James Arness Trivia!

MeTV posted 8 Out-of-this-World Facts about James Arness.  Here are three of my favorite facts and my comments on each…

He appeared in two classic sci-fi movies.  Though he is synonymous with Marshal Matt Dillon, Arness appeared in two classic science fiction films early on in his career: The Thing From Another World (1951) and Them! (1954). In The Thing, the 6′ 7″ actor was a perfect fit for the titular “thing,” a murderous alien that wreaks havoc on a North Pole scientific outpost. Of course, Arness is heavily made-up and unrecognizable as the honest do-gooder he would soon become.

(The Thing from Another World and Them! are two of the best horror / scifi movies ever made! – Craig)

He was good friends with John Wayne.  The screen tough guys were good friends in real life and Arness co-starred with Wayne in Big Jim McLain (1952), Hondo (1953), Island in the Sky (1953) and The Sea Chase (1955). John Wayne even recommended that Arness star in Gunsmoke and introduces his friend in a prologue to the first episode of the series.

(John Wayne was the first choice to play Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.  The fact that Wayne recommended Arness and then did a special introduction to the first episode says a lot about their friendship. – Craig)

His character Zeb Macahan reached cult status in Europe.  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. The late-’70s Western television series found its audience in Europe and was rebroadcast many times on networks in France, Germany, Italy and Sweden.

(I prefer his Zeb Macahan character to Matt Dillon!  – Craig)