Luckily, their first date was memorable enough that, when he did finally call, Janet answered and accepted a second date offer. He was 88. Your email address will not be published. He was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. James Arness: Rumors, Controversy/Scandal. Jenny and Chapman died of drug overdoses in 1975 and 1977, respectively. One night, the owner of the store invited Janet over to meet Jim. Their longest marriage was 33 years to Janet Surtees. He led an incredible life, serving in World War II and becoming an actor without little formal training in the craft. Extremely private personality, James Arness refused to talk about his life's biggest tragedies. And I thought, Eew, an actor I dont know,' said Janet laughing. Their parents were businessmen and journalists. Sierra McClain. . Later, James had started his entertainment career at Minneapolis station WLOL in 1945 as a radio announcer. His nationality is American. He was 88. His autobiography titledJames Arness: An Autobiographywas released in September of 2001. Your email address will not be published. He was also listed as the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 at 1751 Vine Street. Terry Fator Net Worth: When Did Melinda Started Following Fator? She was a beautiful and gracious lady who had a lot to do with the success of 'Gunsmoke, series star James Arness said Thursday. Arness Became Famous In Hollywood In 1955 | Source: Getty Images. While in the hospital, nurses suggested that his voice would be perfect for the radio, reports The Guardian. Born James King Aurness to businessman Rolf Cirkler Aurness and journalist Ruth Duesler, James lived a pretty wealthy life being from Norweigan and of German descent. Arness had a dream to be a pilot as a naval fighter. Before his death, he penned a letter that expressed his deep feelings for her, his fans, and his family. Nothing happened for three months. Despite spending more than a decade together, the couple never shared any children. Jamess make-up artist on the set of Gunsmoke married the woman who owned the clothing store. So, Janet went to dinner simply so she could tell her son that she met James Arness. Arness portrayed the iconic role of US Marshall Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke. Inside the marriage of Janet and her Late Husband James Arness. Eventually, Virginia fleed to San Bernardino, California, vanishing immediately after the divorce. A: Matt Dillon (James Arness) and Kitty (Amanda Blake) never married during the series 1955-75 run, although close watchers of the show were convinced they had connected at some time. They were character study shows, Arness once told the Associated Press. James father, Rolf Cirkler Aurness was a business person, and his mother, Ruth Duesler was a journalist. Previously, Arness had tied the knot with his long-term girlfriend, Virginia Chapman in 1948. The next day he called her and asked if she wanted to go to Mammoth Lakes, and she said yes. It was reported James passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. His net worth was estimated to be $8 million. Although Arness died almost a decade ago, his work continues to be held in high regard by fans who grew up watching him keep the peace in Dodge City. However, in 1971, he was forced to temporarily leave the show for just a handful of episodes because he had to undergo heart surgery after suffering a heart attack. Fv 27, 2023 . Turns out, Janets son was a huge fan of Gunsmoke. His father belonged to Norwegian ancestry whereas his mother's belonged to German. Arness' remained with his second wife until his death in 2011. The actor founded Westlight, a stock photography agency. James Arness was born in May 1923 in Minneapolis, and he passed away in June 2011. Together with her adopted son, Craig, they created a family. Janet had one son (the previously mentioned Gunsmoke fan). However, James and Janet never had any children together. James Arness enjoyed a wonderful professional career but the same can't be said of his personal life where he prematurely lost so many people he loved before he inevitably passed away himself. After their first meeting, Janet did not call James until after three months. s.src = p + "://api.content-ad.net/Scripts/widget2.aspx?" She loves to volunteer and can often be found working with the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Education Foundation. He acted alongside John Wayne in Big Jim McLain, Hondo, Island in the Sky, and The Sea Chase. James Stewart. One night, her friend invited Janet over for dinner to meet James Arness. { He first shared wedding vows withVirginia Chapman in 1948. Arness was a respected soldier of World War II. After Cry Macho, What Clint Eastwoods Next Movie Should Be. However, James was a friendly giant. He went on to star in a few more Western-themed programs after Dodge City was canceled, but he eventually made his way back to the role of Dillon in a series of television movies released in the early 90s. Arness was passionate about Gunsmoke, but he put his children ahead of his shooting schedule. When Arnesss entertainment career took off, he struggled to maintain a healthy balance between work and family life. Arness died on June 3, 2011, at age 88 from natural causes. James Arness married his second wife Janet Surtees in 1978 and remained together till his death. Gunsmoke is a TV Western drama series that ran from September 10, 1955, to March 31, 1975, on CBS. Born of Norwegian heritage (the family name, Aurness, had formerly been Aursness) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Rolf and Ruth Duesler Aurness. A: Matt Dillon (James Arness) and Kitty (Amanda Blake) never married during the series 1955-75 run, although close watchers of the show were convinced they had connected at some time. Since they set up another dinner date, it became the start of their lifelong journey together as a couple. 5 Great And Criminally Underrated Westerns. (Arness would later say that Matt's only onscreen kiss was in that episode, "Matt's Love Story," but Kitty did in fact kiss him once.) But in a 1973 episode, Matt had a brief affair with another woman, Mike Yardner (Michael Learned), while he had amnesia. Surtees worked about six to seven years with the lady, during which time she was told about their adventures. James Arness was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 1923 . She survived him. Arness career began in 1947 when he played one of Loretta Youngs brothers in The Farmers Daughter. Gunsmoke: James Arness Wife Opens Up About Marriage to Western Icon in 2017 Interview, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZlby3ryXCE, GUNSMOKE I married James Arness with Janet Arness A WORD ON WESTERNS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZlby3ryXCE). Janet still lives in Los Angeles where she lived with James before his passing, according to Celeb Suburb. His father was a traveling salesman of medical supplies and his mother . Janet arrived before Jim and nervously waited for him to arrive. He was born James King Aurness inMinneapolis, Minnesota. But because of his poor vision and problem with eyesight was the major obstacle that blocked him from it. Rolf was a Norwegian and his wife, Ruth was a journalist. During the 20th and final season of GUNSMOKE (1955-1975), . Why dont you come over and meet him? Jim Arness said, "If Matt and Kitty [had] an on-screen love affair, they'd have to get married. The two spent the rest of the day horseback riding through nature and picnicking outdoors. One was named Craig, a photographer, while the other, Jenny, was an actress and they died in 2004 and 1975 respectively. The big thing with the show was that we had a lot of really fine actors, and more than that, we had started out with great writing., The two gentlemen who originated the show you know, it was on the radio for two or three years before they brought it to television John Meston was the man who conceived the idea of the whole thing. Your email address will not be published. | Source: Getty Images. In an interview with the Santa Clarita Signal, Arness said his co-stars never stood on anything to make them look taller in shots they shared with him on Gunsmoke. When Graves decided to pursue acting professionally, he adopted the surname 'Graves' to honor his mother's family. Esin Gmkl (@l_gumusk) May 23, 2021. James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, eventually became CBSs most important actor overall. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. var p = 'https:' == document.location.protocol ? Jim is Surtees's first child from a previous relationship. Previously, Arness had tied the knot with his long-term girlfriend, Virginia Chapman in 1948. In 1978, Arness married Janet Surtees. After he divorced Chapman, he married an actress . His fans were certainly devasted by this tragic news. Required fields are marked *. How many times was James Arness married? I was like, Oh my gosh, he is a big guy,' said Janet. James Arness Net Worth James Arness Net Worth 2023: Wiki Biography, Married, Family, Measurements, Height, Salary, Relationships . James Arness was married to Virginia Chapman for 12 years, and Janet Surtees for 33 years. James and Virginia had two children Rolf, who became World Surfing Champion in 1970, and Jenny. Of course, she was charmed by his politeness and friendliness, so they got to talking. By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. He had a young brother named Peter who later gained fame as an actor named Peter Graves. "I had a wonderful life and was blessed with (so) many loving people and great friends.". By the time they were finished, others had left, but their litters remained scattered around. Jenny Arness, the actor's beautiful 24-year old daughter, killed herself with a lethal overdose of sleeping pills after watching an episode of Cher's Sunday night CBS television show that had Gregg Allman as a guest. Then there was a knock at the door. And then it'd be a different show." "They'd say that would ruin it," Byrnes confirms. Arness yet served as a rifleman during the Infantry Division in the 3rd range within the United States. Arness married . They went horse riding and stopped at a remote camping area where other people had also settled to rest. James wrote, I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won, and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. James Arness married two women in his lifetime the first, a woman with whom he shared three kids, faded into obscurity after their divorce, but the second lady stood by his side till death parted them. At that time, a life-size billboard depicting Jim smoking stood in the marketplace. Wayne was still making box office hits at the time anyway, so it would have been a shocker for him to take a lead part in the then-nascent world of television. Yes, he was tall, handsome, polite, and a famous actor, but he dropped the ball after a super romantic date with his future wife, Janet Surtees. Luckily, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and went on a second date (three months later) and the two were married for 33 years. But Janet was hesitant at first. 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Arness died on 3 June 2011 of natural causes at the age of 88. However, the couple split in 1963 for reasons that were not known. He is the older brother of "Mission: Impossible," and "Airplane!" Since this was so important to Arness, he decided to leave a note for his longstanding Gunsmoke followers to read after his passing, which no doubt deepened their already profound admiration for him. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. After multiple surgeries, he was thenmedically discharged. He tried his hand at a non-Western series with McClains Law, a short-lived 1981-1982 police drama. Arness died on June 3, 2011, at age 88 from natural causes. The two were inseparable after that and married a few years later. In 1943, James was drafted into the Navy. (Humorous pause). He started acting in an amateur theater; then, he caught the eye of an agent who linked him up with producer Dore Schary, who gave him a few roles in 1947. 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