James Arness left behind an essential legacy by bringing beloved and unforgettable characters to life on both the small screen and the big screen. His work can be found in all mediums. But James wasn’t only a fantastic actor; he was also a guy with a huge heart and a lot of love to offer to the people around him, particularly the lady with whom he planned to spend the rest of his life. He decided to spend the rest of his life with her.
James, who was born in Minneapolis, had a number of different occupations before achieving meteoric success as an actor. In addition to working as a logger in Idaho, he also had a job as a messenger for a jewelry wholesaler at his hometown. In his hometown, he loaded and unloaded railroad boxcars in freight yards. After that, he served his country in the military during the Second World War. He was critically injured while fighting at the Battle of Anzio, which resulted in his having to go through a number of different surgeries.
After completing his service in the armed forces and receiving an honorable discharge in 1945, he quickly began a career in the entertainment business by working as a radio announcer for the Minneapolis station WLOL. But it was only the beginning of an eventful career he has ahead of him. He had higher aspirations for himself. As a result, he made the decision to test his luck in Hollywood.
James, like the majority of individuals who want to make it big in Hollywood, had to go around to a variety of agencies and attend casting calls before he was able to achieve his goal. This was not an easy task. It was in “The Farmer’s Daughter” that he made his debut in the film industry. James is most recognized for his roles in films with a Western setting; nevertheless, he also had roles in many science fiction movies, such as “The Thing From Another World” and “Them.” In addition, he had a role in the television adaptation of the John Wayne classic “Red River,” which was shown in 1988.
However, he became famous all over the globe after starring in the television series “Gunsmoke,” in which he portrayed the role of Marshal Matt Dillon.
After airing for a total of 21 seasons over the course of its two-decade run, “Gunsmoke” established itself as the longest-running primetime drama series in the annals of US television history in the year 1976, when it was finally taken off the air.
In addition to having a successful career as an actor, James had a very fulfilling life. In 1948, he tied the knot with his first wife, Virginia Chapman, and went on to adopt her son, Craig, who later became a photographer for National Geographic. Sadly, Craig died in 2004. In addition, they had a biological son by the name of Rolf who went on to win the world championship in surfing. Jenny, the couple’s daughter, was sadly taken from them in 1975 when she passed away as a result of a heroin overdose. At that moment, James and Chapman had been divorced for more than ten years at that point previously. In 1977, James’ ex-wife Chapman also passed away as a result of a heroin overdose, which was two years after Jenny’s death.
After being divorced from Chapman in 1963 and beginning a relationship with Thordis Brandt four years later, James was together with her for a total of six years. However, it wasn’t until 1978 that James would finally meet the lady of his dreams. That woman was Janet Surtees, who would later change her name to Janet Arness. They were introduced to one another by his makeup artist Glen Alden, whose wife owned a clothes business in which she was employed at the time.
“She would regale me with tales about Jim and their many exploits,” But I never met him. Then, she spoke those words one evening: “Well, Jim is going to be coming over for supper.” Why don’t you come over here and introduce yourself to him? And at that moment I thought, “Ew, an actor I’m not familiar with,”” During an interview with A Word on Westerns in 2017, Janet expressed her opinion on the matter.
Even though Janet’s initial reaction was one of reluctance, she decided to watch “Gunsmoke” with her son since he enjoyed the show.
“On the other hand, my kid was a huge Gunsmoke fan and used to watch the show religiously on Monday evenings. “So I thought, ‘Well, well, I’ll see Jim and tell my kid I met him,’” she recounted with me her thinking process at the time.
But Janet’s anxiety went away after they eventually began chatting to each other about various topics, such as their families, their jobs, and the activities that they like doing in their spare time.
Janet said that James was “down-to-earth,” despite the fact that he was a renowned actor. “Then there was a knock at the door,” the narrator said. And now this enormous dude is walking through the entrance. “Oh my god, he is a large person,” Janet exclaimed. “I was like, “Oh my gosh, he is a big guy.” She continued by saying, “He was quite courteous and pleasant.”
James promised Janet that he would get in touch with her the following day. She said that after dinner, he took her out to her vehicle and said, “Well, I’d like to contact you.” “After dinner, he escorted me out to my car and said,” The next day, James gave Janet a call and extended an invitation for her to join him in the mountains by hopping on his private jet, flying with him, and spending the day with him there. It was a yes from her. After that, they participated in a variety of outdoor activities, one of which was horseback riding. In addition, they went on a picnic together. He brought her back the next day by airplane. However, he did not contact her again after that exchange.
Although Janet’s friend, who was also the owner of the clothing boutique, urged her to give him a call, Janet was hesitant to do so and ultimately decided not to. It had been three months since James had last contacted her by phone.
Therefore, she suggested that I get in touch with Jim by dialing his number. Then I said, “I bet Jim has a lot of ladies calling,” and he laughed. I told him, “He already has my number.” If he had the desire to call, he very certainly would.’ Janet said that “he did contact me, and we went to supper together.”
After going on their second date together, they quickly developed a strong bond as a pair, which led to their eventual marriage. Janet commented that after that, they had a wonderful friendship that remained constant for the remainder of his life.
Even after James passed away in 2011 from natural causes, Janet was still able to feel the love that he had for her while he was still physically there. In 2017, Janet published a letter that James had written for his followers, and inside it was the most endearing statement he could have written for his wife. James reflected on his life and remarked, “The highlight of it all was spending time with my wife, Janet, and our three children.”
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