The Answer Man is also a big Gunsmoke fan and is fascinated by the sequence of events that made Festus a deputy. Only a handful of television shows can boast of lasting for 20 seasons, and shockingly. He loves to read, write and review all things western, whether historical or fiction. WebFestus Haggen (played by Ken Curtis) is Matt Dillon's deputy marshal and one of the main characters of Gunsmoke who would first appear in the Season 8 episode "Us Haggens" (episode #13, December 8, 1962). Did Amanda Blake wear a wig on Gunsmoke? The television series of Gunsmoke ran from 1955 to 1975 and is said to be one of the longest running prime-time shows on television. Festus finally became deputy marshal because Dillons deputy of nine seasons, Chester, left the show. Another explanation could be that Weaver was about six foot two and producers wanted him to appear much shorter than the six-foot-seven James Arness, who played Matt Dillon. Too much Festus, she said. A: Matt Dillon (James Arness) and Kitty (Amanda Blake) never married during the series 1955-75 run, although close watchers of the show were convinced they had connected at some time. 6. In 1926, the family moved to Las Animas, the county seat of Bent County, so that his father, Dan Sullivan Gates, could run for sheriff. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". A portion of that interview appeared in an article on Weavers death in The Los Angeles Times. Its our favorite Western due to the endearing characters and interesting plots. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. He was so nosey and in Matts business all the time. Weaver, who died on Feb. 24, 2006, at 81 years old, told The Toronto Star about his reasoning in a 1987 interview. Festus Haggen (played by Ken Curtis) is Matt Dillon's deputy marshal and one of the main characters of Gunsmoke who would first appear in the Season 8 episode "Us Haggens" (episode #13, December 8, 1962). They tried out 26 different actors. This was why they asked Dennis to make Chester have a physical handicap. Required fields are marked *. Born in the late 50s I was definitely a child of television. His last episode, titled Bently, saw Chester leave Dodge City, Kan. to find a murderer following a suspicious deathbed confession. WebCurtis had his initial debut in Gunsmoke as Festus in season 8, but he became the obvious choice to fill the void of Matts loyal ally. . 1975 Reportedly, Curtis based the character off a local drunk in his town, adapting that country twang to film. 1975 Reportedly, Curtis based the character off a local drunk in his town, adapting that country twang to film. They were married until his death in 1991 and he had two step-children. FRESNO, Calif. (AP) _ Ken Curtis, a singer and actor who starred as Marshal Matt Dillons sidekick on the long-running television western Gunsmoke, has died at age 74. If you can get past the completely ableist reason behind Chester's on-screen limp, you'll realize the producers' indifference to it resulted in some inconsistencies. Yes I like reading this. They were so funny together. My husband and I still watch it every day. But my family loved Gunsmoke and all of the characters. WebHowever, in 1971, he was forced to temporarily leave the show for just a handful of episodes because he had to undergo heart surgery after suffering a heart attack. The production made sure that all three characters (Dillon, Chester, and 7. Dennis Weaver, whose portrayal of Deputy Chester Goode in the classic television western Gunsmoke made him the favorite sidekick of the early television era, died on Friday at his home in Ridgway, Colo. I preferred Festus to Chester, whom I felt was a whiner and not too bright. This was why they asked Dennis to make Chester have a physical handicap. . 6. Fantastic but some of the scripts by John Meston are completely barbaric and violent. Gunsmoke ran for 20 years on the air and featured a colorful cast of characters. The American Western series had 20 seasons, with 635 episodes aired in 20 years. Columbia Pictures signed Curtis to a contract in 1945. Actor Dennis Weaver (who played TV Chester) decided to exit the series after nine seasons to pursue other opportunities. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. His father was a sheriff, and he had spent time working on a jail farm as a child. The Answer Man is also a big Gunsmoke fan and is fascinated by the sequence of events that made Festus a deputy. But all hope was not lost. Festus ended up staying in Dodge City for the remainder of the shows run, until it was canceled in 1975. He also guest-starred as circus performer Tim Durant on an episode of Perry Mason, "The Case of the Clumsy Clown", which originally aired on November 5, 1960. Originally starting as a scruffy hillman who wanted revenge on his uncle for killing his brother, he eventually became Matt Dillon's deputy He had also served in the US Army during the Second World war. He probably would have continued on the program if it hadnt ended. They were perfect for their roles. Festus was his replacement. He made his first appearance in the eighth season of the show and stayed on for eleven years. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Real Reason Chester Was Written Off Gunsmoke. Why did Amanda Blake leave Gunsmoke? Will you still be able to buy Godiva chocolate? Distractify is a registered trademark. Why did Festus leave Gunsmoke? All rights reserved. Well have to keep an eye out for that next time we watch Gunsmoke. Here are few things you should know about the showGunsmoke: James Arness played the role of Dillon inGunsmoke,the only character to appear in all 635 episodes of the television series. You would think that I wouldnt want to see anything having to do with the wild west or cowboys! The production made sure that all three characters (Dillon, Chester, and www.insp.com/blog/why-was-chester-written-off-of-gunsmoke/, Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:91.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/91.0. Despite the productions fear that people wouldnt accept him as a replacement for Chester, he gained popularity. In seasons 8-9, he is a sharp individual who was very good at fending for himself. This means he is right The campaign was successful, and Gates served from 1926 to 1931 as Bent County sheriff. I only wish it was in order. Its still a very good, wholesome show. I love gunsmoke one of my favorite westerns watch every night watched it since I was young and Im 72 and still watch reruns but I dont care I love the actors and I think they all are fantastic, I am 85 and watched Gunsmoke with my children when they were growing up, now we get together and watch it again. Gee, as far as playing him, it was wonderful, Arness said in an interview with True West Magazine. By Christian Schoon / March 19, 2022 1:50 pm EST. The switch happened in season nine, in the episode The Prairie Wolfer.. He starred in a series of musical Westerns[7] with the Hoosier Hot Shots, playing singing cowboy romantic leads. Gunsmoke was on the air for two decades. Anyway we love, love, love Gunsmoke and can only say one thing. Festus ended up staying in Dodge City for the remainder of the shows run, until it was canceled in 1975. In 1964, a new character joined the show to help Matt keep the peace. He was 74 years old. [citation needed], Ken Curtis joined the Sons of the Pioneers as a lead singer from 1949 to 1952. We did not have a television, so I only got to see it a few times before the show ended. The three characters appeared together in Prairie Wolfer in Season Nine of the show. What guest star appeared on Gunsmoke the most? The Chester character was a bit of a phenomenon back in the 50s and Weaver decided he was meant for starring roles. It does not store any personal data. Curtis observed many times that Jack came to Las Animas, where he would often end up drunk and in Curtis' father's jail. Anyone that doesnt like my commentcan Get out of Dodge!. It kept the number one spot for about five consecutive years and kept doing well in the following years despite losing its rank. Dennis passed away on February 24, 2006 at the age of 81 in Ridgway , Colorado, USA. Why did Chester have a stiff leg on Gunsmoke? The show became a hit. Gunsmoke: Michael Landons Best Friend Victor French Held Record for Most Guest Appearances on the Show. The character proved to be a popular mainstay and one of the shows memorable characters Weaver finds himself with a pretty sweet movie deal, playing in the TV movie Duel. Its notable because Duel is the first movie by director Stephen Spielberg back in 1971. I was probably one of their biggest fans. The characters were endearing and rich, the plots were entertaining, and the acting was great. Source: CBS. WebFestus Haggen (played by Ken Curtis) is Matt Dillon's deputy marshal and one of the main characters of Gunsmoke who would first appear in the Season 8 episode "Us Haggens" (episode #13, December 8, 1962). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. One more interesting thing about Weaver acting on the James Arness-starring CBS show is that he won an Emmy Award. & saw the show and old jail , Boot Hill. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. People are also reading of the 500 Gunsmoke episodes. Dumb as the theme was, it worked and I think Chesters portrayal was responsible for that. As an adult, the first time I saw a rerun of Gunsmoke, I called my brother long distance and excitedly told him to turn on the tv because Gunsmoke was on! He was featured in all three of the only films produced by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney's C. V. Whitney Pictures: The Searchers (1956); The Missouri Traveler (1958) with Brandon deWilde and Lee Marvin; and The Young Land (1959) with Patrick Wayne and Dennis Hopper. On the television show Gunsmoke, the name of Marshall Matt Dillons horse was, Instead, the final episode of Gunsmoke to air was , Gunsmoke featured many outdoor scenes over its long run, but. I love Festus better than Chester; I didnt like the bum leg thing. One of Nebraska's racetrack casinos hopes to add table games soon. It ended in 1961 after over 400 episodes. Curtis, who played deputy Festus Haggin from 1963-75, died in his sleep Sunday at his home here, family members said Monday. He fully joined the cast on its ninth season, on an episode called the Prairie Wolfer.. I do not like Festus. If you are looking for other great western books, check out these authors. Making the limp believable was the hard part. WebOn Gunsmoke (1955) as Festus Haggen, he always drew and fired a pistol with his right hand -- but whenever he had to use a rifle, he would bring it up to his left shoulder and pull the trigger with his left hand (sighting with his left eye and squinting with his right). How did Festus join Gunsmoke? His constant yelling Mr. James Arness earned himself $1,200 per episode for playing Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke during its early years. The radio series ran alongside the TV show. It ended in 1961 after over 400 episodes. Dennis Weaver, who played Chester, started his program and had to leave, Here are few things you should know about the show, James Arness played the role of Dillon in, The Brady Bunch (Cindy, Peter, and Jan) and some Star Trek stars (Spock, Scotty, Bones, and Kirk) made guest appearances in, Here are a few things you should know about the last episode of the great, It is impossible to say if Ken Curtis would have continued playing Festus on, if the network hadnt chosen to end the show. I noticed and it always bothered me that Festus had his ears pushed down by his hat, making his look stupid. WebOn Gunsmoke (1955) as Festus Haggen, he always drew and fired a pistol with his right hand -- but whenever he had to use a rifle, he would bring it up to his left shoulder and pull the trigger with his left hand (sighting with his left eye and squinting with his right). I thought it was a good clean show for them as kids and it is a wonderful memory for us now. Festus finally became deputy marshal because Dillons deputy of nine seasons, Chester, left the show. James Arness rode the same Buckskin horse (Buck) in this movie as he rode in many episodes of Gunsmoke (1955). Weaver went on to a lead role in the ill-fated series "Kentucky Jones," which lasted only one season. Dillons allies were his supporting characters. Marshall Trimble is Arizonas official historian and vice president of the Wild West History Association. However, some characters made more impressions than others. Dennis Weaver decided to leave his role as Chester Goode on Gunsmoke after nine seasons. Often, Festus would squint with the right eye partially closed as well. I LOVE THE THE SHOW HAVE WATCHED IT FOR OVER 55 YEARS. Copyright 1999 2023 GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC. Gunsmoke Continued For a Decade More. Why did Amanda Blake leave Gunsmoke? Do you want to know more about Gunsmoke and Festus? 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Great western books, check out these authors historical or fiction meant for starring.! Guest Appearances on the James Arness-starring CBS show is that he won an Award... All three characters ( Dillon, Chester, and the acting was great loves to read, write review... Bent County sheriff Wolfer in season nine, in the late 50s I was a... He rode in many episodes of Gunsmoke ( 1955 ) probably would have continued on the and. Was, it worked and I still watch it every day aired 20!
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