Geee Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Fox News:James Arness, the 6-foot-6 actor who towered over the television landscape for two decades as righteous Dodge City lawman Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," died Friday. He was 88.The actor died in his sleep at his home in Brentwood, Calif., according to his business manager, Ginny Fazer.Arness' official website posted a letter from Arness on Friday that he wrote with the intention that it be posted posthumously: "I had a wonderful life and was blessed with some many loving people and great friends," he said."I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years."As U.S. Marshal Dillon in the 1955-75 CBS Western series, Arness created an indelible portrait of a quiet, heroic man with an unbending dedication to justice and the town he protected.The wealth and fame Arness gained from "Gunsmoke" could not protect him from tragedy in his personal life: His daughter and his former wife, Virginia, both died of drug overdoses.Arness, a quiet, intensely private man who preferred the outdoor life to Hollywood's party scene, rarely gave interviews and refused to discuss the tragedies."He's big, impressive and virile," co-star Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) once said of Arness, adding, "I've worked with him for 16 years, but I don't really know him." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geee Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Interesting article-I did not know that he and Peter Graves were brothers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 James Arness Interview Selections - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pollyannaish Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Interesting article-I did not know that he and Peter Graves were brothers. Wow! Me neither. He was such a stud. Still love Gunsmoke. May he rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Interesting article-I did not know that he and Peter Graves were brothers. Wow! Me neither. He was such a stud. Still love Gunsmoke. May he rest in peace. Well here you go....have fun You Tube: The Gunsmoke Channel Uploads (628) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argyle58 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 My wife still watches Gunsmoke on TVLand almost every day. Hope he and the Duke are having a good time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceRimmer Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 My wife still watches Gunsmoke on TVLand almost every day. Hope he and the Duke are having a good time. Honestly, I thought he died years ago, but I'll assume he, the Duke, and Festus are knocking back a few cold ones tonight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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