Gunsmoke added a layer to Matt Dillon that many western lawmen in fiction did not have.  He was a paradox. First and foremost, Dillon sought to keep the law he had sworn to uphold and protect those covered by that law.  He also, however, in many episodes showed an understanding of human nature, of how good people could be driven to do bad things for complicated reasons.  Sometimes this contradiction led him to make mistakes that he must fix by breaking the law. In other instances, he regretted having to see the punishment the law provides followed through. All in all, this makes Matt Dillon a very real and relatable character.

 

The interaction between Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell was another interesting aspect of Dillon’s character. Their relationship was rather subdued, and most agree that had much to do with just how poorly received a love affair between a lawman and a saloon girl might be.  Georgia Ellis, the actress portraying Miss Kitty, saw what the two characters shared as an agreed understanding. Regarding Kitty’s career as a lady of the evening before becoming the owner of the saloon, Ellis commented, “There was no forgiveness to be given because I don’t think Kitty was available to anybody but Matt.” This concept comes across often in the interplay between Matt and Kitty in various episodes.

 

Listen to the Sparkling Audio Quality in Radio Archives restoration of Gunsmoke, Volume 12.