For Gunsmoke fans, Chester has always been a sympathetic character, primarily because he walks with a limp caused by a stiff right leg. Actor Dennis Weaver famously added this limp as a character element before he even auditioned.
According to True West Magazine, Chester's limp wasn't heavily enforced on set, and despite his work to make it believable, there were a few slip ups. Dennis would apparently sometimes forget about his character's limp while filming — or would even limp on the wrong leg!
Long-running television shows frequently have to roll with the punches and figure out ways to keep audiences wanting to tune in. Gunsmoke made Ken Curtis' Festus Haggen a series regular to replace Dennis Weaver's beloved Chester Goode after he left to pursue other acting opportunities.
Chester claims the new stranger in town is really there to kill him and Matt investigates, but remains skeptical even after Chester is shot in the arm by an unseen person.
As the stiff-legged Chester on "Gunsmoke," Weaver refused to use a leg brace as a prop, because of the danger of being injured by an out-of-control horse. He learned to do that "walk" on his own. "I practiced for three days in the back yard," the actor said Friday.
One of Chester's most noticeable features is his stiff right leg — the cause of which is never explicitly stated, though it's implied that he was injured during the Civil War. In an interview conducted four years before his death, Dennis revealed that he invented the character's disability during his audition.
As Marshal Matt Dillon's sidekick, Chester Goode is perhaps best known for his candor, his accent, and his limp. While much of Chester Goode was dreamed up by the Gunsmoke creators, Dennis Weaver, Goode's actor, was instrumental in bringing Chester to life.
Dennis Weaver, whose portrayal of Deputy Chester Goode in the classic television western "Gunsmoke" made him the favorite sidekick of the early television era, died on Friday at his home in Ridgway, Colo. He was 81. The cause was complications of cancer, said Julian Myers, his publicist.
' ” Arness, who remained close to Weaver after he left the series, praised him as a “really fine actor.” “We really liked each other a whole lot,” Arness said.
Gunsmoke, a gritty depiction of American West life, featured screen legends like Burt Reynolds and John Wayne in guest roles. Some Gunsmoke actors still living and working today include Roger Ewing, Buck Taylor, Kim Darby, and William Shatner.
But the changing of the guard really happened in the Season 9 episode titled "The Prairie Wolfer," where Chester and Festus actually appear together. In fact, this particular episode had appearances from Matt, Kitty, Doc, Chester, Festus, Sam and Quint.
In an interview with the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Weaver confessed that he had decided to leave the series because he felt that the character had run its course. Specifically, he said, "After almost ten years, I want to walk without a limp."
They knew that if he kissed her, the next time he better kiss her twice, show a little more passion.” As James Arness told the Archive of American Television, “I think they felt that… you could only go so far with it and then you'd have to change the character and nature of the show, so they kept it in that groove.
A: Matt Dillon (James Arness) and Kitty (Amanda Blake) never married during the series 1955-75 run, although close watchers of the show were convinced they had connected at some time. But in a 1973 episode, Matt had a brief affair with another woman, Mike Yardner (Michael Learned), while he had amnesia.
Things all turn out for the best in the end. Festus helps save the Pugh family's welfare, Av Marie and Toby get married and plan to leave for California, and Dibble even gets up from under his tree, but the rest of the Gunsmoke leads have nothing to do at all.
In 1967, CBS decided to cancel Gunsmoke due to declining ratings, which reflected the fact that the Western genre was becoming increasingly out of favor with the public. Between 1963 and 1967, the ratings for Gunsmoke had declined to the point where the show fell outside the Top 30 in the Nielsen ratings.
The Gunsmoke cast grew incredibly close, but they were shocked to discover a major surprise on the premiere episode that shocked them all when they watched it together. Gunsmoke originated on the radio, first airing on April 26, 1952, but it was destined to find another medium.
After Gunsmoke ended, Arness performed in Western-themed movies and television series, including How the West Was Won, and in five made-for-television Gunsmoke movies between 1987 and 1994. An exception was as a big-city police officer in a short-lived 1981–1982 series, McClain's Law, starring with Marshall Colt.
Unlike many television stars, Arness never took on too many characteristics of his most famous role, nor did Dillon become more like the actor. "As for the issue of the onscreen personality and the real person, there's no comparison, no way.
What was the relationship between James Arness and Peter Graves?
James Arness is an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for 20 years. His brother was the late actor, Peter Graves.
Mr. Curtis played Festus Haggin, sidekick to Marshal Matt Dillon, from 1964 to 1975, when the series ended. He replaced Dennis Weaver, who played Chester Goode before leaving the show after nine years.
Longtime Gunsmoke viewers know that Doc killed a few people during the twenty-year history of the series. While Doc's reaction to Myles Brandell shooting his horse is surprising, it is justified under the circumstances. It does not make sense that anyone would think Doc should be prosecuted.
What actor appeared in the most Gunsmoke episodes?
James Arness played Marshal Matt Dillon in 635 episodes of Gunsmoke, the only cast member to appear in every single one. 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!
What was Dennis Weaver's last episode on Gunsmoke?
Season 9 incorporated a number of casting changes. It introduced Burt Reynolds as regular character Quint Asper. Dennis Weaver left the series after episode 28, "Bently", and his role as Chester was replaced by Ken Curtis as Festus, although Curtis also appears in early in the season as another character in episode 2.
