Remembering James Arness

In the 1950's the growing new medium of television invaded American homes and one of the most popular TV genres was the western. The first western to appear was the Hopalong Cassidy show in 1949. Many of the early programs such as The Roy Rogers Show, Gene Autry, and The Lone Ranger were oriented more toward child audiences. Plots were usually pretty simple 30-minute "shoot-em-ups" with the good guys in white hats and the bad guys in black hats.

As television grew programs became more sophisticated and westerns began to target adult audiences. By 1959 there were 26 westerns on prime time TV, and eight of the top ten rated shows were westerns.

The first hour long western, Cheyenne, premiered in September of 1956, and starred a six foot six inch hunk who could have won a Mr. America contest, Clint Walker. About a post-Civil War frontier scout wandering across the West, the program was initially popular and ran for eight seasons, but the hour long format was new and presented unique difficulties, and fewer episodes were produced. Although the lead character, Cheyenne, was a good guy, he was a drifter with no home roots, and the show eventually became monotonous and lost its appeal.

The same month Cheyenne hit the airways, another western about Marshal Matt Dillon of Dodge City, also premiered. Gunsmoke starred another tall (6 foot 7 inch), although not quite as big, actor by the name of James Arness. With a cast of steady characters, home roots, and first rate script writers, the show was a hit, finishing first in the TV ratings five years running from 1957-61.

James Arness had been wounded in the right leg in the invasion at Anzio in World War 2. In his autobiography he wrote that his favorite hymn was "Holy, Holy, Holy," and that as he lay in a field severely wounded and unable to move, that hymn went through his mind over and over through the night until he was rescued.

He spent a year in the hospital recovering and after the war got into radio broadcasting, which then led to the movies. In 1951 he met John Wayne and starred in four movies with him for Batjac, Wayne's production company, including the anti-communist film, Big Jim McClain. He and Wayne developed a great friendship, shared the same conservative values, and it was John Wayne that recommended Arness for the roll of Matt Dillon.

Gunsmoke became the longest running drama in television history, lasting for 20 years. Following Gunsmoke, Arness made several TV movies and the miniseries, How the West Was Won, one of the best things ever done on television.

During the filming of How the West Was Won, a horse riding club, the Westernaires, from Jefferson County in Colorado was used for the US cavalry in three episodes. My brother, Randall, was a member of the Westernaires and spent several days around Canon City, Colorado where they were filming. (We saw him on screen twice!)

Randall, who has spent his life in the entertainment business, was particularly interested in how the actors worked and performed. He watched Arness closely whenever he had a chance, and one day had the privilege of a long chat and having his picture taken with another great actor, Ricardo Montalban. When he had a chance to meet James Arness, Arness was very kind and personable without the least bit of Hollywood pride or arrogance.

In more recent years Arness started a website (www.jamesarness.com) in which he posted a monthly update on his activities and answered questions from his fans, mostly about Gunsmoke and his relationships with the cast. He was very generous in his remembrances about his co-stars and the entire Gunsmoke experience, and he always made a plug for the United Cerebral Palsy foundation with which he had been actively involved for years.

About four years ago he announced that he would no longer be making public appearances and I noticed in the last year or more that his updates were becoming fewer and I began to wonder about his health. Sadly today we learned of his passing away.

When I was about six years old, Friday nights at our house consisted of dinner, then moving to the living room to watch Paladin, followed by Gunsmoke. Paladin, as most of the rest of the westerns, faded into obscurity, but Gunsmoke continued on year after year. Matt Dillon bringing justice to the wild west, and promoting pro-family morality and good neighborly values was part of my upbringing.

James Arness, a real American hero, will be missed.