RIP James Arness

[Terry]

I grew up watching Matt Dillon. He was also a WWII vet. Jim was 88.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110603/ap_on_en_ot/us_obit_james_arness_5

 

[TomSteber]

Played the monster in "The Thing From Another World". One of my all time favorites.

 

[crashaz]

Thanks for all the imagination when I was growing up.... and thank you for your service!!:salute:

 

[Jagdflieger]

RIP James Arness. What a fine gentleman and actor you were.

 

[brad kaste]

No doubt about it,...the guy you'd want to cover your backside when walking into a Western saloon........circa 1890's.

 

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Really sad day! He used to come to my home town Red Lodge Mt and hang out in the Snag Bar back in the 60s. My mom knew him.

Dennis Weaver in this picture was 6 ft 2in.

So long Matt!

-Ed-

 

[Daveroo]

theres a line on wiki that says that shooting on gunsmoke was once suspended because Mr Arness got the "giggles" so bad he had to stop and get himself under control,,, cool...lol,,,gotta love a guy like that

 

[SpitXIV]

Reminds me of Raymond Burr who also spent most of his life doing Perry Mason.
RIP Mr, Arness. Say hi to Amanda for me.

 

[Crusader]

Huge Gunsmoke fan . I've owned Gunsmoke 50th Aniniversary , Volumes one and two for years now . Let us not forget " Island In The Sky " where he played a C-47 pilot along with John Wayne , Lloyd Nolan , Andy Devine . Great movie !

Mr Arness , RIP and thank you for all the years of great entertainment you and your excellent cast have given us in Gunsmoke . You will be sadly missed .

Rich:salute:

 

[Terry]

The unlikely meeting?

 

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Unlikely? Yeah well considering the last Hop-a-Long Cassidy movie (there were 66 of them) was made in 47 and the TV shows were cut down movies that started in 49. Gunsmoke ran from 55 to 74 so there probably wasn't much overlap since I'm not sure how many TV seasons 66 Hop-a-long Cassidy Movies would have lasted. Dennis Weaver was in Gunsmoke from the start till 64. So yeah I think it is unlikely but who knows maybe possible.

From another perspective Hop-a-long would have been way off his range to be in Dodge City since all of Clarence E Mulford's books that I can recall that had Hop-a-long as the main character were set in the southwest. That whole Bar 20 series were some of the best books ever written.

However Bill Boyd died in 72 Dennis Weaver in 2006 and James Arness in 2011 so I think it completely likely that they are all having a beer together at the Long Branch in Heaven. :ernae:

-Ed-

 

[wbuchart]

And thank you for your service in WWII

..he was shot in the leg at Anzio and had a slight limp for the resgt of his life.....

 

[Quicksand]

RIP James....:salute: One of my favorite actors..

 

[Terry]

Hey All,

Unlikely? Yeah well considering the last Hop-a-Long Cassidy movie (there were 66 of them) was made in 47 and the TV shows were cut down movies that started in 49. Gunsmoke ran from 55 to 74 so there probably wasn't much overlap since I'm not sure how many TV seasons 66 Hop-a-long Cassidy Movies would have lasted. Dennis Weaver was in Gunsmoke from the start till 64. So yeah I think it is unlikely but who knows maybe possible.

From another perspective Hop-a-long would have been way off his range to be in Dodge City since all of Clarence E Mulford's books that I can recall that had Hop-a-long as the main character were set in the southwest. That whole Bar 20 series were some of the best books ever written.

However Bill Boyd died in 72 Dennis Weaver in 2006 and James Arness in 2011 so I think it completely likely that they are all having a beer together at the Long Branch in Heaven. :ernae:

-Ed-

The photo is real, it came from here. Check near the bottom.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...bm=isch&prmd=ivnsbo&ei=mGPqTfupKNPXiAKboeWBAQ

 

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Terry I never doubted the realness of the photo. I was just commenting on various aspects of the likeliness of them being at the same place at the same time. Simply posing for a picture at some point in time - I've no doubt it really happened. Like I said I'm sure they are all together along with Milburn Stone (Doc), Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) and Ken Curtis (Festus) all of whom have already passed.

-Ed-

 

[Pauke! Pauke!]

James Arness with his portrayal of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke, reflected the changes in the society of the United States during the late 1950's to the mid 1970's. Marshal Matt Dillon along with other characters in the cast became a moral compass for the viewers and took on some big issues like racial equality, women's rights and the importance of due process of the law. At the end of its run in 1975, Los Angeles Times columnist Cecil Smith wrote "Gunsmoke was the dramatization of the American epic legend of the west. Our own Iliad and Odyssey, created from standard elements of the dime novel and the pulp western as romanticized by Buntline, Harte, and Twain. It was ever the stuff of legend." <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
The story was thought to be that John Wayne turned down the role but recommended Arness for the role. More closer to the truth may be that “the Duke” encouraged his friend, Arness to take the role. John Wayne did introduce the series with this monologue for episode one.
[YOUTUBE]MHVSCribt3U[/YOUTUBE]

Gunsmoke provided a vehicle that propelled other actors careers like Dennis Weaver and Burt Reynolds. Yes, TomSteber "The Thing from Outer Space" is a favorite of mine with James Arness as the Thing. Another favorite of mine with James Arness in it as a FBI Agent and James Whitmore as the star is "Them"

[YOUTUBE]q2PLls02gOU[/YOUTUBE]

James Arness, WWII veteran awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, older brother of Peter Graves and one of my childhood heroes along with Clayton Moore, The Lone Ranger; you will be missed.