Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) 1840) trying to take a bath in a wooden washtub without fully undressing left his soul a little warped. Anyway, there'd have to be something wrong with him or he wouldn't have hired on as a United States Marshal in the heyday of Dodge City, Kansas." Notwithstanding Meston's original vision, the character evolved considerably during "Gunsmoke"s nine-year run on CBS Radio and its 20-year run on CBS Television (Columbia Broadcasting System). 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.
Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) as well as action heroes John Wayne and Rambo. In Toby Keith's 1993 number one hit, "Should've Been a Cowboy", the entire first verse concerns the relationship between Dillon and Miss Kitty. In the song Miss Kitty would have said yes to Matt "in a New York Minute," but Dillon's heart wasn't in it. "He stole a kiss as he rode away..." In some episodes of "Gilligan's Island", Gilligan would dream that he was "Matt Dillon" in Dodge City, and the CBS "Gunsmoke" set was used, including the jail and sheriff's office. "Gilligan's Island" was later abruptly canceled to make