Editing Gunsmoke (section)

=== Cast ===
The radio series first aired on CBS on April 26, 1952, with the episode "Billy the Kid", written by [[Walter Newman (screenwriter)|Walter Newman]], and ended on June 18, 1961. The show stars [[William Conrad]] as Marshal Matt Dillon, [[Howard McNear]] as Doc Charles Adams, [[Georgia Ellis]] as Kitty Russell, and [[Parley Baer]] as Dillon's assistant, Chester Wesley Proudfoot.

==== Matt Dillon ====
[[File:William Conrad 1952.JPG|thumb|right|[[William Conrad]] in 1952, when Matt Dillon was created on radio]]
[[Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke)|Matt Dillon]] was played on radio by William Conrad and on television by [[James Arness]]. Two versions of the same pilot episode titled "Matt Dillon Goes to Gouge Eye" were produced with Rye Billsbury and Howard Culver playing Marshal Matt Dillon as the lead, not yet played by Conrad. Conrad was one of the last actors to audition for the role of Marshal Dillon. With a resonantly powerful and distinctive voice, Conrad was already one of radio's busiest actors. Though Meston championed him, Macdonnell thought Conrad might be overexposed. During his audition, however, Conrad won over Macdonnell after reading only a few lines. Dillon, as portrayed by Conrad, was a lonely, isolated man, toughened by a hard life. Macdonnell later claimed, "Much of Matt Dillon's character grew out of Bill Conrad."<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/79-WilliamDillon.htm "Matt Dillon's character grew out of Bill Conrad"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100928104923/http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/79-WilliamDillon.htm |date=September 28, 2010 }}, GunsmokeNet.com.</ref>

Dunning writes that Meston was especially disgusted by the archetypal Western hero and set out "to destroy [that type of] character he loathed". In Meston's view, "Dillon was almost as scarred as the homicidal psychopaths who drifted into Dodge from all directions."<ref name=":0" />

==== Doc Adams ====
Howard McNear starred as Dr. Charles Adams in the radio series, and [[Milburn Stone]] portrayed Dr. Galen Adams in the television version. In the radio series, "Doc" Adams was initially a self-interested and somewhat dark character with a predilection for constantly attempting to increase his revenue through the procurement of autopsy fees. He was acerbic, somewhat mercenary, and borderline alcoholic, in the program's early years. His real name was Dr. Calvin Moore.<ref>[http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/76-DocsRealName.htm "On radio's ''Gunsmoke'', Doc Adams' real name was Dr. Calvin Moore"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927094947/http://gunsmokenet.com/GunsmokeTGAW/Marks-Stuff/Gunsmoke/shots/76-DocsRealName.htm |date=September 27, 2010 }}, GunsmokeNet.com.</ref> He came west and changed his name to escape a charge of murder. However, McNear's performances steadily became more warm-hearted and sympathetic. Doc wandered throughout the territories until he settled in Dodge City 17 years later under the name of Charles Adams. Conrad borrowed the surname from cartoonist [[Charles Addams]] as a testament to Doc's initially ghoulish comportment. Milburn Stone was given free rein to choose the character's first name, and chose that of the ancient Greek physician and medical researcher [[Galen]].

==== Miss Kitty ====
Kitty was played by actress Georgia Ellis on radio. Ellis first appeared in the radio episode "Billy the Kid" (April 26, 1952) as "Francie Richards" – a former girlfriend of Matt Dillon's and the widow of a criminal, but the character of "Miss Kitty" did not appear until the May 10, 1952, episode "Jaliscoe". Sometime in 1959, Ellis was billed as Georgia Hawkins instead of Georgia Ellis. 

In the radio series, Kitty's profession was hinted at, but never explicit; in a 1953 interview with ''Time'', Macdonnell declared, "Kitty is just someone Matt has to visit every once in a while".<ref name=":0" /> The magazine observed that she is "obviously not selling [[chocolate bar]]s".<ref name="sixgungalahad">{{Cite magazine |date=March 30, 1959 |title=The Six-Gun Galahad |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,892441,00.html?internalid=ACA |magazine=Time |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214134022/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,892441,00.html |archive-date=February 14, 2008}}</ref>

Dillon and Kitty clearly have a close personal relationship.