The Silver Screen Oasis

I was sorry to hear about the passing of James Arness and I know many will want to talk about his original Gunsmoke series, but if anything I prefered him as the older Matt Dillon in the high quality tv movies of the 1990s. However, one could argue that the older Dillon more resembled Arness' other great tv role Zeb Machan rather that the young Matt.

Unfortunatly in the UK How The West Was Won was aired at the same time as All Creatures Great And Small, a tv spin off of 2 successful movies and I don't think the show fully recovered from that. However, despite that IMO HTWWW was a great series early on and James Arness was outstanding in it as mountain man Zeb (By the way I recenty saw an elderly impresive Leif Erickson in a simaliar role in the underrated western series The Quest). He also played a cop coming out of retirement Mclain's Law and was Thoman Dunsen in a remake of Red River.

His early films of note include Trouble Along The Way and Hondo with friend Duke Wayne and Horizons West with Robert Ryan and Rock Hudson

I really liked James Arness. He was dignified and not a publicity seeker.My grandmother would stay up past her bed time to watch "Gunsmoke."
He is tied into some of my fondest memories of childhood and spending time with my grandmother.

'Gunsmoke': James Arness' Life and Death

James Arness starred as Marshal Matt Dillon for two decades on CBS' Gunsmoke, becoming the defining leading man among television Westerns. His life was just as incredible behind the camera, as he served in World War II and had little formal training in the acting craft. Arness died 12 years ago, but Gunsmoke forever earned him a spot in television history.

>> https://popculture.com/tv-shows/news/gu ... th-career/

At least WE know he wasn't the brother of that other guy on TV who played Ricky Ricardo.

That's an old story concerning a friend of mine I might relate here if asked.

Sepiatone

Sepiatone wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2023, 11:35 am At least WE know he wasn't the brother of that other guy on TV who played Ricky Ricardo.

That's an old story concerning a friend of mine I might relate here if asked.

Sepiatone

Okay. You're being asked.

I always found him boring as Marshall Dillon. I remember feeling impatient for the show to end so that Have Gun Will Travel would come on. Richard Boone as Paladin was never boring.

LiamCasey wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2023, 2:48 pm

Okay. You're being asked.

Happened back in the early '70's. Was at a friend's place one sunny winter Saturday afternoon to drop off a bag of South American smoking preparation and he had his TV on looking at the matinee movie, which was THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD('51).

So, I happened to ask, "You know who plays the Thing in this movie, right?" And he answered,

"I figure it was just some stunt man or extra in a suit of some kind." So I told him it was James Arness. He replied;

"The GUNSMOKE GUY? Wow. I didn' know that." But he went on to say....

"I still can't believe him and that other guy on TV are brothers." And I said, "You mean Peter Graves." And he asked,

"Who's Peter Graves?" And I said, "You know, the guy from "Mission impossible" with the white hair?" And then he asked,

Oh. He's his brother too?" I was baffled. And asked,

"Too? Who the hell are YOU thinking about?" And he did say...

"You know. That other guy on TV. The guy who played Ricky Ricardo." And I just had to reply....
You mean Desi ARNAZ?" I then reached over, taking the joint out of his mouth and told him he'd had enough.

Sepiatone