It was one of the 'stepping stones' toward the production of Gunsmoke. Although not a true audition, Conrad's character role is very close the that of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke. On August 6, 1951, William Conrad played the lead in a show entitled 'Pagosa' in the series Romance, where he played the part of a reluctant sheriff in a tough Western town. The main character, Matt Dillon, was played by William Conrad. It was set in Dodge City, Kansas in the 1870's. Gunsmoke first aired on the CBS network on April 26, 1952, billed as the first adult western. It's also one that is still respected for its high values, in all aspects.
Gunsmoke is one of those long-running classic Old-Time Radio shows that everyone knows and remembers. Number Shows: 480 shows, 2 auditions, 5 hour tributeĪudition Shows: Jun 11, 1949, Jul 13, 1949
