Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
James Arness, actor
Actor

James Arness: Movies & Box Office

films
39
on screen
1947–1994
box office
$23.4K
Career at a glance

James Arness's Career in Numbers

James Arness's films in numbers — as an actor, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres James Arness works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from Roses Are Red (1947) to Gunsmoke: One Man’s Justice (1994), and the 1950s were the busiest decade.

James Arness Movies by Decade

  1. 1940s 4
  2. 1950s 26
  3. 1970s 2
  4. 1980s 3
  5. 1990s 4

The 1950s were James Arness's busiest decade, with 26 films.

James Arness Movies by Genre

  • Western 15
  • Drama 8
  • Tv movie 4
  • Sci-Fi 3
  • Comedy 2
  • Romance 2
  • Documentary 1
  • War 1
  • Action 1
  • History 1

Western is the genre James Arness has worked in most, with 15 films, ahead of drama (8).

James Arness Career Milestones

First film
Roses Are Red 1947
Biggest box office hit
In a Lonely Place $22.3K worldwide
39 credits

James Arness Filmography: Every Movie

Every film James Arness is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

  1. 1994 Gunsmoke: One Man’s Justice (1994) movie poster Gunsmoke: One Man’s Justice as Matt Dillon · Tv movie
  2. 1993 Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (1993) movie poster Gunsmoke: The Long Ride as Matt Dillon · Western
  3. 1992 Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (1992) movie poster Gunsmoke: To the Last Man as Matt Dillon · Western
  4. 1990 Gunsmoke: The Last Apache (1990) movie poster Gunsmoke: The Last Apache as Matt Dillon · Tv movie
  5. 1988 Red River (1988) movie poster Red River as Thomas Dunson · Western
  6. 1987 The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987) movie poster The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory as Jim Bowie · Tv movie
  7. 1987 Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (1987) movie poster Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge as Matt Dillon · Western
  8. 1979 The Horror Show (1979) movie poster The Horror Show as (archive footage) · Documentary
  9. 1976 The Macahans (1976) movie poster The Macahans as Zeb Macahan · Tv movie
  10. 1959 Alias Jesse James (1959) movie poster Alias Jesse James as Marshal Matt Dillon (uncredited) · Comedy
  11. 1956 Gun the Man Down (1956) movie poster Gun the Man Down as Rem Anderson · Western
  12. 1956 The First Traveling Saleslady (1956) movie poster The First Traveling Saleslady as Joel Kingdom · Western
  13. 1955 Flame of the Islands (1955) movie poster Flame of the Islands as Kelly Rand · Drama
  14. 1955 The Sea Chase (1955) movie poster The Sea Chase as Schlieter · War
  15. 1955 Many Rivers to Cross (1955) movie poster Many Rivers to Cross as Esau Hamilton · Western
  16. 1954 Her Twelve Men (1954) movie poster Her Twelve Men as Ralph Munsey · Drama
  17. 1954 Them! (1954) movie poster Them! Sci-Fi
  18. 1953 Hondo (1953) movie poster Hondo Drama
  19. 1953 Island in the Sky (1953) movie poster Island in the Sky as Mac McMullen · Drama
  20. 1953 The Lone Hand (1953) movie poster The Lone Hand as Gus Varden · Western
  21. 1952 Horizons West (1952) movie poster Horizons West as Tiny McGilligan · Western
  22. 1952 Hellgate (1952) movie poster Hellgate as George Redfield · Western
  23. 1952 Big Jim McLain (1952) movie poster Big Jim McLain as Mal Baxter · Action
  24. 1952 The Girl in White (1952) movie poster The Girl in White as Matt · History
  25. 1952 Carbine Williams (1952) movie poster Carbine Williams as Leon Williams · Drama
  26. 1951 The People Against O’Hara (1951) movie poster The People Against O’Hara as John Fordman 'Johnny' O'Hara · Drama
  27. 1951 Iron Man (1951) movie poster Iron Man as Alex Mallick · Drama
  28. 1951 Cavalry Scout (1951) movie poster Cavalry Scout as Barth · Romance
  29. 1951 The Thing from Another World (1951) movie poster The Thing from Another World as 'The Thing' · Sci-Fi
  30. 1951 Two Lost Worlds (1951) movie poster Two Lost Worlds as Kirk Hamilton · Sci-Fi
  31. 1950 Wyoming Mail (1950) movie poster Wyoming Mail as Russell · Western
  32. 1950 In a Lonely Place (1950) movie poster In a Lonely Place as Young Detective (uncredited) · Romance
  33. 1950 Sierra (1950) movie poster Sierra as Little Sam (as Jim Arness) · Western
  34. 1950 Wagon Master (1950) movie poster Wagon Master as Floyd Clegg · Western
  35. 1950 Stars in My Crown (1950) movie poster Stars in My Crown as Rolfe Isbell (uncredited) · Western
  36. 1949 Battleground (1949) movie poster Battleground as Garby · Drama
  37. 1948 The Man from Texas (1948) movie poster The Man from Texas as (uncredited) · Western
  38. 1947 Roses Are Red (1947) movie poster Roses Are Red as Ray (as James Aurness) · Crime
  39. 1947 The Farmer’s Daughter (1947) movie poster The Farmer’s Daughter as Peter Holstrom (as James Aurness) · Comedy
Works with

Who James Arness Makes Movies With

The actors and directors James Arness shares the most films with. John Wayne comes first, with 4 films together, followed by Ward Bond (4).

FAQ

James Arness: Questions & Answers

How many movies James Arness has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has James Arness been in?

James Arness is credited on 39 films, from 1947 to 1994. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is James Arness's highest-grossing movie?

In a Lonely Place (1950) is James Arness's biggest box office hit, with $22.3K worldwide, ahead of Them! (1954) ($1.11K). Across every film with box office figures, James Arness's movies have made $23.4K.

James Arness's biggest hits

What is James Arness's newest movie?

The most recent film on James Arness's filmography is Gunsmoke: One Man’s Justice (1994), in the role of Matt Dillon.

Who does James Arness work with most often?

James Arness shares the most films with John Wayne (4 films), Ward Bond (4 films) and Jerry Jameson (3 films).

The Best James Arness Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 39 credits.

See the ranking

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app