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James Arness, a World War II veteran beloved by millions for his iconic portrayal of Marshal Matt Dillon on the long-running Western TV series “Gunsmoke,” died June 3 after a long illness. At 6 foot 7 inches, Arness was, quite literally, a big star, towering over even the likes of his good friend and Hollywood mentor John Wayne. But it was that same impressive height that prevented Arness from fulfilling his dream of being a naval aviator in World War II—he was simply too tall for cockpit duty. As a soldier in the 7th Regiment of the U.S. Army’s Third...

While watching an old episode of "Gunsmoke" this morning I heard this little gem spoken by U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon. I found it so interesting I wrote it down. I suppose it is open to interpretation but in the context of what Donald Trump has been talking about since day one on rebuilding our military it kind of makes sense. Kind of like another line from a movie I saw years ago called "Speechless" where these two guys are running for the U.S. Senate in the southwest on the border with Mexico. The dividing live on the border was this...

Movies that will be shown: Sprinkled among the episodes of "Gunsmoke" are some movies that James Arness made. Some he starred in, and some, like "Too Many Rivers to Cross", he had roles that gave credence to why he is such a western legend. The following movies will be shown during Encore Western Channel's tribute to James Arness. Wyoming Mail Too Many Rivers to Cross (with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker) Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge Gunsmoke: The Last Apache Gunsmoke: To the Last Man

James Arness, who burnished the legend of America’s epic West as Marshal Matt Dillon, the laconic peacemaker of Dodge City on “Gunsmoke,” one of the longest-running dramatic series in television history, died on Friday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88. A family spokeswoman, Ginny Fazer, confirmed the death. Mr. Arness was terribly shy and had almost no training as an actor. A wartime leg wound made it painful for him to mount a horse. But he became the best-known tin star of his era, portraying the towering, weathered marshal for 20 years, from 1955 to 1975. He...

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