James Arness (born May 26, 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota as James Aurness) is an actor best
known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for 20 years, over five decades.[1]
Arness's parents were Rolf Cirkler Aurness and Ruth Duesler, descendants of German and
Norwegian immigrants. Arness is the older brother of actor Peter Graves. He was the tallest actor ever to play a lead role, standing 6 ft 7 in (2.0
m).[citation needed]
Military service in World War II
James Arness served in the United States Army during World War II, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Anzio,
leading to a lifelong slight limp.
[citation needed]After the war Arness entered
Beloit College where he was initiated into Beta Theta Pi, under his original last
name.
According to his 2001 autobiography James Arness – An Autobiography, Arness landed on Anzio
Beach on 21 January, 1944 while serving as a rifleman with 2nd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment of the
3rd Infantry Division. Due to his unusual height (6 ft, 7 in / 2.0
m), Arness, acting as “a depth finder,” was first ordered off his landing craft to determine the depth of the water (it came up
to his waist).
On D+3 Arness received his "baptism of fire" when he was almost killed by enemy 20 mm flak wagon fire during a night patrol
behind enemy lines. A few days later, Arness was involved in a sustained firefight with enemy machine gunners occupying a
farmhouse. Ultimately, the enemy brought mortar fire down on Arness and his squad, which were lying low in a shallow drainage
ditch filled with water. One mortar round hit within a few feet of Arness, killing the infantryman to his left. Heavy artillery
then pinned down 2nd Platoon until nightfall. Using darkness to mask their escape the platoon quietly and quickly made their way
back to their lines.
Later Arness and his squad engaged an enemy machine gun in a farmhouse. Upon entering the house Arness and two other rifleman
crept up the steps, and threw grenades into the room with the machine gun. Once the grenades exploded, Arness and the others
rushed the room and sprayed the enemy with rifle fire, killing the three-man gun crew.
On the night of 1 February 1944, 2nd Platoon (with Arness) was assigned to reconnoiter a sector between the lines. There was
no moon. The platoon spread out to minimize casualties and advanced slowly, under direct orders not to speak or make a sound.
Due to his night combat experience and a “sixth sense” Arness was the point man for his
squad. Moving silently as possible, approximately 40 to 50 feet ahead of his squad, Arness would later say that it was so dark
that he could not see his feet or where he was stepping.
After walking approximately 20 minutes there was no contact and except for the night sounds the air was quiet. Arness moved
through a small vineyard. Suddenly he heard voices just 50 feet ahead. Seconds later Arness heard a “guttural scream” and an
enemy machine gun fired, hitting Arness in the right leg with a machine gun bullet (or bullets).
Despite the excruciating pain (he later said the bones in his lower right leg “had been shot all to hell”) he was able to leap
over a row of vines, and out of the line of fire. Now intense enemy fire was directed at him from both sides. Then an enemy
“potato masher” concussion grenade went off near him, the explosion literally lifting Arness off the ground. Arness hugged the
earth as enemy machine gunfire racked around him, just 18-inches above the ground.
After an intense firefight, the enemy was eventually beaten back or eliminated by the rest of 2nd Platoon. While lying in the
vineyard Arness felt he was going into shock. In a semi-conscious state he heard voices, realizing it was soldiers from his own
platoon checking on the wounded and dead. The point man next to Arness had been killed, as well as several others. Finally a
medic found Arness and asked if he had been hit.
Arness responded, “In the leg” and realized he could not move. The medic said the leg bones had been severely splintered.
Treating the wound with sulfa powder, the medic administered a shot of morphine directly into Arness’ stomach. The medic then
declared the wound a “ZI” or “Zone of Interior” wound, (aka Million Dollar Wound), which meant an eventual ticket stateside.
On 29 January, 1945, having received numerous surgeries, Arness received an honorable discharge. Still, his wounds would
affect him for the rest of his life. In later years Arness has suffered from acute leg pain (which prevented him from mounting a
horse) and has undergone a series of operations to remove bullet fragments that had infused into the bone.
Reflecting on his military service Arness would write in his Autobiography, “Upon my return home, my mother packed away my
uniforms and medals, and I forged ahead seeking a new life. But I’ve always cherished my army time, and I’ve often thought about
the war. Anzio was the most searing experience of my life.” Adding further, "Certainly my survival of World War II was a
near-miracle, since my outfit got so badly battered at Anzio. To this day I feel that had I not been wounded and evacuated, I
wouldn't have survived those days of fierce fighting."
His military awards and medals are as follows: Bronze Star; Purple Heart; Good Conduct; American Campaign;
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign with three bronze star devices; Amphibious arrowhead; World War II Victory Medal; and
Combat Infantryman's Badge (CIB).
Acting career
Though primarily identified with Westerns, he also is remembered for appearing in two
science fiction films, The Thing from
Another World and Them!. He was a close personal friend of John Wayne's and co-starred with him in Big Jim McLain, and
Island in the Sky. Wayne said that when he imagined Marshal Dillon,
he saw Arness. Wayne even did a television spot introducing Arness in the role.
After Gunsmoke ended, Arness performed primarily in western-themed movies and television series, including
How the West Was Won, and five made-for-television
Gunsmoke reunion movies between 1987 and 1994. A notable exception was a brief turn as a big city police officer in the
short-lived 1981 series, McClain's Law.
Mr. Arness did the narration for Harry Carey Jr.'s western Comanche Stallion,
directed by Clyde Lucas.
For his contribution to the television industry, James 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.
Filmography
Television work
Notes
- ^ This length of time in a role is shared with Kelsey Grammer’s portrayal of Dr. Frasier Crane. Grammer played
the same role on three different programs: Cheers, Frasier, and Wings. Regardless, Arness has the distinction
of playing the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in five separate decades: 1955 to 1975 in the weekly series, then in the decade of the
1980s (1987) Return to Dodge, and four more made-for-TV Gunsmoke movies
in the 1990s.
External links
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