Gunsmoke featured Arness in the leading role of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon. His real-life height certainly made him stand out from the pack, as he stood at 6'7″ tall. Arness started out in theater before moving over into feature films and television, but he had some difficulty making it work in Hollywood.

Who was bigger, Chuck Connors or James Arness?

James Arness was 6' 7" (2.01m) tall. However, in this episode Hollywood tricks make him appear smaller than Chuck Conners, who was 6' 5½" (1.9m) tall. Chuck Conners was also known as "The Rifleman" in the series The Rifleman (1958).

What was the cause of death for James Arness?

Arness died from natural causes at the age of 88 years at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles on June 3, 2011.

How old was James Arness in the first episode of Gunsmoke?

The actor was 32 when friend John Wayne declined the lead role in "Gunsmoke" and recommended Arness instead. Afraid of being typecast, Arness initially rejected it. "Go ahead and take it, Jim," Wayne urged him.

What was James Arness like in real life?

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.

How much did James Arness make per episode of Gunsmoke?

Did the cast of Gunsmoke get along in real life?

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.

Why did Festus quit Gunsmoke?

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.

What religion was James Arness?

He was raised as a Methodist. Arness attended John Burrows Grade School, Washburn High School and West High School in Minneapolis. Despite “being a poor student and skipping many classes”, he graduated from high school in June 1942. He then enlisted in the United States Army to serve in World War II.

Did James Arness' wife ever appear on Gunsmoke?

In the unedited version, there is an odd scene where Matt and Chester approach a gypsy in Dodge City played by James Arness's wife at the time, Virginia Chapman. She is uncredited in this show; however, in a previous episode, Reed Survives (1955), she is credited as a gypsy but never seen.

Are any cast members from Gunsmoke still alive?

Some Gunsmoke actors still living and working today include Roger Ewing, Buck Taylor, Kim Darby, and William Shatner. William Shatner, known for Star Trek, made a memorable appearance on Gunsmoke as Fred Bateman in a single episode.

Who did Matt Dillon marry in Gunsmoke?

A: Matt Dillon (James Arness) and Kitty (Amanda Blake) never married during the series 1955-75 run, although close watchers of the show were convinced they had connected at some time. But in a 1973 episode, Matt had a brief affair with another woman, Mike Yardner (Michael Learned), while he had amnesia.

How many pounds did James Arness weigh?

According to an article on television westerns in "Time" magazine (3/30/59), Arness stood 6' 7", weighed 235 lbs, and had chest-waist-hips measurements of 48-36-36.

Who was the tallest actor?

Brad Garrett - 6'8''

Who is the tallest actor? Brad Garrett. If you ever saw Everybody Loves Raymond then you must be aware of the fact that more than half of the jokes around Robert Barone (Garrett' character) were related to his impressive and distinctive height.

What was the relationship between James Arness and Peter Graves?

Peter Aurness grew up with his older brother James in Minneapolis. The two boys both joined the Army in World War II and later fell into acting. James altered the family surname to Arness. Peter opted for a stage name from his maternal side, Graves.

Did Festus ever have a girlfriend on Gunsmoke?

MacRae was also cast multiple times on the long-running Gunsmoke, appearing once in the role of Fanny in the 1962 episode "Half-Straight" and then, between 1962 and 1965, appearing four times as April, the girlfriend of Festus Haggen, one of the series' main characters.

How many biological children did James Arness have?

His marriage to Virginia Chapman ended in divorce in 1960. They had three children, one of whom, Jenny Lee, committed suicide in 1975.

Did James Arness daughter play on Gunsmoke?

James Arness's daughter Jenny appears in a small role.

Did James Arness and Dennis Weaver get along?

' ” 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.

How many times did James Arness marry?

In his lifetime, James Arness was married twice. James first married Virginia Chapman in 1948. During this marriage, he adopted Chapman's son Craig Arness (1946 – 2004), who went on to found the stock photography agency, Westlight and worked as a photographer for National Geographic.

Was James Arness hair dyed?

In this role, as in others, James Arness is shown with his natural colored hair, blonde. Later, he had to dye his natural blond hair since dark hair was considered more masculine, especially for the role of Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.

Why did Burt Reynolds quit Gunsmoke?

Reynolds left Gunsmoke to pursue a career in movies, which ultimately led him to become an iconic movie star.

Why did Gunsmoke end so abruptly?

Between 1963 and 1967, the ratings for Gunsmoke had declined to the point where the show fell outside the Top 30 in the Nielsen ratings. The decision to cancel Gunsmoke was initiated by a younger core of CBS executives, who felt that Gunsmoke was outdated and should be replaced with a more contemporary show.

Why did Dennis Weaver quit Gunsmoke?

Dennis Weaver never anticipated that the series would be as successful and long running as it was— and as he neared the end of his time on Gunsmoke, he was entirely out of creative directions in which to take his character, and he began to feel the physical repercussions of walking with a limp for so long.