Hollywood Went to War

Forty first in our series Hollywood Went to War, is someone who was able to marshal his resources at the smell of gunsmoke, James Arness.

Arness wanted to be a naval fighter pilot, but he felt his poor eyesight would bar him. His height of 6 feet 7 inches ended his hopes, since 6 feet 2 inches was the limit for aviators. Instead, he was called for the Army and reported to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in March 1943. Arness served as a rifleman with the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, and was severely wounded during Operation Shingle, at Anzio, Italy.

According to 'James Arness – An Autobiography', he landed on Anzio Beachhead on January 22, 1944 as a rifleman with 2nd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. Because of his height, he was the first ordered off his landing craft to determine the depth of the water; it came up to his waist.

Arness was sent to the U.S Army 91st General Hospital at Clinton, Iowa, to be treated. On January 29, 1945, having undergone surgery several times, Arness was honorably discharged. His wounds continued to bother him, and in later years, he suffered from chronic leg pain, which sometimes hurt when mounting a horse. His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Mr. Arness, we salute you and thank you for your service to our country. Rest in peace.

James Arness Dead at 88, RIP

Actor James Arness, best know as the solid and stoic Marshall Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke fame has died at age 88.

At six-foot-seven, James Arness— who died today at 88 — would have been a commanding presence in any medium or most any job. Luckily for him, us, and CBS, the job he found was ideal: Matt Dillon, the stalwart marshal who kept the Dodge City peace on TV's longest-running drama, Gunsmoke.

It was a role he would play for twenty years, longer than any other actor on a single primetime series. (Kelsey Grammer would eventually beat his record, but it took him two shows, Cheers and Frasier, to do so.) Along the way he became a symbol, not just of a western hero, but of what an American hero should be: Strong, compassionate, resolute, resilient, slow to anger but extremely dangerous to cross. Matt was the kind of man who inspired devotion, from viewers, from deputies, and from the beautiful bar-keep — Amanda Blake's Miss Kitty — who clearly would have kept time with Matt had he only asked.

Oddly enough, as perfect as the job was for Arness, he almost didn't get it. CBS first offered the role to John Wayne, figuring he'd be a better fit for the TV cameras than the shorter, dumpier William Conrad who originated it on the long-running radio program. But Wayne refused and, instead, recommended Arness, who surprised his mentor by turning it down.

The Duke eventually talked Big Jim Arness into changing his mind and the rest is television history. In a golden age of TV westerns, Gunsmoke and James Arness stood out among the crowd. Gunsmoke was a favorite of my dad, and was among the westerns I grew up watching as a boy. Little known fact: actor Peter Graves was brother to James Arness.

The writer at USA Today said that "He now leaves behind big shoes, and they'll never be filled." Not quite. He now leaves behind big boots that'll never be filled. Rest in Peace.