Gunsmoke passed the torch from Chester to Festus by having the characters interact. Love the station that are still playing the show Festus Haggen, played by Ken Curtis, was introduced in an eighth-season episode (Us Haggens), became a recurring character in the ninth season, and took over as Matts sidekick when Chester left edging his predecessor out by appearing in 304 episodes. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. It would be great to have a real Gunsmoke revival of all of the episodes in sequence, as one of the fans here had mentioned. It does not store any personal data. I still watch gunsmoke every night. However, none of them lasted or thrived for as long asGunsmokedid. For several seasons Dennis Weaver (Chester Goode) had been unhappy with his role in Gunsmoke. Anyway we love, love, love Gunsmoke and can only say one thing. I was so happy! I am however so happy that some Stations are continuing to play the Re Runs. Dennis Weaver Death. Why did Festus leave Gunsmoke? Cedar Jack, who lived 15 miles south of town, made a living cutting cedar fence posts. I prefer Chester, but Gunsmoke is so good even the worst episode is better than what we have today.The acting and the writing are superb.I watch it every day and reruns are OK by me. I love Festus better than Chester; I didnt like the bum leg thing. You would think that I wouldnt want to see anything having to do with the wild west or cowboys! This Johnson Canyon movie set, is perhaps the largest movie set constructed in the Kanab area. Gunsmoke Continued For a Decade More. He appeared on the hit western for three seasons. Visit Kanab, Utah: Filming Location For The Beloved Western Series Gunsmoke While the beloved TV show Gunsmoke takes place in the infamous Dodge City, Kansas, many of its outdoor scenes were actually filmed in southern Utah, just outside of the north rim of the Grand Canyon. You are here: Home How Why did the character Festus leave Gunsmoke? The first attempt to cancel the show wasnt acceptable to most fans, so the network had to keep it running for as long as it did. But one thing that's a little less known is why Chester is the only character on the show who walks with a limp. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. The Emmy award-winning show focused on Matt Dillon, a United States Marshal, saddled with maintaining law and order in a town close to the United States border. Too much Festus, she said. As shabby as he was, his character was loveable, and many found him endearing. Many people think the radio show stopped when the television show started, but it didnt. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. Only a handful of television shows can boast of lasting for 20 seasons, and shockingly,Gunsmokecan! All rights reserved. They tried out 26 different actors. Likewise, Burt Reynolds starred on Gunsmoke as Quint Asper. 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. Chester and Festus appeared in other episodes . A deputy or sheriff or bartender. They were perfect for their roles. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". It was arguably one of the best sitcoms of its time, running from 1955 to 1975 and Amanda Blake played the straight-shooting Miss Kitty. [9], Curtis was a Republican and supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election. 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. Chester from 'Gunsmoke' is known as the comic relief of the classic western show, but why exactly does this sidekick walk with a limp? I agree 100% with you! The Chester character was a bit of a phenomenon back in the 50s and Weaver decided he was meant for starring roles. The switch happened in season nine, in the episode The Prairie Wolfer.. People who knew Curtis felt the character Festus wasnt too difficult to play because of his background. Before he became Dillons deputy, he was a Hillman with a ragged appearance who wanted to avenge his brothers death. Wasnt the Dennis Weaver movie called Duel? Copyright 1999 2023 GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC. I watch it every time I get a chance. We were the Native family there. Sharecroppers was the final episode aired, but it wasnt the last episode the cast filmed. I didnt understand what my Dad was laughing at until now. However, some characters made more impressions than others. 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). WebWhy did Gunsmoke change from Chester to Festus? The reason why the three never shared more screen time together is that Chester was leaving Gunsmoke for greener pastures. My husband just turned 90 and discovered the INSP channel. Director Leonard Katzmans The Sharecroppers was season 20 episode 24, airing on March 31, 1975. But it wasnt until season nine that actor Ken Curtis became a regular part of the cast. Why did Chester have a stiff leg on Gunsmoke? I think Festus and Doc was my favorite. I use to say to myself when Chester was on, WHY do they keep him. The character proved to be a popular mainstay and one of the shows memorable characters for years to come. "So I thought if I just cant bend my knee and do everything else as good as I can, that might work.. In fact, this particular episode had appearances from Matt, Kitty, Doc, Chester, Festus, Sam and Quint. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Ken Curtis, actor, 74, Festus on 'Gunsmoke', "Ken Curtis appeared in a number of cheesy movies,", Michael Breid shares memories of being part of Ken Curtis' backup band for his stage show during the 1970s, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ken_Curtis&oldid=1148668013, High school football players in the United States, United States Army personnel of World War II, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2022, Articles needing additional references from April 2015, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 15:51. I have the dvds and the books, cups and clothes. And the Gunsmoke episode ended with a promise he would be making regular appearances soon. nine seasons I love Gunsmoke; I watch it nearly every day from 1-4 pm on TV Land. WebWeaver, who died on Feb. 24, 2006, at 81 years old, told The Toronto Star about his reasoning in a 1987 interview. Often, Festus would squint with the right eye partially closed as well. So far I have seen Festus in 2 different episodes with Chester. It is safe to assume he, as Festus would have continued since he didnt leave any indication of departing the show, This post is an overview of the character Festus and the successfultelevision show, Why Did Festus Leave Gunsmoke? Only a handful of television shows can boast of lasting for 20 seasons, and shockingly. WebKen Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates; July 2, 1916 April 28, 1991) was an American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the CBS western television series Gunsmoke.Although he appeared on Gunsmoke earlier in other roles (such as Brisco in S4E32s Change Of Heart), he was first cast as Festus in season 8 episode 13, Chester makes Festus look like Biden! In 1964, a new character joined the show to help Matt keep the peace. Curtis, who played deputy Festus Haggin from 1963-75, died in his sleep Sunday at his home here, family members said Monday. In 1964, a new character joined the show to help Matt keep the peace. Then remember he is playing a character and that is what they want. Gee, as far as playing him, it was wonderful, Arness said in an interview with True West Magazine. I wish they would do it all again, but they would have to have all new characters and it wouldnt be the same Im sure. In fact, this particular episode had appearances from Matt, Kitty, Doc, Chester, Festus, Sam and Quint. His last episode, titled Bently, saw Chester leave Dodge City, Kan. to find a murderer following a suspicious deathbed confession. Kudos to Gunsmoke! What happened to Chester on Gunsmoke? The shows success relied mainly on the drama and suspense that spun from resolving seemingly serious situations. Dennis has passed away on February 24, 2006 at the age of 81 in Ridgway, Colorado, USA. WebKen Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates; July 2, 1916 April 28, 1991) was an American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the CBS western television series Gunsmoke.Although he appeared on Gunsmoke earlier in other roles (such as Brisco in S4E32s Change Of Heart), he was first cast as Festus in season 8 episode 13, Some of them had to find out about the cancellation from the Hollywood Reporter. The trauma of the experience mellowed into aimlessness after the war. He was worse than and old busy body. Why did Amanda Blake leave Gunsmoke? It ended in 1961 after over 400 episodes. 3 What happened to Chester leg on Gunsmoke? Distractify is a registered trademark. What is Covina CA ZIP code?917229172391724. His last episode, titled Bently, saw Chester leave Dodge City, Kan. to find a murderer following a suspicious deathbed confession. Chester was very good in the silly show he did with the 18 wheeler chasing him. Reynolds decided to leave the show a year later to pursue a career in movies. I do not like Festus. That same season, character actor Ken Curtis began his role as Festus, appearing in several popular episodes. I watch, at least, 6 to 10 episodes per day I am wanting to find and watch the LAST episode with Ken Curtis one of my favorites I watch Gunsmoke on cable channel METV! The episode revolved around the case of dead cattle in the area. By virtue of his second marriage, Curtis was a son-in-law of film director John Ford. The Gunsmoke actors actually drank beer, but the whiskey was tea or colored water. 1975 Reportedly, Curtis based the character off a local drunk in his town, adapting that country twang to film. He was the character people couldnt place in a boxa character they loved and hated. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. WebThe end of Gunsmoke was an episode featuring Ken Curtis Festus Haggen at the center. 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. This difficulty was because the production wanted to have John Wayne, who refused to take the position. & saw the show and old jail , Boot Hill. According to MeTV, the producers told Dennis that "historically and traditionally, a sidekick has always been too old or too fat or too young or too something to get involved in the physical stuff." They believed they were going to come back to shoot another season. When was Kittys last episode on Gunsmoke? He starred in a series of musical Westerns[7] with the Hoosier Hot Shots, playing singing cowboy romantic leads. Born in the late 50s I was definitely a child of television. The Real Reason Chester Was Written Off Gunsmoke. He then decided to call it quits for his acting career and pursued his other passion in the field of photography. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Gunsmoke is one of my most favorite shows! Truth is, Chester allowed Festus to become Marshal Dillon's deputy because the actor playing Chester, Dennis Weaver, left to star in his own show. I always liked Chester. 7. This was why they asked Dennis to make Chester have a physical handicap. How do you use wormhole potions not working? April 29, 1991. What happened to Chester on Gunsmoke? Actor Dennis Weaver (who played TV Chester) decided to exit the series after nine seasons to pursue other opportunities. This series ran from 1961 to 1963 with 76 half-hour episodes in total. We see that you have javascript disabled. Why did Amanda Blake leave Gunsmoke? When did Festus replace Chester on Gunsmoke? Reportedly, Curtis based the character off a local drunk in his town, adapting that country twang to film. Sadly, no. Curtis guest-starred five times on the Western television series Have Gun Will Travel with Richard Boone. 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. He and James Arness were the only actors who stayed during the entire run of the series. Director Leonard Katzmans The Sharecroppers was season 20 episode 24, airing on March 31, 1975. I was probably one of their biggest fans. Ken Curtis, a singer and actor who played the scruffy deputy Festus on the television series "Gunsmoke," died in his sleep on Sunday at his home. I also liked how he acted like his leg was bum when in real life it wasnt. A portion of that interview appeared in an article on Weavers death in The Los Angeles Times. I am frustrated that Matt and Kitty never married but at least they were not easy like the Golden Girls. Curtis also campaigned for Ronald Reagan in 1976, during the future President's attempt to secure the Republican nomination from incumbent Gerald Ford. The series took place in Kansas (Dodge City). Mr. Curtis played Festus Haggin, sidekick to Marshal Matt Dillon, from 1964 to 1975, when the series ended. During the series run, Curtis ended up appearing as Festus for around 300 episodes, one of the longest of Dillons deputies. Apparently, this happened enough times that there are plenty of clips out there of Chester walking normally or on the wrong leg. Often, Festus would squint with the right eye partially closed as well. Matt, Kitty, Doc, and Chester are a tremendous cast. This means he is right He was also Dillons deputy. The switch happened in season nine, in the episode The Prairie Wolfer.. How did Chester Goode Matt Dillons assistant on Gunsmoke get his limp? 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. The case of dead cattle in the Kanab area and the books, cups and clothes and supported Barry in... Laughing at until now part of the experience mellowed into aimlessness after the war television... Provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic,... Good as I can, that might work of film director John Ford laughing at until now from Matt Kitty. They believed they were not easy like the bum leg thing Golden Girls said in an interview with True Magazine. 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