James Arness
James Arness (originally Aurness) (born
May 26,
1923 in
Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an
actor best known for portraying
Marshal Matt Dillon on
Gunsmoke for 20 years, a record length for prime time shows that is shared with
Kelsey Grammer's portrayal of
Dr. Frasier Crane. Arness's parents were Rolf Cirkler Aurness and Ruth Duesler, descendants of
German and
Norwegian immigrants. Arness is the older brother of actor
Peter Graves. He was the tallest actor ever to play a lead role, standing 6' 7" (2.01 m).
Though primarily identified with
Westerns, he also is remembered for appearing in two
science fiction films,
The Thing from Another World and
Them!. James Arness served in the
United States Army during
World War II, and was severely wounded at the
Battle of Anzio, leading to a lifelong slight limp.
He was a close personal friend of
John Wayne's and co-starred with him in
Big Jim McLain, and
Island in the Sky. Wayne was a staunch supporter of Arness to play the lead role on
Gunsmoke when the part came available.
Since
Gunsmoke ended, Arness has continued to perform primarily in western-themed movies and television series, including
How the West Was Won, and five made-for-television
Gunsmoke reunion movies between 1987 and 1994. A notable exception was a brief turn as a big city policeman in the short-lived 1981 series,
McClain's Law.
For his contribution to the television industry, James Arness has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1751 Vine Street. In 1981, he was inducted into the
Western Performers Hall of Fame at the
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The Farmer's Daughter (
1947)
Roses Are Red (1947)
Battleground (
1949)
Wagon Master (
1950)
Stars in My Crown (1950)
Sierra (1950)
Wyoming Mail (1950)
Two Lost Worlds (
1951)
Belle Le Grand (1951)
The Thing from Another World (1951)
Cavalry Scout (1951)
Iron Man (1951)
The People Against O'Hara (1951)
The Girl in White (
1952)
Carbine Williams (1952)
Big Jim McLain (1952)
Hellgate (1952)
Horizons West (1952)
Lone Hand (
1953)
Island in the Sky (1953)
The Veils of Bagdad (1953)
Hondo (1953)
Them! (
1954)
Her Twelve Men (1954)
Many Rivers to Cross (
1955)
The Sea Chase (1955)
Flame of the Islands (
1956)
The First Traveling Saleslady (1956)
Gun the Man Down (1956)
Alias Jesse James (
1959) (Cameo)
Comanche Stallion (
2006)
Gunsmoke (
1955-
1975)
The Macahans (
1976)
How the West Was Won (
1977) (miniseries)
How the West Was Won (
1978) (miniseries)
How the West Was Won (
1979) (canceled after 20 episodes)
McClain's Law (
1981-
1982)
The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (
1987)
Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987)
Red River (
1988)
Gunsmoke: The Last Apache (
1990)
Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (
1992)
Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (
1993)
Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice (
1994)
*
Other notable figures in Western films*
*
official James Arness-website
