Curtis was first introduced on Gunsmoke as Festus in a 1982 script called “Us Haggens.” According to an interview with TV Guide, producer Norman Macdonnell said he was only supposed to be for one ...

Gunsmoke actor Ken Curtis enthusiastically played Festus Haggen ever since the show introduced him to audiences. He ultimately became a fan favorite for many viewers around the world. Nevertheless, ...

When Gunsmoke fans first laid eyes on scruffy, bumpkin-voiced Festus Haggan during the beloved Western’s Season 8 episode “Us Haggens,” they didn’t know how much the character would soon impact the ...

Dear Answer Man: Here's one for you that I bet even you can't answer. I have been a fan of the TV show "Gunsmoke" for many years and have wondered for a long time how the transition was made from ...

In the history of television characters, there has been none more polarizing than Festus Haggen. Many viewers enjoyed the comic relief he brought to “Gunsmoke.” As a longtime sidekick to Marshal ...

Ken Curtis, a singer and actor who played the scruffy deputy Festus on the television series Gunsmoke, has died. He was 74. Curtis died in his sleep Sunday at his home, said A.C. Lyle, a producer at ...

Seventy years ago, on September 10, 1955, a gunfighter named Matt Dillon first strode into Dodge City on CBS, Gunsmoke, helping to change the nature of TV Westerns, eventually running for 20 years, ...