Arvo Oswald Ojala (February 21, 1920 – July 1, 2005) was a Hollywood technical advisor on the subject of quick-draw with a revolver. He also worked as an actor; his most famous role was that of the unnamed man shot by Marshal Matt Dillon in the opening sequences of the long-running television series Gunsmoke.
A legendary Hollywood quick-draw expert and gun coach, he appeared as the anonymous bad guy who loses the gun duel with James Arness' Marshal Matt Dillon in the opening of the long-running weekly TV series Gunsmoke (1955).
During the 20-year span of CBS's Gunsmoke series, the count ranges from 138 men and seven women to 303 people. If you add in the ones U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon capped in the made-for-TV movies, the total is 407.
Andrew V. McLaglen directed 96 episodes of Gunsmoke (1955), reuniting him with James Arness. James Arness rode the same Buckskin horse (Buck) in this movie as he rode in many episodes of Gunsmoke (1955).
Dennis Weaver, who played Marshal Dillon's trusty sidekick, Chester, from the very beginning, left the show after season nine to free up time for other projects. In 1964, a new character joined the show to help Matt keep the peace.
Violence - Gunsmoke "Young Man With a Gun" (20 Oct 1956)
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.
CBS likely felt Gunsmoke was outdated and wanted to replace it with more contemporary shows, though it was still performing well. This abrupt cancellation meant the crew weren't able to give Gunsmoke a proper finale, however.
Wounded in the leg during the 1944 invasion at Anzio, Italy, Arness was hospitalized for a year and left with a slight limp. He returned to Minneapolis to work as a radio announcer and in small theater roles.
Filming took place at Big Bear Lake, California, Iverson Ranch, Old Tucson Studios, Big Sky Movie Ranch, and Bronson Canyon (Griffith Park). These locations offered unique characteristics that contributed to the cinematic vision of the Western masterpiece.
Wayne did, however, recommend James Arness for the part and his offer to introduce the first episode was readily accepted by CBS. Others who had auditioned for the part included Raymond Burr, Richard Boone, Denver Pyle, and William Conrad.
A Colt . 45 ( S/N 147056) used by James Arness in his role of Marshal Matt Dillon in the classic Western television series, Gunsmoke (Arnes Production Company, CBS Television and Filmaster Productions, 1955-1975), which aired for 20 seasons over 635 episodes.
Burt Reynolds Left Gunsmoke Because His Movie Career Was Taking Off. During a summer hiatus from shooting Gunsmoke Reynolds went and shot a movie and started to be noticed as a movie star. Milburn explained to him, “Your movies are taking off — get out of here," and Reynolds listened.
"Marshall Matt Dillon" signature tan suede square toe Western long boots with rainbow woven cloth pull, and "11 DBLE ARNESS" in chalk on sole bottom of right boot, worn by James Arness on the landmark Western drama Gunsmoke.
CELEBRATED ACTOR Glenn Ford was billed as “the fastest gun in Hollywood” – able to draw and fire in 0.4 seconds – even faster than James Arness (“Gunsmoke”) and John Wayne. The son of a Canadian railroad executive and raised in Southern California, Ford regularly played well-meaning men caught in extreme circumstances.
What happened to Michael Landon's horse on Bonanza?
However, there was an attack and not all of them survived: "The horses were not shot but mutilated, and as a result, Michael Landon's horse did die," Collins confirmed. Collins continued, describing how Landon immediately went after the culprit, offering a reward for any information on the attack.
Arness died from natural causes at the age of 88 years at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles on June 3, 2011. His body was interred in the Sanctuary of Abiding Hope alcove in the Jasmine Terrace section of the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
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.
Often, Festus would squint with the right eye partially closed as well. This means he is right handed but left eye dominant. There are many other actors who do this too. Clint Eastwood does it on Rawhide.
Lord would later play the iconic character Steve McGarrett in the series Hawaii Five-O. Longtime Gunsmoke viewers know that Doc killed a few people during the twenty-year history of the series. While Doc's reaction to Myles Brandell shooting his horse is surprising, it is justified under the circumstances.
