Gunsmoke western tv show page fourteen westerns tv. It gets bad when there is even an eye witness that fingers festus as the killer. Marshal of dodge city, kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. Introduced on gunsmoke in 1962, festus appeared in 300 or so episodes all the way through 1975. In the first few gunsmoke episodes, festus did not speak with his later famous drawl. This video are the intros for some of festus ken folks on the haggen side. Asked in movies, tv programming and commercials, the twilight saga, gunsmoke tv and radio show. In this first part episode, festus is on the path of an escaped convict named gard dixon in the arid desert outside of cottonwood. Watch gunsmoke season 9, episode 16 prairie wolfer. Although his character, festus haggen, was introduced to gunsmoke 1955 in an episode called us haggens, in which he arrived in dodge city to avenge the death of his twin brother, the fact that festus had a twin was never again mentioned on the show. After chester leaves, matt begins occasionally deputizing festus and leaving him to watch over things when the marshal has to be out of town this asneeded situation is first described in the season ten episode deputy festus. 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.
Grat runs rampant in dodge while matt recovers, but is unpleasantly surprised when the recovered marshal challenges him again. On their way out of town, some cousins of festus come across a badly injured man whom they. Festus, of all characters, initially showed up in a single episode of season 8, out to kill an uncle who had shot festus twin brother. Asked in tv shows and series, gunsmoke tv and radio show what was the first episode of gunsmoke. His next appearance was season 9, episode 2, october 5, 1963 as kyle kelly, in lover boy. He lived until 1958 age 97 and was the model for oklahoma state univeritys mascot pistol pete.
Temperatures are high, tempers are short, and matt is unenviably dutybound to protect despicable gunman cope. Season 12, episode 1 snap decision was the first episode to be shown in color. The supporting cast became stars, nearly every famous episode featuring chester, festus, doc or kitty comes from this period. With james arness, milburn stone, amanda blake, ken curtis. Festus first appears during the eighth season of gunsmoke in the episode us haggens, which aired on december 8, 1962. I knew a lot of people that loved westerns that stopped watching gunsmoke when festus became the main sidekick. Festus wants to find out more and takes his friend to prison. We all know festus as well as we know anyone, but in this particular episode, he acts very unfestus like two separate times. Prior to that, ken curtis had played other characters in previous episodes, and even played a different character in the season 9 opener. Although his character, festus haggen, was introduced to gunsmoke 1955 in an. In this historic prologue included in this firstseason roundup, wayne hypes gunsmoke as honest, adult, and realistic. When festus is ambushed by the convict, festus lays in the arid desert with no hope of survival. It has been over a year since we were introduced to the character festus.
Played by ken curtis, he first appeared in 1962 and was. I have been a fan of the tv show gunsmoke for many years and have wondered. But after going from the last seasons till this first episode i can say that everyone in the cast is real green. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
But i was raised on the color episode and then watched the one hour black and white episodes and the characters already had their identity and form of acting. A tv series doesnt get a more auspicious launch than did gunsmoke, the first episode of which, broadcast on sept. Decades after gunsmoke left the air, opinion still divided on festus by jeff bahr jeff. Did festus twin ever appear on an episode of gunsmoke. Cobb and his daughter julie cobb appear together for the first time when cobb gueststars as a. The character of festus haggen debuted in us haggens 8 dec. In the first few gunsmoke episodes, festus did not have his later famous squint. Raleigh wendt and nate guthrie are loading cattle carcasses onto a wagon. Tvguide has every full episode so you can stayuptodate and watch your favorite show gunsmoke anytime, anywhere. Ken curtis made his first appearance as festus haggen on gunsmoke december 8th 1962 in the episode us haggens. The first episode of gunsmoke to be broadcast in color 17 sep. What episode of gunsmoke did festus first appear answers.
Rather than an outlaw as depicted in this episode, frank eaton was at times a sheriff in perkins, ok. I have commented on the last few episode being poor scripts, however this script is the reason this show ran for twenty years since it went back to classic western tale. Curtis first appeared in the 1959 episode jayhawkers season four, episode 21 episode 8, wherein he played phil jacks, a texas cowboy, with jack elam as his boss during a cattle drive from texas. Asked in gunsmoke tv and radio show what episode of gunsmoke did festus first appear. In what episode of gunsmoke did festus race his mule. Watch episodes of the gunsmoke western tv series shows. Blakes character was miss kathleen kitty russell, the proprietor of a saloon in dodge city, the setting for gunsmoke. With the first part packed with action, the tracking across the prairie and desert seemed rather slower. The central character is lawman marshal matt dillon, played by william conrad on radio and james arness on television. It also is the era when the second lead was introduced. Last year in the episode us haggens, festus was introduced but at the time there was no indication that the character would become a regular.
Blake subsequently quit the popular television show, which was then in its 19th season. Gunsmoke festus was first openly gay character on tv youtube. Festus haggen facts, bio, family, life, updates 2020. He comes to dodge city in an episode titled us haggens to avenge the death of his twin brother, fergus. Matt dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of gunsmoke. Starring james arness, milburn stone, amanda blake, dennis weaver, ken curtis, burt reynolds, buck taylor, glenn strange. The first episode aired in the united states on september 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on march 31, 1975. Dink tells festus he likes waking up in the morning. Miss kitty and marshal dillon from gunsmoke kissed on tv in the late 50s. Frank even made personal appearances at the university signing autographs.
Ben snow has been in the desert for a very long time. The episode, the sharecroppers, aired in 1975 and revolved around deputy festus haggen, who accidentally. In fact, ken curtis played another character in lover boy episode of gunsmoke earlier this same season. Festus runs into jesse dillard, who is wanted for shooting a black man. 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. The stories take place in and around dodge city, kansas, during the settlement of the american west. First, with matt out of town, hes drawn into a gunfight with a drunk. Gunsmoke is an american radio and television western drama series created by director norman macdonnell and writer john meston. Festus haggen was marshal matt dillons only official deputy on the cbs television series gunsmoke. While this occurred with greatest frequency during. Curtis whose first wife was fords daughter barbara began his acting career in the late 1940s, starring in lowbudget westerns and appearing. Gunsmoke television show free to watch online gunsmoke started out on radio in 1952. Ken curtis, actor, 74, festus on gunsmoke the new york times.
Gunsmoke is an american western television series developed by charles marquis warren. And when the first shot rings out the pressure will be too high for some to take. Curtis joined the cast of gunsmoke permanently as festus in prairie wolfer, season 9 episode 16, january 18, 1964. Subsequent scripts by crutchfield, such as once a haggen, and festusrelated episodes by other writers provided a foundation on which curtis further developed the appearance, mannerisms, and personality of the character. Gunsmoke tv listings, tv schedule and episode guide tv guide. In the united kingdom gunsmoke was originally broadcast under the title gun law. 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. The crew just kept staring at this outfit amanda wore on gunsmoke look closer.
Ken curtis, gunsmokes festus, dead at 74 upi archives. The character was created by writer john meston, who envisioned him as a man. Scene stealer ken curtis came on the cast of gunsmoke as festus haggen in season 8 episode, us haggens. Gunsmoke 19551975 ken curtis first appearance as festus. Gunsmoke festus was first openly gay character on tv mustaffa1611. Amanda blakes last episode on gunsmoke was the disciple, which originally aired on april 1, 1974. Decades after gunsmoke left the air, opinion still. Matt is critically wounded while attempting to arrest superfast gunman dan grat. Not wanting a gunfight, he starts to unbuckle his holster. As matt and festus approach the group the leader, jim stark, demands that he be the one to kill the marshal. Although he appeared on gunsmoke earlier in other roles, he was first cast as festus in season 8 episode, december 8, 1962 us haggens.
The festus character became a regular during the ninth season. Back to westerns tv main menu in 1962, burt reynolds was added to the shows lineup, as the halfbreed blacksmith quint asper and elipsed the span during characters chester goode and festus haggen. Ken curtis, actor, 74, festus on gunsmoke the new york. Festus, a bronze dragon from rick riordans the heroes of olympus fantasy novels this disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title festus. Watch gunsmoke episodes online season 20 1975 tv guide. The real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of gunsmoke. However, festus is found by a man named ben snow strother martin. Find out when and where you can watch gunsmoke episodes with tvguides full tv listings youll never miss another moment from your favorite show.
The last episode of gunsmoke was not designed to be a series finale. Ken curtis plays festus haggen for the first time in this episode. This music video is a very brief view of the antics of everyones favorite deputy u. 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. The first director of gunsmoke, warren, had chester have a stiff leg to partially explain why he would work at such a menial job such as marshals assistant. He came to dodge city in an episode titled us haggens to avenge the death of his twin brother, fergus.