James Arness, "Gunsmoke's" Matt Dillon, Fades into Sunset for Last Time

Long before Luke Skywalker battled intergalactic foes with light sabers, men of the wild west kept order with a gun on their hip; one such man was fictional Marshal Matt Dillon of "Gunsmoke." James Arness as Dillon embodied all that was right about lawmen in those days and did so for a record 20 years.

Baby boomers and their seniors cannot have lived through the 1960s and 1970s without knowing Dillon, Miss Kitty and Doc. Westerns were a TV staple; "Gunsmoke" was a key player. Even though life portrayed in those programs was without the benefit of modern conveniences, the simplicity of right and wrong appealed to audiences.

James Arness, born James King Aurness in Minneapolis, Minnesota May 26, 1923, almost didn't accept the role in "Gunsmoke." The role of Matt Dillon was originally offered to John Wayne. Wayne had befriended Arness and suggested him for the part. Initially, Arness hesitated in accepting the TV role, hoping to make a mark in movies. With Wayne's continued encouragement, Arness accepted the role as Matt Dillon and the rest, as they say, is history.

Arness made his big screen debut in 1947 in "The Farmer's Daughter" and appeared on screen again in 1951 as the Thing in "The Thing from Another World." The "Gunsmoke" series ran from 1955 to 1975 with eventually five reunion specials through the years. Arness reprised his role as Dillon in each of the specials, the last of which was filmed when the actor was 71 years old.

After the long-running "Gunsmoke" ended, Arness played other roles on TV such as in the miniseries, ""How the West Was Won."

Arness, much like his character, Matt Dillon, was a private man. He protected his family from the limelight, although when his daughter, Jenny Lee Arness, died of a drug overdose in 1975 and her mother, Virginia Chapman, died from an accidental drug overdose in 1977, Arness could not completely keep the press at bay.

Arness had divorced Virginia in 1960, at which time he sought and obtained custody of the couple's three children. He married Janet Surtees in 1978 to whom he remained wed until his death on June 3.

One of Arness' prized awards was a resolution he received from officials in Los Angeles in 2003, honoring him for his 60-year residency in the city, his work on "Gunsmoke" and his service to his country during World War II.

The actor's autobiography and assorted tribute pieces are available at the official James Arness website.