'Gunsmoke' Actor James Arness Dies at 88

6-3-2011 | Fox News

[Wilum]

Banner Only

[Repeal The 17th]

They thought they killed him in "The Thing" back in the 50's!

All kidding aside, RIP James.

[Jagdgewehr]

Ain't that the truth. An era that slipped away forever.

R.I.P. Mr. Arness.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

The Thing is dead? Sad.

Actually, it was "Them".

[Servant of the Cross]

Sheriff Matt Dillon, RIP

Premiering on CBS in September 1955 and completing its network run September 1975, Gunsmoke is the longest running dramatic series in the history of television. Two of its stars, James Arness and Milburn Stone, remained all 20 seasons, with Amanda Blake a close second, departing after 19 years.

[altura]

Me, too. Great actor as Marshall Dillon. R.I.P. Another end of an era death.

[truth_seeker]

I knew one of his sons in the 1960s, Craig who lived with his grandmother in La Habra, California.

Craig had everything, as the son of a very popular actor of the time. Science and microscopes and fancy expensive stuff.

Extremely intelligent, and he went on to have accomplishments of his own. Craig died in 2004.

James Arness was a Republican.

[null and void]

He was The Thing. He was in Them!.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I’ve been watching “Gunsmoke” again lately, and man, was he born for the role of Matt Dillon!

RIP

[Servant of the Cross]

Duh. MARSHALL. Head slap.

[John W]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gunsmoke-star-james-arness-dies-194732

[BamaDi]

He was an honorary Deputy US Marshal....he was much loved by the Marshals Service. Rest In Peace Marshal Dillon.

[trisham]

He always seemed so gentlemanly, dignified and mature.

[bcsco]

Matt, Kitty, Chester, Festus and Doc Stone. They’re all gone now. RIP, Matt, you brought life to the best TV Western ever made. No wonder it lasted 25 years or so.

I have 16 episodes on DVD that I taped off the Westerns Channel. I’m going to watch one tomorrow in honor of this fine man.

[pgkdan]

RIP Marshall Dillon! I loved that show when I was a kid...that and Bonanza!

[Reagan69]

My first “crush”. Loved Marshall Dillon.

RIP

[ErnBatavia]

I have vague memories of "Chester" (Dennis Weaver) who lived a couple of houses away when I was a young child in North Hollywood, CA......well before he got any gigs of consequence.

The parents referred to him as "the young actor".

[bcsco]

IIRC, John Wayne was originally asked to take the part, but he had movie commitments and recommended James Arness for the part. Wayne also did an introductory audio for the first episode. I just might have it on file somewhere.

Ken Curtis, who played Festus, also had an interesting life. He sang with the Sons of the Pioneers, it’s been rumored he was thought of as a replacement for Frank Sinatra after Frank left the Harry James orchestra, was son-in-law to the director John Ford and stared in a number of movies with John Wayne (Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Wings of Eagles, The Searchers, The Horse Soldiers, The Alamo and How The West Was Won), as well as his long stint as Festus.

[Sybeck1]

Sad day in Dodge.

[OB1kNOb]

Gone from our presence, but forever in our hearts (and hopefully on TVLand), adios Sheriff. Until we meet across the river on the other side.

[BwanaNdege]

When I was a kid of 10 back in 1957, we did not own a TV, so we went next door to watch “Gunsmoke” and “Perry Mason”. Our neighbor on the other side was Roger Mudd, the newsman, back when he was a local reporter for WTOP News.

Rest in peace, Marshall Dillon, you did so much as both a TV character and as a US soldier in WWII to keep/restore the peace!