Gunsmoke TV series – character archetypes in the Classic Western – Part 1 – The Lawman

Gunsmoke TV series are a solid adult western TV series that were aired in the mid-50s and were running for impressive 20 years.

Preceded by Radio series of the same name, series went from a half-an-hour black and white to one-hour colour episodes.

There are two characters in the series that stayed until the end – both defined by their occupations: the protagonist Marshall Matt Dillon and “Doc” Adams (more about Doc Adams in a separate post – coming soon).

Originally the role of Marshall Matt Dillon was offered to John Wayne, but he turned it down believing that TV is not his thing and recommended his friend James Arness. Wayne also recorded a small opening for the TV series.

It’s interesting how similar Arness is in his acting to Wayne, both in the general image of the characters they create and in small details such as the delivery of lines.

The Lawman – Marshall Dillon

The Lawman – James Arness as Matt Dillon

Matt Dillon is calm, reliable, strongheaded and tough. And he is a good example of a different mindset that characters had in the classic western comparing to the modern ones.

Upholding the law is his job, the job he loves, as a professional. It’s not about the believe that he helps to bring justice – in Season 11 Episode 03 he clearly states, talking to Thad:

That’s one of the things you have to learn about the law – justice is sometimes pretty hard to come by.

Marshal Matt Dillon (season 11 episode 3)

But in no way that suggests that, like some of the more modern Lawman characters, he takes the justice in his own hands. Quite the opposite, as the Force of Order, he does his job as required, following the law and not breaking his oath under any circumstances. Even when he personally disagrees with it, which tends to happen quite often.

He is prepared to die performing his duties. Because doing his job right is a matter of honor.

The bigest dilemma for him is when performing his duties he has to take in people who became his friends. There is a beautiful dramatic ending in the episode “Perce” (season 7 episode 1) when he is so obviously struggling with an impossible choice. Video fragment of that scene (opens in a new window)

Perce, why didn’t you get out of town? Why didn’t you run!

Marshal Matt Dillon (season 7 episode 1)

He also turns in his badge after killing a man who was his friend long time ago. Killing him, because he mistakenly thought it’s self-defense, that now-a-criminal ex-friend is trying to trick him. After that, when he gets back to Dodge, he is seen for the first time being openly rude to his friend and assistant Festus, losing control in his anger at himself. Although his love for the job proves to be stronger, that killing has a major impact on him.

In and around Dodge his authority is pretty much absolute. The Lawman in a classic western is not a team worker, he is an individualist. Even though he has assistants to look after Dodge when he is gone or help him from time to time, these assistants are his friends, not just workers.

At the same time with being the force of Order in the Chaos of the Wild West, he needs the Chaos to exist. In a reality where Chaos is minimal and Order has prevailed there is no place for this type of lawman. If you imagine a character like that within an organization, with superior officers – he wouldn’t last there long. He acknowledges that himself, in a conversation with Doc Adams, when he says that there probably will come a day when the type of criminals that live in the West now will disappear and with them his type of lawmen will go. To which Doc replies that he hopes this day will never come.

 

P.s.

I was wondering for a long time what exactly is the reason for a big hatred shared by all the main characters towards the bounty hunters. Then I heard this line from Matt in response to an explanation that “They are the necessary evil, they bring in the wanted men that you and I just don’t have the time to hunt down”.

Oh, he brings them in alright, usually with a bullet in the back

Matt Dillon