"A self-described drifter, Arness left home at age 18, hopping freight trains and Caribbean-bound freighters. WebFormer wife Virginia died of a drug overdose in 1977. He returned to Minneapolis to work as a radio announcer and in small theater roles. All rights reserved. Committed suicide by drug overdose. When did Rolf Aurnesss father During an interview, Janet shares the funny stories behind their romance. Virginia Chapman was born on 14 June 1921 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She died on 29 July 1977 in Malibu, California, USA. But she died of a drug overdose in 1975. As at the time that he met his future wife, Janet Surtees, she worked in a clothing store to make a living. All About Harris Faulkners Husband, Who is Janine Tate? It was tied in 2010 to the last season of Law & Order and tied again in 2018 to the 20th season of Law and Order: SVU. He asked her out again, and she agreed to another date. Dennis Weavers first film role was a supporting role as Dandy Taylor in the 1952 film Horizons West. Arness even looked at how the West was won by McClains Rule. His daughter committed suicide in the 70's, despondent over a broken romance with Gregg Allman. or redistributed. His close pals figured that he needed some assistance on the dating front, and one of those that took this task to heart was his makeup artist on Gunsmoke. He was 88. We appreciate your support. Furnel, Inc. is dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality products and services in a timely manner at a competitive price. Afraid of being typecast, Arness initially rejected it. He was a major city police officer in the film, Red River, a remake of the classic Red River in 1948. Janet Surteess Husband Death Arness died of natural causes at the age of 88 at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles on June 3rd, 2011. She said, I am sure Jim has countless girls calling him. Arness sits with his wife, Virginia Arness, 23, in 1958. Market data provided by Factset. Rolf inherited a love of surfing from his dad, James, and took it up seriously after suffering a fall at the age of nine. Tags: Star Kid Thank you very much for reading on VimBuzz.com. On July 29, 1977, she died in Malibu, California, USA. Actress: Official Detective. Enjoy reading!! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Several Hollywood stars have gone ahead to marry ordinary individuals, and one of them was the late James Arness. We aim to provide a wide range of injection molding services and products ranging from complete molding project management customized to your needs. Email: After working together for several years, she and the store owner had become Surtees married her husband, James Arness, on 16 December 1978. Another accomplished son that Arness was Rolf Arness. It Took James Arness Three Months To Call His Wife. Although Arness was a very famous actor, they avoided the spotlight, limiting their public appearance to the occasional ceremony to honor Arness. In the letter, James thanks all of his fans for cheering him on throughout his career. MALIBU, Calif., Aug. 1 (UPI)The death of Virginia Arness, former wife of James Arness, star of the television series Gunsmoke has been ruled an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. No details exist about who his father is, but Arness gladly accepted Jim into their family, and they all lived together while he was in his formative years. An initial statement from the hospital and her friends said Blake died of throat cancer. James Arness, famous as the star of one of the longest-running shows in U.S. television history, "Gunsmoke," was born to Rolf Aurness He tried to guard them from the spotlight. After dinner, he walked me out to my car and said, Well, Id like to call you,' said Janet. A single mom, Surtees was initially reluctant to go on a date with Arness despite knowing that he was a big acting star. The night they first met, the two spent the night talking about their families, work, and favorite hobbies. Facebook: thebiographyscoop WebCraig was the son of Arness' first wife. She stoutly refused to do so and insisted on leaving the ball in the actors court. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! 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. There are not many details on where he resides or what he does for a living. His funeral was private, and the family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to his favorite charity, United Cerebral Palsy. WebJames Arness starred in Gunsmoke for 20 years. He died of natural causes in his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. In 1975, Jenny Arness died of an apparently deliberate drug overdose. James Arness also had a daughter named Jenny Lee. Then there was a knock at the door. This was a Western film that took place shortly after the Civil War. Then on December 16, 1978, Arness married Janet Surtees. "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. He adopted her son Jim Surtees. Before Janet, James was married to Virginia Chapman from 1948 until 1963; the couple had three children, Rolf, Craig, and Jenny Lee, who died of suicide in 1975. She died on 12 May 1975 in Malibu, California, USA. According to the family's spokesperson, James died of natural causes at 88. WebDied July 29, 1977 Malibu, California, USA (accidental overdose) Spouses James Arness February 12, 1948 - April 5, 1963 (divorced, 2 children) Children Rolf Aurness Did you know Edit Trivia Mother of Craig Aurness, Rolf Aurness and Jenny Lee Arness. He was a classmate of Waynes and introduced him to the first episode of GunSmoke in 1955. When Weaver died in February 2006, Arness called it "a big loss for me personally" and said Weaver "provided comic relief but was also a real person doing things that were very important to the show. Contribute to this page Suggest an edit or add missing content Learn more about contributing This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Jenny Lee Arness, the daughter of actor James Arness, committed suicide in 1975, not too long before her 25th birthday. 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. She was born in 1946 in the United States of America. Janets friend, who owned the dress shop and knew Jim, suggested that Janet call him. James Arness's Wife Died of Drug Overdose. Then, what happened? He was very polite and friendly.. 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. Mandi is an experienced writer on various topics with a passion for telling stories with words. During the Battle of Anzio, he was seriously injured in his right thigh. Gunsmoke actor James Arness dead at 88 SheKnows She survived him. She would tell me about Jim and their adventures. James Arness and his wife went on the most romantic first date ever. Legal Statement. He played a part in McClains Rule, a short-lived 1981-1982 film, co-starring Marshall Colt. I was like, Oh my gosh, he is a big guy,' said Janet with a laugh. Buzzsouthafrica.com copyright 2023. He worked for National Geographic in the 70s and 80s and produced several books and stories or them. Next to his is Barbara Anderson, who won the same award for Ironside. The series was the longest-running primetime drama series in the history of US broadcasting. They dated for a few years before tying the knot in 1978. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. James Arness died on the 3rd day of June 2011 in his home, and right by his side was his wife. Furnel, Inc. has been successfully implementing this policy through honesty, integrity, and continuous improvement. KVS and SoftRight customers now have the ability to upgrade to Springbrooks new Cirrus cloud platform: Twitter: @BiographyScoop Interview with Amanda Blake However, the hospital and her friends claimed that she died of cancer. James Arness Wrote a Letter About His Wife Before His Passing. Very sorry to hear another tragedy has hit James Arness and his family. They helped each other achieve several feats and built a loving home for the children from past relationships. The two were inseparable after that and married a few years later. She later agreed, at least to tell her Gunsmoke fan of a son she met one of the shows stars, and the date turned out to be a wonderful one. Sister of Craig Aurness and Rolf Aurness. Before arriving at his home in the mountains, the two stopped at the grocery store because Jim loved food. They picked up bread, cheese, wine, and other goodies. While shopping, Janet noticed a lifesize advertisement with James on it. And I thought, Eew, an actor I dont know,' said Janet laughing. WebJenny Lee Arness was born on 23 May 1950 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. WebOn March 6, 1984, Graves was hospitalized at Tahoe Forest Hospital for a fractured jaw among other injuries sustained from a fall on an icy Lake Tahoe road the previous weekend. In his later years, he suffered from constant leg pain, which sometimes became acute, which was often initiated while he was on horses. She survived him. James Arness' Second Wife. His body was buried in the Abiding Hope Sanctuary in the Jasmine Terrace portion of the Great Mausoleum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He also has six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Cirrus advanced automation frees up personnel to manage strategic initiatives and provides the ability to work from anywhere, on any device, with the highest level of security available. Ask your rep for details. Jim is all grown up now but lives his life out of the spotlight. She kept a cool head and that trait that would continue to serve them well into marriage. 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. The two spent the rest of the day horseback riding through nature and picnicking outdoors. 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. Arness took on a contemporary role as a police officer in the series "McClain's Law," which aired on NBC from 1981-82. Born James King Aurness, his father was a traveling salesman, his mother was a newspaper columnist. Arness was the first man to be called from his landing craft to assess the depth of the sea. So I thought, Well, okay, Ill meet Jim and tell my son I met him,' said Janet. Despite the litany of movies and TV shows he featured in, James Arnesss name will forever be associated with the CBS series Gunsmoke, where he portrayed the laconic, fair-minded, and incorruptible Marshall Matt Dillon of Dodge City. She is currently into charity work. Niece of Peter Graves. He is most remembered for Gunsmoke, How the West was Won. Dr. Nishimura, an internist in Sacramento said that she suffered from AIDS for about a year. 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. Surtees married actor James Arness. When Arness was rounding up work on Gunsmoke in 1975, he was already divorced and had suffered some other heartbreak along his way. ", "Gunsmoke" went on to become the longest-running dramatic series in network history until NBC's "Law & Order" tied in 2010. James flew Janet back later that day. This could have been for a variety of reasons, but they never lacked love in their lives. Courtesy ABC Television. She was an actress, known for Official Detective (1957), Highway Patrol (1955) and Whirlybirds (1957). Chapman's son from her first marriage, Craig, was adopted by Arness. After having undergone multiple surgeries, he was honorably discharged from the Army on January 29, 1945. Then one night she said, Well, Jim is coming over for dinner. Janet Surtees came from a humble background, but as can be seen from her relationship with Arness, she remained pretty grounded and did not lose her head because he was some big Hollywood star. Two years later, an overdose that police deemed accidental killed her mother. He moved to Hollywood in 1946 at a friend's suggestion. Arness died of natural causes at the age of 88 at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles on June 3rd, 2011. Wounded in the leg during the 1944 invasion at Anzio, Italy, Arness was hospitalized for a year and left with a slight limp. Arness wrote a letter to his fans that he asked Janet to post on his website after his passing. They would appear in 26 episodes between 1976 and 1979. At the time of his death, James was married to his second wife, Janet Surtees; the couple married in 1978. It also gave him the chance to meet the eventual love of his life, Janet Surtees. Janet Surtees firmly stuck to her guns for three months before Arness finally called her. The Norwegian-German Arness had to dye his naturally blond hair darker to Matt Dillons part in the famous TV show. What is Janet Surtees doing after her husbands demise? "It was a face that would age well and that, while aging, would carry intimations of waste, loss and futility.". Website: Biographyscoop.com When he and his first wife, Virginia Chapman, divorced, he started to date, which quickly became the news of the town. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. There is also not much information about her date of birth, place of birth, or family background except that her brother and dad worked as pilots. Previously, she was married to James Arness and Leo Myron Morton. Arnesses appeared in five Gunsm Smoke movies made-for-television between 1987 and 1994. He also described her and his family as the best part of his life. But Janet refused. She died on May 12, 1975 in Malibu, California, USA. But in a 1973 episode, Matt had a brief affair with another woman, Mike Yardner (Michael Learned), while he had amnesia. Analysis and reporting is a breeze with Tableau, which comes a preconfigured report library, included for all cirrus customers. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The couple had a great marriage, and Arness revealed the same in a letter that he posted on his website a few months to his demise. Despite his desire for privacy, a rocky domestic life landed him in the news more than once.Arness met future wife Virginia Chapman while both were studying at Southern California's Pasadena Playhouse. He was 88 years old at the time of his demise. Despite living in the spotlight, Surtees and Arness built a long-lasting union and were together for 33 years before the legendary actor passed away in 2011. He also became the adoptive father to Virginias son Craig. From Sports, business, entertainment, to celebrity gossip and so much more, Ngozika has got you covered with the latest gist and happenings as they unfold, Bert Kishs Life Story and Cause of Death, Meet T.Is Blended Family of 7 Children From Multiple Women, Meet Big Meechs Younger Brother, Terry Lee Flenory, Who is Arnetta Yardbourgh? WebShe was an actress, known for Gunsmoke (1955). But the couple gets divorced in 1963, and Arness was granted legal custody of the children. 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. Born James Aurness in Minneapolis (he dropped the "u" for show business reasons), he and brother Peter enjoyed a "real Huckleberry Finn existence," Arness once recalled. An initial statement from the hospital and her friends said Blake died of throat cancer. And here comes this huge man through the door. He failed to call her for the next three months, and her employer urged her to reach out. She was an actress, known for Gunsmoke (1955). A post shared by Texas Trail of Fame (@texastrailoffame). Actor. It featured a huge star cast such as Robert Ryan, Rock Hudson, Raymond Burr, and James Arness. He also starred in Gunsmoke, a western-themed TV series. The popular media widely reported that Blakes doctor claimed that she had actually died of Aids. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years.". He was 88. American Actor James Arness was born James King Aurness on 26th May, 1923 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA and passed away on 3rd Jun 2011 Brentwood, California, USA aged 88. He was 88. James Arness, the towering actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon, the strong and commanding symbol of frontier justice on the landmark TV western series Gunsmoke, died Friday. The actor was 32 when friend John Wayne declined the lead role in "Gunsmoke" and recommended Arness instead. The night they first met, the two spent the night talking about their families, work, and favorite hobbies. [8] He received 100 stitches to his lower lip during his stay. His body was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Legal Statement. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. In the early 60's Arness sued for and got custody of Craig, along with his other 2 children. WebAbout. Arness died of natural causes at his home in Brentwood, said family spokeswoman Ginny Fazer. "The camera really loved his face, and with good reason," novelist Wallace Markfield wrote in a 1975 "Gunsmoke" appreciation in The New York Times. So, basically, the most romantic date ever. The late James Arness was, without doubt, one of the biggest western icons in Hollywood history, and along with him on his glorious journey was his wife, Janet Surtees. As U.S. In that letter, he thanked fans of Gunsmoke for their tremendous support over the years and went ahead to described his wife as a special person. Once there, they engaged in an outdoor picnic and horseback riding before Janet flew back to her home. Nothing. 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. Craig Arness was indeed an accomplished fellow before he died in 2004. The union produced two children, a son named Rolf and a daughter named Jenny Lee. James Arness is a member of the following lists: American film actors, American All Rights Reserved. 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).
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