Post by Teleadm on Jun 9, 2023 22:01:43 GMT
Believe it or not he actually had a career before Matt Dillon smelled the smoke of a gun, not prominent but still.
His father was Norwegian and his mother German and he had a younger brother who used the name Peter Graves when he became well known.
He was a tall chap, that during WWII, and due to his height was the first to land at Anzio Beachhead, mainly to see how deep the water was. He was injured and with a knee that would always pain him.
Considering most of his career he jumped on and off horses, it pained him every time he did that.
This years we celebrate his birthdate in Minneapolis MN 100 years ago.
James Arness (1923-2011)
After all kinds of odd jobs he hitchhiked to Hollywood determined that there would be work for him, going from agency to agency. Finally getting a job as Loretta young's brother in The Farmer's Daughter 1947
The tall guy on the left, first credited role.
In John Ford's Wagon Master 1950
Probably his most famous role outside westerns, as The Thing in The Thing from Another World 1951.
Spencer Tracy drama The People Against O'Hara 1951, playing that O'Hara of the title.
Becoming friend with John Wayne helped a lot.
Island in the Sky 1953
Hondo 1953
Second venture into Science-Fiction chasing giant ants in Them! 1954, tall one on the left.
Very short cut in The Sea Chase 1955
During the making of this forgettable movie, Flame of the Islands 1955 he got a call offering him a lead in a TV-series, he resisted knowing that a failed TV-series can also kill a career. His buddy Wayne told him to do the series, and if it fails he will back him up and give him roles. Well we know how that went.
Once the longest running TV-Series, and maybe the longest running with the star intact, Gunsmoke 1955 to 1975.
A gag performance in Bob Hope's Alias Jesse James 1959.
While a failure in USA, Europeans loved his Zeb McCahan in How the West Was Won 1976 - 1979, even those who had never seen an episode of Gunsmoke.
Either nobody wanted to see him in a modern Cop-crime show, or it was badly written, or competition was too hard, McClain's Law only lasted 15 episodes 1981 - 1982.
After being away a few years he returned as Jim Bowie in The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory TV 1987.
He also returned to Matt Dillon in a few feature length TV movies starting with Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge 1987.
Playing the John Wayne role in Red River TV 1988
Acting farewell came with the 5th installment of the feature length TV-movies playing Matt Dillon one last time in Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice 1994
First Published in 2001
Thanks for watching!
Opinions of all kinds are welcome!
His father was Norwegian and his mother German and he had a younger brother who used the name Peter Graves when he became well known.
He was a tall chap, that during WWII, and due to his height was the first to land at Anzio Beachhead, mainly to see how deep the water was. He was injured and with a knee that would always pain him.
Considering most of his career he jumped on and off horses, it pained him every time he did that.
This years we celebrate his birthdate in Minneapolis MN 100 years ago.
James Arness (1923-2011)
After all kinds of odd jobs he hitchhiked to Hollywood determined that there would be work for him, going from agency to agency. Finally getting a job as Loretta young's brother in The Farmer's Daughter 1947
The tall guy on the left, first credited role.
In John Ford's Wagon Master 1950
Probably his most famous role outside westerns, as The Thing in The Thing from Another World 1951.
Spencer Tracy drama The People Against O'Hara 1951, playing that O'Hara of the title.
Becoming friend with John Wayne helped a lot.
Island in the Sky 1953
Hondo 1953
Second venture into Science-Fiction chasing giant ants in Them! 1954, tall one on the left.
Very short cut in The Sea Chase 1955
During the making of this forgettable movie, Flame of the Islands 1955 he got a call offering him a lead in a TV-series, he resisted knowing that a failed TV-series can also kill a career. His buddy Wayne told him to do the series, and if it fails he will back him up and give him roles. Well we know how that went.
Once the longest running TV-Series, and maybe the longest running with the star intact, Gunsmoke 1955 to 1975.
A gag performance in Bob Hope's Alias Jesse James 1959.
While a failure in USA, Europeans loved his Zeb McCahan in How the West Was Won 1976 - 1979, even those who had never seen an episode of Gunsmoke.
Either nobody wanted to see him in a modern Cop-crime show, or it was badly written, or competition was too hard, McClain's Law only lasted 15 episodes 1981 - 1982.
After being away a few years he returned as Jim Bowie in The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory TV 1987.
He also returned to Matt Dillon in a few feature length TV movies starting with Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge 1987.
Playing the John Wayne role in Red River TV 1988
Acting farewell came with the 5th installment of the feature length TV-movies playing Matt Dillon one last time in Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice 1994
First Published in 2001
Thanks for watching!
Opinions of all kinds are welcome!
