Posted on 06/22/2018 8:33:37 PM PDT by eastforker
James Arness, a World War II veteran beloved by millions for his iconic portrayal of Marshal Matt Dillon on the long-running Western TV series “Gunsmoke,” died June 3 after a long illness.
At 6 foot 7 inches, Arness was, quite literally, a big star, towering over even the likes of his good friend and Hollywood mentor John Wayne. But it was that same impressive height that prevented Arness from fulfilling his dream of being a naval aviator in World War II—he was simply too tall for cockpit duty. As a soldier in the 7th Regiment of the U.S. Army’s Third Infantry Division, Arness took part in the storming of Anzio in 1944. He was severely wounded in the leg by German machine-gun fire, receiving the Purple Heart and an injury that would plague him for the rest of his days. Arness also was awarded the Bronze Star, the Good Conduct Medal, and the European-Mideast Campaign Medal.
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When ISPN was added to my cable I was trilled to find it and I have so enjoyed watching Gunsmoke for two hours every evening. The rest of their programming is also good nostalgic television. So much more entertaining than all the dark garbage put out these days. At least now I have one other channel to watch besides FOX News.
Correct. My mom attended the same high school (Central? Or perhaps it was Southwest) with him - just a year apart.
That character was called Miss Kitty.
Gunsmoke was created in the days before women's lib.
“Who was better Chester or Festus?”
While I respect Dennis Weaver as an actor, the Chester character could never develop enough to hold an entire episode. That accent annoyed me, too. It was over the top.
I like the episodes with Festus the best. He came on as a wolfer, which meant he had trail/frontier skills that could make him a competent deputy and save Marshal Dillon when necessary. I love the “hillfolk” accent and all the quirks (every town has a quirky character) and country decency that go with it. Festus and Doc Adams had a great antagonistic relationship. He and Quint (Burt Reynolds) could really get each other going, too. Festus is an all-time favorite for me.
Yes, there is lots of garbage on TV these days. We have one channel on Cignal Satellite, dedicated to nothing but older shows.
The song that Festus sings, from my post 39, was actually from Have gun, will travel, with Richard Boone, and not Gunsmoke. He was good.
I saw “The Thing” with my dad at age 7. Took a couple of weeks afterward before I could tolerate a closet door that wasn’t completely shut and I could sit in a room without something solid against my back.
I was at age 6 when I saw it. it was the same thing I was scared of closets and dark rooms took quite a while to get over it.
Audie Murphy was 5’5”.
Yeah, but he was a real man before becoming a Hollywood star. Not like Cruise and the others
And his stature had nothing to do with being a real man, which is my point.
Ms. Kitty died of AIDS at age 59.
...
Being married to a gay man can do that to a person.
Chester (Dennis Weaver) was a libtard activist.
Festus (Ken Curtis) campaigned for Ronald Reagan.
Need I say more?
Quint Asper anyone?
he’s only been dead 7 years? Jeez, it seems like it’s been longer than that.
Edward Albert, the Green Acres guy saw some serious action in WWII. You watch these guys on TV, as a kid, being stuffy old coots and then you find out where they were and what they saw in the war...and you juse can’t put the two together.
“Ken Curtis could really sing, I think.”
Ken Curtis was a singer with the “Sons of the Pioneers” along with Roy Rogers.
About a dozen years ago, I asked an online DJ if he did requests. He said, “Sure”. I asked for the Sons of the Pioneers. He emailed me back that he would be playing the entire Sons of the Pioneers collection from 1AM until done 3 days from then. 200+ songs. I recorded the whole lot.
They are great.
The opening showdown for Gunsmoke was ne of the great signature scenes in early TV.
I have every episode of Gunsmoke. Best western series ever. The writers were outstanding in their ability to portray just how difficult it was to survive in the West of the 1800s. God rest his soul.
“Blake joined with others in 1971 to form the Arizona Animal Welfare League, today the oldest and largest “no-kill” animal shelter in the state. In 1985, she helped finance the start-up of the Performing Animal Welfare Society and devoted a great deal of time and money[clarification needed] in support of its efforts, including travels to Africa. Blake reportedly was a one-time board member of the Humane Society of the United States. In 1997, the Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge opened at Rancho Seco Park in Herald, California. The refuge provides sanctuary for free-ranging African hoofed wildlife, most of which were originally destined for exotic animal auctions or hunting ranches.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Blake
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