"GUNSMOKE" STAR JAMES ARNESS HANDWRITTEN & SIGNED LOVE LETTERS/POEM/WEDDING INVITATION.
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Item Description
Seven items. All are c. 1940s using Arness's real name
of James Aurness and relate to Virginia Chapman Morton, an actress who
was his costar in a production of "Candida" at the Pasadena Community
Playhouse c. 1947. All letters are handwritten and come with matching
envelopes hand addressed by Arness. First three are pre-marriage
addressed to Virginia Morton Birdcage Theater Los Vegas, Nevada from
1948 and last two are post marriage from 1949 addressed respectively to
Mrs. J.K. Aurness and Virginia C. Aurness. First three letters are all
postmarked Nov. 1948. First letter consists of eight sheets written on
front side only and includes text "My God How I Miss You! This Place Is
Worse Than Exile Without You. I Swear You Took The Greatest Part Of Me
Up There With You. I Feel Like A Mechanical Man Without It's Master.
Please Send Back My Spirit Tomorrow So That I Can Get Through The Coming
Week". Letter also includes text "Oh Sweetheart I Love You Beyond
Recall. You're My Eyes, My Heart, My Feeling, My Desire, My Life
Itself". He also mentions taking care of Chapman's son from a previous
marriage Craig and ends saying "Goodnight My Darling, All My Love,
Jim". Second lettter consists of five sheets written on both sides and
mentions working on real estate book and test and includes text "Darling
This Town Needs You If It's Going To Be My Town" and "This World Needs
You If It's Going To Be My World". He mentions being lonely and driving
until he arrived at the beach where he walked for several hours
including text "The Longing And The Urge I Had For You Was A Living
Thing - A Living Energy That I Had To Expend And The Only Way I Could Do
It Was By Walking." He goes on the say "All At Once I Looked Out Over
The Water And I Swear I Saw A Vision - A Vision Fleeting And
Translucent. It Was Like King Arthur's Excalibur Or The Holy Grail Only
This, I Knew This Moment I Saw It, Was A Reflection Of The Perfect - Of
Beauty. It Was Warm And Soft And Radiant And Virginia My Darling It's
Form Was Yours It's Face Was Your Surpassing Face And It's Fragrance Was
The Smell Of Your Lovely Neck". He goes on the say "Before I Could
Catch My Breath The Thing Was Gone And I Was Left Stunned And Desolate
That It Had Passed So Quickly". Letter ends with "My Darling I Love You
Past All Feeling Or Desire Or More Than Life Itself And Remain Always,
Jim". Third letter is written in lead pencil on both sides of six
sheets and includes text "Oh Dammit All I Curse Myself From My Lack Of
Articulation, My Total Inadequacy To Describe My Feelings. What Words
Can I Use, What Phrases To Try And Get Just A Little Of My Love For You
Down On This Page. I Can't Do It I Just Cannot. I Feel Like A Prisoner
Tied Hand And Foot With Marking Time Until You Come Back And I Can
Start to Live Again." He goes on to say "If I Had You In My Arms Right
Now I Think I Would Crush You - I Think I Would Crush You And Then Die
With The Violence Of My Desire For You. Oh God What A Surpassing Thing
This Is! What Excellent, Livid, Smoldering Consummate Emotion This Is -
Strong Enough To Stand By Itself Against Every Other Conflict Of This
Life." He closes with "Darling I Live For Your Letters And Your Love
And Will Remain A Thousand Years, Jim". Next two letters are post
marriage 1949 sent from two different places in Utah where he was
apparently on location as an uncredited extra in a movie. First is
addressed to "Mrs. J.K. Aurness" at their Beverly Blvd. home address
sent from Parry Lodge in Knab postmarked Sept. 29. Two sheets
handwritten on each side in ink includes text "Oh Baby I Love You So
Damn Much. I'm Away From You A Few Days And You Begin To Take On The
Proportions Of A Saint Of An Angel Or Some External Vision. When I Left
The Phone The Other Night And I Was Filled With A Warm Glow As Though
I'd Swallowed Radium Of Something. The Thought Of Having A Baby Thrills
Me To The Bone." He goes on to mention filming "We Are Leaving In A
Few Minutes For The Days Shooting. Yesterday It Rained All Day So We
Are Behind. And This Morning Looks Dark Again. I Don't Know What They
Will Do But I'm Sure They Won't Stay Up Here Very Much Over Time. I
Don't Know How Many Thousands Per Day It Costs For This Outfit But It's
Plenty. There Really Isn't A Darn Thing Of Interest To Tell You About
The Activities Up Here. It Is Very Routine. I Get Up, Eat, Go To
Location And Work, Eat Supper And Then Retire To My Quarters For The
Night. John (likely John Wayne) And I Have Seen Two Or Three Movies
Since Being Here. Of Course Most Of The Men Gamble All Night. Hundreds
Of Dollars Change Hands Every Night. It's The Most Futile Passed Time
Imaginable. Bye Bye Sweetheart, My Dear Baby. I Love You, Jim. P.S. I
Had A Dream About You And Craig Last And I Woke Up Full Of Longing For
You And That Precious Little Guy. My God Sweetheart He's The Dearest
Thing In This World." Fifth letter is dated November 21 with return
address of "J.K. Aurness Argosy Prod. Moab, Utah" with three sheets
handwritten in lead pencil. Text includes "I Just Can't Seem To Let
Myself Go When There's A Lot Of People Around. I Was Dying To Tell You
How Much I Loved You On The Phone And Of My Longing For You But There
Were About Ten People Standing Around And I Just Couldn't Seem To Ignore
Them. But Oh My Baby I Die For You. What I Beautiful Thing Your Love
Is." He goes on to talk about work "I Have Wonderful News. According
To The Schedule We Are Supposed To Be Home On Dec. 9!! And They Are
Already A Day Ahead Of Schedule!!! Isn't That Terrific. I Think It
Will Mostly Depend On The Weather." He goes on to say "But If It Stays
Clear We Should Be Home The 9th. Then About Two Week Shooting In L.A.
It Seems To Good To Be True. I Will Write You All Of The Gossip
Tomorrow After I Come In From Work. It's A Grand Company. Everybody
Seems Friendly As Hell Just Like A Big Family. Ford (likely director
John Ford) Came Over To Our Table At Dinner And Welcomed Us All. Right
Now I'm Going To Study My Script For Tomorrow Just In Case. I Don't
Know What In Hell Their Going To Do But I Want To Be Prepared.
Goodnight My Darling, Sweet Dreams Jim". Envelopes are heavily worn
from being torn open but everything is clearly legible. Good/VG.
Letters have lt. horizontal folds as mailed. First four are Fine/VF.
Last letter has apparent coffee stain on envelope which bled through
onto center of letter but all is still legible. Despite stain, still
VG+. Group comes with 4-3/8x5-7/8" wedding invitation with text "Mr.
and Mrs. Burke L. Chapman Announce The Marriage Of Their Daughter
Virginia To Mr. James King Aurness Saturday, Twelfth Of February
Nineteen Hundred And Forty-Nine Santa Barbara, California At Home 1727
Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles 26, California". Comes with envelope
addressed to a Dr. and Mrs. Bernard DeVries but never mailed.
Invitation is Exc. Final item is 8.5x10" sheet of paper handwritten in
lead pencil on front and portion of back unsigned but obviously written
by Arness. Possibly used during wedding ceremony. Text includes "I
Feel That I Shall Stand Hence Forward In Thy Shadow. Never More Alone
Upon The Threshold Of My Door Of Individual Life I Shall Command The
Uses Of My Soul, Nor Lift My Hand Serenely As Before, Without The Sense
Of That Which I Forbore-Thy Touch Upon The Palm. The Widest Land Doom
Takes To Part Us, Leaves Thy Heart In Mind With Pulses That Beat
Double. What I Do And What I Dream Includes Thy, As The Wine Must Taste
Of Its Own Grapes. And When I See God For Myself, He Hears That Name
Of Thine, And Sees Within My Eyes The Tears Of Two." Numerous handling
folds with some tanning around edges. Good/VG. James Arness
(1923-2011) was married to Virginia Chapman from 1948 to 1963.
According to this wonderful archive, he was a true "gentle giant" and an
extremely gifted writer as well as an extremely talented actor. An
extremely interesting group.
