How well do you know the career of James Arness?

He played everything from horror movie monsters to real historical figures.

Millions of people know James Arness as the righteous defender of law and order, U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, on the long-running TV western Gunsmoke. But he acted for many years before leading the hit show and continued to act for two decades after it ended.

Do you know Mr. Arness only from Gunsmoke or can you name everything he ever did? Test your knowledge of his long Hollywood career with this quiz!

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  1. True or false: Arness also played Marshal Matt Dillon on the 'Gunsmoke' radio show.
  2. In his earliest movie roles, Arness was credited with his real last name. What was it?
  3. True or false: Gunsmoke was Arness’s first time appearing on television.
  4. Arness played the monster in what 1950s horror movie?
  5. Arness acted in another ‘50s horror movie called 'Them!' which referred to what terrifying threat to humanity?
  6. Arness played which real historical figure in the TV movie 'The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory'?
  7. True or false: after 'Gunsmoke,' Arness only acted in period westerns.
  8. Arness played Matt Dillon in how many 'Gunsmoke' TV movies in the 1980s and 1990s?
  9. Which of these was NOT the title of a 'Gunsmoke' movie?
  10. True or false: Arness served in World War II.
  11. Arness and John Wayne starred in many movies together and were close friends. They were also both…
  12. James Arness was the only 'Gunsmoke' cast member to be in every single episode. How many was he in?

How well do you know the career of James Arness?

Your Result...

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97 Comments

jackbennyfan 1 month ago
I got 7/12. Should have done better.
FLETCH 1 month ago
How well do you know the career of James Arness?

4 out of 12 - Not very well
Kaydee 1 month ago
6/12 I did horrible! Didn't know much about James Arness. Only being in the movie "Them" TV's "Gunsmoke" "How The West was Won", his real last name and being the older brother of Peter Graves. I suddenly did remember him being in an early episode of "The Lone Ranger" but it was too late to go back and change my answer Lol
Tresix 1 month ago
11/12. I didn’t know how many “Gunsmoke” episodes there were. Trivia question:

In the scene in “The Thing from Another World” where The Thing is shrinking from the electrical charge, what little person actor plays the shrunken Thing?

Billy Barty
Harry Earles
Billy Curtis
Angelo Rossito
Kaydee Tresix 1 month ago
Was it Billy Barty?
Tresix Kaydee 1 month ago
No. Sorry.
Kaydee Tresix 1 month ago
Billy Curtis?
Tresix Kaydee 1 month ago
CORRECT!
Kaydee Tresix 1 month ago
Okaaaay YAY! Ha!
Kaydee Tresix 1 month ago
Excellent trivia question by the way
bmoore4026 1 month ago
8 out of 12 for me and some of these were guesses. And, yes, 75% of the questions I got wrong were guesses.
Rick 1 month ago
10 / 12. Didn't know about the Alamo movie or that he shared a birthday with John Wayne.
KawiVulc 1 month ago
10/12... don't know much about 50's horror flicks & didn't know he was born on the same day as The Duke.
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