Sister of Craig Aurness and Rolf Aurness. His military awards included the Golden Star, the Purple Heart, the European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Fighting Infantryman Badge. Afraid of being typecast, Arness initially rejected it. This professionalism is the result of corporate leadership, teamwork, open communications, customer/supplier partnership, and state-of-the-art manufacturing. The wealth and fame Arness gained from "Gunsmoke" could not protect him from tragedy in his personal life: His daughter and his former wife, Virginia, both died of drug overdoses. She died on 12 May 1975 in Malibu, California, USA. He later left Nat Geo to co-found his stock photo agency, Westlight. All About Shaquille ONeals Ex-girlfriend, All About Jermaine Jacksons Ex-wife, Hazel Gordy, Who is Tony Berlin? Several Hollywood stars have gone ahead to marry ordinary individuals, and one of them was the late James Arness. "The camera really loved his face, and with good reason," novelist Wallace Markfield wrote in a 1975 "Gunsmoke" appreciation in The New York Times. But my son was a really big fan of Gunsmoke and was watching it every Monday night. Jenny Lee Arness James Arness Janet Surtees is a dress shop owner and one of the famous celebrity wives in the United State who is known for being the second wife of the late American actor James Arness(James King Arness). Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. WebThe Gunsmoke star was 60 when she died on Aug. 16, 1989, at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. According to the family's spokesperson, James died of natural causes at 88. James Arness passed on in 2011 at his home in Brentwood. James Arness, the 6-foot-6 actor who towered over the television landscape for two decades as righteous Dodge City lawman Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," died Friday. 21 Engel Injection Molding Machines (28 to 300 Ton Capacity), 9 new Rotary Engel Presses (85 Ton Capacity), Rotary and Horizontal Molding, Precision Insert Molding, Full Part Automation, Electric Testing, Hipot Testing, Welding. He entered Beloit College in Wisconsin, but was drafted into the Army in his 1942-43 freshman year. James Arness Called Wife Best Part Nothing happened for three months. It was a perfect date by any measure, and as such, it came as a rude shock to Janet when Arness stopped all further communication after that date. "You're too big for pictures. The actor also adopted Virginias son from an earlier relationship named Craig. Committed suicide by drug overdose. She was 56 years old at the time of her death. Arness even looked at how the West was won by McClains Rule. All rights reserved. A single mom, Surtees was initially reluctant to go on a date with Arness despite knowing that he was a big acting star. After a slow start in which he took jobs as a carpenter and salesman, a role in MGM's "Battleground" (1949) was a career turning point. Janet arrived before Jim and nervously waited for him to arrive. The show has been rebroadcast around Europe a number of times. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, An initial statement from the hospital and her friends said Blake died of throat cancer. The two spent the rest of the day horseback riding through nature and picnicking outdoors. She was an actress who appeared in films such as Official Detective (1957), Highway Patrol (1955), and Medic (1954). James Arness And I thought, Eew, an actor I dont know,' said Janet laughing. If Gunsmoke icon James Arness was a Tinder date, he would be the worst. Marshal Dillon in the 1955-75 CBS Western series, Arness created an indelible portrait of a quiet, heroic man with an unbending dedication to justice and the town he protected. He took her grocery shopping for dinner items before flying the both of them out on a private plane to his large residence in the mountains. In 1976, a year after his first Western role on Gunsmoke, Bruce Boxleitner (right) was cast as Luke Macahan, the son of James Arness (left) in the ABC television series How the West was Won. Furnel, Inc. has been successfully implementing this policy through honesty, integrity, and continuous improvement. James Arness This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. I was like, Oh my gosh, he is a big guy,' said Janet with a laugh. "It was a face that would age well and that, while aging, would carry intimations of waste, loss and futility.". If he wants to call me, he will. Three months later, he finally called. Arness' 20-year prime-time run as the marshal was tied only in recent times, by Kelsey Grammer's 20 years as Frasier Crane from 1984 to 2004 on "Cheers" and then on "Frasier. WebJames Arness starred in Gunsmoke for 20 years. In her thinking, he probably had countless girls calling him and therefore had to be the one to call her if he was interested in dating her. The popular media widely reported that Blakes doctor claimed that she had actually died of Aids. His daughter, Jenny, died in 1975, while Chapman passed on two years later. Market data provided by Factset. 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. He also starred in Gunsmoke, a western-themed TV series. Who is Selena Green Vargas and What Happened To Her? At the time of his death, James was married to his second wife, Janet Surtees; the couple married in 1978. When & how actor James Arness died However, her sons love for Gunsmoke convinced her to go. Guys like Gregory Peck and I don't want a big lug like you towering over us. On her part, Janet Surtees had a son named Jim Surtees before she met Arness.