James Arness

James Arness was interviewed for two-and-a-half hours in Los Angeles, CA.  Arness spoke about his early years and experiences, which included serving in the army during World War II, and recalled his start in local radio in Minneapolis.  He noted his break into acting in movies and listed several in which he appeared.  He described his experiences in early television including anthology series that were done “live.” He then spoke in great detail about the role for which he is most known that of “Marshal Matt Dillon” on Gunsmoke.  For Gunsmoke, he talked about his initial reluctance to take the part (until convinced by John Wayne for whom he was under contract), described the series characters and their relationships with each other, and discussed working with the behind-the-scenes talent, including key producers and directors.  He also talked about later television roles including his appearance as a regular on the late 1970s western series How the West Was Won.  B-roll consisted of photos from his Hollywood years (including films The Farmer’s Daughter and The Thing) and a still each of Arness in Gunsmoke and The McCahans.  The interview was conducted by Henry Colman on August 16, 2002.