Why Gunsmoke's Milburn Stone & James Arness Didn't Get Along At First

The workplace can be quite the adventure. Ideally, regardless of what you do, you clock in, perform your task to the best of your ability, behave courteously, and clock out. Because no one likes to have unnecessary drama in their life, you're probably careful not to ruffle any feathers. Even if you work with an absolute crank or a total slob, you don't take it upon yourself to police their objectionable actions. If it ever gets to the point where you can no longer abide a coworker's behavior, you take the matter to a superior or human resources and let them deal with it.

Some people, however, aren't afraid of direct conflict. If someone is repeatedly doing something they consider beyond the pale, they call the person out in the hopes of curtailing their misconduct. This can get awkward if the other person doesn't think they're doing anything wrong, or, worse, happens to be a jerk who doesn't care about their coworkers' feelings. When you reach such a juncture, voices might tick up a notch to the point where a shouting match breaks out. A stapler, chair, or small animal (if this is a veterinarian's office) might be thrown. Suddenly, it's a fistic free-for-all, and there's just no coming back from a fistic free-for-all.

So, if you're going to confront your coworker, you have to ask yourself if you're ready to throw a punch or 10. Is whatever they're doing to steam your britches worth it? In the early days of shooting the long-running television Western "Gunsmoke," actor Milburn Stone was so appalled by James Arness' disrespect that he finally called him out. Did a fistic free-for-all ensue?

As documented in David R. Greenland's book "The Gunsmoke Chronicles: A New History of Television's Greatest Western," Milburn Stone, who played the gruff Doc Adams, spent most of the first two seasons bristling at the unprofessionalism of James Arness, who starred as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon. "I felt he did not belong in the business at all," said Stone. How was Arness unprofessional? "He used to annoy me because at rehearsals he'd sit there and whistle or make all kinds of silly noises," groused Stone.

One time, when Arness was late to set, Stone blew a gasket in front of the cast and crew. Per Stone:

"I said, I've read my contract and there's nothing in it that says I have to put diapers on you or wait for you. And if you ever show up late again buddy, you'll have two things to explain — not only where you were, but where I went!"

Apparently, he did show up late again. This time, Stone was, by his own account, "screaming and yelling," which led Arness to exhibit his "frightening habit" of tensing up and clicking his front teeth. Was, indeed, a fistic free-for-all in the offing?

Evidently, Arness (who played the monster in 1951's "The Thing From Another Planet") looked straight at Stone and said, "Milburn, you're absolutely right." At this point, there was a detente, and the two got along famously for the rest of the Western series' 20-year run. (Stone died before he could film the "Gunsmoke" TV movies.) In a later interview with TV Guide, Stone went so far as to enthuse, "I spent the first two years on 'Gunsmoke' despising Jim's lack of professionalism. Now I say his acting has reached classical proportions." And this was all because Stone wasn't afraid to give Arness what-for.