James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying

Marshal Matt Dillon Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of '' Gunsmoke''. He is the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. The character w ...

for 20 years in the CBS television series '' Gunsmoke''. Arness has the distinction of having played the role of Dillon in five decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in '' Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge'' (1987) and four more

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made fo ...

''Gunsmoke'' films in the 1990s. In Europe, Arness reached cult status for his role as Zeb Macahan in the Western series '' How the West Was Won''. He was the older brother of actor

Peter Graves Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' from 1967 ...

Early life

James Arness was born in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. His parents were businessman Rolf Cirkler Aurness and journalist Ruth Duesler. His father's ancestry was

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

; his mother's was German."Ancestry of James Arness"
'' genealogy.com'' Accessed March 17, 2010 The family name had been Aursnes, but when Rolf's father, Peter Aursnes, emigrated from Norway in 1887, he changed it to Aurness.James Arness, James E. Wise Jr. (2001
"James Arness: an Autobiography"
, ''McFarland & Company Inc.'', p. 5. Accessed May 26, 2021. Arness and his family were

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

s. Arness' younger brother was actor

. Peter used the stage name "Graves", a maternal family name. Arness attended John Burroughs Grade School,

Washburn High School Washburn High School is a four-year public high school serving grades 9–12 in the Tangletown neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. By enrollment, Washburn is the second-largest high school in Minneapolis Public Schools. Hist ...

, and West High School in Minneapolis. During this time, Arness worked as a courier for a jewelry wholesaler, loading and unloading railway boxcars at the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad freight yards in Minneapolis, and logging in

Pierce, Idaho Pierce is a city in the northwest United States, located in Clearwater County, Idaho. The population was 508 at the 2010 census, down from 617 in 2000.

. Despite "being a poor student and skipping many classes," he graduated from high school in June 1942. Arness entered

Beloit College Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and h ...

that fall, where he joined the campus choir and became a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.

Military service in World War II

Although Arness wanted to be a naval fighter pilot, he was concerned his poor eyesight would bar him. However, his 6-ft, 7-in (2.01 m) frame ended his chances because the limit for aviators was set at 6 ft, 2 in (1.86 m). He was drafted into the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and reported to Fort Snelling in March 1943. As a

rifleman A rifleman is an infantry soldier armed with a rifled long gun. Although the rifleman role had its origin with 16th century hand cannoneers and 17th century musketeers, the term originated in the 18th century with the introduction of the ri ...

, he landed on

Anzio Beachhead The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The op ...

on January 22, 1944, with the 2nd

Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

, E

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

, 2nd

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

, 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. Arness – due to his height – was the first man to be ordered off his landing craft to determine the depth of the water; it came up to his waist. He was severely wounded in his right leg during the Battle of Anzio,Bergan, Ronald (2010).
"James Arness obituary"
''The Guardian,'' US edition, June 6, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2017. and medically evacuated from Italy to the US, where he was sent to the 91st General Hospital in

Clinton, Iowa Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,469 as of 2020. Clinton, along with DeWitt (also located in Clinton County), was named in honor of the sixth governor of New York, DeWitt C ...

. His brother Peter (later known as actor

) came to see him when he was beginning his long recuperation, assuring him to not worry about his injuries, that likely he could find work in the field of radio. After undergoing several surgeries, he was honorably discharged from the Army on January 29, 1945. His wounds continued to trouble him, though, throughout the remainder of his life. In his later years, he suffered from chronic leg pain that often became acute, and was sometimes initiated when he was mounted on horses during his performances on ''Gunsmoke.'' His military decorations included the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

, the

American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...

, the

European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal The European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those m ...

with three bronze

battle stars A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

, the

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. The Wo ...

, and the

Combat Infantryman Badge The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) is a United States Army military decoration. The badge is awarded to infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of colonel and below, who fought in active ground combat while assigned as members of e ...

Acting career

After his discharge from the service, Arness began his entertainment career as a radio announcer at Minneapolis station WLOL in 1945."TV Guide, November 1961, page 8"
Accessed March 1, 2012 Determined to find work in films, Arness

hitchhiked Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads hav ...

to Hollywood, where he made the rounds to agencies and casting calls and soon began acting and appearing in films. He made his movie debut at

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

, which immediately changed his name from "Aurness". His film debut was as

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

's (Katie Holstrom) brother, Peter Holstrom, in ''The Farmer's Daughter''. He was credited in ''The Farmer's Daughter'' as Aurness. Though identified with

Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

, Arness also appeared in two science-fiction films, ''

The Thing from Another World ''The Thing from Another World'', sometimes referred to as just ''The Thing'', is a 1951 American black-and-white science fiction-horror film, directed by Christian Nyby, produced by Edward Lasker for Howard Hawks' Winchester Pictures Corporati ...

'' (in which he portrayed the titular character) and ''

Them! ''Them!'' is a 1954 American black-and-white science fiction film, science fiction monster film from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by David Weisbart, directed by Gordon Douglas (director), Gordon Douglas, and starring James Whitmore, Edmund ...

''. He was a close friend of John Wayne and played supporting roles in films starring Wayne titled '' Big Jim McLain'', ''

Hondo Hondo may refer to: Places * Rio Hondo (disambiguation), the name of several locations, derived from the Spanish word for "deep" Canada * Hondo, Alberta, an unincorporated community United States * Hondo, New Mexico, an unincorporated co ...

'', '' Island in the Sky'' and ''

The Sea Chase ''The Sea Chase'' is a 1955 World War II drama film starring John Wayne and Lana Turner, and featuring David Farrar, Lyle Bettger, and Tab Hunter. It was directed by John Farrow from a screenplay by James Warner Bellah and John Twist based on ...

'', and starred in ''

Gun the Man Down ''Gun the Man Down'' is a 1956 Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring James Arness and Angie Dickinson in her first leading role. The film was produced by Robert E. Morrison for his brother John Wayne's company Batjac Producti ...

'', a fast-paced Western, for Wayne's company. He also starred in a 1988 TV remake of Wayne's 1948 classic '' Red River'', playing Wayne's role as Tom Dunson. An urban legend has it that John Wayne was offered the leading role of Matt Dillon in the longtime favorite television show '' Gunsmoke'', but he turned it down, instead recommending James Arness for the role. The only true part of this story is that Wayne did indeed recommend Arness for the part. Wayne introduced Arness in a prologue to the first episode of ''Gunsmoke'', in 1955. The Norwegian-German Arness had to dye his naturally blond hair darker for the role. ''Gunsmoke'' made Arness and his co-stars, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake,

Dennis Weaver William Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weave ...

Ken Curtis Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates; July 2, 1916 – April 28, 1991) was an American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the CBS western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Although he appeared on ''Gunsmoke'' earl ...

, Burt Reynolds, and

Buck Taylor Buck Taylor (born May 13, 1938) is an American actor and artist, best known for his role as gunsmith-turned-deputy Newly O'Brian in the CBS television series ''Gunsmoke''. He is the son of Florence Gertrude Heffernan and character actor Dub Tayl ...

, world-famous, and ran for two decades, becoming the longest-running primetime drama series in US television history by the end of its run in 1976. The series' season record was tied in 2010 with the final season of '' Law & Order'' and tied again in 2018 with season 20 of '' Law & Order: SVU''. Unlike the latter show, ''Gunsmoke'' featured its lead character in each of its 21 seasons; ''Gunsmoke'' also aired 179 more episodes, and was in the top 10 in the ratings for 11 more seasons, for a total of 13, including four consecutive seasons at number one. After ''Gunsmoke'' ended, Arness performed in Western-themed movies and television series, including ''How the West Was Won'', and in five made-for-television ''Gunsmoke'' movies between 1987 and 1994. An exception was as a big-city police officer in a short-lived 1981–1982 series, ''

McClain's Law ''McClain's Law'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on NBC during the 1981–1982 season. New episodes ended on March 20, and rebroadcasts continued until August 24, 1982. Summary The series starred former ''Gunsmoke'' le ...

'', starring with

Marshall Colt Marshall Colt (born October 26, 1948) is an American management consultant and combat-decorated, former captain in the United States Navy in San Diego, who was an actor in film and television from 1976 to 1995. He co-starred in the films '' Nor ...

. His role as mountain man Zeb Macahan in ''How the West Was Won'' made him a cult figure in many European countries, where it became even more popular than in the United States, as the series has been rebroadcast many times across Europe. ''James Arness: An Autobiography'' was released in September 2001, with a foreword by Burt Reynolds (who had been a cast member of ''Gunsmoke'' for several years in the 1960s). Arness noted that he realized, " I was going to write a book about my life, I better do it now ... 'cause I'm not getting any younger."

Personal life

Arness married Virginia Chapman in 1948, and adopted her son Craig (1946 – December 14, 2004). Besides Craig, Arness and Chapman also had a son, Rolf (born February 18, 1952),"TV Guide-James Arness:Biography"
''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' Accessed March 17, 2010 and a daughter, Jenny Lee Arness (May 23, 1950 – May 12, 1975).

Rolf Aurness Rolf Aurness was born on February 18, 1952 in Santa Monica, California. He won the 1970 World Surfing Championships held at Johanna in Victoria, Australia, beating Midget Farrelly in the finals. Surfing career When he was nine Aurness suffere ...

became

World Surfing Champion The International Surfing Association (ISA) is the world governing authority for surfing, SUP racing, SUP surfing, bodyboarding and all other wave riding activities. The ISA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee. After the 202 ...

in 1970.Kampion, Drew (December 2000
"Rolf Aurness Biography"
''

Surf Line The Surf Line is a railroad line that runs from San Diego north to Orange County along California's Pacific Coast. It was so named because much of the line is near the Pacific Ocean, within less than in some places. The tracks are now owned by ...

'', Accessed March 15, 2010 Craig Arness founded the stock photography agency Westlight and also was a photographer for '' National Geographic''.Walker, David (December 16, 2004
"In Memoriam: Craig Arness, 58"
'' Photo District News'', Accessed July 9, 2010. When they divorced in 1963, Arness was granted legal custody of the children. Daughter Jenny died of a drug overdose in 1975. Former wife Virginia died of a drug overdose in 1977. Four years after his divorce from Virginia Chapman, James Arness met Thordis Brandt, who was his girlfriend for six years before they ended their relationship. In 1978, Arness married Janet Surtees. She survived him. Despite his stoic character, according to Ben Bates, his ''Gunsmoke'' stunt double, Arness laughed "from his toes to the top of his head". Shooting on the ''Gunsmoke'' set was sometimes suspended because Arness got a case of the uncontrollable giggles. James Arness disdained publicity and banned reporters from the ''Gunsmoke'' set. He was said to be a shy and sensitive man who enjoyed poetry, yacht racing, and surfing. ''

'' dubbed him "The Greta Garbo of Dodge City". Buck Taylor (Newly on ''Gunsmoke'') thought so highly of Arness that he named his second son, Matthew, after Arness' character.

Death

Arness died of natural causes at the age of 88 years at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles on June 3, 2011. His body was interred in the Sanctuary of Abiding Hope alcove in the Jasmine Terrace section of the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Awards

For his contributions to the television industry, Arness has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1751 Vine Street. In 1981, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

. Arness was inducted into the

Santa Clarita Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17t ...

Walk of Western Stars in 2006, and gave a related TV interview.Leon Worde
"Newsmaker of the Week: TV Interview Transcript"
April 21, 2006, ''Santa Clara Valley TV'' Accessed March 15, 2010 On the 50th anniversary of television in 1989 in the United States, ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' magazine chose the "top 25 television stars of all time." Arness was number six. In 1996, ''

'' ranked him number 20 on its "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" list. Arness was nominated for these

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

: * 1957: Best Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series * 1958: Best Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic or Comedy Series * 1959: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series

Filmography

Films

*'' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1947) – Peter *'' Roses Are Red'' (1947) – Ray (credited as "James Aurness") *'' The Man From Texas'' (1948) – Gang Member (uncredited) *'' Battleground'' (1949) – Garby *'' Stars In My Crown'' (1950) – Rolfe Isbell (uncredited) *''

Wagon Master ''Wagon Master'' is a 1950 American Western film produced and directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, and Ward Bond. The screenplay concerns a Mormon pioneer wagon train to the San Juan River in Utah. The ...

'' (1950) – Floyd Clegg *'' Sierra'' (1950) – Little Sam Coulter (credited as "Jim Arness") *''

In a Lonely Place ''In a Lonely Place'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation o ...

'' (1950) – Young Detective (uncredited) *'' Wyoming Mail'' (1950) – Russell *'' Two Lost Worlds'' (1951) – Kirk Hamilton (credited as "James Aurness") *'' Belle Le Grand'' (1951) – Belle Admirer Mine Guard at Fire (uncredited) *''

'' (1951) – The Thing *'' Double Crossbones'' (1951) – Bullock (uncredited) *''

Cavalry Scout Cavalry Scout is the job title of someone who has achieved the military occupational specialty of 19D Armored Reconnaissance Specialist in the Combat Arms branch of the United States Army. As with all enlisted soldiers in the United States Caval ...

'' (1951) – Barth *''

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...

'' (1951) – Alex Mallick *''

The People Against O'Hara ''The People Against O'Hara'' is a 1951 American crime film noir directed by John Sturges and based on Eleazar Lipsky's novel. The film features Spencer Tracy, Pat O'Brien, John Hodiak, and James Arness. Plot James Curtayne ( Tracy) was once a ...

'' (1951) – John Fordman "Johnny" O'Hara *''

Carbine Williams ''Carbine Williams'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring James Stewart, Jean Hagen and Wendell Corey. The film follows the life of its namesake, David Marshall Williams, who invented the operating principle for ...

'' (1952) – Leon Williams *''

The Girl in White ''The Girl in White'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by John Sturges and starring June Allyson, Arthur Kennedy and Mildred Dunnock. It is based on the memoirs of the pioneering female surgeon Emily Dunning Barringer. Plot Her pregnan ...

'' (1952) – Matt *'' Big Jim McLain'' (1952) – Mal Baxter *'' Hellgate'' (1952) – George Redfield *''

Horizons West ''Horizons West'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Robert Ryan, Julie Adams and Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One ...

'' (1952) – Tiny McGilligan *'' The Lone Hand'' (1953) – Gus Varden *'' Island in the Sky'' (1953) – Mac McMullen *''

The Veils of Bagdad ''The Veils of Bagdad'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by George Sherman and starring Victor Mature and Mari Blanchard. Plot In 1560, Antar is sent by Selima, head of the Ottoman Empire, to prevent Pasha Hammam from attempting to ove ...

'' (1953) – Targut *''

'' (1953) – Lennie (Army Indian Scout) *''

'' (1954) – Robert Graham *''

Her Twelve Men ''Her Twelve Men'' is a 1954 American comedy drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It stars Oscar-winning Greer Garson, and was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, and written by William Roberts and Laura Z. Hobson. It was based on the best-sellin ...

'' (1954) – Ralph Munsey *'' Many Rivers to Cross'' (1955) – Esau Hamilton *''

'' (1955) – Schlieter *''

Flame of the Islands ''Flame of the Islands'' is a 1956 American film noir crime film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring Yvonne De Carlo, Howard Duff, and Zachary Scott. Plot In New York City, Rosalind Dee (DeCarlo) is a secretary longing to enter high society. ...

'' (1955) – Kelly Rand *'' The First Traveling Saleslady'' (1956) – Joel Kingdom *''

'' (1956) – Rem Anderson *''

Alias Jesse James ''Alias Jesse James'' is a 1959 American Western comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Bob Hope and Rhonda Fleming.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; March 21, 1959, page 46. Based on a story by Robert St. Aubrey and Bert Lawre ...

'' (1959) –

(uncredited)

Documentary

*''America's Star'' – (1988) Documentary and recruiting film for the United States Marshals Service for which Arness was awarded the honorary title of US Marshal and presented with an official badge

Television

*''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' – Deputy Bud Titus"Lone Ranger Fan Club"
''lonerangerfan.com'' Accessed March 17, 2010
GunsmokeNet.com (1950) *''Lux Video Theatre'', "The Chase" (1954) *'' Gunsmoke'' – 635 episodes – Marshal Matt Dillon (1955–1975) *''

Front Row Center ''Front Row Center'' is an American variety show that aired on the DuMont Television Network Sundays at 7pm ET from March 25, 1949, to April 2, 1950. The show was originally 30 minutes then expanded to 60 minutes. This was one of several DuMont n ...

'' (1956) *''The Red Skelton Chevy Special'' (1959) *''The Chevrolet Golden Anniversary Show'' (1961) *''A Salute to Television's 25th Anniversary'' (1972) *''

The Macahans ''How the West Was Won'' is an American Western television series that starred James Arness, Eva Marie Saint, Fionnula Flanagan, Bruce Boxleitner, and Richard Kiley. Loosely based on the 1962 Cinerama film of the same name, it began with a two-h ...

'' – Zeb Macahan (1976) *'' How The West Was Won'' – Zeb Macahan (1977–1979 TV series) *''

'' – Det. Jim McClain (1981–1982 TV series) *'' The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory'' (1987, TV movie) –

Jim Bowie James Bowie ( ) ( – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer, slave smuggler and trader, and soldier who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of h ...

"The Alamo Thirteen Days to Glory-Overview"
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', Accessed March 17, 2010 *'' Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge'' (1987, TV movie) – Marshal Matt Dillon *''Red River'' (1988, TV Movie) – Thomas Dunson"James Arness-Filmography"
'' Fandango.com'' Accessed March 17, 2010 *''John Wayne Standing Tall'' – TV Movie – Himself /Host (1989) *''Gunsmoke II: The Last Apache'' (1990, TV movie) – Marshal Matt Dillon *'' Gunsmoke: To the Last Man'' (1992, TV movie) – Marshal Matt Dillon *''Gunsmoke IV: The Long Ride'' (1993, TV movie) – Marshal Matt Dillon *''Gunsmoke V: One Man's Justice'' (1993, TV movie) – Marshal Matt Dillon (final film role) *'' Pioneers of Television'' – episode – Westerns – Himself / Marshal Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke (2011)

References

External links

* *
Comanche Stallion WebsiteJames Arness' Official website
(2006) *

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arness, James 1923 births 2011 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Methodists American United Methodists American male film actors American male television actors American people of German descent American people of Norwegian descent American shooting survivors Beloit College alumni Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) California Republicans Male actors from Minneapolis Male actors from Minnesota Male Western (genre) film actors Military personnel from Minneapolis People from Brentwood, Los Angeles Television producers from California United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army non-commissioned officers Western (genre) television actors