Actor James Arness 1923-2011

[clj2]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nat...1.story?page=1

[Zoneboy]

James Arness is best known for his role as Marshal Matt Dillon in 'Gunsmoke,' one of the longest-running prime-time series in network TV history. He was a towering symbol of frontier justice in the series that broke the mold for TV westerns.

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James Arness, the towering actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon, the strong and commanding symbol of frontier justice on the landmark TV western series "Gunsmoke," died Friday. He was 88.

Arness died of natural causes at his home in Brentwood, said family spokesperson Ginny Fazer.


"Gunsmoke" debuted on CBS on Sept. 10, 1955, and, with the start of "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" on ABC four days earlier, a new era in television horse operas was launched: the adult western.

But whereas "Wyatt Earp," starring Hugh O'Brian, ended its run in 1961, "Gunsmoke" ran until 1975, far outdistancing its many competitors and becoming one of the longest-running prime-time series in network TV history.

In the process, Arness became one of television's most enduring stars, returning as Dillon in a handful of "Gunsmoke" TV movies in the late '80s and early '90s.

At 6 feet 7, Arness was a bigger-than-life actor who amply filled the boots of the mythic Dodge City lawman in the series, which earned praise for breaking TV western-genre conventions with its strong dramatic stories and psychologically complex characters.

"Matt," Arness once said, "is very human and has all the failings and drives common to anyone who is trying to do a difficult job the best he knows how."

Arness was nominated for Emmys three times during the show's early years. Like John Wayne on the big screen, Arness was an imposing presence on the small screen.

"I absolutely believe any pantheon of enduring, well-crafted and memorable television characters would have to include James Arness," David Bushman, then the television curator at what is now the Paley Center for Media in New York, told The Times some years ago. "He became part of the national psyche."

"Gunsmoke" had been a groundbreaking hit radio show, with William Conrad providing the authoritative voice of Matt Dillon, for three years when CBS began looking for an actor to star in the TV version.

At the time, Arness, a Minnesota native and World War II Army combat veteran, had amassed a string of film credits, including playing the alien monster in the 1951 science-fiction classic, "The Thing From Another World." He also co-starred in the 1954 sci-fi thriller, "Them!"

Then under contract to John Wayne's production company, Arness also had appeared in four pictures starring Wayne: "Big Jim McLain," "Island in the Sky," "Hondo" and "The Sea Chase."

Fearful that starring in a television series would damage his fledgling movie career, Arness only reluctantly agreed to test for the part of Dillon; he was the last of a sizable number of actors who were auditioned for the role.

When CBS offered him the part, Arness hesitated in signing the contract. But Wayne urged him to take the role, saying it was a tremendous break.

To give Arness and "Gunsmoke" a publicity boost when it debuted, Wayne provided an on-camera introduction in which he praised the new TV western series for being honest, adult and realistic.

"I knew there was only one man to play in it, James Arness," Wayne told viewers. "He's a young fella and may be new to some of you. But I've worked with him, and I predict he'll be a big star. So you might as well get used to him, like you've had to get used to me."

Arness became a welcome visitor in the homes of millions of viewers — as did the show's supporting cast members: Dennis Weaver as Dillon's stiff-legged deputy, Chester Goode; Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, the proprietress of the Long Branch Saloon; and Milburn Stone as the weathered and wise Doc Adams.

Boyd Magers, editor and publisher of Western Clippings, a western film publication, attributed the show's enduring popularity to the strong writing, direction and ensemble cast. Indeed, the focus often would be on the show's various regular characters and guest stars.

"Arness, in particular, said, 'Let's move it off of me,'" Magers told The Times some years ago. "He didn't have this star complex. He let the other people have an episode to themselves. So you didn't get tired of one character, and they were all good, well-rounded characters because of this strong writing."

[Marvo301]

James Arness

[Marvo301]

James Arness

[Mr. Television]

I never missed an episode of Gunsmoke when I was a kid. Matt Dillon was a real tv hero and Jim Arness played him perfectly. R.I.P. Mr. Arness.

[Mr. Television]

Here's another article on him.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...ry?id=13755163

James Arness of 'Gunsmoke' Fame Dies at 88

James Arness, the 6-foot-6 actor who towered over the television landscape for two decades as righteous Dodge City lawman Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," died Friday. He was 88.

The actor died in his sleep at his home in Brentwood, Calif., according to his business manager, Ginny Fazer.

Arness' official website posted a letter from Arness on Friday that he wrote with the intention that it be posted posthumously: "I had a wonderful life and was blessed with ... (so) many loving people and great friends," he wrote.

"I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years."

As U.S. Marshal Dillon in the 1955-75 CBS Western series, Arness created an indelible portrait of a quiet, heroic man with an unbending dedication to justice and the town he protected.

The wealth and fame Arness gained from "Gunsmoke" could not protect him from tragedy in his personal life: His daughter and his former wife, Virginia, both died of drug overdoses.

Arness, a quiet, intensely private man who preferred the outdoor life to Hollywood's party scene, rarely gave interviews and refused to discuss the tragedies.


"He's big, impressive and virile," co-star Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) once said of Arness, adding, "I've worked with him for 16 years, but I don't really know him."

The actor was 32 when friend John Wayne declined the lead role in "Gunsmoke" and recommended Arness instead. Afraid of being typecast, Arness initially rejected it.

"Go ahead and take it, Jim," Wayne urged him. "You're too big for pictures. Guys like Gregory Peck and I don't want a big lug like you towering over us. Make your mark in television."

"Gunsmoke" went on to become the longest-running dramatic series in network history until NBC's "Law & Order" tied in 2010. Arness' 20-year prime-time run as the marshal was tied only in recent times, by Kelsey Grammer's 20 years as Frasier Crane from 1984 to 2004 on "Cheers" and then on "Frasier."

The years showed on the weathered-looking Arness, but he — and his TV character — wore them well.

"The camera really loved his face, and with good reason," novelist Wallace Markfield wrote in a 1975 "Gunsmoke" appreciation in The New York Times. "It was a face that would age well and that, while aging, would carry intimations of waste, loss and futility."

Born James Aurness in Minneapolis (he dropped the "u'' for show business reasons), he and brother Peter enjoyed a "real Huckleberry Finn existence," Arness once recalled.

Peter, who changed his last name to Graves, went on to star in the TV series "Mission Impossible."

A self-described drifter, Arness left home at age 18, hopping freight trains and Caribbean-bound freighters. He entered Beloit College in Wisconsin, but was drafted into the Army in his 1942-43 freshman year. Wounded in the leg during the 1944 invasion at Anzio, Italy, Arness was hospitalized for a year and left with a slight limp. He returned to Minneapolis to work as a radio announcer and in small theater roles.

He moved to Hollywood in 1946 at a friend's suggestion. After a slow start in which he took jobs as a carpenter and salesman, a role in MGM's "Battleground" (1949) was a career turning point. Parts in more than 20 films followed, including "The Thing," ''Hellgate" and "Hondo" with Wayne. Then came "Gunsmoke," which proved a durable hit and a multimillion-dollar boon for Arness, who owned part of the series.

His longtime co-stars were Blake as saloon keeper Miss Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams and Dennis Weaver as the deputy, Chester Goode.

When Weaver died in February 2006, Arness called it "a big loss for me personally" and said Weaver "provided comic relief but was also a real person doing things that were very important to the show."

The cancellation of "Gunsmoke" didn't keep Arness away from TV for long: He returned a few months later, in January 1976, in the TV movie "The Macahans," which led to the 1978-79 ABC series "How the West Was Won."

Arness took on a contemporary role as a police officer in the series "McClain's Law," which aired on NBC from 1981-82.

Despite his desire for privacy, a rocky domestic life landed him in the news more than once.

Arness met future wife Virginia Chapman while both were studying at Southern California's Pasadena Playhouse. They wed in 1948 and had two children, Jenny and Rolf. Chapman's son from her first marriage, Craig, was adopted by Arness.

The marriage foundered and in 1963 Arness sought a divorce and custody of the three children, which he was granted. He tried to guard them from the spotlight.

"The kids don't really have any part of my television life," he once remarked. "Fortunately, there aren't many times when show business intrudes on our family existence."

The emotionally troubled Virginia Arness attempted suicide twice, in 1959 and in 1960. In 1975, Jenny Arness died of an apparently deliberate drug overdose. Two years later, an overdose that police deemed accidental killed her mother.

Arness married Janet Surtees in 1978. Besides his wife, Arness is survived by two sons and six grandchildren. A private memorial service will be held.

———

AP Television Writer David Bauder and Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle in New York contributed to this story.

[Retro4Life]

That letter he left just shows what a class act he was, and that's an understatement.

I think that when actors connect with an audience the way Arness did, particularly playing heroic roles, there's a certain genuineness to their performances that can't be ALL acting. Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood come to mind as examples of this, and so does Arness.

Mr. Arness. The world has far too few of your ilk.

[70s show watcher]

years ago i met former child actress dawn lynn of my 3 sons fame and i asked ger about working with mr. arness on gunsmoke and she said that he was absolutely wonderful to work with r i p mr arness you will be missed

[sbeamish]

RIP Marshal Dillon.

[James28]

James Arnes was one of my many legitimate friends. I first met him in 1964 and we have been very close to each other ever since. When I founded the House of James after moving to Los Angeles, Mr. Arness had visited the nightclub/dinner theatre 24 times.

And now at the same week that Shaquille O'Neal is retiring after 19 NBA seasons, James Arness passes away after 88 years. Next Wednesday, the House of James staff will present a tribute to Mr. Arness. I will also offer condolences to his family members.

[catlover79]

to one of TV's best-loved heroes. God bless him.

[Ohio8]

[catlover79]

[Janice]

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

I never missed an episode of Gunsmoke when I was a kid. Matt Dillon was a real tv hero and Jim Arness played him perfectly. R.I.P. Mr. Arness.

Sonny, you were the first person I thought of when I read this. I remember you telling me how much you liked him.

Rest In Peace, James Arness.

[catlover79]

We could all use some more "Marshal Dillons" in the world today!!