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Sunday, June 5, 2011

Remembering James Arness


An American hero has left the building.

James Arness died on June 3 at the age of 88.

Of course, Arness will be remembered as lawman Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke." For 20 years, Arness portrayed the tough, quiet U.S. Marshal. We can thank John Wayne for turning down the role of Dillon and recommending friend Arness for the series. Arness was perfect for the part. Standing 6'7", Arness was maintained a strong presence on screen but handled the role as if he were an "everyman." As Dillon, Arness came across as someone that might live down the street from you. That quality made him instantly likable. Add to that his sheer size, and Arness was a very credible lawman.



Arness had plenty of film credits to his name before he was cast on "Gunsmoke." Many of them were westerns (including a few with friend and mentor John Wayne), but the Weekend Drive-In will always recall Arness playing the title character in "The Thing from Another World." He also starred in giant ant epic "Them."


Luckily, Encore Westerns carries the original "Gunsmoke" series and the TV movies that followed. Also, TVLand airs 1970s-era "Gunsmoke" episodes and has online episodes.

Happy trails, James Arness!

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