Jim Arness

[Bullzaye]

From his obit, linked above: "His relationship with Miss Kitty developed to the point that they shared a kiss during one episode in 1973. They never married, though, and the social order of Dodge City remained intact."

Man, considering that the TV show started in 1955 and ran until 1975, I bet ol' Matt was one frustrated son of a gun beneath that stoic exterior!

According to the Gunsmoke movies that came after the show, Dillon had a daughter from one encounter with "Mike" Yardner (Michael Learned of The Waltons), so...he did have that.

Also, there were occasional images of Matt coming down the stairs of the Long Branch, sometimes with Miss Kitty, and sometimes alone, I believe. So, even though they may not have married, they might still have been friends with benefits, or just "business" acquaintances.

Tim

 

[feralmerril]

There was a "spoof" out many years ago of the cast of gunsmoke. It was real funny. I would like to find that on U tube or whatever. It had matt talking to miss kitty at a bar table and chester and doc was trying to get his attention but matt was more interesting in miss kitty who keeps giggeling while chester is trying to tell him doc has arrow clean through his neck etc. Anyone recall that?

 

[ohiojerry]

Regarding another cast member--in his autobiography "In the Arena", Charlton Heston writes about how he convinced his good friend Milburn Stone to take the role of Doc. Stone had been toiling away in movies with little to show for it but wasn't sure if he wanted to throw in his lot with the new media of television.

 

[millisec]

Awesome show I have not seen since I was a kid. Arness was great but the real character on that show was Festus. Since we are bringing up great Westerns from that era lets not forget Chuck Connors as the rifleman or rawhide.

 

[ralph7]

Awesome show I have not seen since I was a kid. Arness was great but the real character on that show was Festus. Since we are bringing up great Westerns from that era lets not forget Chuck Connors as the rifleman or rawhide.

Ole Festus could sing, too!

Ken Curtis "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" Festus Country - YouTube

 

[Ogandydancer]

My favorite Gunsmoke's are the ones with Dr. Adams and Festus. Check out youtube for Ken Curtis. He has a fantastic voice sang with a group prior to his Gunsmoke days. Never liked the ones with Chester because I don't like him. Never liked him in that NYC detective program either. Just don't like him period. I just read last week that James Arness' war wounds bothered him all his life.

 

[CDROBERTS]

Since he was friendly with John Wayne I wonder if he also learned a few tricks from Wayne's early mentor, Yakima Canutt?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAXDCyQyd9Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psnPEyuB9S4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFhIM5Av7wU

 

[sonora]

Dillon's Colt had a 7&1/2 inch barrel. Probably to match a man the size of Matt Dillon. He would have looked pretty silly drawing a sixgun with a 4 & 5/8 inch barrel. Sonora

!

 

[feralmerril]

I have read it wasnt a colt but a great western clone.

 

[calmex]

Correction again. I just googled him and seen he was finnish. Oh well thats next door, aint it?

Aww, I wanted to be the one to reveal Ojala's origins but you beat me to the Finnish.

 

[shouldazagged]

Aww, I wanted to be the one to reveal Ojala's origins but you beat me to the Finnish.

Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect 200 likes.

 

[ladder13]

James Arness, the Original.

[URL="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTg0OTEyMDQ3NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODY4NDEyMQ@@._V1_SX105_CR0,0,105,105_.jpg"] [/URL]

 

[Sgt 45]

I saw Arvo Ojalla at the '62 Worlds Fair in Seattle, he wasn't fast for his day, he was flat out fast. Draw, fire two rounds (blanks) and you didn't see it and only heard one shot, but two hot cases came out of the gun.
The lead up where he actually shoots Matt was priceless.

 

[Dick Nissen]

Arvo Ojala - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[model3sw]

For some reason I never watched much "Gunsmoke" when it was running, but I am making up for it now with TV Land. I don't know much about fast draw and realize it is TV, but James Arness looks pretty fast to me. Anyone know anything about where he learned to handle a gun? I've read pretty much everything on the net and can't find a reference.

According to Turner Classic Movie threads and historians, Glenn Ford was the fastest gun in Hollywood. Arness was fast, too, but Glenn Ford was significantly faster. Perhaps that 7" (or is it 8"?) barrel Arness carried was part of the reason he was slower.

 

[feralmerril]

Unnh, that would be 7 1/2" barrel.

 

[BigBill]

I don't remember watching gunsmoke but my grandmother was glued to the tv set watching it and Johnny Carson she never missed a show. I remember watching bonanza. Gada-About-Gadis
The flying fisherman on Sunday nites. I wish we had reruns of him and Jerry McKinnis the first real bass fisherman who we owe and made bass fishing what it is today.

 

[Jack Flash]

From his obit, linked above: "His relationship with Miss Kitty developed to the point that they shared a kiss during one episode in 1973. They never married, though, and the social order of Dodge City remained intact."

Man, considering that the TV show started in 1955 and ran until 1975, I bet ol' Matt was one frustrated son of a gun beneath that stoic exterior!

Just because they did not get married doesn't mean they never ... uh ... I better shut up!

 

[PA Reb]

Did y'all see his performace in the late 70s "HowThe West Was Won"?

 

[cockerpoodle2]

My wife grew up in the Logan Heights section of San Diego. According to the neighborhood legend, James Arness'es guns were made by a local man in his backyard shop. It was said that he made them about 20% larger to not look like toys in Arness'es hands. She says she visited the shop with her close friend (next door neighbor of the gunsmith) as a little girl. It would have in the 60's.
My experience was in a (somewhat ratty) ski shop in Santa Monica when I was a UCLA Medical student (1960 to 1964). I was there to have my ski's edges sharpened (do they do that any more ?). The guy at the counter looked up over my head and I turned around to see what he was looking at. It was Arness and he was big as a house. I was 6 ft. one and he was 6 in. taller than I was (my story and I'm sticking to it). He was a total gentleman and waited patiently until I was finished.
I wouldn't have caused any trouble in Dodge if Matt was around.
Buzz (cockerpoodle)