It was a sad day for me when James Arness died last week at the age of 88. Arness is most famous for his portrayal of Marshal Matt Dillon on the long-running western television series Gunsmoke. On the radio, Marshal Dillon was played by William Conrad (who would later star in TV's Cannon and Jake and the Fatman). Conrad had a terrific voice, but his physical stature left something to be desired for the visual Dillon role. Thus, the imposing (6'7") Arness was given the job, and he was perfect for it. The television series ran from 1955 to 1975, and it includes an amazing 635 episodes. I have enjoyed watching Gunsmoke for as long as I can remember. It is my favorite television series in part because, unlike say a Ron Howard film, it was unpredictable. Dillon was steadfastly incorruptible and apparently fearless in the face of danger as he patrolled the streets of Dodge City, Kansas, but that did not always prevent bad things from happening to good people. In the news articles that followed the death of Arness, I found one line to be particularly terrific. The journalist wrote that the laconic acting style of Arness makes Clint Eastwood appear to be a loudmouth. Tough guys such as Arness are not supposed to die, but they do. Unfortunately, we must say goodbye to James Arness, and I must say goodbye to another piece of my youth.
For those of you wondering how my lamentation fits with tome theme of this blog, check out the autobiography of James Arness.
