How a wounded soldier became the face of the longest-running American television drama
In short: James Arness was a 6-foot-7-inch rifleman who survived the Battle of Anzio before finding fame as Marshal Matt Dillon. Though he became an icon of the American West, he was a shy, sensitive man who disdained publicity and once suffered from uncontrollable giggles on the set of Gunsmoke.
Born in Minneapolis in 1923, James Arness initially dreamed of becoming a naval fighter pilot. His height, however, disqualified him from aviation, and he was drafted into the US Army in 1943. During the 1944 landing at Anzio, his stature made him the first man off the boat to test water depth. He was severely wounded in the leg during the battle, an injury that required multiple surgeries and caused him chronic pain for the rest of his life.
After his military discharge in 1945, Arness moved to Hollywood. He appeared in various films, including science-fiction classics like The Thing from Another World, and formed a close friendship with John Wayne. While an urban legend suggests Wayne turned down the role of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke, the truth is that Wayne simply recommended Arness for the part. Arness went on to play the iconic marshal for two decades, from 1955 to 1975, anchoring the show through 20 seasons.
Despite his stoic screen presence, Arness was known to colleagues as a private individual who enjoyed poetry and surfing. He was dubbed the Greta Garbo of Dodge City for his avoidance of the press. Beyond Gunsmoke, he achieved cult status in Europe for his role as Zeb Macahan in How the West Was Won. Arness remained active in the industry until his later years, eventually passing away at age 88 in 2011.
His legacy is cemented by his induction into the Western Performers Hall of Fame and his enduring popularity in television history. Even after the original series concluded, he returned to the character of Matt Dillon in several made-for-television films throughout the 1990s. His life spanned from his early days as a railway worker in Minnesota to becoming one of the most recognized faces in the history of American entertainment.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: James Arness
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