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Ben Bates, who served as the stunt double for James Arness, the star of Gunsmoke, for more than 25 years, died Oct. 4 in Sun City, Calif., his family announced. He was 84.
Oct 20, 2017 · October 20, 2017 6:35pm. Stunt double Ben Bates, best known for his work substituting for Gunsmoke star James Arness for more than 25 years, died Oct. 4 in Sun City, California, according to...
Oct 4, 2017 · Ben Bates was a stunt performer best known for his 25 years of work as the stunt double for Gunsmoke star James Arness. He also doubled for Arness on the television series McClain's Law and How the West Was Won (on which Bates also served as stunt coordinator) and in the telefilms Red River and The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory. Additionally ...
Ben's riding ability and horsemanship led to his becoming the stunt double for James Arness in 1972 for the last four years of the long-running Gunsmoke television series.
James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke.
- Bronze Star MedalPurple Heart
- Corporal
- World War IIBattle of Anzio
He qualified for the National Finals in Steer Wrestling in 1968 and 1970. His rodeo years spanned 1959 to 1987. Bates spent 25 years as a stuntman, which included being James Arness’s stunt double in 1972, and in 2016 he received the prestigious Silver Spur Award at a ceremony in Hollywood, California.
Jun 3, 2011 · It takes a special kind of lawman to carry on for 20 years in the Wild West of TV.
