Yes, James Arness, who played the iconic character Matt Dillon on the TV series "Gunsmoke," performed many of his own stunts on the show. Arness was known for his physicality and willingness to do his own action scenes, including horse riding, fighting, and other physical challenges.
Was Matt Dillon and Ben Cartwright ride the same horse?
Matt Dillion's horse was a big buckskin American Quarter Horse named Buck. You probably also recognize Buck from a little show called Bonanza, where he was cast as Ben Cartwright's horse.
Did James Arness ride the same horse during Gunsmoke?
James Arness rode the same Buckskin horse (Buck) in this movie as he rode in many episodes of Gunsmoke (1955). Andrew V. McLaglen directed 96 episodes of Gunsmoke (1955), reuniting him with James Arness.
Among the worst was James Arness who didn't like horses and preferred to spend time on his boat.” Westerns expert James Denniston adds, “The Duke [in his early career], Wild Bill Elliott, Randolph Scott, Slim Pickens, Richard Boone and Jimmy Stewart all rode well. As big as he was, Andy Devine was a good rider.
Tom Mix: Considered one of the first Western movie stars, Tom Mix was renowned for his horseback riding abilities [2]. He began his career as a Wild West show performer and showcased his expertise in horse training and trick riding in films like "The Great K & A Train Robbery."
The Vault: Gunsmoke equine star, Matt Dillion's, horse retires in Southern Indiana
Did James Arness do any of his own stunts?
James Arness, who portrayed Matt Dillon on the TV series "Gunsmoke," did perform some of his own stunts, but not all of them. While he was known for his tall and strong physique, some of the more dangerous or complex stunts were often performed by trained stunt doubles to ensure his safety.
The Gunsmoke cast grew incredibly close, but they were shocked to discover a major surprise on the premiere episode that shocked them all when they watched it together. Gunsmoke originated on the radio, first airing on April 26, 1952, but it was destined to find another medium.
How old was the horse buck on Gunsmoke when he died?
Still when Bonanza was cancelled, Lorne bought Buck, for fear that the horse would end up in a bad way. He then donated Buck to a therapeutic riding center. Buck taught mentally and physically challenged children to ride until his passing in 1992 at the age of 45, an unusually long life for a horse.
Greene had been on a horse a few times in the past so he answered with an affirmative. Before he knew it, he was astride a 12-year old buckskin named Dunny and the horse was running at full speed through a field. Greene said the ride was exhilarating until he noticed that they were heading straight for a fence.
Buck Taylor joined the cast of "Gunsmoke" as Newly O'Brian and appeared on the show until its cancellation in 1975. Taylor (with Kevin Costner) played Emmett Walsh, a friend of the Duttons, on "Yellowstone." The show was created by Taylor Sheridan.
Did Lorne Greene and James Arness ride the same horse?
In 1975 when the Gunsmoke TV Series ended... Lorne Greene bought The Buckskin Horse whose real name was Danny, that he and James Arness shared riding in between Studios from 1959-1973. Lorne kept him until 1979 then he donated Danny to a Therapeutic Riding Center.
The horses on the show Bonanza were famously rented from the Fat Jones Stables in North Hollywood. Because the show would be filmed in color, the horses had to be easily discernible on screen to viewers. Each one had a distinct color and pattern, reflecting the personalities of the riders.
In addition to stepping in for Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon on the long-running CBS Western, Bates doubled for the actor on the TV series McClain's Law and How the West Was Won (on which Bates also served as stunt coordinator) and in the TV movies Red River and The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory.
Western movie star John Wayne frequently rode a horse to complete his cowboy image. However, he grew an affinity for one animal in particular. Wayne went out of his way to ensure that he could ride the same horse named Dollar across seven of his movies.
Although he was only in 50 episodes and joined mid-season, Reynolds didn't feel like an outsider. In fact, while he was there, he and the cast became great friends. "He was a wonderful guy to work with, and we all became friends," Arness said. "He just fit right in with the family group, and we had a wonderful time.
' ” Arness, who remained close to Weaver after he left the series, praised him as a “really fine actor.” “We really liked each other a whole lot,” Arness said.
Gunsmoke made Ken Curtis' Festus Haggen a series regular to replace Dennis Weaver's beloved Chester Goode after he left to pursue other acting opportunities. However, Curtis refused to return for the first made-for-tv Gunsmoke movie after its 20-season run because of a couple of serious disagreements with a producer.
Gunsmoke ran for 20 years. As such, Marshal Dillon (James Arness) rode multiple horses. The most memorable and longest, in the later years, was a big handsome buckskin “Buck”. Buck was either an American Quarter Horse or a mixed-breed that was mostly Quarter Horse.
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of Gunsmoke. He is the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s.
James Arness was the quiet type while he was away from his character, Marshal Matt Dillon. His Gunsmoke character was known for his strong moral code, sense of justice, and fairness, but off-screen Arness was known to limit personal appearances and interviews.
Unlike many television stars, Arness never took on too many characteristics of his most famous role, nor did Dillon become more like the actor. "As for the issue of the onscreen personality and the real person, there's no comparison, no way.
