James Arness trivia question

[growr]

A dear friend of mine and I were discussing James Arness and his role as Marshall Matt Dillon. One of the things he mentioned was that the studio had a special made revolver for him with an extra long barrel so that it look to scale in his large hands.

I looked at the opening scene of him drawing and firing. The length of the barrel from the ejector rod to the muzzle does seem like it is much longer than my 7 1/2 barrel SAA's.

When he is holding the Winchester 92 carbine that the studio always issued, it looks like a toy gun in comparison to anyone else. You would think that they would issue a rifle length barrel for the same reasons but it seems like they didn't.

Anyone know the truth of this matter?

Randy

PS...how in the world did the actors keep their gun belts on when they were worn at such an extremely low angle? Seems like they would always be falling around their ankles. Was there an unseen clip or strap? Velcro wasn't around then.........

 

[diamonback68]

Randy

PS...how in the world did the actors keep their gun belts on when they were worn at such an extremely low angle? Seems like they would always be falling around their ankles. Was there an unseen clip or strap? Velcro wasn't around then.........

Simple, they're butt kept it up.

 

[feralmerril]

I thought I read somewhere that he used a 7 1/2" great western, and it sure looked like one to me. I met him once years ago. He was big! My dad at 6 ft 5"s was about the biggest I knew growing up, (and a almost identical brother, uncle herb), James was every bit of 6ft 7"s.
I remember thinking, those are huge feet! And he walked like they hurt too. I also have met clint walker, (cheyanne). On screen clint looks as tall as arness but clint had a slightly smaller frame I think than arness and was about the same as dad.

 

[feralmerril]

Far as those low gun rigs, I have yet to see even one old original western picture of a low slung rig worn like hollywood. If someone has a picture of that I sure would like to see it! Most wore them high up and tight. I wish just once someone would make a authentic movie how it really, really was!

 

[Bullzaye]

I wish just once someone would make a authentic movie how it really, really was!

Didn't Shane instruct the little boy in the "proper" wear of the gun & holster?

Tim

 

[Texas Star]

I also read that Arness used a normal Great Western revolver. I think new Colts may not have been offered when the show began. Colt resumed production of the SAA about 1955-56.

For those who don't already know: the family name was really spelled as Aurness, and Peter Graves was James's brother. The family was of Swedish origin.

I have no idea how they kept the low guns on, but I guess the actors had enough rump to keep the belts from sliding off.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Again, it's Hollyweird. In the 1992 movie of "The Last of the Mohicans"
all the knives were 2 feet long to show up better on screen, the gunstock club Chingachook carries is about 5 times the size of the ones Indians actually carried.

 

[ACP230]

Col. Jeff Cooper wrote a story you guys might like.
It's in his book "Fireworks" and is called, "The Man Who Knew How It Was."

About a real old west gunfighter.

 

[Texas Star]

Again, it's Hollyweird. In the 1992 movie of "The Last of the Mohicans"
all the knives were 2 feet long to show up better on screen, the gunstock club Chingachook carries is about 5 times the size of the ones Indians actually carried.

The knives, made by Daniel Winkler, looked normal size in a Blade feature...?? They may have also had larger props.

 

[Straightshooter2]

Supposedly the role of Marshall Dillon was written for John Wayne but he didn't want anything to do with a TV series. His production company wasn't making a lot of movies right then and he told the people who came to him about "Gunsmoke" that he had a young actor under contract who would be perfect for the role. Wayne told them that if they took James Arness for the role, he would release him from contract (thus saving Wayne money). Arness was cast as Marshall Dillon, Wayne introduced the first episode and as they say, the rest was history. Oh BTW, the guy Marshall Dillon shot at the beginning of each show was Sam the Bartender. They needed someone for Arness to draw against so they gave Sam a gunbelt and said go to it.

He was also shot in real life. Arness was wounded at Anzio in 1944 and his awards included the Bronze Star and Purple Heart and of course, the CIB.

CW

 

[haggis]

Gunsmoke was a radio program before it was a TV program. The radio program ran from 1952 through 1961, while the TV version went from 1955 to 1975. The radio program was a lot grittier than the TV program, and radio's Matt Dillon was played by William Conrad for the entire series. He was not considered for the TV role because of his weight (you may recall that he later played Cannon in that series). Anyway, I don't think that that Matt Dillon's part was written for John Wayne considering the radio program predated the TV series by three years. It may have been wishful thinking that John Wayne would play the part, but he wanted none of it, and recommended Arness for the part. I do agree that it would be difficult today to think of anybody besides James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Buck

 

[feralmerril]

I always thought it was arvo ojala who matt shot at the start of each show. I think ojala was the coach for gun stunts in the show too.

 

[Texas Star]

I always thought it was arvo ojala who matt shot at the start of each show. I think ojala was the coach for gun stunts in the show too.

That's also what I read.

 

[Sprefix]

Man oh man, is there some great info on this forum. You guys are awesome. I love the behind-the-scenes stuff.

 

[OLDFED]

If you saw the series "Deadwood" I think you will find that the real old west was portrayed well. No Hollywood gunslingers there.

 

[Babalooie]

If you saw the series "Deadwood" I think you will find that the real old west was portrayed well. No Hollywood gunslingers there.

That was my feeling the first time I saw it. Not much romance, just a lot of dirt and grit.

I heard the whole idea of quick draw contests was nothing but a hollywood fabrication; also, the idea that you couldn't shoot a person in the back.

 

[blujax01]

Simple, they're butt kept it up.

Everything old is new again, eh?

 

[growr]

I too understood that it was Orv in the opening scene as well.

James Arness, John Wayne, Tom Selleck and Jimmy Stewart are the very few actors that I would love to have met. Maybe if Tom Selleck is every in Montana again...........maybe, just maybe.

I have another westerns question...why do all the men have their hats at a ridiculous angle on the back of their heads. I am told that it was easier to see their face, however it looks ridiculous to me. Born and raised Montana boy......NO ONE wears their hat in this manner in any western state!

Randy

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

James Arness also played the Thing in the original 1951 movie.
John

 

[Straightshooter2]

I always thought it was arvo ojala who matt shot at the start of each show. I think ojala was the coach for gun stunts in the show too.

Actually we are both correct. The original gunfight with the "Man in Black" filmed in 195? was with Arvo Ojala and was the same street from "High Noon." In 1964 the scene was reshot with Fred McDougall, who played the bartender from 1961-1970, as the "Man in Black" and supposedly for the color opening in 1966 Bill Strathman was the "Man in Black." In the 1970's because of the "anti-violence" movement, the gunfight scene was dropped and replaced with Matt riding his horse "across the wide prairie."

Some sources claim the show was adapted for TV especially for John Wayne and other sources say it wasn't. However, Andrew V. McLaglen (son of Victor McLaglan) directed more episodes of Gunsmoke than anyone else (96). Victor McLaglan was of course the "Irish" sergeant in the John Ford/John Wayne cavalry trilogy and Squire "Red" Will Danaher in "The Quiet Man." When Dennis Weaver left the show, Andrew McLaglan suggested Ken Curtis, another former Wayne costar, for the role of Festus.

Whatever the true story was, "Gunsmoke" did have some connections to Wayne but James Arness quickly made it his show!

CW