James Arness

	James Arness
	; James Arness
	Background information
Born as:	James King Aurness
Born	May 26, 1923; Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	Jun 3, 2011 - at age 87; Los Angeles, California, U.S.; natural causes at 80yo
Spouse(s):	Virginia Chapman; (1948 - 1960) divorced; Janet Surtees; (1978 - );
Relatives:	Peter Graves (brother)
Occupation:	Actor (1947–1994)
Website:	jamesarness.com
Height:	6' 7" (2.01m)
	Editor's note about articles in this category

Military Service WWII
Allegiance :	United States
Branch:	United States Army
Rank/Rate:	Corporal
Command(s):	2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment
Unit:	3rd Infantry Division
Served:	1943–1945
Battles:	Battle of Anzio
Awards/Medals:	Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart

James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series "Gunsmoke". He distinguished himself by playing the role of Dillon across five decades: from 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) and four additional made-for-television 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.

Early life

James Arness was born in Minneapolis. His parents were businessman Rolf Cirkler Aurness and journalist Ruth Duesler. His father's ancestry was Norwegian, while his mother's was German. The family name had originally been Aursnes, but when Rolf's father, Peter Aursnes, emigrated from Norway in 1887, he changed it to Aurness. James Arness and his family were Methodists. Arness's younger brother was actor Peter Graves, who used the stage name "Graves, " a maternal family name.

Arness attended John Burroughs Grade School, Washburn High School, and West High School in Minneapolis. During this period, he 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. Despite being " a poor student and skipping many classes," he graduated from high school in June 1942.

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

Military service in World War II

Although Arness wanted to be a naval fighter pilot, he was concerned that his poor eyesight would hinder him. However, it was his 6-ft, 7-in (2.01 m) frame that dashed his hopes because the height limit for aviators was set at 6 ft, 2 in (1.88 m). He was drafted into the US Army and reported to Fort Snelling in Hennepin County, Minnesota, in March 1943. As a rifleman, he landed on Anzio Beachhead on January 22, 1944, with the 2nd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. Due to his height, Arness was the first man ordered off the 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, and medically evacuated from Italy to the United States, where he was sent to the 91st General Hospital in Clinton, Iowa. His brother Peter, later known as actor Peter Graves, came to see him as he began his long recuperation, assuring him not to worry about his injuries and that he could likely find work in the field of radio. After undergoing several surgeries, he was honorably discharged from the Army on January 29, 1945. However, his wounds continued to trouble him throughout the remainder of his life. In his later years, he suffered from chronic leg pain that often became acute and was sometimes triggered when he was mounted on horses during his performances on Gunsmoke.

His military decorations included the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the American Campaign Medal, the European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars and arrowhead device, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Personal life

Arness married Virginia Chapman in 1948 and adopted her son Craig (1946 – December 14, 2004). Arness and Chapman also had a son, Rolf (born February 18, 1952), and a daughter, Jenny Lee Arness (May 23, 1950 – May 12, 1975). Rolf Arness became the World Surfing Champion in 1970. Craig Arness founded the stock photography agency Westlight and was also a photographer for National Geographic. When they divorced in 1963, Arness was granted legal custody of the children. His daughter Jenny died from an apparently deliberate drug overdose in 1975. His former wife Virginia died from an accidental 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 their relationship ended. In 1978, Arness married Janet Surtees. She and his sons 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 had a case of the uncontrollable giggles. James Arness disdained publicity and banned reporters from the Gunsmoke set. He was described as a shy and sensitive man who enjoyed poetry, yacht racing, and surfing. TV Guide dubbed him "The Greta Garbo of Dodge City. " Buck Taylor thought so highly of Arness that he named his second son, Matthew, after Arness's character.

Death

Arness died from natural causes at the age of 88 years at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles on June 3, 2011.

Awards

Arness has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1751 Vine Street for his contributions to the television industry. In 1981, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Additionally, Arness was inducted into the Santa Clarita Walk of Western Stars in 2006 and gave a related TV interview.

On the 50th anniversary of television in the United States in 1989, People magazine selected the "top 25 television stars of all time." Arness ranked sixth.[28] In 1996, TV Guide listed him as number 20 on its "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" roster.[29]

Arness was nominated for three Emmy Awards:

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.