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) hesitated to do so when the situation warranted. Dillon often tried to talk men out of "trying him", and would express a genuine regret to family members when he had to kill a man. In one salute to modern police dramas, one episode ["The Fourth Victim"] Matt Dillon has to try to stop a mad killer who is shooting Dodge citizens for no apparent reason. Possibly the angriest Matt Dillon ever got was after an accidental shooting ("The Round Up"). An old friend, Zel, had come to town during an influx of wild acting cattle drovers. Matt deputized him, and