There’s a long-standing rumor about John Wayne’s connection to Western series Gunsmoke that needs to be put to rest. John Wayne fronted around 80 Westerns in his career, and by the 1950s was one of the most famous movie stars in the world. This was also a period when there was a total dividing line between film and television. Some actors like Steve McQueen were able to leap from TV to film stardom – but this was rare. A star going from moves to television was even rarer, but there remains a legend around Gunsmoke that Wayne passed on starring.
Pretty much any article or retrospective on the classic series opens with this factoid. Even star James Arness was under this impression, stating in a 2006 SCV interview that “When the “Gunsmoke” offer came in, [Wayne] said, “I wouldn’t be able to do it, but I have a young man here under contract who I think would maybe fit the bill.” Indeed, Arness was under contract to Wayne’s production company at the time and was the one who recommended him to star in the show.
No, John Wayne Was Never Offered The Lead Role In Gunsmoke
This Gunsmoke rumor was thoroughly debunked in a 1975 interview
Despite how widespread this report is, Wayne was never approached about playing Marshal Matt Dillion. According to a 1975 TV Guide feature about the end of the show, Wayne being offered the show was merely a publicity story, and creator/producer Norman Macdonnell stated that “Wayne was a big movie star and wouldn’t have considered TV for a minute.” This assertion is backed up by writer/director Charles Marquis Warren, who was responsible for bringing Gunsmoke from TV to radio.
Wayne not only advised Arness to take the show but volunteered to give it a send-off. I never thought for a moment of offering it to Wayne. But to this day even some of the cast go around repeating that story.
Arness would lead Gunsmoke for a record-breaking 20 seasons and went on to front a series of TV movie sequels. It appears the young star got cold feet after signing on initially, unsure if he wanted to commit to television. According to Warren, Arness went to his friend Wayne to help him get out of his contract. Instead, Wayne advised Arness to commit and that it would be great for his career.
That appears to be the origin of the rumor Wayne was the first actor offered, but as Warren and Macdonnell state, he was too big of a name to even fronting a TV show. He was key to talking Arness into Gunsmoke though, with Marshal Dillion becoming that actor’s defining character.
John Wayne Recorded An Introduction For Gunsmoke’s Debut Episode
The Duke did a solid for good pal Arness when Gunsmoke debuted
To help give the show a boost, Wayne recorded an introduction to Gunsmoke’s first episode, “Matt Gets It.” While Wayne apparently wasn’t fond of television as a medium, he praised the show for being “honest” and “adult,” and told viewers he felt Arness was about to become a major star. Wayme also claimed that he wished he was part of Gunsmoke – which could be another contributing factor to rumors he turned down the lead.
Had Gunsmoke been turned into a movie instead of a show, Wayne would have been the obvious first choice. Still, it was a gracious move to endorse Arness in such a big way. The show was praised for its darker and mature approach to the Western genre and ran for a truly incredible 635 episodes; needless to say, Wayne never appeared on Gunsmoke again.