Why Matt and Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke never got married, according to James Arness

It’s strange that “Gunsmoke” hasn’t been talked about much in modern pop discourse, given how persistent and ubiquitous it once was. “Gunsmoke” might be viewed as something of a relic Westerners, as is the case with many celebritiesdoes dominate the scene at the moment. If “Gunsmoke” were a sci-fi or superhero show, many critics would probably point to it as a precedent for whatever is currently popular. However, the long-term West remains so. Its characters and settings—which ingrained themselves deeply in the zeitgeist over its entire two decades of broadcast—can serve as a broad model for everything that came after. “Gunsmoke” is one of the grandfathers of televised media. It was broadcast on radio from 1951 until 1961, and on television from 1955 until 1975. When it was canceled rather suddenly.

For those who don’t know, Gunsmoke is set in Dodge City, Kansas in the years following the American Civil War. The main character is US Marshal Matt Dillon, a clean, square, morally resolute hero played by James Arness. Dennis Weaver and Ken Curtis played Matt’s semi-comedic deputies, Chester and Festus (who joined the series in 1964). Matt’s closest friends are the town doctor, Doc Adams (Melbourne Stone), and the friendly bar owner, Miss Kitty Russell (Amanda Blake). The show was mostly about keeping the peace and enforcing the law.

The relationship between Matt and Miss Kitty has always been the subject of some speculation. Many viewers were sure that they had a romantic relationship and that they should get married. However, others felt that their relationship was nothing more than an intense friendship with occasional flirtations mixed in. After 20 seasons on the air together, the pair never reconnected. Since then, Gunsmoke fans have wondered why Matt and Kitty haven’t gone on at least one wild adventure.

Arness was interviewed in 2006 for SCV (It is easily copied on the official website of Arness) And he had his own theory. In short, Arness felt that Matt and Katie’s marriage would have changed the premise of “Gunsmoke.”

Arness, as one might imagine, had a unique insight into U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon. The actor felt that his character was too professional and too dedicated to his work to get married. Matt was a lawman first and everything else second. Arnis could never have imagined that a loner from the ancient world like Matt would also have a husband. When asked directly why Matt and Katie never married, Arness answered clearly:

“The short answer is I think it would have changed the whole premise of the show. The idea was that Matt had this job that he had to do, which was potentially a dangerous job, and you could have had a different show. I think if he had been married “And he has children. Everyone has realized over the years that Matt and Katie had a close relationship and really cared for each other, but it wouldn’t have really worked for him to be a married man with children.”

Arness acknowledged that Matt Dillon served as a very particular male archetype, the type of “stout frontiersman” who had no room in his life for anything other than law or structure. See also: Captain Kirk from “Star Trek” Or James Bond. These personalities never “settle down” because they were so focused on their jobs. Having a character like Matt Dillon get married would have exposed his softness and refocused his priorities. And while the softening of heart and refocusing on priorities might suggest interesting character development, that’s not what Arness wanted to see in Gunsmoke. He felt it would be a big turn on.

Also, it was easy for Matt to avoid marriage because his relationship with Miss Kitty rarely got out of the “moon-eyed gazing” phase. Moreover, if nothing had happened after 20 years, I think Miss Kitty would have moved on to someone more decisive.