He became a close friend of John Wayne and appeared in supporting roles in Big Jim McLain, Hondo, Island in the Sky and The Sea Chase, all starring Wayne. Arness starred in Gun the Man Down, a fast-paced Western, for Wayne's production company.
The cast of Gunsmoke was able to get pretty chummy with each other during the show's twenty-season run, to the point where they felt like a family. Leading this cast of Western stars was James Arness, a man who was— apparently— as tall as he was kind.
Originally, John Wayne was offered the role but turned it down because he had no interest in committing to a weekly TV series. If he had accepted the part, it's incredibly unlikely the series would have ever run that long, and more TV movies of "Gunsmoke" probably would have hit the airwaves instead.
John Wayne found Katharine Hepburn to be very feminine and called her “a man's woman”. They had a special on screen chemistry that was apparent to everyone. He called her Sister.
My Name Is Nobody 1973 | Best Action Western Movies - Full Western Movie English
Did John Wayne have a best friend?
None of John Wayne's show-business friendships were as enduring, or as entertaining, as the kinship he forged with two men he met around the same time—character actor Ward Bond and director John Ford.
Gunsmoke made Ken Curtis' Festus Haggen a series regular to replace Dennis Weaver's beloved Chester Goode after he left to pursue other acting opportunities. However, Curtis refused to return for the first made-for-tv Gunsmoke movie after its 20-season run because of a couple of serious disagreements with a producer.
Wayne did contribute to the show's legacy, however, as he had previously worked with James Arness and recommended him for the role to Gunsmoke writer/producer Charles Warren.
Although he was only in 50 episodes and joined mid-season, Reynolds didn't feel like an outsider. In fact, while he was there, he and the cast became great friends. "He was a wonderful guy to work with, and we all became friends," Arness said. "He just fit right in with the family group, and we had a wonderful time.
' ” Arness, who remained close to Weaver after he left the series, praised him as a “really fine actor.” “We really liked each other a whole lot,” Arness said.
James Arness was the quiet type while he was away from his character, Marshal Matt Dillon. His Gunsmoke character was known for his strong moral code, sense of justice, and fairness, but off-screen Arness was known to limit personal appearances and interviews.
Arness was known for his physicality and willingness to do his own action scenes, including horse riding, fighting, and other physical challenges. However, for particularly dangerous or high-risk stunts, a stunt double would sometimes be used to ensure the safety of the actors.
Why did James Arness and Peter Graves not have the same last name?
Graves was preceded in stardom by his older brother James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon on TV's Gunsmoke. Born Peter Aurness, Graves adopted his grandfather's last name to avoid confusion with his older brother, who had dropped the "u" from the family name.
Taylor said he was up for a couple of other film roles at the time and had to make a choice. It turns out to have been the best decision of his career. Newly became a key member of the cast and Taylor stayed with the series for eight seasons and 174 episodes until its cancellation in 1975.
The famous actor died in 1980 in La Jolla at the age of 75 from a heart attack. Stone was born Hugh Milburn Stone in Burrton, Kan., on July 5, 1904, in Harvey County where the Milburn Stone Theatre was later erected in his name. According to Beverly Schmitz Glass, Ph.
What was the relationship between James Arness and Peter Graves?
James Arness and his family were Methodists. Arness' younger brother was actor Peter Graves. Peter used the stage name "Graves", a maternal family name. Arness attended John Burroughs Grade School, Washburn High School, and West High School in Minneapolis.
Amanda Blake chose to leave Gunsmoke voluntarily. She was a heavy smoker and had surgery for cancer in 1977. She also lived in Phoenix and commuted those 19 years to Los Angeles for the production. With her declining health, the commute became difficult.
Kitty, the red-haired saloon owner who spoke with courage and confidence, was played by Amanda Blake. The character was a vital part of the production, and for 19 seasons, the role stood out, making it a fan favorite. Amanda Blake decided to leave the show; therefore, Kitty was not in the final season.
According to Garry Wills, when Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev visited the US in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, he made two special requests. He wanted to visit Disneyland, and he wanted to meet John Wayne. He was tall (6'4”) and big (225 lbs), and it was obvious from the beginning he was leading man material.
John Wayne's best friend was fellow actor Ward Bond, who starred with Wayne in such classic films as The Searchers, Rio Bravo, Fort Apache, and The Quiet Man. He was also part of Wayne's inner circle of conservative stars who looked to expose and blacklist any suspected communists in Hollywood.
“John Wayne's will ensured that all seven of his children and his first wife (his second wife ԁıеԁ in 1961, per Find-a-Grave) received some compensation, either directly, or through trust funds, leaving them all with five and six-figure sums.
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.
