64 Years Later, Gunsmoke’s Greatest Line Is Still The Best In Any TV Western

For 20 seasons, Gunsmoke defined Western television while maintaining law and order in Dodge City during the 19th century. It’s no wonder, then, that the series gave us many of its genre’s most quotable lines. But there’s one piece of dialogue spoken, in particular, spoken by Marshal Matt Dillon, which is more iconic than any other.

Widely regarded as the best Western TV show of all time, Gunsmoke’s legacy is untouchable, in large part thanks to Dillon’s unwavering heroism across more than 600 episodes of all-action storytelling. Played throughout the series by James Arness, this traditional lawman of the Western frontier is a sharpshooting force to be reckoned with.

He’s also exceptionally fair-minded, and cares deeply about the well-being of Dodge City’s local population. Many of Gunsmoke’s best episodes serve as meditations on the true nature of justice, as Dillon seeks to balance the protective power in his hands with a human touch, by taking the circumstances of an apparent crime into consideration.

Still, from the very first moment of the show’s pilot episode, what sets this U.S. Marshal apart as a protagonist most of all is his unflinching commitment to put himself in the line of fire for his community. Indeed, Matt Dillon’s standout quote reflects the full extent of his heroism in the cause of peace and justice.

Gunsmoke’s Greatest Line Makes Matt Dillon The Ultimate Western Hero

In Gunsmoke’s season 7 episode “Cody’s Code”, Dillon is confronted with the rogue gunman Cody Durham, a previously upstanding citizen of Dodge City who’s out for revenge against the young man who’s become involved with his fiancée. Rather than attempting to reason with Cody, or escalating the situation further with a preemptive act of aggression, Dillon simply stands his ground.

“If you’re gonna use that gun,” he tells Cody, “you better start on me.” This willingness to sacrifice his own life to save others in the name of justice demonstrates just how heroic Matt Dillon is. What’s more, it indicates the extent to which he backs himself in a gunfight. After all, his kill count across Gunsmoke’s 20 seasons stands at over 400.

It’s fitting that James Arness and John Wayne’s movie collaborations immediately prior to Gunsmoke’s first season led to a lifelong friendship between the pair. The pair are surely the most iconic old-school heroes in the history of screen Westerns, and it was Wayne who recommended Arness for the part of Matt Dillon.

Indeed, Dillon feels like the TV version of some of the Duke’s most celebrated big-screen characters, including Sheriff John T. Chance from Rio Bravo, and Tom Doniphon from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Nothing epitomizes his mix of steely resolve and gunslinging swagger better than Gunsmoke’s greatest line.

This Gunsmoke Quote Remains The Best In Western TV History

Matt Dillon actually uses variations of the line, “If you’re gonna use that gun, you better start on me” several times in several different Gunsmoke episodes, including in the opening minutes of the series premiere. “Cody’s Code” might feature the definitive version of the quote, but it’s a thread running through Dillon’s entire character arc.

This famous quote has inspired countless other TV Westerns, too, from Lonesome Dove to Justified. Robert Duvall’s Gus McCrae and Timothy Olyphant’s Raylan Givens are just two of the all-time great genre protagonists to have uttered versions of the line. It illustrations the extent to which Gunsmoke changed television for other Western shows trailing in its wake.

More than six decades after it was first spoken, Matt Dillon’s best line is still the pinnacle of TV dialogue in the Western genre. In a straightforward but poetic turn of phrase, Dillon exemplifies all the qualities required of a legendary lawman better than anyone else. No other series since Gunsmoke has featured anyone quite like him.

Release Date

1955 – 1975-00-00

Directors

Andrew V. McLaglen, Harry Harris, Ted Post, Bernard McEveety, Vincent McEveety

Writers

John Meston, Charles Marquis Warren, Paul Savage

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  James Arness

  Marshal Matt Dillon

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