Gunsmoke "The Cisco Kid." "Gunsmoke" was set in Dodge City, Kansas, during the thriving cattle days of the 1870s. Dunning notes, "The show drew critical acclaim for unprecedented realism." The radio series first aired on CBS on April 26, 1952 with the episode "Billy the Kid", written by Walter Newman, and ended on June 18, 1961. The show stars William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, Howard McNear as Doc Charles Adams, Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell, and Parley Baer as Dillon's assistant, Chester Wesley Proudfoot. Matt Dillon was played on radio by William Conrad and on TV by James Arness. Two
Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) empty barroom. Matt's sincerity is obvious inasmuch as he himself sometimes finds that the respectable citizens of Dodge City regard him with trepidation (and even suspicion) because his job involves being "...paid to handle a bad element." It is apparent that the incident at the dance has considerably strengthened the bond and the trust between Matt and Kitty. In a 1949 audition show (or pilot) for the radio series, the character was named "Mark Dillon", but by 1952, when the regular series aired, the name had been changed to Matt Dillon. When the program came to television in 1955, the