"[1] On the radio series which ran from 1952 until 1961, Matt was portrayed by William Conrad, whose deep and resonant voice helped to project a larger than life presence.

In the radio version, Matt speaks of famous figures in the history of the American West, including later Dodge City personages Wyatt Earp and Billy the Kid, and Wild Bill Hickok was a close personal friend.

Because most of the early television episodes were based on stories and scripts from the radio version, Arness's initial interpretation and portrayal were similar to those of William Conrad.

[2] In both the television and the radio versions, his closest friends were his assistant Chester, town physician "Doc" Adams, and saloon-keeper Kitty Russell.

Festus was an uneducated member of a large and roguish family, but he was a savvy plainsman who ultimately became a badge-wearing Deputy U.S.

Charles Marquis Warren, who produced the first year of the television version of Gunsmoke and made the major casting decisions, stated that he had jokingly asked Wayne whether he would be interested in the part in a casual social setting.

Warren stated that the inquiry had not been serious inasmuch as Wayne could not realistically have been expected to abandon a thriving movie career for a less certain and immensely less lucrative television role.

Others who had auditioned for the part included Raymond Burr, Richard Boone, Denver Pyle, and William Conrad.