[KayakerNC]

He played the Thing (in the movie The Thing) and, most notably, 6ft 7in Marshall Dillon of Gunsmoke.
He will be missed.
http://www.people.com/people/article...499957,00.html

[springfield illinois]

Just think today if they had a show with...a local cop hanging out in a saloon with the madam of the place......the deputy with a very pronounced limp (chester)......and being made fun of by the local doctor! Gunsmoke was a great show.....lots of awards

[Shimpy]

I can remember very well as a little kid in Pittsburgh watching John Wayne on TV introducing a new TV series called "Gunsmoke" that was coming up staring his friend James Arness.

[2BNTV]

RIP James Arness. The greatest western series on television and must see viewing for many years.

Who can forget the iconic Matt Dillon. Brother was Peter Graves from Mission Impossible who passed away in 2010.

I thorougly enjoyed Gunsmoke and always looked forward to watching it.

[Tbugs]

James Arness and his brother were both graduates of the same high school as mine (Washburn) in Minneapolis. Of course, they graduated about 23 years before I did. No, I was not held back for 23 years!

I remember one of my friends telling me that her aunt dated James Arness back in high school when he was on both the football and basketball teams.

[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by Tbugs

James Arness and his brother were both graduates of the same high school as mine (Washburn) in Minneapolis. Of course, they graduated about 23 years before I did. No, I was not held back for 23 years!

If not 23 years, then how many years was it?

[RichieLion]

Still a fan of westerns and of Gunsmoke. I watch it fairly often on the Starz Westerns Channel on Comcast Channel 162.

James Arness played a strong, caring but no nonsense sheriff with a powerful sense of law and order. Children, and boys in particular, learned how men should behave in these entertaining morality westerns. Evil was exposed, and good triumphed and the hero was respected for his valor.

What are we teaching our children today with all the glorified sex and violence today, that people say of, "it's just reflecting the real world". I guess we can never go back.