Sad News Via Yojimbo

Matt Dillon has rode off into the sunset

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. He was 88.

…The actor was 32 when friend John Wayne declined the lead role in “Gunsmoke” and recommended Arness instead. Afraid of being typecast, Arness initially rejected it.

“Go ahead and take it, Jim,” Wayne urged him. “You’re too big for pictures. Guys like Gregory Peck and I don’t want a big lug like you towering over us. Make your mark in television.”

categories Life, People | | datetime June 3, 2011 2:35 pm

3 Responses to “Sad News Via Yojimbo”

  1. JeffS says:
    June 3, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    Dang. Man, I loved Gunsmoke as a kid. LOVED it.

    Vale, James. You was a goon ‘un.

  2. LC Aggie Sith says:
    June 3, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    That was the first show I ever watched. It was dubbed in Spanish, but translated so well.

    RIP 🙁

  3. Mike Cunningham says:
    June 6, 2011 at 11:47 am

    I and my brothers watched and enjoyed every episode.

    Arness was a good actor, and a fine man. R.I.P.

Image | WordPress Themes