James Arness, cowboy star of TV’s long-running “Gunsmoke” series, died June 3rd in his Los Angeles home. Arness was 88 years old when he passed away of apparent heart failure.
Standing 6’6” tall, the popular actor played Marshal Matt Dillon, sheriff of fictional Dodge City, for 20 years, as “Gunsmoke” ran from 1955 to 1975. Arness starred opposite Amanda Blake (as Miss Kitty), Dennis Weaver, Milburn Stone and Ken Curtis.
The Western drama remains in syndication on cable television.
A close personal friend to cowboy acting legend John Wayne, Arness was the older brother of “Mission Impossible” actor Peter Graves, who died last year.
Arness also appeared in “Hondo,” “How the West Was Won,” “Matt Dillon” and “The Thing from Another World.”
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