Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) no uncertain terms that he had no interest whatsoever. (Wayne was arguably the cinema's foremost box office attraction at the time.) 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. Wayne did, however, recommend James Arness for the part and his offer to introduce the first episode was readily accepted by CBS. Others who had auditioned for the part included Raymond Burr, Richard Boone, Denver Pyle, and William Conrad. All would go on to other
John Meston later star as Marshal Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke"; and Howard McNear, who would be cast as "Doc" in that radio drama. It was at this time, at the turn of the 1950s, when Meston also began adapting stories, writing original scripts, and serving as an editorial supervisor for episodes of "Romance", another popular CBS radio drama that had been on the air since 1943. He contributed scripts as well to installments of "Suspense" and "Lux Radio Theater", yet two more of CBS Radio's lineup of notable programs during 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s. In 1949 executives and programmers at CBS