John Meston and refined the main characters who would populate his and Macdonnell's radio portrayal of Dodge. Jeff Spain soon became United States Marshal Matt Dillon, and veteran voice actor William Conrad was chosen by Meston, Macdonnell, and two other network audition judges to be the lawman and the series' central figure. Other seasoned actors filled the needed regular supporting roles, including Parley Baer as Marshal Dillon's trusty assistant Chester Proudfoot, Howard McNear as Dr. Charles "Doc" Adams, and Georgia Ellis, whose role in the series' early episodes would quickly evolve into the saloon "hostess" Kitty Russell. "Gunsmoke" was broadcast for the
Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) difficult to accept at times, and she would occasionally decide to leave Dodge City to pursue other opportunities or relationships. This occurred more often in the television episodes than it did in the radio episodes, and it typically occurred after Matt had inadvertently been thoughtless. Kitty always returned to Dodge City and to her duties at the Long Branch, though, and on occasion Matt would demonstrate a profound depth of feeling for her. In any event, they always remained devoted to one another in their own unique fashion. Over time, Matt also learned to have considerable respect for Kitty's ability