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
Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) her into daily contact with many different men from all walks of life, but she seldom showed more than fleeting interest in any of them. It was evident that Kitty would have readily accepted Matt's proposal of marriage, but she was a realist and she once summed up their relationship with "Matt Dillon's a man with no strings on him. Let's just say he's more mine than anybody else's." Kitty was well aware that Matt was reluctant to marry because the high-risk nature of his job could have made her a widow at any time. She nevertheless found this situation