Success isn’t always a sure thing, and it doesn’t come from any singular being. There’s merit in clawing your way to success on your own, but there’s also some well-deserved praise in success found in the culmination of the efforts of many. The best prosperity comes when you surrender complete control and instead put your faith in others.

While James Arness was undoubtedly the face of Gunsmoke, he wasn’t solely responsible for the show’s lengthy and enormous success.

Moreover, Arness had little interest in horading credit for the series all to himself. Instead, he sought to share the wealth, frequently using interviews to praise his fellow Gunsmoke stars, as well as the show’s creators and producers.

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During an interview with The Gazette, Arness cited Gunsmoke producer John Mantley as one of the reasons for the show’s success.

“We have John Mantley as producer, and he is absolutely devoted to Gunsmoke,” Arness said. “He was a writer, and he knows scripts and knows how to keep the characters the way they should be.”

That didn’t necessarily mean that Arness and the other Gunsmoke actors kept a hands-off approach while on set. It just meant that when push came to shove, they left some work to those best suited to take it on.

“Occasionally, we might make casting suggestions if there is a script that calls for a special kind of actor,” Arness said. “But most of the time, John takes care of everything. My only concern is that he is too devoted to the show; he spends 18 hours a day on it, and I’m afraid he’ll overdo it.”