He was 88. Gunsmoke originated as a radio drama series in 1952 and was translated to television three years later, in 1955. But there is more to the actor than his impressive run as Marshal Matt Dillon. After Gunsmoke, Arness starred in How the West Was Won. He was previously married to Amilda Cuddy. Buster Was a Student at the University of South Carolina student, According to the prosecution at the murder trial, Alex shot Maggie and Paul in a desperate strategy to portray himself as a victim and hide the truth of his criminal actions because his financial crimes were going to come to light., In case you dont know, Alex is facing several charges for alleged financial crimes., Related:Jussie Smollett Net Worth, Age, Partner and Jail Sentence. He moved to Hollywood in 1946 at a friend's suggestion. 1st Season DVDs with James Arness, Eva Marie Saint, and Bruce Boxleitner, DVD Date, Cost and Info for 'The Complete 2nd Season', Possible Date, Early Cover Art for the Final Season on DVD ***UPDATED***, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=How_the_West_Was_Won_(TV_series)&oldid=1124080103, American Broadcasting Company original programming, Live action television shows based on films, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Box 1 - November 25, 2009 (4 episodes including Pilot), This page was last edited on 27 November 2022, at 06:33. Answer to Sundays trivia: Did you know (or guess) that the first president born outside the original 13 colonies/states was one of Illinois claims to fame Abraham Lincoln, the nations 16th chief executive? As the plot thickens, Matt has another problem besides his physical wounds he cant remember his past. He reportedly said, I walked in the door and saw him, gave him a hug. Arness had hoped to serve as a pilot but thought his poor eyesight would be a problem. He was 88. Ava Dash is an American philanthropist and author. Buster has been involved in a scandal for a number of years, and his fathers life sentence leaves him puzzled about what he should do. His birth date is on May 26, 1923. Los Angeles Times. He served as president of Love Is Feeding Everyone, which fed 150,000 needy people a week in Los Angeles County. He spoke at the United Nations and Congress, as well as to college students and school children about fighting pollution. Buster Murdaugh said during his fathers murder trial that heknew about his drug use, even though he revealedthat his mother and brother had more understanding of it. A prolific and versatile paperback scribe whose credits include winning a Western Writers of America Spur Award for his novel The Spirit Horses, Cameron's novelization adapted teleplays and screen stories by Calvin Clements, Colley Cibber, Howard Fast, William Kelley, John Mantley, Katharyn Michaelian, Jack Miller and Earl W. Wallace. Its 20-year tenure made Gunsmoke the longest-running scripted prime-time show in American television history, a record that stood until it was broken by The Simpsons in 2009. Dennis Weaver, the American actor and television star, famous for his roles in 'McCloud' and 'Gunsmoke.' in Hollywood with his wife and two year old son, Rusty. James's make-up artist on the set of Gunsmoke married the woman who owned the clothing store. James Arness: An Autobiography, written with James E. Wise Jr., was published in 2001. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [2] It was released on DVD in Europe in November 2009. And it was the 6' 7" frame of the hardy James Arness that gave the Gunsmoke lawman a towering presence. The Gunsmoke family was the thing that people got used to, and (they) wanted to see that in their homes on Saturday nights, you see, he told the Signal. He could save a girl from kidnappers, but not from her fathers brutality. Ironically, it aired the night before the death of actor William Conrad. Although he could not serve as a pilot, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1943. Pick: Do you consider these musicians one-hit wonders? James Arness, the 6-foot-6 actor who towered over the television landscape for two decades as righteous Dodge City lawman Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," died in 2011 He was 88. The big thing with the show was that we had a lot of really fine actors, and more than that, we had started out with great writing., The two gentlemen who originated the show you know, it was on the radio for two or three years before they brought it to television John Meston was the man who conceived the idea of the whole thing. Her sister, a wealthy widow named Molly Culhane, arrives from Chicago to reunite with her only remaining family. Gunsmoke, which began in 1952 as a radio show with William Conrad, landed on the CBS television network as a half-hour black-and-white drama set in a raw Kansas town in 1873. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. They wed in 1948 and had two children, Jenny and Rolf. Afraid of being typecast, Arness initially rejected it. James Arness was a popular American actor who was best known for playing the roles of Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the TV series Gunsmoke. Make your mark in television." "When the garbage man comes," Jay Leno once quipped, "how does he know where the garbage begins and the house ends? June 3, 2011 at 6:05 p.m. James Arness, the 6-foot-6 actor who towered over the television landscape for two decades as righteous Dodge City lawman Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," died Friday. Miffed, the owner of the Long Branch Saloon continues on her own, only to be saved by handsome gunslinger Will Stambridge (, Heres what the BNDs Answer Man had to say about Olivia de Havilland in a 2015 column, Lottery player thought she won $500. "Fortunately, there aren't many times when show business intrudes on our family existence." 11 incredibly cool facts about Burt Reynolds, 6 familiar characters who got their own ''spin-off babies'' cartoons, 12 Sally Field roles that range from iconic to obscure. Arness was married to Virginia Chapman from 1948 to 1963 and married Janet Surtees in 1978. The goofy-foot's son, Rolf, won the 1970 World Surfing Championships. I dont like killings, but Ive been around them, the neighbor says menacingly. Brother of Craig Aurness and Jenny Lee Arness. "Fortunately, there aren't many times when show business intrudes on our family existence.". In the 1970s, he apprenticed with Look magazine. James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, eventually became CBS's most important actor overall. Actor James Arness shown portraying Marshal Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke" in 1957. Arness took on a contemporary role as a police officer in the series McClains Law, which aired on NBC from 1981-82. Alexs son was born Richard Alexander Buster Murdaugh. Original Publication: People Disc - HM0217 People Disc - HM0217 (Photo by Keystone . When Dean visits Mike and the amnesia-befuddled Matt to deliver his threat, he suddenly changes his mind and returns the deposit to the neighbor. Unsure of his future, he drifted around Mexico, but returned to Hollywood determined to be an actor called James Arness. He was 88. 3. Perhaps, after watching Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal on Netflix, you can now believe that this is a real incident. He later played the character in five made-for-TV movies that aired between 1987 and 1993. Roger Schlueter: 618-239-2465, @RogerAnswer. He died at the age of 88. Despite his desire for privacy, a rocky domestic life landed him in the news more than once. Can you recognize these stars on the cover of TV Guide in 1970? The tall, rangy actor was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Mo., where he excelled in high-school drama and athletics. All that, however, finally changed at least, for a night on Sept. 24, 1973, the third week of the series second-last season. When the Gunsmoke offer came in, he said, I wouldnt be able to do it, but I have a young man here under contract who I think would maybe fit the bill. So he very graciously offered to introduce the first episode. Marshal Dillon in the 1955-75 CBS Western series, Arness created an indelible portrait of a quiet, heroic man with an unbending dedication to justice and the town he protected. And although Learned faded from the scene, it wasnt the last we saw of the father-daughter duo. AP Television Writer David Bauder and Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle in New York contributed to this story. Peter, who changed his last name to Graves, went on to star in the TV series "Mission Impossible." In the premiere, which established the tone for the series, Marshal Dillon faces a gunslinger who had killed an unarmed man. Make your mark in television. ", The cancellation of "Gunsmoke" didn't keep Arness away from TV for long: He returned a few months later, in January 1976, in the TV movie "The Macahans," which led to the 1978-79 ABC series "How the West Was Won.". Weaver died Friday from . In my case, pictures like that simply want to take advantage of the Matt Dillon reputation, which is exactly what I dont want. But his real success was on television, where in addition to his cowboy roles he shared the screen with a 600-pound black bear on "Gentle Ben" and faced down a murderous big-rig in the early Steven Spielberg movie "Duel.". In 1948 he married Virginia Chapman and adopted her son by a previous marriage, Craig. He passed away of natural causes at 88 years old. The thick walls helped keep the inside temperature even year-round. Craig Aurness, known for his work in National Geographic, died Dec. 14, 2004, in Panorama City, Calif. Aurness had been undergoing treatment for lung and anemia complications. Here is a look at his life and career. Then shelter shared desperate plea, Sweet doggy named King is left at Burger King, IL cops say. Characters and actors came and went in tales that often focused on travelers passing through on their way west. Two years later, an overdose that police deemed accidental killed her mother. Buster claimed that Alex was heartbroken and devastated by the killings throughout his testimony. By Jeffrey Collins and James Pollard / AP. That honor goes to Kentucky, where, on Feb. 12, 1809, Nancy Hanks Lincoln gave birth to her famous son in a log cabin on a farm in what is now Larue County. He developed slowly, appearing in 30 movies before his mentor, John Wayne, rejected the Dillon role and recommended him instead. The problem that most TV actors like myself have is that were usually offered the small type movies, where they can exploit our name and shoot it on a small financial budget, Arness said in 1962. Seventeen years later, Dillon finally learns the true ramifications of his one-week stand with Mike in the 1990 made-for-TV movie Gunsmoke II: The Last Apache., It opens with Matt traveling somewhere in the Far West, Arness told the Associated Press at the time. His real issue though was his height. During the invasion of Anzio, Italy, in 1944, his right leg was shattered by machine-gun fire. Who is Kelly Dale Anderson? After being accused of misappropriation of funds, going to a drug rehabilitation center, and being arrested on allegations of hiring a hitman to shoot him in the head on September 4 so that Buster could receive a $10 million life insurance policy. It was a face that would age well and that, while aging, would carry intimations of waste, loss and futility.. While American audiences will forever know Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, the actor reached cult status in Europe as Zeb Macahan in How the West Was Won. In an article in The Tallahassee Democrat from 1973, the "Gunsmoke" star was called "one of the most private men in Hollywood." At this point, "Gunsmoke" had been on for over 15 years and it would have given the cast plenty of . Arness career began in 1947 when he played one of Loretta Youngs brothers in The Farmers Daughter. He . Make your mark in television., Gunsmoke went on to become the longest-running dramatic series in network history until NBCs Law & Order tied in 2010. Weaver and actor James Arness were close friends since their 1955 screen test for "Gunsmoke. Weaver later studied at the Actors Studio in New York and appeared in "A Streetcar Named Desire" opposite Shelley Winters and toured in "Come Back, Little Sheba" with Shirley Booth. EVELYN HOCKSTEINRep. Arness and his wife Virginia Chapman in 1956. When Weaver died in February 2006, Arness called it "a big loss for me personally" and said Weaver "provided comic relief but was also a real person doing things that were very important to the show. Arness was married twice, first to Virginia Chapman in 1948, and then to Janet Surtees in 1978. The actor died in his sleep at his home in Brentwood, Calif., according to his business manager, Ginny Fazer. February 27, 2006 / 1:22 PM . After appearing on The Farmers Daughter, Arness dropped the u in his name and would be credited as James Arness for the rest of his life. The wealth and fame Arness gained from Gunsmoke could not protect him from tragedy in his personal life: His daughter and his former wife, Virginia, both died of drug overdoses. / CBS/AP. Although Arness died almost a decade ago, his work continues to be held in high regard by fans who grew up watching him keep the peace in Dodge City. Then came "Gunsmoke," which proved a durable hit and a multimillion-dollar boon for Arness, who owned part of the series. In 1975, Jenny Arness died of an apparently deliberate drug overdose. A: You almost have to feel sorry for ol Matt, dont you? One final bit of Gunsmoke trivia you might find interesting: A month after Arness enjoyed his extracurricular activities, Amanda Blake got equal time. While working as a rifleman on Operation Shingle in 1944, the young soldier severely wounded himself, causing considerable damage to his leg and foot. They were character study shows, Arness once told the Associated Press. The outlaw insists on a showdown, and the marshal, always a moral touchstone, must accommodate him. While Arnesss height made it hard for him to be a pilot, it would later come in handy during his days as a leading man in Hollywood. 27 febrero, 2023 . Who is Lucia-Belen Duffy? In Kittys Love Affair on Oct. 22, 1973, Matt and Kitty get on a stage for St. Louis, of all places, but Matt is forced to return to Dodge on business. The marriage foundered and in 1963 Arness sought a divorce and custody of the three children, which he was granted. The show, which ran from 1970 to 1977, featured him as a New Mexico lawman cast on the streets of New York City with a horse, a sheepskin coat and a folksy manner that belied his shrewd crime-solving talent. The emotionally troubled Virginia Arness attempted suicide twice, in 1959 and in 1960. or redistributed. Arness also starred in the TV adaptation of How The West Was Won from 1977 to 1979. Weaver considered the role "inane" but told himself "I'll correct this character" using his training and personal experience. He was the World Surfing Champion in 1970, but the talented goofyfoot son of the hugely popular television actor James Arness (born James Aurness, who played Marshall Matt Dillon on. Following her siblings footsteps, she has been able to follow her passion as a sports enthusiast playing basketball. Arness was born James King Aurness on May 26, 1923, in Minneapolis, the son of businessman Rolf Aurness and journalist Ruth Duesler. Incredibly, although he played a Western hero for most of his life, the leg injury made it impossible for him to ride a horse. Jenny and Chapman died of drug overdoses in 1975 and 1977, respectively. Who is Ava Dash? He won the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He served in the Battle of Anzio during World War II. Why Gunsmoke Actor James Arness Was the John Wayne of Television, Dirty Harry: Clint Eastwood created one of the most seminal and iconic characters in American film history. 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Nine years later, he was earning a then-princely $9,000 a week. He founded the Institute of Ecolonomics, which sought solutions to economic and environmental problems. In the 1950s, Weaver toured in a singing trio with the series' Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) and Doc (Milburn Stone). He was 81. That was too bad, because we were on two hours every night, seven days a week.. Despite his desire for privacy, a rocky domestic life landed him in the news more than once. Amanda. Arness' official website posted a letter from Arness on Friday that he wrote with the intention that it be posted pos, Remember Arness by commenting on our Facebook page. The last movie, One Man's Justice, was Arness' final performance. Arness' remains are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. The wealth and fame Arness gained from "Gunsmoke" could not protect him from tragedy in his personal life: His daughter and his former wife, Virginia, both died of drug overdoses. FILE - A customer picks up some food to-go from Sweetie Pie's owner Robbie Montgomery, center, and Montgomery's son, James "Tim" Norman, right, at Sweetie Pie's in St. Louis, April 19, 2011. He also starred in the mini-series How the West Was Won (1977) and the short-lived crime series McCains Law (1981). Despite his desire for privacy, a rocky domestic life landed him in the news more than once.Arness met future wife Virginia Chapman while both were studying at Southern California's Pasadena Playhouse. Guys like Gregory Peck and I dont want a big lug like you towering over us. Arness, who stood 6 feet, 7 inches, hoped to serve in World War II as a pilot, but his height made that impossible. He served as a radio announce for a Minneapolis radio station until he decided to hitchhike to Hollywood to star in films. Bruce Boxleitner's character was renamed "Luke", and William Kirby Cullen's character renamed "Josh". His odd gait and his drawling "Mis-ter Dil-lon" gave him a memorable on-screen presence - even in the shadow of the 6-foot-7 Arness, who played Marshal Dillon. Hes a gunman, Doc, Dillon says to Doc Adams. Actors usually have a hard time watching their own work, but this was not a problem for Arness. Universal Studios signed Weaver to a contract in 1952 but found little work for him. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), 11 new Disney Food & Wine Festival foods ranked from best to worst See the list, Rowdy crowd temporarily pauses Rolling Loud fest, but the party continues in Inglewood. He might be too late to stop a killing. The show was a great success in Europe, apparently finding a larger and more lasting audience there than in the United States. Market data provided by Factset. His father James Arness died of natural causes at the age of 88 years at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Theyre interesting to watch all these years later., I love to watch the old shows. He entered Beloit College in Wisconsin, but was drafted into the Army in his 1942-43 freshman year. As U.S. The supporting cast was a snug family, stock but multilayered characters who spent much time talking: the beer-drinking philosopher, Doc (Milburn Stone); the careworn Long Branch saloonkeeper, Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake), her love unrequited; and the lame sidekick, Chester Goode (Dennis Weaver). "He's big, impressive and virile," co-star Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) once said of Arness, adding, "I've worked with him for 16 years, but I don't really know him.". He worked menial jobs, tried radio and was collecting veterans benefits when he drifted to Hollywood. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He worked at his fathers law firm at some point. Played by Amy Stock-Poyton (now Amy Stoch), Beth would turn up in the final three Gunsmoke movies: 1992s To the Last Man, 1993s The Long Ride and 1994s One Mans Justice, by which time she had married a man named Readon. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. In Kittys Love Affair on Oct. 22, 1973, Matt and Kitty get on a stage for St. Louis, of all places, but Matt is forced to return to Dodge on business. Her son's death marks the second time in two years that tragedy has struck Moore's life. She was 104. Since that time, Alex has been dismissed from his position at the legal practice owned by his family. Like his daughter, Arness's first wife, Chapman, died of a drug overdose in 1977, two years after the couple's daughter passed away. Buster is living a quiet life, away from the public with his longtime girlfriend on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. - January 14, 2021 09:02 am EST. Besides reruns, it spun off books, board games, a trove of merchandise and endless nostalgia. Stillman, the former Missouri sheriff, is now a wealthy businessman with a crippled arm and is obsessed with revenge against Luke, but is killed by Zeb in a gunfight. Remarkably, by the time he had hung up his holster for good, Arness had played the iconic marshal across five decades (more on that below). Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Arness had hoped to serve as a pilot but thought his poor eyesight would be a problem. After his discharge from the Army, Arness worked as a radio announcer in Minneapolis for a spell before hitchhiking his way to Hollywood. Luke is also conscripted at Shiloh but is wounded and taken to a field aid station, where he finds his mortally-wounded father dying. John Wayne even recommended that Arness star in Gunsmoke and introduces his friend in a prologue to the first episode of the series. However, Arness was eventually pulled back to Gunsmoke, starring in five made-for-TV movies between 1987 and 1993. See also Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He served in the Battle of Anzio during World War II. Arness might be known for Gunsmoke, but that was hardly the only thing he did. He was a rifleman and served in the Battle of Anzio with the 2nd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division. A sequence of paintings by Charles Marion Russell is shown during the end credits. Parts in more than 20 films followed, including "The Thing," "Hellgate" and "Hondo" with Wayne. In 2006, Arness said he felt like the luckiest guy in the world because of his experiences. Zebulon Macahan is a well-known mountain man and scout working for the U.S. Army in the Indian Territories. His "Earthship" home was the most visible of Weaver's crusades. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years.". ", Weaver responded: "If we get into the mind-set of saving rather than wasting and utilizing other materials, we can save the Earth.". Survivors also include six grandchildren and a great-grandchild. I mean, here he was, this 6-foot-7 strapping hunk of a man, and yet for 18 years the Old Wests most eligible town marshal didnt get so much as to hold hands with or enjoy even a peck on the cheek from, Now you may be thinking that Mike is an odd name for a Western lady, but in this case it apparently was taken straight from real life. It is reported that he was expelled from the South Carolina Law School in the second semester of 2019 due to plagiarism. In 1944, he was severely wounded during Operation Shinglein Anzio, Italy. I was under contract to Dukes company for two years before Gunsmoke came along, Arness told the Signal in 2006. The actor died. Arness died on June 3, 2011, at age 88 from natural causes. By Daniel S. Levine To a generation of television viewers, Mr. Arness and Gunsmoke embodied a new, more adult vision of the mythic Old West: a quiet, vulnerable lawman facing not stereotyped villains and clichd situations but a chaotic frontier freighted with moral judgments and occasional failure. He was 81. "It was a face that would age well and that, while aging, would carry intimations of waste, loss and futility.". He tried to guard them from the spotlight. Mia Randall Mahomes Bio, Age, Parents, Father, Brother, Patrick, Mother, Tiger Woods Children, Son Charlie and Daughter Sam, Ava Dash (Dame Dashs Daughter) Age, College, Boyfriend, Lipstick alley, Parents, Net Worth, Kylie Jenner Son Wolf Webster, Middle Name and Family, Lucia-Belen Duffy (Rachel Campos Duffys Daughter) Age, Height, Siblings, Father, Kelly Dale Anderson: The Mystery Adoption Story, Bio, Parents. He came home from World War II a wounded, decorated and aimless veteran. "You're too big for pictures. Here is a look at his life and career. When Weaver died in February 2006, Arness called it a big loss for me personally and said Weaver provided comic relief but was also a real person doing things that were very important to the show., The cancellation of Gunsmoke didnt keep Arness away from TV for long: He returned a few months later, in January 1976, in the TV movie The Macahans, which led to the 1978-79 ABC series How the West Was Won.. Two years later, an overdose that police deemed accidental killed her mother. The towering Gunsmoke marshal was called to the waves at San Onofre Surf Beach and enjoyed hanging ten. The sport ran in the family. But from 1957 to 1961, when it became a one-hour series, it was the top-rated show on television, seen every week by 40 million Americans and millions more in Britain, where it was called Gun Law. It bred dozens of copycats, including Have Gun, Will Travel, Wagon Train, Rawhide, The Rifleman and Bonanza.. "I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. She Suffered A Terrible Break-Up Before Committing Suicide; Information On Jenny's Failed Love Life It was Sam McCloud that Weaver called "the most satisfying role of my career." The camera really loved his face, and with good reason, novelist Wallace Markfield wrote in a 1975 Gunsmoke appreciation in The New York Times. I want major pictures and I dont care if its not the leading role.. Remember Arness by commenting on our Facebook page"The camera really loved his face, and with good reason," novelist Wallace Markfield wrote in a 1975 "Gunsmoke" appreciation in The New York Times. His longtime co-stars were Blake as saloon keeper Miss Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams and Dennis Weaver as the deputy, Chester Goode. The second season starts with Kate having died in a barn fire. Clint Howard, brother of director Ron Howard, said Weaver introduced his parents, Jean Speegle and Rance Howard, in 1947, when all three attended the university drama program. All rights reserved. Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published. Kelly Dale Anderson is the main character in the famous adoption story that has remained a mystery for more than 30 years. Luke tries to explain that he is a former Union soldier who found the horse but Stillman and his men, being Confederate sympathizers, try to lynch him. Arness was born on May 26, 1913, in Minneapolis and was the older brother of Mission: Impossible actor Peter Graves. He has got to be eliminated.. Zeb slashes Grey's arm with a knife and Grey swears he will return. James Arness, the towering actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon, the strong and commanding symbol of frontier justice on the landmark . He got his acting start with RKO Pictures, and his first film role was in 1947's The Farmer's Daughter, in which he played the brother of Loretta Young's character. Long before he was cast as Matt Dillon, James Arness served in the US Army during World War II. Surfing: not just for beach bums. He was 88. The wealth and fame Arness gained from "Gunsmoke" could not protect him from tragedy in his personal life: His daughter and his former wife, Virginia, both died of drug overdoses. On the day of the fatal shootings, Alex called Buster and asked whether he was sitting down, according to his testimony. Actress Amanda Blake poses with James Arness at the Golden Boot Awards in 1986. He tried to guard them from the spotlight. That was a big factor., Your email address will not be published. He had been reared in a family of Norwegian descent in Minnesota and became an . He gets a letter from Mike asking him to come to her ranch. "You're too big for pictures. He is an actor, known for ISF World Surfing Championships (1964), Pacific Vibrations (1970) and Cosmic Children (1970). He can also be spotted in John Fords underrated Wagon Master. Guys like Gregory Peck and I don't want a big lug like you towering over us. "Because of Dennis, Ron and I exist Dennis was a great guy," said Clint Howard, who acted alongside Weaver in the 1967 film "Gentle Giant.". And it was great. James Arness was born in Minneapolis in 1913 as the son of businessman Rolf Arness and his wife, Ruth, who was a journalist.