With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Burt Reynolds. William Conrad as Matt Dillon; Parley Baer as Chester Wesley Proudfoot; Howard McNear as Doc Adams; Georgia Ellis as Kitty Russell; Recurring. Sadly, most of those stars are gone. FRESNO, Calif. -- Actor Ken Curtis, who as a youngster worked in his father's Colorado jail and went on to portray a scruffy deputy named Festus on … Curtis, whose real name was Curtis Gates, was born in Lamar, Colo. With James Arness, Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis. Amanda Blake played Miss Kitty on 'Gunsmoke' for 19 years. Directed by Richard C. Sarafian. Curtis branched out into film production in the 1950s with two extremely low-budget monster films, The Killer Shrews (1959) and The Giant Gila Monster (1959), but he is best known for his long-running role as Festus Hagen, the scruffy, cantankerous deputy in the long-running TV series Gunsmoke (1955). He replaced Dennis Weaver, who played Chester Goode before leaving the … He came to Dodge City in an episode titled "Us Haggens" to avenge the death of his twin brother, Fergus. He was the fat man. Grew up in Las Animas, CO, where his father, Dan Gates, was sheriff. While Marshal Matt Dillon had a total of five deputies over two decades, Festus held the role the longest (11 years), in 304 episodes. But on “Gunsmoke,” his character was no sophisticate. He then joined the group Sons of the Pioneers, of which celebrity Roy Rogers was a member. After director John Ford hired the Pioneers for the western film, ″Wagon Master,″ Curtis began getting dozens of movie and TV roles. Not only was he a resident of Dodge City, KS, in the TV series, Best remembered by the public for his role as Festus Haggen on, View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Festus Gunsmoke Quotes. Festus Haggen, you have to love. Curtis, who played deputy Festus Haggin from 1963-75, died in his sleep Sunday at his home here, family members said Monday. The goofy nephew of Festus, Eliab Haggen, comes to Dodge with the hope of shooting off a tiny piece of his ear, because Festus bit off a piece of his dad's ear years ago in a fight. frankfob2@yahoo.com, Other Works In 1935 he went to a college in Colorado Springs, CO, to study medicine. TV Land is proving to be the channel to watch during the COVID-19 quarantine. Directed by Harry Harris. Sebron's brothers Samuel and William R. were privates in the same unit. I wonder if he was referring to April who was his girlfriend when Festus first came to Dodge. He then went on to Shep Field’s Orchestra. While fellow regulars Amanda Blake and Milburn Stone can't top that, they were both in more than 500 episodes — a significant achievement by any standard! His father, Dan Gates, was a sheriff, his family lived on the jail, and his mother, Nellie Sneed Gates, cooked for the prisoners. The listing includes regular cast members, guest stars, and recurring cast members. Before taking up an acting career, he sang with, Although his character, Festus Haggen, was introduced to, Refused an offer to appear as Festus Haggen in the movie. Who came first Chester or Festus on Gunsmoke? A look into the life and career of Dennis Weaver (Chester) and Ken Curtis (Festus) and the iconic roles they played on Gunsmoke! Dan Winrow Sioux Falls, South Dakota. On their way out of town, some cousins of Festus come across a badly injured man whom they assume is dead, so they flee, pursued by Festus, who believes his cousins attacked the man. He also starred in "Gentle Ben," from 1967 to 1969, playing … Gunsmoke fame came very late in his career – and life – so Stone wrestled hard with CBS to make sure he received royalties. Curtis, who played deputy Festus Haggin from 1963-75, died in his sleep Sunday at his home here, family members said Monday. 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. April 29, 1991. How many of the regular cast of Gunsmoke are still alive today?. Festus was patterned after "Cedar Jack" (Frederick Munden), a man from Curtis' Las Animas childhood. Curtis is survived by his wife and two children. Ken Wain Gates was born on 2 July 1916, in Lamar, Colorado USA, and was an actor and singer, probably best known for being a part of the long running western television series entitled “Gunsmoke” in which he played Festus Haggen. Official Sites, Before 'Gunsmoke', he often appeared in films with. Curtis, who played deputy Festus Haggin from 1963-75, died in his sleep Sunday at his home here, family members said Monday. Ken Curtis played multiple characters Though he mostly portrayed Festus Haggen, during the series' run, he also played a Texas cattleman who was … Ken Curtis, Actor Who Played Festus in Gunsmoke, Dies. Fans loved watching the relationship unfold between Marshal Matt Dillon. 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. When that genre died out, Curtis turned to straight dramatic and comedy parts and became a regular in the films of director John Ford (who was his father-in-law). Although it is sad to say it lasted only 5 years before Stone died at 70. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston.The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West.The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television. When he ... See more » His first wife, Suzie, died in 1979. Curtis replaced Frank Sinatra on Tommy Dorsey’s band after Sinatra left to become a solo artist. After the show was cancelled, Conrad said ``Cannon was crap. He once said he patterned "Festus" after a local character known as Cedar Jack, who lived about 40 miles out in the cedar hills and made a living cutting cedar fence posts for farmers and ranchers. In addition to his television roles, Curtis acted with John Wayne in some of Hollywood’s classic films, including ″The Searchers″ and ″The Quiet Man.″. One of Festus's most well-known attributes was his simple vocabulary and demeanor (which hid a sharp eye … Haggens themes include a festive … This gave Curtis plenty of opportunity to observe him. From 1955 to 1964, he was on "Gunsmoke," the longest-running prime-time drama series on television. Cedar Jack, who lived 15 miles south of town, made a living cutting cedarfence posts. He replaced Dennis Weaver, who played Chester Goode before leaving the show after nine years. He was active in … Played by Ken Curtis, he first appeared in 1962 and was showcased full-time from 1964 until 1975. They said the cause of death was unkown. Curtis observed many times that Jack came to Las Animas, where he would o… Came from a musical family -- his father played the fiddle, his mother the pump organ, brother Chester the banjo, and another brother Carl sang. Five Gunsmoke movies aired from 1987 until 1992 - an astonishing 40 years of Gunsmoke! I was delighted to see it canceled." Name one of them. Miss Kitty was a fan-favorite on Gunsmoke, as the owner of the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City. He served in the United States Army during World War II between 1943 and 1945 and then decided to study medicine, especially cardiology. True ... her name was Tippy. 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 Matt’s sidekick when Chester left –edging his predecessor out by appearing in 304 episodes. "Because you ever try and build a campfire with a stiff leg? Festus Haggen was Marshal Matt Dillon's only official deputy on the CBS television series Gunsmoke. In his high school years, Curtis played quarterback in the football team. His stage name was changed to the easier-sounding "Ken Curtis" when he temporarily replaced. 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 Matt’s sidekick when Chester left –edging his predecessor out by appearing in 304 episodes. Curtis branched out into film production in the 1950s with two extremely low-budget monster films, The Killer Shrews (1959) and The Giant Gila Monster (1959), but he is best known for his long-running role as Festus Hagen, the scruffy, cantankerous deputy in the long-running TV series Gunsmoke (1955). Sidekick to Marshal Matt Dillon, from 1964 until 1975 a college in Colorado Springs, CO, where father! 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