James Arness dies at 88; TV's Marshal Dillon on landmark 'Gunsmoke' series

[n2doc]

Source: Chicago Tribune


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.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/la-me-james-arness-20110604,0,7660912.story

[Dennis Donovan]

1. I didn't know he was Peter Graves' brother...

[Rhiannon12866]

36. I did...

But I didn't know he was still with us... :blush:

Since this is an iconic show, it'll probably be playing somewhere for all eternity, so he'll always be with us. :)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. Rest in peace, legendary giant alien carrot.

"The Thing"...my personal pick for "Greatest Science Fiction Movie Of All Time."

[RebelOne]

8. Yes, my pick also. I have the video from the original movie. n/t

[edbermac]

17. You're thinking of Stanley Adams from the classic Lost In Space episode.

Now he was the real giant alien carrott!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

18. No, fans and critics have often referred to Arness in "The Thing" as a "giant carrot"...

...here's one example:

James Arness as a carrot-shaped alien? Hey, the idea works...
Best bet
July 26, 1997|By Chris Kaltenbach

James Arness as a carrot-shaped alien? Hey, the idea works better than you might think in "The Thing" (11 p.m.-1 a.m., TCM), perhaps because the alien spends so little time actually on camera. More likely, it's because director Christian Nyby and producer Howard Hawks realized the No. 1 rule of horror, that what you don't see is a heck of a lot scarier than what you do.

The 1951 movie is set at the North Pole, where a Navy expedition is sent to recover what authorities suspect is a flying saucer. It is (the scene where they realize just what is beneath the ice is pretty chilling), but they don't recover the saucer. What they do recover is the alien, who thaws out, comes to life and turns out to be one angry dude.

A wonderful sense of dread permeates "The Thing," as the band of scientists must work together and trust each other if they're to survive. Also effective is the theremin-heavy score by Dimitri Tiomkin.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-07-26/features/1997207043_1_dimitri-tiomkin-james-arness-alien

[sofa king]

23. Such a great and simple film.

I like the remake, too, but the original is totally different and much more subdued and menacing. James Arness is really incidental to the film, but when he shows up, he's huge and quite unsettling.

The short story on which The Thing is based, "Who Goes There," also happens to be one of legendary sci-fi editor John W. Campbell's more notable written works, available in its entirety here.

[RebelOne]

33. Nope, the remake could not even compare to the original. n/t

[catchnrelease]

37. Oh my god

I saw that as a kid and it scared the crap out of me for years!!! I avoided seeing it again for ages, then finally saw it as an adult and laughed as it was not so scary after all. Yes, it is still one of the classics.

[monmouth]

3. My mother had a huge crush on him. RIP sir, a wonderful actor...n/t

[madokie]

4. As a kid I loved Matt Dillon

Miss kitty was a hooker and they portrayed her as one on the teevee.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Gone to join Chester

:(

RIP.

[Hissyspit]

6. He and Dr. Kervorkian had a suicide pact?

[PfcHammer]

7. Loves me some Gunsmoke

RIP

[center rising]

9. Catch the bad guys up in heaven Marshal Dillon

[Demeter]

13. There aren't supposed to BE bad guys in heaven!

No matter what Lloyd Blankfein thinks.

[center rising]

22. Well, according to Stephen Hawking, there is no heaven

[liberal N proud]

10. Awe Shucks

[ginnyinWI]

11. We're still recording and watching the old shows

The ones from the 50s are real vintage stuff. But the writing was really good--you couldn't always predict what would happen. The Old West--or at least a TV imitation of it--a way to go to another time and place.

[tabasco]

26. You got that right.

There wasn't always a happy ending. The writers didn't insult your intelligence.

[iwishiwas]

12. loved that show and still watch reruns when I can.

[Auggie]

14. Among the first soldiers out of the landing boats during WW II Normandy invasion

Commanders had no idea how deep the water was, so they ordered 6' 5" tall Arness in first.

[tabasco]

28. That was at Anzio

Thank you for pointing out he was a combat vet. I looked it up and he was severely wounded during Anzio.

An infantryman in the 3rd ID. What a guy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arness

[Auggie]

29. That injury accounted for his distinct walk later in life

[happyslug]

32. He served in the third Division? That unit saw more combat then any other US unit.

The Third Division was in combat 150 days during WWII. The Third Division saw more Combat then any other unit. Audi Murphy served in that unit..

More on the Third Division in WWII:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Infantry_Division_%28United_States%29#World_War_II

The 3rd Division suffered more combat deaths in World War II than any other U.S. division, and the third highest among modern U.S. Divisions, behind only the 2nd Infantry Division in the Korean War and the 1st Cavalry Division in the Vietnam War.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Infantry_Division_%28United_States%29#World_War_II

[nolabear]

15. *sigh* The only man I ever suspected my grandmother had an enormous crush on.

RIP Marhsall Dillon.

[Plucketeer]

16. "Mr. Dillon - Mr. Dillon.............."

"Aye thawt you was never gonna show up here!"

[hamsterjill]

19. They'll all be at Heaven's Longbranch Saloon tonight.

Ms. Kitty, Festus, Doc, Chester, Nooley, Sam ...now Matt.

[tabasco]

20. How great he was in Gunsmoke

RIP, Mr. Arness.

[The Unawriter]

21. One of those guys

who you think has been dead for years! Is Raymond Burr still kicking? (I'm seriously asking.)

[Jack Rabbit]

30. Raymond Burr died years ago

[Snellius]

24. Wagon Train, Bonanza, Rifleman, Johnny Yuma, Rawhide, Gunsmoke

The golden age of tv cowboys seems so long ago in a world irretrievably far away.

[provis99]

25. one badass Norwegian-American

gone to that big lutefisk dinner party in the sky...

[Faygo Kid]

27. Great show. It became something greater when Bette Davis guest starred.

Oh, she was a nasty mum to a nasty family, but Matt and Miss Kitty eventually got the best of her. After that, the show became a gritty, must-watch drama.

So sad to see Chester mentioned in so many obits, but not Festus (Ken Curtis) who was around longer. I liked them both.

[Little Star]

31. Festus always yelling Marshal Dillon, Marshal Dillon.......

Great show, they don't make them like that anymore.

RIP Mr. Arness.

[Art_from_Ark]

35. Festus was the one who said

Ma-THYEW

[lunatica]

34. I had an aunt who would dress up to watch Gunsmoke way back when

Lipstick, high heels and hairdo. The whole enchilada.

[Walk away]

39. That's adorable!

I bet if he knew he'd be so flattered!

[totodeinhere]

38. I watch reruns of the show on the Encore Westerns channel. I especially love Matt, Kitty,

and Doc. I always wished that Matt and Kitty could have had an affair but of course it didn't explicitly happen. I think though that the writers purposefully left us wondering if it might have been happening behind the scenes.