Ken Curtis

Actor

About

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Also Known As

Curtis Gates

Birth Place

Lamar, Colorado, USA

Born

July 02, 1916

Died

April 28, 1991

Cause of Death

Natural Causes

Biography

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Former big-band vocalist (he joined the Tommy Dorsey Band after Frank Sinatra left) and singing cowboy in low-budget westerns of the 1940s, Curtis is best known as the scuffy bewhiskered deputy sheriff Festus Haggen in the hit western TV series "Gunsmoke" (1964-75). He also appeared in several films by his then father-in-law John Ford including "Mister Roberts" (1955), "The Searchers" an...

Filmography

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Conagher (1991)

Once Upon a Texas Train (1988)

California Gold Rush (1981)

Pony Express Rider (1976)

Robin Hood (1973)

Cheyenne Autumn (1964)

Photos & Videos

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Mister Roberts (1955) -- (Movie Clip) Disharmony Aboard This Ship

Alamo, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) The Life Of Texas

Family & Companions

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Barbara Ford

Wife

Married in 1952; divorced in 1963; daughter of John Ford.

Torie Curtis

Wife

Married until his death.

Biography

Former big-band vocalist (he joined the Tommy Dorsey Band after Frank Sinatra left) and singing cowboy in low-budget westerns of the 1940s, Curtis is best known as the scuffy bewhiskered deputy sheriff Festus Haggen in the hit western TV series "Gunsmoke" (1964-75). He also appeared in several films by his then father-in-law John Ford including "Mister Roberts" (1955), "The Searchers" and "Wings of Eagles" (both 1956), "The Last Hurrah" (1958) and "The Horse Soldiers" (1959).

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Conagher (1991)

Once Upon a Texas Train (1988)

California Gold Rush (1981)

Pony Express Rider (1976)

Robin Hood (1973)

Cheyenne Autumn (1964)

Two Rode Together (1961)

Freckles (1960)

My Dog, Buddy (1960)

The Alamo (1960)

Capt. Almeron Dickinson

The Young Land (1959)

Escort West (1959)

The Killer Shrews (1959)

The Horse Soldiers (1959)

The Last Hurrah (1958)

Monsignor Killian

The Missouri Traveler (1958)

Spring Reunion (1957)

The Wings of Eagles (1957)

The Searchers (1956)

Charlie McCorry

The Long Gray Line (1955)

Mister Roberts (1955)

The Quiet Man (1952)

Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951)

Rio Grande (1950)

Riders of the Pony Express (1950)

Tom Blake [also known as Tom Bledsoe]

Call of the Forest (1949)

Stallion Canyon (1949)

Over the Santa Fe Trail (1947)

Throw a Saddle on a Star (1946)

Singing on the Trail (1946)

Lone Star Moonlight (1946)

That Texas Jamboree (1946)

Cowboy Blues (1946)

Song of the Prairie (1945)

Rhythm Round-up (1945)

Out of the Depths (1945)

Producer (Feature Film)

The Cross and the Switchblade (1970)

Associate Producer

My Dog, Buddy (1960)

The Giant Gila Monster (1959)

The Killer Shrews (1959)

Music (Feature Film)

Over the Santa Fe Trail (1947)

Singing on the Trail (1946)

Lone Star Moonlight (1946)

Cowboy Blues (1946)

That Texas Jamboree (1946)

Song of the Prairie (1945)

Art Director (Feature Film)

Interceptor (1992)

Cast (Special)

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion (1979)

The Whirlwind (1974)

Life Events

1938

Moved to Los Angeles and landed job as staff singer for NBC radio

1945

After record hit, "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," signed by Columbia Pictures to star as singing cowboy in low-budget Columbia westerns (date approximate)

1945

Film debut "Song of the Prairie", "Rhythm Roundup"

1950

Joined western singing group Sons of the Pioneers (which included Roy Rogers) which was hired by John Ford to sing on the score of "Wagon Master"

1959

Produced first feature, "The Killer Shrews"

1961

Co-starred as sky driver on TV series, "Ripcord"

1964

Replaced Dennis Weaver as Sheriff Matt Dillon's deputy sidekick on TV series "Gunsmoke" playing new character Festus

Videos

Mister Roberts (1955) -- (Movie Clip) Disharmony Aboard This Ship Henry Fonda, who won the Tony on Broadway in the same title role, takes a startling, indecent dressing down from James Cagney (the always-nameless “Captain,”), standing up for his crew (Ken Curtis et al) and his right to seek a transfer, in Mister Roberts, 1955, from Joshua Logan’s play, from the book by Thomas Heggen.

Alamo, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) The Life Of Texas Most of the performance of Richard Boone as a rugged Sam Houston, arriving in San Antonio ahead of the giant Mexican army, finding Bowie (Richard Widmark, not yet introduced) unavailable, puts Travis (Laurence Harvey) in charge, co-star John Wayne directing, in The Alamo, 1960.

Alamo, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Not In Front Of The Men San Antonio, 1836, the first conference of the three commanders, Laurence Harvey as Travis, greeting Richard Widmark as Bowie and director-producer John Wayne as Davy Crockett, disagreeing about how to manage information, in The Alamo, 1960.

Cheyenne Autumn (1964) -- (Movie Clip) I Dare You, Homer! Richard Widmark (as "Captain Archer") continues his narration into an awful event in which Ken Curtis (a.k.a. Festus from Gunsmoke, here "Homer") leads a gang in the sport killing of an Indian, in John Ford's Cheyenne Autumn, 1964.

Wings Of Eagles, The (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Let's Buzz 'Em! Joining director John Ford’s raucous opening of his bio-pic about his Navy flier-turned-writer friend Frank “Spig” Wead, John Wayne in the lead, Kenneth Tobey co-piloting an unauthorized flight, Maureen O’Hara his furious wife leading pursuit, Penascola ca. 1920, in The Wings Of Eagles, 1957.

Wings Of Eagles, The (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Stay Broke And Keep Moving Price (Ken Curtis) narrating, graduating navy flight school with pal "Spig" Wead (John Wayne) his wife Min (Maureen O'Hara) attending, then objecting when officers choose her husband for a big assignment, in John Ford's The Wings Of Eagles, 1957.

Wings Of Eagles, The (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Fly This! Frank "Spig" Wead (John Wayne) and Price (Ken Curtis) lead the Navy flight team, celebrating with the Army team (Kenneth Tobey commanding), a classic John Ford brawl in the director's bio-pic about his flier-turned-writer friend, The Wings Of Eagles, 1957.

Searchers, The (1956) -- (Movie Clip) Can't Enter The Spirit World Posse led by reverend Clayton (Ward Bond) comes upon a casualty from the Comanche band they're tracking, Nesby (Bill Steele) worrying, Jorgensen (Harry Carey Jr.) vengeful, Ethan (John Wayne) pushing Martin (Jeffrey Hunter) and everyone else around, in John Ford's The Searchers, 1956.

Quiet Man, The (1952) -- (Movie Clip) This Wild Colonial Boy John Ford directs a vignette in the rural Irish pub, Ken Curtis leading the song, Ford’s brother Francis greeting John Wayne as the American Thornton who’s bought his boyhood home, but local land-owner Dannaher (Victor McLaglen) isn’t having any, Ward Bond the priest, in The Quiet Man, 1952.

Horse Soldiers, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) Schoolboys Marlowe (John Wayne) and Kendall (William Holden) are settling a personal score when their raiding unit comes under attack by the kids from the local military school in John Ford's The Horse Soldiers, 1959.

Rio Grande (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Regimental Singers Col. Yorke (John Wayne) explains to his long-estranged wife Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara) that he did not choose the song by the regimental singers (the "Sons of the Pioneers") in John Ford's Rio Grande, 1950.

Two Rode Together -- (Movie Clip) Stop Torturing Yourself Greeley (Ken Curtis) and Ortho (Harry Carey Jr.) are wooing spirited Marty (Shirley Jones) when Lt. Gary (Richard Widmark) intervenes, and she turns to her meaningful music-box, in John Ford's Two Rode Together, 1961.

Searchers, The - (Original Trailer) An Indian-hating Civil War veteran tracks down the tribe that slaughtered his family and kidnapped his niece in director John Ford's masterpiece, The Searchers, starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter and Natalie Wood.

Cheyenne Autumn - (Original Trailer) A reluctant calvary Captain must track a defiant tribe of migrating Cheyennes in Cheyenne Autumn (1964).

Mister Roberts - (Original Trailer) Henry Fonda re-creates his Broadway stage success in the World War II comedy Mister Roberts (1955).

Wings of Eagles, The - (Original Trailer) John Wayne stars in John Ford's The Wings Of Eagles (1957), the film biography of Frank "Spig" Wead, who started the air wing of the US Navy.

Alamo, The - (Original Trailer) Davey Crockett (John Wayne) and Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) join the fight for Texas' independence from Mexico in The Alamo (1960), a Western epic directed by John Wayne.

Horse Soldiers, The - (Original Trailer) A Union cavalry officer leads his men on a vital mission behind Confederate lines in John Ford's The Horse Soldiers (1959) starring John Wayne.

Companions

Barbara Ford

Wife

Married in 1952; divorced in 1963; daughter of John Ford.

Torie Curtis

Wife

Married until his death.

Bibliography

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