{"product_id":"james-arness-an-autobiography-large-print-paperback","title":"James Arness: An Autobiography [Large Print] - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJames Arness\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJames E. Wise Jr\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJames Arness was born May 26, 1923, in Minneapolis. He entered college just as World War II began and dreamed of being a naval aviator. It seemed as if every night his fraternity was having a party to send off a brother to the service. Young Arness got his interview with a naval flight program officer, but his hopes vanished as he was informed that his six foot seven inch height disqualified him automatically. He wrote his draft board asking that they call him up as soon as possible and so he ended up as a private in the famed Third Infantry Division where he earned a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Because of his stature, he was chosen to be first off the landing craft (to test the depth of the water) when his division landed at Anzio, Italy. He was subsequently wounded by enemy machine gun fire and spent eighteen months recovering in overseas and stateside hospitals. Later his height would help him strike a commanding figure in the role of U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon of Dodge City. After Arness had toiled in Hollywood for a decade, John Wayne recommended him to CBS executives for the \u003ci\u003eGunsmoke\u003c\/i\u003e part (after Wayne turned it down). As the principal performer of \u003ci\u003eGunsmoke\u003c\/i\u003e for twenty years (1955-1975), the actor and the character took on mythic proportions--a born leader, honest and strong. Rare is the actor who has been cast in a role that so deeply fits his true self. James Arness gives a full account of his early years, his family, his military career, his film work in Hollywood which included appearances in the cult-favorite science fiction movies \u003ci\u003eThem \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Thing.\u003c\/i\u003e He had a long run on \u003ci\u003eGunsmoke, \u003c\/i\u003e a role in the highly popular television miniseries \u003ci\u003eHow The West Was Won, \u003c\/i\u003e and his post-theatrical period is also covered. This is the long anticipated, never-before-told account of one of the icons of twentieth-century television. There are many personal revelations of interacting with some of the \u003ci\u003eGunsmoke\u003c\/i\u003e family ensemble, such as Miss Kitty, Doc and Festus. His own work as a producer is covered. Throughout are rare, previously unpublished photographs from the author's personal collection. Appendices include comments by show biz colleagues and fellow \u003ci\u003eGunsmoke\u003c\/i\u003e alumni, and a sampling of letters received from his legions of fans. Actor and fellow \u003ci\u003eGunsmoke\u003c\/i\u003e performer Burt Reynolds has written a foreword to the book. This entry refers to the LARGE PRINT edition. For the standard edition please see ISBN 978-0-7864-7588-9.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe late \u003cb\u003eJames Arness\u003c\/b\u003e lived in suburban Los Angeles with his wife Janet, where they were involved in various charity projects. \u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eThe late \u003cb\u003eJames E. Wise, Jr., \u003c\/b\u003e a retired Navy captain in Alexandria, Virginia (d. 2013), wrote many books on history and the performing arts. He served as an intelligence officer aboard USS \u003ci\u003eAmerica\u003c\/i\u003e during the 1967 Six Day War in the eastern Mediterranean and later in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 344\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.77 x 10 x 7 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 01, 2008\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge Print:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47468189024509,"sku":"9780786433162","price":78.91,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/3414\/0157\/files\/bEFGYmxERUJhN1dDeHc4am5zVkVZdz09.webp?v=1777285746","url":"https:\/\/booktolia.com\/products\/james-arness-an-autobiography-large-print-paperback","provider":"booktolia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}