James Arness: An Autobiography [Kindle Edition]

James Arness' account of his life is jam packed with fascinating facts and anecdotes but is largely devoid of personal insight, introspection, core belief assessment, and passion. Arness' privacy shell seems manifest in his writing. The book’s pros are correspondingly wooden. Beginning a biography summary of a fascinating personality with “James Arness was born May 26, 1923, in Minneapolis” would, at best, get a C in college. This, the first sentence of the paragraph used to summarize Arness’ book, is largely commensurate with the rest. There are, however, many interesting tidbits diehard Arness fans can glean from the plodding pros.

Some have opined that James Arness is Matt Dillon and Matt Dillon is James Arness. Comparison, however, is complicated. Matt Dillon is the type of man who would walk point on a patrol into World War II enemy territory and courageously take out a Nazi machine nest with a hand grenade. James Arness won a bronze star in WWII for doing this. Arness' limp which became more and more pronounced over the years is the result of a bullet from a Nazi machine gun splintering his leg bones during the Allied liberation of Anzio in 1944. For this, he received a purple heart. Unlike much of the rest of the book, Arness' account of his WWII experiences is riveting.

We learn Arness, as a lad, did many things we would expect from a Matt Dillon. He hopped trains in search of adventure, spent hours in athletic pursuits and, due largely to restlessness and lack of interest, performed marginally in school. A spirited Arness, at the age of 22, hitchhiked west to California to seek his fame and fortune. These are the actions of a Matt Dillon.

On the other hand, Matt Dillon would not join and enjoy a Glee Club and rank "Smoke Gets in You Eyes" as a favorite tune; Matt Dillon would not disruptively buzz his work place in his private plane just for fun; Matt Dillon would not become a beach bum infatuated with surfing; and Matt Dillon would not get a case of the giggles severe enough to halt a Gunsmoke work day. Giggles accompanied Arness everywhere. They got him fired from an early career announcing job. Ben Bates, James Arness' double on Gunsmoke and “How the West Was Won”, says James Arness laughs "from his toes to the top of his head when something strikes him as funny". Sometimes, "he just couldn't stop laughing". Giggling and uncontrollability are not characteristics of Matt Dillon.

Arness credits his career success to Providence. "I've been one of the luckiest men among the many who came to Hollywood seeking fame and fortune... [A] divine hand was guiding me along the way." His gifts of good looks, six and a half foot height, and natural acting skill resonated nicely with TV and movie producers.

After putting in long days perfecting cowboy skills in the early Gunsmokes [5], Arness became the preverbal 800 pound gorilla who, due to being indispensable to one of television's top rated shows, could do anything he wanted. Maybe James Arness was not Matt Dillon - but he became Gunsmoke. TV Guide reported "Early in the game, … [Arness] demanded and got a large chunk of the [Gunsmoke] production company, later the whole production company." When Arness tired of his ranch and couldn't sell it, CBS took it off his hands [6]. On the set, if Arness didn't like the way things were going, he did not hesitate to "direct the director" [1]. When Buck Taylor wanted a raise, he asked Arness' business agent who said "Let me talk to Jim about it". Arness threatened he didn't want to interrupt his Hawaii vacation plans and return early just to "raise Hell" with CBS". Buck Taylor got the raise. Despite - or maybe because of - Arness' domination of Gunsmoke, guest actors ranked Gunsmoke as one of the most professional and friendly sets in the industry, and, although he could be confrontational with the brass, James Arness as one of the most courteous and friendly stars in the industry [7].

Arness' autobiography frames Gunsmoke as the peak of his career. There were the John Wayne films before and "How the West Was Won" after, but neither had the impact of television's longest running primetime drama - a jaw dropping 20 years. James Arness is Gunsmoke and Gunsmoke is an icon. Dick Wolf of CBS's "Law and Order" television series admitted his driving motivation in television: "I want to beat Gunsmoke" [9]. Chances are he won't.

References
0. (...)
1. TV-Guide, April 6, 1968.
2. TV-Guide, December 10, 1966.
3. The National Enquirer, August 7, 2001.
4. TV-Guide, June 12, 1965.
5. Parade Magazine, April 3, 1960.
6. Australian TV-Guide, September 22, 1962.
7. SuzAnne, Gabor Barabas, Gunsmoke: A Completer History, McFarland & Co. (1990).
8. Robert Metz, CBS-Reflections in a Bloodshot Eye, (Playboy Press, Chicago, 1975).
9. Gail Shister, ’Law & Order' Chases 'Gunsmoke', Knight Ridder Newspapers, July 2001.

Jim does not blow a lot of wind or brag a bit. This book is addressed directly to you, as if you were sitting in a rocking chair in the same room as Jim and were conversing. He approaches self-deprecation in many areas, but this still-alive actor invites you into his life, and the lives of the co-stars, like Miss Kitty, Newly, Doc, and last but certainly not least -- Festus (a name from the Bible, I learned from the book).

The book is not too long or short and is filled with pictures of his activities on and off stage. You also get a glimpse into some of the other actors.

How many war heroes do you know who never mention it. Right -- very few! Because of his height (6'7"), he was ordered off the landing craft first in the landing at battle of Anzio during World War II. All too often, a soldier would step into weighted-down oblivion and drown. Due to Jim's height, he was selected to go first. Later in the campaign, he received a rifle wound to his leg that is beginning to act up as Marshal Dillon matures.;-)

This is a book that you want to read, and, if you have children, have them read, or read it to them if they are young.His series remains on a twice-daily broadcast on TV LAND.

Jim and his brother lied a charmed life, and anyone can take something from this wonderful autobiography. I also strongly recommend his web site -- http://www.jamesarness.com .

Arness did an excellent job of summarizing a crowded career in a minimal amount of pages. The book could just as easily have been 400 pages on Gunsmoke alone.

Even though he is a very private man, the book reveals a good deal of his personal side - his love for surfing, flying and practical jokes. As serious as his character of Matt Dillon was, I found it astounding that Arness was constantly cracking everybody up with his joking, laughing and buzzing the Gunsmoke set in his airplanes. Yet, at the same time, we see, through comments of those who knew him and the fans who have written to him, the commanding presence he had as a role model, being an icon second only to John Wayne.

As is Marshall Dillon, James Arness is a man of few words, but when he talked, people listened. But it wasn't to stroke his own ego. He did it to help the new generation along, passing on this gift because he had been so blessed with fame and fortune in his life.

We see Arness go from a rambling childhood where he hitchhiked on trains across country and didn't care about school to a man who was known worldwide and respected for his character both on and off screen. He was Matt Dillon through and through, upholding the law and doing it without a bunch of fanfare and bravado. He simply was doing his job and moving on.

What was really impressive was the superstars of today who got early starts as guests on Gunsmoke. The list was incredible. The show was definitely a launching pad for many people with Morgan Woodward leading the way with 19 appearances.

With this book, James Arness has left his legacy, answering a lot of questions people have about him, yet doing it while maintaining a lot of privacy. A true masterpiece from a man who is indeed an American icon.