jw_shultz 83 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 (edited) Actor / WW2 veteran James Arness has passed away. He was 88. He was sheriff Matt Dillon on the TV series Gunsmoke. He was also a WW2 veteran, having fought at Anzio Italy & received a Puple Heart. I grew up watching reruns of Gunsmoke with my dad. Sheriff Matt Dillon took absolutely no shit from anybody. That was back when there was good stuff to watch on TV. RIP Mr. Arness Edited June 4, 2011 by VULCANGUNNER 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cobra 76 two 2,677 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Oh man bummer. He was awesome. RIP Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The_Vigilante 14 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Marshall Dillon has now joined Doc, Kitty, Festus, and Chester for the last round-up in the sky. May God bless them all and RIP. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jamesmadison 55 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 I'm a huge fan of Gunsmoke. I even got my wife totally into it. My Mom got me an autographed 8x10 framed photo of James Arness as Dillon for my birthday a couple of years ago. I will be setting it in a prominent place this weekend and marathoning Gunsmoke. Thank you Mr. Arness for your service to this country and for all of the great Gunsmoke adventures. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vulcan16 971 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 (edited) Many are not aware that James Arness was a surfer. He hung out with the legendary Hawaiian surfers on the westside of Oahu and is the father of 1970 Surfing World champion Rolph Arness. RIP James Edited June 4, 2011 by Jetmech Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gemmons 23 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 We all have to go sometime but he will be missed. I watched that show as a kid with my dad and throughout my adult years it was great family entertainment for sure. Man as I get older I am watching all the celebs from my time pass away and it really sinks in how time moves so fast. I can remember those days as if it was yesterday but it was over 40 years ago. We just lost another good guy so RIP Jim. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DogMan 2,343 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Watch this opening. I think I know why they decided not to go with this one. Cuz you pretty much don't have a show after that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNJ0g0veKxo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BronCobraJet 80 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Ah, back when there were only 3 channels, and a public tv channel. Back when shows were worth watching. RIP, James Arness, and thanks for the memories. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
N4KVE 14 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Gunsmoke reruns are on TV every day. I remember watching it as a kid until it was replaced by Mannix. By the way, Peter Graves from Mission Impossible was his brother. GARY N4KVE Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jw_shultz 83 Posted June 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Arness was like 6'-7" tall or something like that. That is a big dude. Yeah, 3 channels in B&W. Those were the days! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Black3 16 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Or if you lived in the country, it was a big honking antenna and one channel. We got a rotator for the antenna in the early sixties and then we had three channels plus "educational TV," which we only watched when made to at school. 'Course, the downside of three channels was in those days kids were the remote. Watched Gunsmoke quite a bit after we got the rotator so we could tune in other stations. In those days there were Wagon Train, Cheyenne, Sugar Foot, Bonanza was a late comer, but Sunday night was Walt Disney followed by Bonanza. Disney had all sorts of cool stuff like The Swamp Fox, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone etc. I guess I'm dating myself, huh? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
N4KVE 14 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 but Sunday night was Walt Disney followed by Bonanza. I guess I'm dating myself, huh? What, you didn't watch the Ed Sullivan show on Sundays? LOL. GARY N4KVE Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rocinante 100 Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 I use to watch Gunsmoke with my grandpa. Festus was my main man though. Got a kick out of him and doc arguing. Matt was kind of the straight man always. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wolverine 10,360 Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 I still watch the Gunsmoke reruns almost every day on the Encore Western channel. RIP James. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichardC1967 81 Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Betcha didn't know that his brother is Peter Graves from "Mission Impossible", that he played the "Thing" creature (in the original) and that John Wayne turned down the Matt Dillon part and referred James Arness instead, and introduced him in the first episode Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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