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Here to tell another Hollywood Goes to War story. Is Roger McGrath? Wrath is the author of Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes: Violence on the Frontier. U.S. Marine and former history professor at UCLA, McGrath has appeared on numerous History Channel documentaries.
And he's a regular contributor here at Our American Stories. Take it away, McGrath. The Johnny Carson Show. Starring Johnny President! He's got a news for you, and he's the star of that new CBS show that's coming up soon.
gun smoke, and here he is, Mr. Jim Arness. Jim? Everyone thinks of James Arness as Matt Dillon, the brave and incorruptible town marshal of a Dodge City. in the television series Gunsmoke.
I think of him as the father of one of my childhood friends. When you're a young kid, all adults look big to you. James Arness looked like a giant. He stood six foot seven. and weighed 235 pounds.
It had a big bone frame and was lean at that weight. Shaking hands with him was like getting your hand caught in the jaws of a giant bear of vice grips. Despite his great size, he could serve fairly well. His board was nearly the size of a tandem board. Most people don't think of James Arnest in films, but it was in 30 movies before Gunsmoke began its 20-year run on television.
He was the thing. in the nineteen fifty one science fiction thriller, The thing from another world. which is hailed as a classic, of the science fiction genre. Mostly though, he played typical character roles in his other movies, such as Wagon Master. Carbine Williams, and Horizons West.
If most people don't know of Arness's movie work, Prior to television's gun smoke, They also generally don't know of his service in World War II. which earned him a bronze star. and purple heart. and left him with a slight limp. for the rest of his life.
They also may not know He was a staunch conservative. And close friends with John Wayne and Ronald Reagan. Jim Arnest is born in 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as James King Arnes. His father, Rolf, is half Norwegian and half German. and his mother, Ruth, is from German stock.
His father sells medical supplies and his mother Once Jim and his younger brother Peter are grown, becomes a newspaper columnist. Arness later recalls his Minneapolis childhood as wonderful. although he says he was a poor student. and often skipped classes. He's not averse to working part-time as a teenager though.
His jobs include being a courier, But for a wholesaler, loading and unloading boxcars at the railroad freight yards. and spending one summer logging in Idaho. Jibarness loves to hunt, fish, and sail. Fortunately for him, His father takes the family on vacations to Ox Lake. A pristine body of water.
some 160 miles north of Minneapolis. A family stays in a rented cabin on an island in the lake. Jim is designated wood chopper. The exercise in the fresh air must have been good for him. By the time he's 14 years old, he stands 6'7.
He's teased regularly for his great height. His mother sees how he's been made to feel like an oddity. and writes him a poem titled to a young giant. assuring him that one day his height will be a sign of distinction. In high school, when a good buddy, Bill O'Brien, Moose to Fargo, North Dakota.
Arness hops a freight train to visit him. This is the beginning of many adventures riding the rails. I went to a school in Minneapolis called West High School. And the uh Milwaukee Railroad line went right past the schools and we knew there was a train that would come by at a certain hour.
So several of us would dug out the bag door. and jump on this freight train and so My scholastic achievements were not really all that great in high school, you know. Arnaz skips school on several occasions and climbs into boxcars just to see how far he can go. When he and a couple of friends find themselves stranded one winter night 400 miles from home. They call their parents.
The mothers think they should wire the boys' money. for a bus ride back home. The fathers answer with an adamant No. saying the boys got themselves there without any help. and they can darn well use their own ingenuity to get themselves back.
Other adventures include sailing the Caribbean on a freighter. Despite a less than sparkling academic performance in high school, and having little interest in higher education. His mother's urging Arna supplies to college. He's accepted at Beloit College in southeastern Wisconsin. for the fall semester 1942.
He gets into Beloit only because so many other boys have left the college to enlist in the military. following Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Arness. Fink said if he can complete two years of college, you will become eligible for the Naval Flight Program.
However, His dreams are dashed when he learns he exceeds the height limit for the flight program by five inches. He now loses whatever little interest he has in studying. and after completing one semester at Beloit, He writes his draft board in Minneapolis requesting induction. I'd been initiated into a fraternity there. And they were having a going-away party almost every night for some guy that was going in the service.
So I couldn't wait to get my notice. In March 1943, Arness inducted into the army at Fort Snelling. on the southeastern edge of Minneapolis. After processing, he's shipped to Camp Wheeler, Georgia. basic training.
He sails through the draining. describing himself as Lean and mean. Nothing but bone, muscle, and sinew. Not an ounce of fat on me. And.
I could knock off one of those 20 mile hikes like it was nothing. He becomes a rifleman. Assigned to the infantry. A few months later, Arness is landing in Casablanca, Morocco. has a replacement.
which was kind of funny because while I was in basic training one Sunday afternoon I was walking around the base and they have a little theater there and it said the movie Casablanca was playing.
So I went in and saw Casablanca, which was so great, you know.
So we went across the Atlantic in a big convoy and we wound up landing at Casablanca. I was going to look around for Rick's cafe and all that.
Well, it wasn't like the movie, believe me. He undergoes more training but sees no action. Nonetheless, there are casualties. When Arnes and his fellow soldiers received passes, They are warned to visit only certain areas and to never approach Arab women.
However, Arab women seductively approach them. A few soldiers succumb to the temptation, and wander off with the women. The soldiers are later found. with their pockets empty and their throats cut. In December nineteen forty three.
Arnes and his fellow replacements are loaded aboard a ship at Oran, Algeria. and transported to Naples, Italy. Naples was seized by the Allies two months earlier. Arnes and the others are trucked twenty miles to a camp in the hills above the town San Pietro. Into the camp come veterans from the front and the looks on their faces and their stories of combat are sobering.
Until now Arnest says it was all high adventure for him. He begins to have second thoughts. And you've been listening to Roger McGrath tell the story of James Arness. and it's when he's watching troops returning from the front. that he realizes this is more.
than anything he'd ever Ever planned on. When we come back, More of the story of James Arnest, part of our Hollywood Goes to War series, here on Our American Stories. This July 4th, celebrate freedom from spills, stains, and overpriced furniture with Anibay, the only machine-washable sofa inside and out, where designer quality meets budget-friendly pricing.
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And we continue with our American stories and James Arness's story and his service to our country. During World War II, part of our Hollywood Goes to War series, let's return to. Dr. Roger McGrath. James Arness is assigned to 2nd Platoon.
Company E, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment. 3rd Infantry Division. He occasionally sees the bodies of dead Americans strapped to mules coming back from the front. Arnest later says, My enthusiasm for adventure was waning rapidly. In January 1944, Arnessa's outfit has moved back to Naples and begins training for amphibious landings.
Practicing on the beaches of the island of Capri and also at Salerno. After three weeks of this, they are headed to the harbor for still another training day. when they find the harbour packed with ships.
Something big is up. A few mornings later, Arnes and his buddies are preparing for another training day when a Jeep pulls up to them and out jumps Brigadier General John O'Daniel. second in command of the third infantry division. Known throughout the army as Iron Mike O'Daniel, The general is a highly decorated and wounded veteran of World War I. Who in one battle stayed in the fight for 12 hours after being hit in the face by a machine gun bullet?
Now in World War II, O'Daniel has already commanded regiments in the thick of fighting in North Africa, Sicily, and Salerno. He's famous for leading from the front. Arnest says he's a rough and ready guy with a powerful presence. He gives the men, in Arness's words, a marvelous pep dock. The next day, January 22, 1944, Arnaz finds himself in a landing craft.
headed to the beach at Anzio, some 30 miles south of Rome. A sergeant gives Arness an extra load to carry. A burlap sack. with T and T charges and says You'll go first down the ramp on the beach. That way we can check the water depth.
If you go under, we know we have to move closer to shore. Good vibe, good vibe. Our nest goes into waist-high water and wades ashore. Other troops follow. Until 15,000 of them are standing on the beach, stunned that not a shot has been fired.
When American forces move inland, though, the Germans open up. And the fighting's intense. Day after day. in firefight after firefight. Bullets and shrapnel wound or kill.
Those around Jim Arness. and splatter him with their flesh and blood. But again and again he emerges without a scratch. How a target that large can be missed. while smaller men around our nest are dying is something of a mystery.
Near the end of January. Arness and his platoon come upon a farmhouse. All looks peaceful enough. until a German machine gun opens up from a second story window and pins down the platoon. Arness and another soldier are ordered to see if they can make their way to the rear of the farmhouse and attack from there.
They crawl through shrubs and grass, hoping they're not spotted while a machine gun intermittently belches fire at the platoon's position. Horness and his partner Reach a position behind the farmhouse and see an outside staircase leading to an open door on the second floor. says Arnes. We crept up the stairs, threw in a couple of hand grenades, and ducked. The second they exploded, we rushed through the door and sprayed the room with gunfire.
The German machine gun was now a piece of twisted metal and three gunners lay sprawled around the small room. On the moonless night of February 1, Arness's platoon is ordered to reconnoitre. the area between the American lines and those of the Germans. as quietly as possible. The Americans move out.
Uh Arness is a walking point for the squad. It's so dark he has trouble seeing his own feet. After some 20 minutes of the walk in the dark, our nest comes upon a vineyard. pauses and strains to hear some sounds in the distance. Voices.
German voices. Just then. A German machine gun opens up. A bullet rips in Arness's lower leg, shattering his tibia. Oh well the pain is excruciating.
He throws himself over some vines into a ditch. Other Americans trailing him are also hit. Harness is only semi-conscious. when a medic bends over him. cuts open his pant leg.
poured sulfa powder into the wound. Wraps a leg. and shoots Arness with morphine. Arnest wise there. in a semi-conscious state for what seems to him like hours.
he begins to fear he's been forgotten. Terrible pain is coming back as the effects of the morphine shot begin to subside. He's almost given a pope. When another medic comes upon him, and gives him another shot. Stretcher bearers arrive.
and began to carry him back towards the American lines. They slip crossing a ridge, and big Jim Arness tumbles off the litter and rolls down a hillside. They raced to his side. Ferrin He sustains further damage. says Arness.
I told them to forget it. I was, of course, in no pain. Arness is eventually taken to an evacuation hospital on the beach. After ten days of fighting, His war is over. I felt very fortunate to have been to get out that lucky.
Think of all the guys who didn't, you know.
Well, that's always stayed in my head. Jim Renaus spends nearly a year in hospitals. Undergoes several surgeries and almost loses his leg until a new drug, penicillin, stops an infection. He's finally discharged at the end of January 1945 at the rank of corporal. With a disability pension and a bronze star and a purple heart.
Arnes returns home and takes a course in radio announcing. His voice is strong, clear, and well modulated. He gets a job at a local radio station. but surprises management when he leaves to take a trip to California with a friend. who is interested in acting.
The friend has a buddy in Santa Monica. who introduces them to the beach. into body surfing. Arnest loves the ocean and the waves and is hooked for life.
Soon he tries surfing with a board, and now he's even more stoked. His first board is 12 feet long. and made of redwood. It weighs a hundred and twenty-five pounds. Mm-hmm.
Parness enrolls in an acting class. and gets a part in a play. His good looks, size, strong voice, and the ability to deliver lines in a natural manner.
Soon have Hollywood talent scouts taking him to the studios for interviews. And I wound up with a part in a play. and an agent saw it one night. And he said, asked me afterward if I had an agent, and I said no.
So he said, well, let me take you to on an interview tomorrow. And you're listening to Roger McGrath. tell the story of actor James Arness. And by the way, you're also listening to James R Ness as well. And what a life and what an adventure he's embarked on in this World War II battle.
that finds him, well, being wounded and seriously wounded. Semi-conscious, jabbed with morphine. and almost loses a leg. But for the advent of Penicillin, he would have And he spent a year in and out of hospitals. And as he said, I felt fortunate.
to get out that lucky. And when he returns home, He's awarded a bronze star. and a purple heart. having advanced to the rank of corporal. And then began is Quest West.
To pursue his career in acting when we come back. More of the story of James R. Ness and our Hollywood Goes to War series here on Our American Stories. This July 4th, celebrate freedom from spills, stains, and overpriced furniture with Anibay, the only machine-washable sofa inside and out, where designer quality meets budget-friendly pricing.
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Now through July 4th, get up to 60% off site-wide at washable sofas.com. Every order comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees, every penny back. Declare independence from dirty outdated furniture.
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Hey, Meta, play hip-hop music. and tune into the world around you. But listening is just the beginning because you can stay in the moment while your phone stays in your pocket as Meta AI provides answers to questions on the fly. Hey Meta, what's the weather tonight? Tonight will be clear with temperatures ranging from 50.
Capture and share moments. Hey Meta, post this video on Instagram. You can even get Meta AI to make recommendations based on what you're looking at. Hey Meta, what can I make for dinner with what's in the fridge? You can make a delicious spinach and chicken salad or add the baby spinach to pasta with some garlic shrimp.
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And let's pick up where we last left off. You're going to be hearing from Dr. Roger McGrath. But first Here's Arnes himself.
So I um Went with him over to RKO Studios on this interview. and wound up with a part in this picture you put It was like providential, you know, I just came in out of nowhere. and they were making a picture called The Farmer's Daughter. About this family of farmers, Scandinavian farmers from Minnesota. I don't know.
I don't know how this ever happened to time out. But uh I wound up ahead of I played one of the brothers of Loretta Young in this picture. Young will win the Oscar for Best Actress. During the production, Harness has the time of his life. and is making $400 a week.
something like 8,000 a week in today's money. He can't believe his good fortune. When the chute wraps, though, he's out of work. At first, this is fine with him. He has plenty of time to hang out at the beach and surf.
As the months go by, with no more parts coming his way, He begins to think of paths in life other than acting. Then he gets a part in a play and meets Virginia Chetlin. who is dedicated to her acting career. and thinks Arness should show the same dedication to his own career. They fall in love.
and get married. She brings to the marriage her 18-month-old son, Craig. Harness adopts Craig. And now Jim Arness, the beach bum. fully commits himself to acting.
His new dedication pays off. In the late 1940s, he gets parts in the movies Roses Are Red. The man from Texas. And battleground. And then he appears in four movies in 1950, including Wagonmaster.
Things just came along. I had the same agent. One day he said, I got an interview for you. Over at uh Archie O and Cobra City. And some guy's doing a movie.
Well, he took me over there and he ushered me into this office and here was John Ford saying. And um He looked me over for a couple of minutes. I wound up getting a part in this movie that he was making at the time. It was called Wagon Master. And I had a good part in that, but these kind of things just sort of came along.
I didn't have to hunt them down really. It just... The thing sort of providentially came off. By 1951, he was a very good person. is all the work you can handle.
appearing in seven movies. including the science fiction classic The thing from another world. During the next four years, he's in 14 more movies. His roles are ever more substantial. and ever more varied.
He works with John Wayne in Big Jim McLean. Island in the sky. Hondo. and the sea chase. In 1955, he's offered the lead role in what will become one of the longest-running television series in history.
Gun smoke. I was making a movie and John Wayne had loaned me out to this company. And they started calling it. Calling me, and I had heard that they were going to do this television show out of Gun Smoke. I had heard it on the radio many times and all.
and they were looking at a whole bunch of peo practically every actor in town. You know, they called me uh one uh evening or we were still on the set of this picture. And I said, well, thank you very much, but I think I'm going to pass it, you know. And um So I guess they called uh Duke See, I was still under contract to him.
So he called me in. And he said, look, he said, You'd be crazy not to take this thing. He said it'd be just like it was with me when I was a young actor he said he he played in those serials that ran on saturday afternoon all and I'd seen him in a number of those. We used to go up to the theater and Saturday afternoon and see his serials and Buck Rogers and other things, you know. Then he really talked turkey to me.
And he was thinking of my best good and uh It turned out, he was totally right. I would have been crazy to pass that up. You know, it turned into a... 40-year job for me here, you know. Good evening.
My name's Wayne.
Some of you may have seen me before, I hope so. I've been kicking around Hollywood a long time. I've made a lot of pictures out here. All kinds. And some of them have been Westerns.
And that's what I'm here to tell you about tonight, a Western. a new television show called Gun Smoke. No, I'm not in it. I wish I were, though. Because I think it's the best thing of its kind that's come along.
It's honest. It's adult. It's realistic. When I first heard about the show Gunsmoke I knew there was only one man to play in it. James R.
Ness. He's a young fella and Maybe new to some of you, but I've worked with him and I predict he'll be a big star.
So you might as well get used to him. Like you've had to get used to me. And now I'm proud to present my friend Jim Arness. I've been thinking about you, Grego. I decided you're not fit to live.
Marshall, you got nothing on me. I killed those two men in self-defense. Sure. There ain't no court in the world to convict me. I'm an innocent man.
I'm not talking about hanging you.
Well, what are you talking about? Criggo. I'm going out in the street. And I'm gonna wait for you. What for?
I'm gonna kill you. As Marshal Matt Dylan He appears in 635 episodes.
Somehow, he finds the time to appear in three more movies after he's begun the series. And I watch the old shows now. all the time every day. At least half or more of the shows that we did 625 episodes I have never seen. At the time we made them...
The first number of years we were on on Saturday night, and I was out.
Somewhere else. and on through the years I never saw, so it's a real Treat for me. to see today I Realize why it was that we stayed on for so long and were popular, had an audience for. that length of time.
Meanwhile, In January 1950, Arnaz moves his family into a newly built house in Pacific Palisades. In the spring, his wife Virginia gives birth to their daughter, Jenny. Less than two years later, A second son, Rolf, is born. Rolf will win the surfing championship in nineteen seventy. James Arnest dies in 2011 at 88 years old.
My overall remembrance of my whole career right from the farmer's daughter on was that I've had a sense of providentiality. Spanning a period of 50 years there, as in the case with gun smoke. And it's still out there, it's on every day and gets a large audience. Just as one of the luckiest guys that ever came through the business, that's all. Had a marvelous life.
Shortly before his passing, He describes his wife. like an ocean voyage, and says I've experienced my share of heavy weather. But mostly it's been smooth sailing. With fair winds and following seas. He also says I was honored.
to have served in the army. for my country. Jim, now that you prove how fast you are on the draw, would you tell the kids to go to bed? All right, Johnny. Kids, uh, this is Marshal Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke talking to you.
Now get to bed early and get some rest because you don't want to miss my new CBS television show. And uh, now that we got the kids in bed, it's safe to tell the adults. The show starts this Saturday night on CBS at 10 o'clock Eastern Time, right? That's right. That's gun smoke.
So thank you very much, Marshall. Thank you. Thank you, Jim. And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Greg Hengler. And a special thanks to Roger McGrath.
Author of Gunfighters Highwaymen and Vigilantes, Violence on the Frontier. He's a US Marine, former history professor at UCLA. and a regular on the History Channel. and also a regular contributor here at our American stories and what another great chapter. in our Hollywood Goes to War series.
As he put it, he had a sense of the providential. About his life in this work. and his life as an actor. And of course he dies. At the age of 88 in 2011, and as he said, I had a marvelous life.
And no doubt he did. The story of Marshall Matt Dillon, aka James Arness. Here on Our American Stories. This July 4th, celebrate freedom from spills, stains, and overpriced furniture with Anibay, the only machine-washable sofa inside and out, where designer quality meets budget-friendly pricing.
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