- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJames King Aurness
- Nicknames
- Jim
- Jimmy
- James Aurness
- Height6′ 6¾″ (2.00 m)
- American leading man famed as the star of one of the longest-running
shows in U.S. television history,
Gunsmoke (1955). Born of Norwegian
heritage (the family name, Aurness, had formerly been Aursness) in
Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Rolf and Ruth Duesler Aurness. His father was
a traveling salesman of medical supplies and his mother later became a
newspaper columnist. James attended West High School in Minneapolis.
Although he appeared in school plays, he had no interest in performing,
and dreamed instead of going to sea. After high school, he attended one
semester at Beloit College before receiving his draft notice in 1943.
He entered the army and trained at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, before
shipping out for North Africa. At Casablanca, Arness
joined the 3rd Infantry Division in time for the invasion of Anzio. Ten
days after the invasion, Arness was severely wounded in the leg and
foot by German machine-gun fire. His wounds, which plagued him the rest
of his life, resulted in his medical discharge from the army.
While recuperating in a hospital in Clinton, Iowa, Arness was visited by his younger
brother Peter (later to gain fame as actor
Peter Graves), who suggested he
take a radio course at the University of Minnesota. James did so, and a
teacher recommended him for a job as an announcer at a Minneapolis
radio station. Though seemingly headed for success in radio, he
followed a boyhood friend's suggestion and went with the friend to
Hollywood to find work as a film extra. Arness studied at the
Bliss-Hayden Theatre School under actor
Harry Hayden, and while appearing in a play
there was spotted by agent Leon Lance. Lance got the actor a role as
Loretta Young's brother in
The Farmer's Daughter (1947).
The director of that film, H.C. Potter,
recommended that he drop the "u" from his last name and soon thereafter
the actor was officially known as James Arness.
Little work followed this break, and Arness became sort of beach bum, living on the
shore at San Onofre and spending his days surfing. He began taking his
acting career more seriously when he began to receive fan mail
following the release of the Young picture. He appeared in a production
of "Candida" at the Pasadena Community Playhouse, and married his
leading lady, Virginia Chapman. She
pressed him to study acting and to work harder in pursuit of a career,
but Arness has been consistent in ascribing his success to luck. He
began to act small roles with frequency, often due to his size,
and mostly villainous characters. Most notable among these was that of the space
alien in
The Thing from Another World (1951).
While playing a Greek warrior in a play, Arness was spotted by agent
Charles K. Feldman, who represented
John Wayne. Feldman introduced Arness
to Wayne, who put the self-described 6', 6" actor under personal
contract. Arness played several roles over the next few years for and
with Wayne, whom he considered a mentor. In 1955, Wayne recommended
Arness for the lead role of Matt Dillon in the TV series
Gunsmoke (1955). (Contrary to urban
legend, Wayne himself was never offered the role.) Arness at first
declined, thinking a TV series could derail his growing film career,
but Wayne argued for the show, and Arness accepted. His portrayal of
stalwart Marshal Dillon became an iconic figure in American television
and the series, aired for 20 seasons, is, as of 2008, the
longest-running dramatic series in U.S. television history. Arness
became world-famous and years later reprized the character in a series
of TV movies.
After the surprising cancellation of "Gunsmoke" in 1975,
Arness jumped immediately into another successful (though much
shorter-lived) Western project, a TV-movie-miniseries-series
combination known as "How The West Was Won." A brief modern police
drama, McClain's Law (1981),
followed, and Arness played his mentor John Wayne's role in
Red River (1988), a remake of
the Wayne classic.
Following the aforementioned "Gunsmoke" TV movies
(the last in 1994, when Arness was 71), Arness basically retired. His
marriage to Virginia Chapman ended in divorce in 1960. They had three
children, one of whom, Jenny Lee, committed suicide in 1975.
Arness subsequently married Janet Surtrees in 1978.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>
- SpousesJanet Arness(December 16, 1978 - June 3, 2011) (his death)Virginia Chapman(February 12, 1948 - April 5, 1963) (divorced, 3 children)
- Children
- ParentsRolf Cirkler AurnessRuth Eleanore Duesler Salisbury
- RelativesPeter Graves(Sibling)
- Commanding voice
- Towering height
- The role of Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke (1955).
- He was the only actor to appear in all 635 episodes of Gunsmoke (1955).
- In 1968, he donated his 1,400-acre ranch in northern Los Angeles County to the Brandis Institute.
- On 6/20/05 he was honored at Los Angeles City Hall by the mayor, the 15 City Council members and the City Attorney with a resolution honoring his life's work as an actor and 60-year resident of Los Angeles. The colorful resolution included a depiction of a US Marshal's badge and a salute to his work as Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke (1955) and its over-20-year duration as television's longest-running drama series. It also recalled his heroism during World War II and thanked him for "leaving us with one of the most telling and realistic portraits ever created of the brave, tall man in the saddle who tames a western town as he searches for justice and peace." Arness called it "the most wonderful day in his life" and says the resolution is now framed and in a prominent place in his home. He received a standing ovation that morning.
- Honorary US Marshal, "in recognition of his unique contribution to the image and traditions of the U.S. Marshal's Service".
- According to an article on television westerns in "Time" magazine (3/30/59), Arness stood 6' 7", weighed 235 lbs, and had chest-waist-hips measurements of 48-36-36. However, he usually gave his own height as 6' 6" in interviews.
- "If they were man and wife, it would make a lot of difference. The
people upstairs decided it was better to leave the show as it was,
which I totally agreed with." - on why his Gunsmoke character, Marshal
Dillon, never married Miss Kitty. - I had the pleasure of knowing Ronald Reagan before he became
Governor of California. He was a truly great human being and we usually
spent our time together reminiscing about mutual friends. He will be
missed by all who knew him and by a nation that will mourn with us. (2004) - I have met many other actors who were great also, but there was something about him that was so special He was just off in a class by himself somehow. It was a real privilege really to be around the man and to know him. I was with his company for three years, and it was just a special time. - On John Wayne
- With Gunsmoke (1955), we had an outstanding quality of writing. The show had been on radio for three years, so they were able to fine-tune the characters. What made us different from other westerns was the fact that Gunsmoke wasn't just action and a lot of shooting; they were character-study shows. They're interesting to watch all these years later.
- [on Gunsmoke's cancellation in 1975]: We didn't do a final, wrap-up show. We finished the 20th year, we all expected to go on for another season, or two or three. They (the network) never told anybody they were thinking of canceling us.
- Gunsmoke (1955) - $1,200 per episode (first years) - $20,000 per episode
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content