What made us different from other westerns was the fact that 'Gunsmoke' wasn't just action and a lot of shooting; they were character-study shows.

Instead he was called for the Army and reported to Fort Snelling Minnesota in March 1943. Despite "being a poor student and skipping many classes" he graduated from high school in June 1942. His height of 6 feet 7 inches (2.

James King Arness (May 26 1923 – June 3 2011) was an American actor best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon in the television series Gunsmoke for 20 years. In Europe Arness reached cult status for his role as Zeb Macahan in the western series How the West Was Won.