James Arness: An Autobiography

Rating:
Summary: MAKING MEDIA HISTORY
Review: JAMES ARNESS, is perhaps the finest example of what can happen when a person of quality is allowed to create and shape his acting with the best values that have made America. This book gives us insight into one of the most important personalities of media history. It is a must for any one who wants to understand a generation, who wants to be successful, and who cares about what is important in life.
Perhaps, more than ever, in this time of crisis we need to re-look at our heros of which James Arness is one of the best examples. He has imbedded himself in our vision of what is right, what is good. Gunsmoke was not just a show of good writers, but it was an example of good people. People of values who came into focus, story by story around Matt Dillon, the essence of rightness and justice.
The present, we Americans owe James Arness a debt of gratitude. For anyone who wants to put IT in perspective, this is a must read book....

Rating:
Summary: For Gunsmoke/Arness fans only
Review: Since the day the program debuted in 1955 through the next 20 years, I was a fan of Gunsmoke and tried never to miss an episode. Even today, if I can catch a rerun on cable, I always tune in. I consider it the best TV show ever. So, I was very interested in reading this autobiography of the actor who created Marshall Dillon. Unfortuantely, the book delivers in only a few areas. For a show that lasted a record 20 years, there are remarkably few anecdotes. It isn't until we get into Appendix A offering comments from actors on the show, that we realize why. James Arness was a loner. He didn't hang with the other actors. He came in, shot his scenes, then flew away. Further, he made it clear he wanted privacy and the other actors on the set respected that (or feared him) and stayed away. Appendix A, comments by regular actors on the show and crew, is roughly 25% of the book. It is followed by other appendices including comments by guest stars, fan letters, a filmography and an awards list, so we end up with a big chunk of the book containing self-serving material that added little except pages and flattering comments. The most interesting parts of the book describe Arness' life away from the set: his love of surfing, flying and his family. He only briefly touches on the two tragedies in his life: his divorce and his daughter's drug-induced death. Otherwise, it is all success and happiness. As he admits, he never went after anything, it all came to him. He had an almost picture perfect existance. There is one section of the book I would highly recommend, and that is his chapter on Anzio. It is extremely well written and transports the reader to a point where he feels he is there on the beach attacking with Jim. It is here where Jim is shot and the resulting injury got him back home and caused physical problems later in life. It was a fascinating interlude within an otherwise dull book. Now let me go see if Gunsmoke is on the tube anywhere.

Rating:
Summary: For Gunsmoke/Arness fans only
Review: Since the day the program debuted in 1955 through the next 20 years, I was a fan of Gunsmoke and tried never to miss an episode. Even today, if I can catch a rerun on cable, I always tune in. I consider it the best TV show ever. So, I was very interested in reading this autobiography of the actor who created Marshall Dillon. Unfortuantely, the book delivers in only a few areas. For a show that lasted a record 20 years, there are remarkably few anecdotes. It isn't until we get into Appendix A offering comments from actors on the show, that we realize why. James Arness was a loner. He didn't hang with the other actors. He came in, shot his scenes, then flew away. Further, he made it clear he wanted privacy and the other actors on the set respected that (or feared him) and stayed away. Appendix A, comments by regular actors on the show and crew, is roughly 25% of the book. It is followed by other appendices including comments by guest stars, fan letters, a filmography and an awards list, so we end up with a big chunk of the book containing self-serving material that added little except pages and flattering comments. The most interesting parts of the book describe Arness' life away from the set: his love of surfing, flying and his family. He only briefly touches on the two tragedies in his life: his divorce and his daughter's drug-induced death. Otherwise, it is all success and happiness. As he admits, he never went after anything, it all came to him. He had an almost picture perfect existance. There is one section of the book I would highly recommend, and that is his chapter on Anzio. It is extremely well written and transports the reader to a point where he feels he is there on the beach attacking with Jim. It is here where Jim is shot and the resulting injury got him back home and caused physical problems later in life. It was a fascinating interlude within an otherwise dull book. Now let me go see if Gunsmoke is on the tube anywhere.