The Mighty James Arness has Passed Away

By Bennett Owen

Credit: svchistory

He was six foot six, seven inches…and that trademark gimp was not an actor’s quirk but the result of a war wound suffered at the WW2 invasion of Anzio…an injury that kept him hospitalized for over a year. 

Credit: svchistory

James Arness initially turned down the role of Marshall Matt Dillon, but his good friend, John Wayne eventually convinced him…”Guys like Gregory Peck and me don't want a big lug like you towering over us,” the Duke advised.  “Make your mark in television.” 

Credit: Amazon

And so he did.  For 20 years, from 1955 - ’75,  Marshall Dillon kept the peace in Dodge City in one of the longest running and most popular series’ in the history of television.  His character, perhaps more than any other, embodied the taciturn, heroic lawman of western mystique.

Credit: Zap2it

That also was no act, but the persona of a very private man…So private that his long-time co-star, Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) once said of him, "He's big, impressive and virile…I've worked with him for 16 years, but I don't really know him."

Credit: YouTube.com

And that is perhaps the most endearing key to Gunsmoke’s longevity.  Aside from the quick-draw brilliance and tough guy tactics, Marshall Dillon engaged in a tender, 20-year long, unrequited love affair with Miss Kitty…the longing was palpable…and yet they never once kissed.

Arness later admitted there truly was method to this madness…

After his death, Arness’ website released a posthumous message from the actor that read in part, "I had a wonderful life and was blessed with so many loving people and great friends."

James Arness, dead at the age of 88.

Credit: SFGate

THE FIVE MOST OBSCURE TV WESTERNS – # 4 - Dirty Sally

By Bennett Owen

Frankly I was about half scared what would pop up as I typed ‘Dirty Sally’ into the old search engine.

Dirty Sally has the distinction of being the only Gunsmoke spin-off, but it also had a (mercifully) short run of just 15 episodes.  Perhaps somebody tried to destroy the evidence because I couldn’t find a single video fragment from the series.  It features a junk-collecting female hermit with a mule named ‘Worthless’ who (Sally, not the mule) nurses back to life a young outlaw (Pike) with a heart of gold.  As the unlikely trio sets out for California, the adventures begin in earnest, including:

• Sally helps out a pig farmer
• Sally gets kicked out of a men-only Saloon
• Sally turns a boisterous farm girl into a demure princess
• Pike decides to become an actor (good luck with that!)
• Sally poses as Billy the Kid’s mother

What do you think, was I making the last one up or not?

The Dirty Sally character appeared in several episodes of Gunsmoke and here’s the segment that eventually sparked the spin-off (sorry, we can't embed this video).

And though we didn’t find any clips of the series, you CAN download the Dirty Sally theme song for your cell phone. Here it is, if you just want to listen:

Dirty Sally Theme Song by My-West.com

Dirty Sally was played by the late Jeanette Nolan, a Shakespearean actress who enjoyed a multitude of supporting roles in film and TV and over the course of her career garnered four Emmy nominations. 

Her last role was as Robert Redford’s mother, Ellen Booker, in The Horse Whisperer:

Photo courtesy of Aveleyman.com

15 episodes. Now that’s pretty obscure. Where do we go from here, you ask? Well, join us next week and find out.