Posted on 06/04/2011 6:06:51 PM PDT by stillafreemind
The fact is, " Arness" and John Wayne could entertain us without sex, vulgarity or extreme visual violence. They still helped us to use imagination. Westerns today depend on sex, vulgarity and extreme visual violence for viewers to tune in or pay for a ticket. Encore Western Channel and TV Land still play reruns of the "Gunsmoke" series. On the official James Arness website, Jim was extremely pleased that it was still running.
(Excerpt) Read more at associatedcontent.com ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTOpA9jedo
John Wayne introduces James Arness.
Hope they are in heaven making westerns.
At least now we can hope he is with his brother, Peter Graves, who died last year.
Clint isn't on the list?
RIP and have fun above.
I know exactly how you feel.
He wouldn’t be on mine. He’s a fine actor..but I just never really got into him as a Western Hero.
Same here. It’s a gosh darn shame.
All I know is that when I was a kid he scared the fire out of me in “The Thing.”
I’m glad to have lived thru all the years with these types of actors. Like you, I see few to replace them. I grew up in the 50’s, 60’s.
Thanks.
According to Rush, he very rarely gave interviews. I got the same vibe off of him that you did, just a neat understated 6’7 actor. Ken Curtis was really cool too, I just saw him in the Searchers a couple of hours ago on AMC. God bless ‘em both.
Freegards
“All my heroes are leaving and there are none to replace them.”
Isn’t that the truth.
What? You got something against lil’ Wayne? /s
Theres a link in this article that takes you to Jim’s website. His wife posted a letter from Jim AFTER he died. He had written it for his fans..a good-bye if you will. Check it out. What a wonderful human being.
I think it’s impact is so strong with us because it was a weekly tv series, not just a movie.
In our living rooms, week after week, year after year, then on reruns.
I feel as you do. Something was just cut out of the heart of America, with his death.
Matt Dillon, US Marshall, aka James Arness, is gone from this earthly life.
This hurts.
So sad to learn of his death. He was a man’s man who helped to define American values through his acting. Never heard of a scandal with him, either. Loved him.
I too grew up in the 50’s n 60’s never missed “Gunsmoke.” Today I still watch the re-runs, was a great show unlike the junk they put out today. My wife got me a painting of him for my birthday a few years ago, which he signed. It hangs in our cowboy room with other treasures of Westerns days gone by.
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