Curtis, who played deputy Festus Haggin from 1963-75, died in his sleep Sunday at his home here, family members said Monday. Short Biography. Matt is a laconic, no-nonsense person, and a sometimes-silly sidekick is needed to balance it. Through his second marriage, Curtis was a son-in-law of film director John Ford. If you haven’t seen that nighttime soap, check it out, it’s got one heck of a cast. card. S20, Ep13. 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. Who came first Chester or Festus on Gunsmoke? See more ideas about ken curtis, tv westerns, gunsmoke. When the occasion suggests it, Festus foregoes his usual white shirt and goes with a sort of paisley one –he fastens the collar button, and even adds arm garters. In 1981, Curtis was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Merry Christmas, Cowboy. Festus Haggen was Marshal Matt Dillon's only official deputy on the CBS television series Gunsmoke. Although he appeared on Gunsmoke earlier in other roles, he was first cast as Festus in season 8 episode 13, December 8, 1962 "Us Haggens". 4: While appearing in John Ford westerns, Ken Curtis initially utilized his musical talents before turning to straight acting. Posted by 11 months ago. 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. Curtis guest-starred five times on the Western television series Have Gun – Will Travel with Richard Boone. Directed by Harry Harris. Later, he appeared in Ripcord, a first-run syndicated action/adventure show about a company of its namesake providing skydiving services, along with its leading star Larry Pennell. I'm old enough to remember the original series. After director John Ford hired the Pioneers for the western film, ″Wagon Master,″ Curtis began getting dozens of movie and TV roles. Prior to playing Festus, Ken Curtis also played both a cowboy and an Indian on previous episodes of Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke Festus was first openly gay character on TV - YouTube Rate. He voiced Nutsy the vulture in Disney's 1973 animated film Robin Hood. Curtis also produced two extremely low-budget monster films in 1959, The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster. Add more and vote on your favourites! In 1959, he appeared as cowhand Phil Jakes on the Gunsmoke season four episode, "Jayhawkers". What happened to Burt Reynolds character on gunsmoke? 1. Ken Curtis’s Biography Beginnings. Many know that Ken Curtis, who played Festus, was a singer. Although his character, Festus Haggen, was introduced to Gunsmoke (1955) in At first I liked his character but over the years he got and more like a cartoon character shouting "Doncha see" at the drop of a hat over and over again. Ken 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. Dennis Weaver, who portrayed Matt Dillon's sidekick Chester, actually left the series three times before his final departure after season nine. Rate. Columbia Pictures heard the song and signed Curtis as a singing cowboy. Festus takes off after the trappers and brings them back to Dodge. Burt Reynolds (born 02-11-1936) now 75, played half-breed blacksmith Quint Asper from 1962 to 1965. Reply to username. Lv 7. Watch Gunsmoke - Season 9, Episode 16 - Prairie Wolfer: Raleigh Wendt and Nate Guthrie are loading cattle carcasses onto a wagon. Gunsmoke, known in Spain, Mexico and the rest of Hispanic America as “The Law of the Revolver”. Born the youngest of three boys in Lamar in Prowers County in southeastern Colorado, Curtis lived his first ten years on a ranch on Muddy Creek in eastern Bent County. During World War II, Curtis served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945. Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. In '64, Curtis' Festus Haggen character debuted during the eighth season of Gunsmoke. A fancy dress shirt. Gunsmoke, American television western that aired on CBS for 20 seasons (1955–75), becoming the longest-running TV western in history. Curtis was a singer before moving into acting, and combined both careers once he entered films. Rate. He's not a full time deputy in season 11 or 12, and still only part time in thirteen. Answer Save. Ken Curtis, who as a boy helped out in his father's jail in Colorado and as a character named Festus Haggen performed similar work for Marshal Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke," is dead. 4. Introduced on Gunsmoke in 1962, Festus appeared in 300 or so episodes all the way through 1975. 7. This was Reynold’s first major acting role. 16 Dec. 1974 The Colonel. Answer. 6. Doncha seeeee! 2. Watch Gunsmoke - Season 9, Episode 16 - Prairie Wolfer: Raleigh Wendt and Nate Guthrie are loading cattle carcasses onto a wagon. Festus was patterned after "Cedar Jack" (Frederick Munden), a man from Curtis' Las Animas childhood. Rate. I can't bear to watch those later episodes. A decade later, he returned to television in the short-lived Western series The Yellow Rose, in which he performed most of his scenes with Noah Beery, Jr.. 10/1963. Also, in the film adaptation Conagher based on a book by popular writer Louis L'Amour, he starred opposite Sam Elliott as an aging cattleman. 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