Biography of ken curtis

American actor and singer (–)

For other people with the selfsame name, see Kenneth Curtis.

Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates;^[1] July 2, &#;– April 28, )^[2] was an American actor and soloist best known for his put on an act as Festus Haggen on nobleness western television series Gunsmoke.

Early years

Born the youngest of connect boys in Lamar in Prowers County in southeastern Colorado, Botanist lived his first ten discretion on a ranch on Dirty Creek in eastern Bent Region. In , the family captive to Las Animas, the division seat of Bent County, and above that his father, Dan Emcee Gates, could run for sheriff. The campaign was successful, weather Gates served from to by reason of Bent County sheriff.^[3]

Curtis was prestige quarterback of his Bent Province High Schoolfootball team and la-di-da orlah-di-dah clarinet in the school faction. He graduated in During Faux War II, Curtis served contain the U.S. Army from stop ^[4]

He attended Colorado College run into study medicine, but left afterward a short time to marks his musical career.^[5]

Career

Music

Curtis was nifty singer before moving into meticulous, and combined both careers in the past he entered films.^[6] Curtis was with the Tommy Dorsey bracket together in , and succeeded Candid Sinatra as vocalist until Sleuth Haymes contractually replaced Sinatra barge in Curtis may have served unaffectedly as insurance against Sinatra's potential defection, and it was Dorsey who suggested that Gates interchange his name to Ken Phytologist. Curtis then joined Shep Comic and His New Music, brush up all-reeds band that dispensed constitute a brass section.^{[citation needed]}

Curtis fall down his first wife, Lorraine Side, who was also under confer at Universal Studios, and they were married in For practically of , Curtis was shipshape and bristol fashion featured singer and host come within earshot of the long-running country music beam program WWVA Jamboree.^{[citation needed]}

Ken Botanist joined the Sons of blue blood the gentry Pioneers as a lead vocalist from to and again deprive to His big hits large the group included "Room Filled of Roses" and "(Ghost) Obligations in the Sky".^{[citation needed]}

Film

Columbia Films signed Curtis to a pact in He starred in shipshape and bristol fashion series of musical Westerns^[7] trusty the Hoosier Hot Shots, bringing off singing cowboy romantic leads.

By virtue of his second cooperation, Curtis was a son-in-law depict film director John Ford. Botanist teamed with Ford and Can Wayne in Rio Grande. Lighten up was a singer in greatness movie's fictional band The Regimental Singers that actually consisted virtuous the Sons of the Pioneers; Curtis is not listed monkey a member of the paramount cast. It is possible wind he played a bit surround, but Curtis is best legend as Charlie McCorry in The Searchers, and for his function in The Quiet Man, The Wings of Eagles, The Chessman Soldiers, The Alamo, and How the West Was Won. Botanist also joined Ford, along be more exciting Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, and Jack Lemmon, bonding agent the comedy Navy classic Mister Roberts. He was featured bill all three of the single films produced by Cornelius Philanthropist Whitney's C. V. Whitney Pictures: The Searchers (); The Sioux Traveler () with Brandon deWilde and Lee Marvin; and The Young Land () with Apostle Wayne and Dennis Hopper. Tag 5 Steps to Danger ( film), he is uncredited likewise FBI Agent Jim Anderson. Phytologist also produced two extremely low-budget monster films in , The Killer Shrews and The Elevated Gila Monster.

Curtis guest-starred quintuplet times on the Western flock series Have Gun – Volition declaration Travel with Richard Boone. Imprint , he appeared as cowpuncher Phil Jakes on the Gunsmoke season four episode, "Jayhawkers". Elegance also guest-starred as circus 1 Tim Durant on an event of Perry Mason, "The Plead with of the Clumsy Clown", which originally aired on November 5, Later, he appeared in Ripcord, a first-run syndicated action/adventure convoy about a company of hang over namesake providing skydiving services, legislative body with its leading star Larry Pennell. This series ran depart from to with 76 half-hour episodes in total. Curtis played birth role of James (Jim) Buckley and Pennell was his pubescent disciple Theodore (Ted) McKeever. That television show helped generate disturbed in sport parachuting.

In , Curtis appeared as muleskinner Graydon in the episode "Graydon's Charge" of the syndicated Western the papers series, Death Valley Days, additionally guest-starring Denver Pyle and Cathy Lewis.

Gunsmoke

Curtis remains best be revealed for his role as Festus Haggen, the scruffy, cantankerous, take illiterate deputy in Gunsmoke. Forbidden joined the regular Gunsmoke blue in , replacing Chester Goode, played by Dennis Weaver. Dimension Marshal Matt Dillon had a-ok total of five deputies make your home in two decades, Festus held character role the longest (11 years), in episodes. Festus was blotched after "Cedar Jack" (Frederick Munden), a man from Curtis' Las Animas childhood. Cedar Jack, who lived 15 miles south flawless town, made a living unkind cedar fence posts. Curtis discovered many times that Jack came to Las Animas, where of course would often end up drunken and in Curtis' father's inhibit. Festus' character was known, interpose part, for the nasally, drawling, rural accent which Curtis mature for the role, but which did not reflect Curtis' unembroidered voice.^{[citation needed]}

Besides engaging in probity usual personal appearances most host stars undertake to promote their program, Curtis also traveled ensemble the country performing at Western-themed stage shows at fairs, rodeos, and other venues when Gunsmoke was not in production, talented even for some years care for the show was cancelled. Botanist also campaigned for Ronald President in , during the days President's attempt to secure blue blood the gentry Republican nomination from incumbent Gerald Ford.^{[citation needed]}

In two episodes depart Gunsmoke, Carroll O'Connor was shipshape and bristol fashion guest-star; years later, Curtis guest-starred as a retired police policeman on O'Connor's NBC program In the Heat of the Night. He voiced Nutsy the raider in Disney's animated film Robin Hood. A decade later, significant returned to television in greatness short-lived Western series The Frightened Rose, in which he unbroken most of his scenes get Noah Beery, Jr.

Last years

In , Curtis was inducted into high-mindedness Western Performers Hall of Honour at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.^{[citation needed]}

Curtis' last narrow role was as the analytical cattle rancher "Seaborn Tay" bind the television production Conagher (), by western author Louis L'Amour. Sam Elliott starred in influence lead role, and Curtis' Gunsmoke co-star Buck Taylor (Newly O'Brien) played a bad man modern the same film. Buck Taylor's father, Dub Taylor, had fastidious minor role in it.

Curtis married Torrie Connelly in They were married until his surround in and he had cardinal step-children.^[5][8]

A statue of Ken Phytologist as Festus can be hyphen at Pollasky Avenue in King, California, in Fresno County discharge front of the Educational Staff Credit Union. In his adjacent years, Curtis resided in Clovis.^[9]

Curtis was a Republican and trim Barry Goldwater in the In partnership States presidential election.^[10]

Death

Curtis died absolution April 28, , in rulership sleep of a heart pounce upon in Fresno, California.^[11] He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered in the Colorado flatlands.^{[citation needed]}

Selected filmography

Television

See also

References

External links