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Actresses
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 James Arness
Birthday: May 26, 1923
Birth
Place: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Height: 6' 7"
Below
is a complete filmography (list of movies he's appeared in) for
James Arness. If you have any corrections or additions, please email
us at corrections@actorsofhollywood.com.
We'd also be interested in any trivia or other information you have.
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| Biography
American actor James Arness had an unremarkable Minneapolis childhood, but his wartime experiences shattered that normality - literally. During the battle of Anzio, Arness' right leg was peppered with machine gun bullets, and when the bones were set they didn't mend properly, leaving him with a slight but permanent limp. The trauma of the experience mellowed into aimlessness after the war. Arness became a "beach bum," lived out of his car, and worked intermittently as a salesman and carpenter. Acting was treated equally lackadaisically, but by 1947 Arness had managed to break into Hollywood on the basis of his rugged good looks and his 6'6" frame. Few of his screen roles were memorable, though one has become an object of cult worship: Arness was cast as the menacingly glowing space alien, described by one character as "an intellectual carrot," in The Thing (1951). For a time it looked as though Arness would continue to flounder in supporting roles, while his younger brother, actor Peter Graves, seemed destined for stardom. John Wayne took a liking to Arness when the latter was cast in Wayne's Big Jim McLain (1953). Wayne took it upon himself to line up work for Arness, becoming one of the withdrawn young actor's few friends. In 1955, Wayne was offered the role of Matt Dillon in the TV version of the popular radio series Gunsmoke. Wayne turned it down but recommended that Arness be cast and even went so far as to introduce him to the nation's viewers in a specially filmed prologue to the first Gunsmoke episode. Truth be told, Arness wasn't any keener than Wayne to be tied down to a weekly series, and as each season ended he'd make noises indicating he planned to leave. This game went on for each of the 20 seasons that Gunsmoke was on the air, the annual result being a bigger salary for Arness, more creative control over the program (it was being produced by his own company within a few years) and a sizeable chunk of the profits and residuals. When Gunsmoke finally left the air in 1975, Arness was the only one of the original four principals (including Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone and Dennis Weaver) still appearing on the series. Arness made plans to take it easy after his two-decade Gunsmoke hitch, but was lured back to the tube for a one-shot TV movie, The Macahans (1976). This evolved into the six-hour miniseries How the West Was Won (1977) which in turn led to a single-season weekly series in 1978. All these incarnations starred Arness, back in the saddle as Zeb Macahan. The actor tried to alter his sagebrush image in a 1981 modern-day cop series, McClain's Law — which being set in the southwest permitted Arness to ride a horse or two. It appeared, however that James Arness would always be Matt Dillon in the hearts and minds of fans, thus Arness obliged his still-faithful public with three Gunsmoke TV movies, the last one (Gunsmoke: The Last Apache) released in 1992. In between these assignments, James Arness starred in a 1988 TV-movie remake of the 1948 western film classic Red River, in which he filled the role previously played by his friend and mentor John Wayne.
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Movie
Credits
Trivia
- Honorary United States Marshal, "In recognition of his unique contribution to the Image and Traditions of the U.S. Marshal's Service"
- Became "Matt Dillon", the US Marshal on "Gunsmoke" after John Wayne, originally offered the role, turned it down and suggested Arness to play the role.
- Brother of actor Peter Graves.
- His daughter, Jenny, committed suicide in 1975.
- Wounded in Italy in World War II.
- He was the tallest actor to ever play a lead role.
- According to an article on TV westerns in Time Magazine (March 30, 1959), Arness stood 6' 7", weighed 235 lbs, and had chest-waist-hips measurements of 48-36-36
- Arness was one of the first to hit the beaches at Anzio, Italy during WWII due to his height.
- Inducted (as a cast member of "Gunsmoke") into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1981.
- On June 20, 2003, James Arness was honored at Los Angeles City Hall by the Mayor, the 15 city council members, and the city attorney with a resolution honoring his life's work as an actor and 60 year resident of Los Angeles. The colorful resolution included a depiction of a U.S. Marshall's badge and a salute to his work as Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke" and its over 20 year duration as TV's longest running drama series. It also recalled his heroism during World War Two and thanked him for "leaving us with one of the most telling and realistic portraits ever created of the brave, tall man in the saddle who tames a western town as he searches for justice and peace." Arness called it "the most wonderful day in his life" and says the resolution is now framed and in a prominent place in his home. By the way, he received a standing ovation that morning.
- Held the record for the longest continuous role portrayed by a single actor (20 years) on prime-time television (for Marshal Matt Dillon on the CBS western 'Gunsmoke'), until Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Frasier Crane on "Cheers" and "Frasier") tied the record in 2004 (at 20 years).
- Was rightly touted as the tallest Leading Man in Hollywood, although this title has since been taken by other stars, mainly basketball players turned "actors."
- Member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity
- Very, very often during his career, this huge actor was surrounded by co-stars standing on apple boxes or had to perform standing in a ditch just so he could be in a shot.
- Has two sons, Craig and Rolf.
- His status as a Republican disappointed Lady Bird Johnson, who was a fan of Gunsmoke.
- Attended Beloit College.
Naked Photos of James Arness are available at MaleStars.com. They
currently feature over 65,000 Nude Pics, Biographies, Video Clips,
Articles, and Movie Reviews of famous stars. |
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