| James Arness | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Aurness May 26, 1923 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1947–1994 |
| Spouse(s) | Virginia Chapman (1948-1960) Janet Surtrees (1978-present)[1] |
| Official website | |
James Arness (born May 26, 1923)[2] is a retired American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for 20 years. Arness has the distinction of having played the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in five separate decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in 1987 Return to Dodge and four more made-for-TV Gunsmoke movies in the 1990s.
Contents |
Arness was born as James Aurness in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents were Rolf Cirkler Aurness (July 1894 - July 1982), a businessman and Ruth (Duesler) Ayrness (died September 1986), a (journalist). His father's ancestry was Norwegian, his mother's German.[3] The family name had been "Aursnes," but when Rolf's father Peter Aursnes immigrated from Norway in 1887, he changed it to "Aurness."[2]
Arness attended John Burrows Grade School, Washburn High School and West High School Minneapolis. Despite "being a poor student and skipping many classes", he graduated from high school in June 1942. He then enlisted in the United States Army to serve in World War II.[2]
Arness had a brother, actor Peter Graves (1926-2010). (Peter Aurness used the stage name "Graves," a maternal family name.)[2]
In his pre-war years, Arness worked as courier for a jewelry wholesaler, loading and unloading railway boxcars at the Minneapolis freightyards, and logging in Pierce, Idaho.[2]
Arness wanted to be a naval fighter pilot, but he felt his poor eyesight would bar him. His 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) height ended his hopes, since he discovered that 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) was the limit for aviators. Instead, he was called for the Army and reported to Fort Snelling in March 1943.[2]
Arness served as a rifleman with the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, and was severely wounded during Operation Shingle, at Anzio, Italy.[4]
According to James Arness – An Autobiography, he landed on Anzio Beachhead on January 21, 1944 as a rifleman with 2nd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. Due to his height, he was the first ordered off his landing craft to determine the depth of the water; it came up to his waist.[2]
On January 29, 1945, having undergone surgery several times, Arness was honorably discharged. His wounds would bother him the rest of his life, and in recent years Arness has suffered from acute leg pain[1], which even prevents him from mounting a horse. He has undergone a series of operations to remove bullet fragments that had fused into the bone.[citation needed]
His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart;[1] the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, the World War II Victory Medal and most importantly the Combat Infantryman Badge.
After his discharge, James Aurness entered Beloit College, in Wisconsin. He began his performing career as a radio announcer in Minnesota in 1945.[5]
Aurness soon began acting and appeared in films. He began with RKO, who immediately changed his name to 'Arness'. His film debut was as Loretta Young's brother, 'Peter Holstrom' in the 1947 "The Farmer's Daughter".[1]
Though identified with Westerns, Arness also appeared in two science fiction films, The Thing from Another World (in which he portrayed the title character) and Them!. He was a close friend of John Wayne and co-starred with him in Big Jim McLain, Hondo, Island in the Sky, and The Sea Chase.
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 series, McClain's Law.
Arness did the narration for Harry Carey Jr.'s Comanche Stallion (directed by Clyde Lucas).[6]
Gunsmoke was the longest running prime-time dramatic, television series ever produced, having 635 episodes and running from 1955 until 1975. Other prime-time shows have run longer, however they are all TV news, sports, anthology or variety programs.
Films1947 The Farmer's Daughter |
1952 The Girl In White |
1950 The Lone Ranger (1 episode as Deputy Bud Titus)[8]
1954 Lux Video Theatre "The Chase"
1956 Front Row Center
1959 The Red Skelton Chevy Special
1961 The Chevrolet Golden Anniversery Show
1972 A Salute to Television's 25th Anniversary
1976 The Macahans
1977 How The West Was Won—Miniseries
1978 - 1979 How The West Was Won—TV series
1981 McClain's Law
1987 The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory— as Jim Bowie[9]
1988 Red River(1988)[10] remake of Red River(1948)
1987 Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge
1990 Gunsmoke II: The Last Apache
1992 Gunsmoke III: To The Last Man
1993 Gunsmoke IV: The Long Ride
1993 Gunsmoke V: One Man's Justice
Arness has been married twice. First to Virginia Chapman from 1948 until their divorce in 1960.[13] He has been married to Janet Surtrees since 1978.[1] He has three sons: Rolf, Craig,[14] and one other. His daughter Jenny Lee Aurness was born 23 May 1950, and committed suicide on 12 May 1975.[15] His son Rolf Aurness was born February 18, 1952 and became World Surfing Champion in 1970. Rolf’s mother Virginia Chapman died in 1976.[13]
For his contribution 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. In 2006, Arness was inducted into the Santa Clarita Walk of Western Stars and gave a related TV Interview.[1]
Arness was nominated for the following Emmy awards:[14]
| James Arness | |
|---|---|
| Born |
James Aurness May 26, 1923 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1947–1994 |
| Spouse |
Virginia Chapman (1948-1960) Janet Surtrees (1978-present)[1] |
| Website | |
| http://www.jamesarness.com | |
James Arness (born May 26, 1923)[2] is an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for 20 years. His brother was the late actor, Peter Graves. Arness has the distinction of having played the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in five separate decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in Return to Dodge (1987) and four more made-for-TV Gunsmoke movies in the 1990s.
Contents |
Arness was born as James Aurness in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents were Rolf Cirkler Aurness (July 1894 - July 1982), a businessman, and Ruth (née Duesler) Aurness (d. September 1986), a journalist. His father's ancestry was Norwegian, his mother's German.[3] The family name had been Aursnes, but when Rolf's father Peter Aursnes immigrated from Norway in 1887, he changed it to Aurness.[2] He was raised as a Methodist[4].
Arness attended John Burrows Grade School, Washburn High School and West High School in Minneapolis. Despite "being a poor student and skipping many classes", he graduated from high school in June 1942. He then enlisted in the United States Army to serve in World War II.[2]
Arness had a brother, actor Peter Graves (1926–2010). (Peter Aurness used the stage name "Graves," a maternal family name.)[2] He too was raised as a Methodist.
In his prewar years, Arness worked as a courier for a jewelry wholesaler, loading and unloading railway boxcars at the Minneapolis freightyards, and logging in Pierce, Idaho.[2]
Arness wanted to be a naval fighter pilot, but he felt his poor eyesight would bar him. His height of 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) ended his hopes, since 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) was the limit for aviators. Instead, he was called for the Army and reported to Fort Snelling in March 1943.[2]
Arness served as a rifleman with the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, and was severely wounded during Operation Shingle, at Anzio, Italy.[5]
According to James Arness – An Autobiography, he landed on Anzio Beachhead on January 21, 1944 as a rifleman with 2nd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. Due to his height, he was the first ordered off his landing craft to determine the depth of the water; it came up to his waist.[2]
On January 29, 1945, having undergone surgery several times, Arness was honorably discharged. His wounds have bothered him ever since, and in recent years Arness has suffered from acute leg pain[1] which even prevents him from mounting a horse. He underwent a series of operations to remove bullet fragments that had fused into the bone.[citation needed]
His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart;[1] the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, the World War II Victory Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge.[6]
After his discharge, James Aurness entered Beloit College in Wisconsin. He began his performing career as a radio announcer in Minnesota in 1945.[7]
Aurness soon began acting, and appeared in films. He began with RKO, which immediately changed his name to 'Arness'. His film debut was as Loretta Young's (Katie Holstrom) brother, Peter Holstrom, in "The Farmer's Daughter" (1947).[1] John Wayne was originally offered the starring role in an upcoming TV western drama entitled Gunsmoke. Wayne turned down the offer but strongly recommended Arness for the role. Though identified with westerns, Arness also appeared in two science fiction films, The Thing from Another World (in which he portrayed the title character) and Them!. He was a close friend of John Wayne and co-starred with him in Big Jim McLain, Hondo, Island in the Sky, and The Sea Chase.
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 series, McClain's Law.
Arness did the narration for Harry Carey Jr.'s Comanche Stallion (directed by Clyde Lucas).[8]
Until 2010, Gunsmoke had the longest run of any scripted primetime American television series with recurring characters.[9] As of 2010 it is the sixth globally, after Doctor Who (1963–1989), Taggart (1983-), The Bill (1984–2010), The Simpsons (1989-) and Law & Order (1990–2010). James Arness and Milburn Stone portrayed their Gunsmoke characters for twenty consecutive years, as did Kelsey Grammer as the television character Frasier Crane.[10]
Films1947 The Farmer's Daughter | 1952 The Girl In White |
1950 The Lone Ranger (1 episode as Deputy Bud Titus)[12][13]
1954 Lux Video Theatre "The Chase"
1956 Front Row Center
1959 The Red Skelton Chevy Special
1961 The Chevrolet Golden Anniversary Show
1972 A Salute to Television's 25th Anniversary
1976 The Macahans
1977 How The West Was Won—Miniseries
1978 - 1979 How The West Was Won—TV series
1981 McClain's Law
1987 The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory— as Jim Bowie[14]
1988 Red River(1988)[15] remake of Red River(1948)
1987 Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge
1990 Gunsmoke II: The Last Apache
1992 Gunsmoke III: To The Last Man
1993 Gunsmoke IV: The Long Ride
1993 Gunsmoke V: One Man's Justice
Arness has been married twice, first to Virginia Chapman from 1948 until their divorce in 1960.[18] She died in 1976. Arness has been married to Janet Surtrees since 1978.[1] He has two sons, Rolf (b. February 18, 1952) and Craig (d. December 14, 2004).[19] His daughter Jenny Lee Aurness (b. May 23, 1950) committed suicide on May 12, 1975.[20] Rolf Aurness became World Surfing Champion in 1970.[18] Craig Aurness founded the stock photography agency Westlight and also was a photographer for National Geographic.[21]
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. Arness was inducted into the Santa Clarita Walk of Western Stars in 2006, and gave a related TV interview.[1]
On the 50th anniversary of television in 1989, People Magazine chose the top 25 television stars of all time. Arness was number 6. [22]
Arness was nominated for the following Emmy awards:[19]
   | official James Arness-website - The Official James Arness Website - Gunsmoke |
| | James Arness Television Interview - SCVTV.com | Santa Clarita Valley History |
| | James Arness - James Arness Biography (1923-) |
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