Stubble-faced character actor, best remembered as town drunk Louie Pheeters in Gunsmoke (1955). Had a drinking problem in real life, as well. Enjoyed a long career in radio, almost invariably in western programs ("Gunsmoke" from 1952-1961, "Fort Laramie", "Wild Bill Hickock", "The Roy Rogers Show").
James Nusser was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing the role of the town drunk Louis Pheeters in the American western television series Gunsmoke. His most prominent role in that long running series was in its two-part story entitled “Nitro”.
Supposedly, Nusser left the Gunsmoke cast because he demanded a contract that paid him on a regular basis, instead of being paid per episode. When the producers denied his request, he left the show. As a result, one of the great, iconic characters in television history was lost.
I saw James Nusser on Perry Mason the other day playing a judge. I or I should say we loved Louie he played so many different parts. As everyone else he was an excellent actor.
Comedian Louie Anderson on His 'Abusive Alcoholic Father'
Was Raymond Burr in a wheelchair in Perry Mason?
After several of the TV movies, Burr's age and health issues forced him to use a cane onscreen, which was jokingly explained as a "skiing accident." By 1993, when Burr signed with NBC for another season of Mason films, he was using a wheelchair full-time because of his failing health.
George E. Stone holds the record for the most appearances on the original "Perry Mason" series. He had the most credited guest appearances in the series with forty-five, playing the court clerk [1].
' ” 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.
The Gunsmoke actors actually drank beer, but the whiskey was tea or colored water. Marshall Trimble is Arizona's official historian and vice president of the Wild West History Association.
The cast of Gunsmoke was able to get pretty chummy with each other during the show's twenty-season run, to the point where they felt like a family. Leading this cast of Western stars was James Arness, a man who was— apparently— as tall as he was kind.
Burt Reynolds Left Gunsmoke Because His Movie Career Was Taking Off. During a summer hiatus from shooting Gunsmoke Reynolds went and shot a movie and started to be noticed as a movie star. Milburn explained to him, “Your movies are taking off — get out of here," and Reynolds listened.
In 1962, Dennis Weaver wanted to leave the cast of Gunsmoke, one of the top rated shows in the country. The producers developed a new character, "halfbreed" blacksmith Quint Asper: Reynolds was cast, beating over 300 other contenders. Reynolds announced he would stay on the show "until it ends.
It is also worth noting Glenn Strange makes his final appearance as the beloved Long Branch Saloon bartender Sam Noonan in the final scene of this episode, as he was suffering from advanced lung cancer at the time and passed away soon afterwards.
Fully retired to his ranch in 1975 after the show's cancellation, he was eventually awarded an honorary doctorate from St. Mary of the Plains College in (of course) Dodge City, Kansas. Married to Jane Garrison, the 75-year-old veteran died of a heart attack on June 12, 1980 in La Jolla, California.
One of his early roles was on the legendary TV Western Gunsmoke. He joined the cast in 1962 playing a half-Comanche blacksmith named Quint Asper, appearing in 50 episodes between 1962 and 1965.
Arness was known for his physicality and willingness to do his own action scenes, including horse riding, fighting, and other physical challenges. However, for particularly dangerous or high-risk stunts, a stunt double would sometimes be used to ensure the safety of the actors.
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.
Although he was only in 50 episodes and joined mid-season, Reynolds didn't feel like an outsider. In fact, while he was there, he and the cast became great friends. "He was a wonderful guy to work with, and we all became friends," Arness said. "He just fit right in with the family group, and we had a wonderful time.
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.
What caused Perry Mason's wheelchair-bound condition? In the original TV series Ironside, which aired from 1967 to 1975, the character of Robert T. Ironside, played by Raymond Burr, became a paraplegic after being shot in the line of duty [2].
Why was Barbara Hale missing from episodes of Perry Mason?
lThe missing ingredient was the beautiful Barbara Hale. According to the Perry Mason Case Book her absence was due to unexpected surgery thus missing 4 episodes.
