Gunsmoke actor Milburn Stone and the rest of the cast members regularly received fan letters that allowed them to keep their finger on the pulse of the show. This provided them with the opportunity to engage with the viewers, but it also gave them an idea of what worked on the show and what didn’t. There was one Gunsmoke fan letter that stuck out to Stone that changed how he played Doc Adams in the future.
‘Gunsmoke’ actor Milburn Stone took Doc Adams seriously
Stone was brought on as one of the original principal cast members along with James Arness, Amanda Blake, and Dennis Weaver. However, they didn’t all initially get along. Stone initially “hated” Arness because he didn’t think that he took the job seriously enough. He brought professionalism to the set, which resulted in him looking at his co-stars with frustration. Nevertheless, the cast ultimately grew a close connection that was closer to a family of its own.
Gunsmoke went through some changes when it went from a radio show to its television adaptation. Stone instilled a warmer and more lovable vibe in Doc than in the original iteration. Similar to his character, the actor himself learned to find the balance between the two.
A ‘Gunsmoke’ fan letter changed how Milburn Stone picked his teeth
In a 1964 interview with Asbury Park Press, Stone talked about his time working on Gunsmoke. Some of the fan letters gushed over their favorite characters, but there were some angry fan letters that criticized the television show. There was one fan disgusted fan letter that stuck out to Stone enough to bring it up in an interview regarding how Doc frequently picked his teeth.
“Let’s face it, that was in the days before toothpaste and electric brushes,” Stone said. “But when I thought about it, I decided maybe 100% accuracy was too much of a good thing. This season, Doc won’t pick his teeth the way he used to.”
Other fan letters included the size of Arness’ horse, which made the character Matt Dillon look silly. The network wasn’t afraid to make changes to please audiences, which ultimately worked out for them. Gunsmoke consecutively landed at the top of the ratings.
He retired after the adult Western
Stone and Arness were the only original Gunsmoke actors to last through the entire series’ 20-season run. Meanwhile, Blake quit after 19 seasons after clashing with the producer, although she initially excused it as not wanting to commute from her home in Arizona any longer. CBS ultimately canceled Gunsmoke without telling the cast or the crew, but Arness and Weaver both had booming careers that carried them through into other projects.
Meanwhile, Stone and Blake both had very different experiences after Gunsmoke ended in 1975. She had difficulty getting meaningful roles after playing Miss Kitty Russell. Meanwhile, he decided to finally retire, making his turn as Doc his final acting credit. Nevertheless, Stone still had an impact on the made-for-TV movies, even though he died years before they went into production. Blake broke down on the set, it being difficult to return to Dodge City without Doc.