James Arness

Book excerpt: James Arness gives the full story on his early years, his family, his military career and his film work in Hollywood, including appearances in the cult-favorite science fiction movies Them! and The Thing. He had a very long run on television's Gunsmoke and a role in the miniseries How The West Was Won. His post-theatrical period is also covered. This is a republication in paperback of the 2001 edition--the long anticipated account of one of the icons of 20th-century television. He offers many anecdotes of interacting with the Gunsmoke family, such as Miss Kitty, Doc and Festus. His own work as a producer is covered. Throughout are previously unpublished photographs from the author's collection. Appendices include comments by show biz colleagues and Gunsmoke alumni, and a sampling of letters received from his fans. Actor and fellow Gunsmoke performer Burt Reynolds has written a foreword to the book.