James Arness

<p> 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 <I>Them!</I> and <I>The Thing</I>. He had a very long run on television's <I>Gunsmoke</I> and a role in the miniseries <I>How The West Was Won</I>. His post-theatrical period is also covered.</p><p> 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 <I>Gunsmoke</I> 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 Throughout are previously unpublished photographs from the author's collection.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 <I>Gunsmoke</I> alumni and a sampling of letters received from his fans. Actor and fellow <I>Gunsmoke</I> performer Burt Reynolds has written a foreword to the book.</p>