James Arness Didn't Call His Wife Janet For 3 Months After One Of Their First Dates — They Were Married For 33 Years

Jan 11, 2023

James Arness left an invaluable legacy for bringing to life well-loved and memorable characters on both television and the big screen. But James wasn’t only a great actor, he was also a man with a big heart and so much love to give to the people around him – especially to the woman whom he chose to spend the rest of his life with.

Born in Minneapolis, James entered various jobs before skyrocketing to fame as an actor. He worked as a courier for a jewelry wholesaler, loaded and unloaded railway boxcars in freight yards in his hometown, and also did logging in Idaho. Then he entered military service during the Second World War. He fought during the Battle of Anzio, where he was severely wounded, forcing him to undergo several surgeries.

In 1945, he was discharged from the military and soon entered a career in the entertainment industry as a radio announcer for the Minneapolis station WLOL. But that was only the beginning of his colorful career. He wanted to achieve more. So, he decided to try his luck in Hollywood.

It didn’t come easy for James, who had to make rounds in various agencies and attend casting calls like most people who want to make it big in Hollywood. He made his film debut in "The Farmer’s Daughter." James was mostly known for doing Western-themed movies, but he also appeared in some sci-fi films, including  "The Thing From Another World" and "Them." On television, he also starred in the 1988 TV remake of John Wayne's 1948 classic "Red River."

But it was when he starred in the television series "Gunsmoke" – where he played Marshall Matt Dillon – that he garnered worldwide recognition. 

With a total of 21 seasons throughout its two-decade run, "Gunsmoke" became the longest-running primetime drama series in US television history by the time it went off the air in 1976. 

James also lived a wonderful life outside his career as an actor. He married his first wife, Virginia Chapman, in 1948 and adopted her son, Craig, who worked as a photographer for National Geographic. Sadly, Craig died in 2004. They also had a biological son who was a world surfing champion named Rolf. The couple also shared a daughter named Jenny, who tragically died of a drug overdose in 1975. By that point, James and Chapman had already been divorced for over 10 years. Two years after Jenny's death, James' ex-wife Chapman also died of a drug overdose in 1977.  

James entered a six-year relationship with Thordis Brandt, four years following his divorce from Chapman in 1963. But it wasn’t until 1978 that James would finally meet the woman of his dreams, Janet Surtees, who later became Janet Arness. They met through his makeup artist Glen Alden, whose wife owned a dress shop where she worked. 

“She would tell me about Jim and their adventures. But I never met him. Then one night she said, ‘Well, Jim is coming over for dinner. Why don’t you come over and meet him? ‘And I thought, ‘Eew, an actor I don’t know,'” Janet said in an interview with A Word on Westerns back in 2017.

While Janet was hesitant at first, she still gave it a chance since her son was a fan of "Gunsmoke."

“But my son was a really big fan of ‘Gunsmoke’ and was watching it every Monday night. So I thought, ‘Well, okay, I’ll meet Jim and tell my son I met him,'” she shared.

But Janet’s nervousness disappeared when they finally started talking to each other about everything, including family, work and their favorite hobbies.

Despite James being famous, Janet described him as “down-to-earth.” “Then there was a knock at the door. And here comes this huge man through the door. I was like, “Oh my gosh, he is a big guy,'” Janet said. “He was very polite and friendly,” she added.

James told Janet he would call her the next day. “After dinner, he walked me out to my car and said, ‘Well, I’d like to call you,’” she said. James called Janet the following day and invited her to hop on his private plane, fly with him and spend a day with him in the mountains. She said yes. Then, they did several outdoor activities, including horseback riding. They also had a picnic together. He flew her back the next day. But after that, he didn’t call her back. 

While Janet’s friend, who owned the dress shop, encouraged her to call him, Janet had reservations and opted not to. It took three months before James called her again. 

“So, she said to me ‘Why don’t you give Jim a call?’ And I said ‘I bet Jim has a lot of women calling’. I said ‘He’s got my number. If he wanted to call, he would call.’ So, he did call me and we went to dinner,” Janet said.

Following their second date, they built a solid relationship as a couple and eventually got married. “After that, it was a great relationship that lasted for the rest of his life,” Janet remarked.

Even after James died of natural causes in 2011, Janet still felt the love he had for her when he was still alive. In 2017, Janet shared a letter James penned for his fans – and it had the sweetest message for his wife. "The best part of my life was my family, especially my wife, Janet,” James said.

What can you say about James Arness and his wife Janet’s relationship? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to fans of the actor!