Blake left ″Gunsmoke″ in 1974 after 19 years. The show lasted one more season on CBS, then was canceled.
Blake, who portrayed the saloon owner in CBS's popular western TV series, left one season before the show ended. This was, primarily, due to the fact that she had been living in Phoenix and was commuting to Los Angeles for filming.
Jim Arness said, “If Matt and Kitty [had] an on-screen love affair, they'd have to get married. And then it'd be a different show.” “They'd say that would ruin it,” Byrnes confirms. “They said they had to keep Matt independent.”
"Hard Labor" was the last episode filmed.
Like most shows, Gunsmoke did not air its episodes in production order. Thus, "Hard Labor," episode 20 of season 20, was the final story shot for the series.
Who is the gunfighter in the opening scene of Gunsmoke?
Arvo Oswald Ojala (February 21, 1920 – July 1, 2005) was a Hollywood technical advisor on the subject of quick-draw with a revolver. He also worked as an actor; his most famous role was that of the unnamed man shot by Marshal Matt Dillon in the opening sequences of the long-running television series Gunsmoke.
Andrew V. McLaglen directed 96 episodes of Gunsmoke (1955), reuniting him with James Arness. James Arness rode the same Buckskin horse (Buck) in this movie as he rode in many episodes of Gunsmoke (1955). Directorial debut of Andrew V.
Others who had auditioned for the part included Raymond Burr, Richard Boone, Denver Pyle, and William Conrad. All would go on to other television successes. Conrad, in particular, would continue to portray Matt on the radio series until it ended in 1961.
Dillon has reportedly been dating Italian actress Roberta Mastromichele since 2014. He's been in a number of films in recent years and is set to co-star in the upcoming Wes Anderson rom-com drama, Asteroid City, in 2023.
Amanda Blake lived a colorful life and held her own as a woman, actress, cancer survivor, and animal activist. She is most remembered for her role as the sassy saloon proprietor, Miss Kitty Russell, on Gunsmoke.
James Arness net worth: James Arness was an American actor who had a net worth of $8 million. James Arness was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 1923 and passed away in June 2011.
During the 20-year span of CBS's Gunsmoke series, the count ranges from 138 men and seven women to 303 people. If you add in the ones U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon capped in the made-for-TV movies, the total is 407.
Jester Hairston was the first black actor to appear in the series.
Revealing mistakes. Cale is shot twice, but after Doc removes the two bullets, there is no blood on Cale's undershirt, and no bullet hole.
Did you know? The horse Matt Dillon rode “Buck” on Gunsmoke was in fact the very same “Buck” as was ridden by Ben Cartwright in 'Bonanza. Lorne Greene actually bought Buck (whose real name was Dunny Waggoner) when the 'Gunsmoke series ended. He then donated Buck to a therapeutic riding center.
Did the cast of Gunsmoke get along?
Despite very small differences in opinion, the cast had remained friendly during the show's run.
James Arness, who burnished the legend of America's epic West as Marshal Matt Dillon, the laconic peacemaker of Dodge City on “Gunsmoke,” one of the longest-running dramatic series in television history, died on Friday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88. A family spokeswoman, Ginny Fazer, confirmed the death.
Mantley said that the most obvious reason why Gunsmoke started featuring Nusser more went beyond just Louie Pheeters being popular. Gunsmoke producers deeply admired Nusser, with Mantley describing him as "one of the finest actors in town and one of the most underrated."
James Arness's Favorite 'Gunsmoke' Episode: "Chato"
Considering Gunsmoke churned out 635, it's remarkable that James Arness, Matt Dillon himself, could single out a favorite, let alone remember them all. That's 20 years of work! Actually, it was one of the later tales that stood out in his mind.
Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, Bonanza is NBC's longest-running western and ranks overall as the second-longest-running western series on U.S. network television (behind CBS's Gunsmoke), and within the top 10 longest-running, live-action American series.
Miss Kitty and Marshal Dillon kissed on TV in the late '50s — but not on Gunsmoke.
Filming took place at Big Bear Lake, California, Iverson Ranch, Old Tucson Studios, Big Sky Movie Ranch, and Bronson Canyon (Griffith Park). These locations offered unique characteristics that contributed to the cinematic vision of the Western masterpiece.
In fact, they flirted, teased, hugged, and walked off with their arms around one-another, but they never kissed. But oh, those deep stares! Burgoyne explains, “They just had the eyeball routine, to keep it a mystery. You knew something was going on, but you didn't know quite what.
"Gunsmoke" The Way It Is (TV Episode 1962) - IMDb.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Amanda had simply grown tired of having to travel to Hollywood. She lived in Phoenix, making her commute rather unbearably long. After 19 years of doing that commute, she decided enough was enough.
Why did Gunsmoke get canceled?
CBS likely felt Gunsmoke was outdated and wanted to replace it with more contemporary shows, though it was still performing well. This abrupt cancellation meant the crew weren't able to give Gunsmoke a proper finale, however.
Gunsmoke made Ken Curtis' Festus Haggen a series regular to replace Dennis Weaver's beloved Chester Goode after he left to pursue other acting opportunities. However, Curtis refused to return for the first made-for-tv Gunsmoke movie after its 20-season run because of a couple of serious disagreements with a producer.
In this 1958 episode, for whatever reason, Kitty did not have the birthmark on her cheek. Being as this episode was aired during Season 3 she was already two seasons in with the birthmark. Miss Kitty wears a beauty mark but only when she is dressed as the saloon girl.
