Posted on 10/27/2006 3:58:44 AM PDT by 7thson
Did anyone catch BOR last night? He has a new weekly segment highlighting a TV icon. Last night he had James Arness - Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke. Mr. Arness is 83 years old. He is a very humble man, from what I saw of the mini-interview. I also found out that he was in WW II, wounded at Anzio, and spent 18 months in recuperation.
That was one of my favorite westerns growing up. When I was a little kid, it would confuse the hell out of me when Bruce Dern kept on showing up in different episodes. I was always thinking - didn't Matt kill this guy already.
Here are two trivia items concerning him from IMDB -
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.
His status as a Republican disappointed Lady Bird Johnson, who was a fan of "Gunsmoke" (1955).
Bad guy reaches for his gun...what does Matt Dillon always say?
The longest running dramatic series ever produced - 20 years !
It is great untill I remember that I was a much younger version of ME at that time. ;]
The headline scared me for a moment, I thought something had happened to him. You can order his autobiography on his website. The biography channel has also has showcased him. He's one of the few good ones still around.
Speaking of Arness and his role in "The Thing", I once read an interview with Ken Tobey in which he described playing a part in a "Gunsmoke" episode. Arness, according to Tobey, didn't speak to Tobey about their working together in "The Thing" BUT a half hour before Tobey's part in the episode would have finished, Arness declared he was too tired to work any more. The scene had to be completed the next day which meant Tobey got an extra's day pay.
"He was great in The Thing, an excellent early '50s sci-fi flick."
Yeah, he looked like a giant carrot.
ping...
Saw a segment a few weeks back on BIO on his brother....very close family and very well respected.....
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Wayne was pegged to play Dillon on GS but he didn't want to go to TV and suggested Arness to Desilou.
In the early 70s Arness' son Rolf Aurness was the US Surfing Champion. He had been injured as young teen and Arness, a surfer himself, focused the kid on surfing as therapy. He came from nowhere to win it all then dropped out (after dropping a bit too much acid). He eventually got straight, got into some new-age guru orbit and has spent the past three decades living off his old man's money.
Only man in Hollywood to outdraw Arvo Ojalla with a 7 1/2" Colt. Not just once, but every week! :)
Gunsmoke was a great show. One I rarely missed.
Another actor that starred in later episodes was Burt Reynolds as the blacksmith. IIRC he was supposed to be an Indian (native American).
Did'nt know James Arness was still living.He also appeared as an FBI agent in the sci-fi classic"THEM"and an FBI agent in the movie with John Wayne"Big Jim McClain".
This guy is a national treasure to be sure.Battle for Anzio veteran in WW2.Average guy makes good.Their are not many of his ilk around these days.That is a real shame too.
Yeah, and the dirty scoundrel shot John Wayne in "The Cowboys", too!
You should check out COMBAT for the list of future stars...Marvin, Coburn, Duvall, Bronson, Cassavetes, Savalas (and his brother), Caan...and a who's who of A-List B actors.
I read once somewhere a long time ago that James Arness a lot of times just showed up to work, filmed his scenes and then left to go somewhere to play golf or something. Actors in the scenes that didn't include him would then fill in the show. He would never know exactly what the story line was half the time (or so that story I read stated). If it was like the movie tabloids now, who knows the truth - except JA, of course. I guess after all that many years on a show, one would have to get somewhat relaxed about it or lose their minds, though.
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