Sunday, July 15, 2012

The Gunsmoke Journal #3: Chester vs. Festus

In this installment of my Gunsmoke musings, I ask the all-important question:
Chester or Festus?
Which was your favorite? Which was the most help to Marshal Dillon?

It ranks in importance with other earth shattering pop culture decisions- who was your favorite Bond? Your favorite Law & Order detective? Your favorite Third Stooge? (for me it’s a close call between Curly and Shemp… I wish they could’ve been the Four Stooges! But I digress.)
First, a little background.
Chester Goode, played by Dennis Weaver, was a member of the original cast- and, like all the other originals, was a carryover from the radio program. On the radio version his name had been Chester Wesley Proudfoot, and he did not have the distinctive stiff-legged limp –that was introduced by Weaver. The limp is never explained; Chester does, however, mention serving in the army, so I always figured it was probably a war wound. The fact he got into the army suggests the limp came afterwards.

A common misperception: Chester was not a deputy. He wore no badge, and was described as “the marshal’s assistant.” It seems that he had been hired by Matt to help out around the jail; cleaning up, running errands, making coffee. However, Chester did often back the marshal’s play when apprehending bad guys –always taking a shotgun or one of the rifles from the rack in the office, never wearing a pistol.


In one episode (“Reward for Matt,” Season One), fearing for Matt’s safety, Chester surreptitiously took the marshal’s back-up revolver- “that old rusty Remington you keep in your desk.” Matt takes it away from him: “Sorry, Chester. A man has to kill his own snakes.”



Dennis Weaver left the series in the middle of the ninth season, having appeared in 290 episodes. He left to star in his own series, Kentucky Jones, which only lasted one season (but he had much more success later, with Gentle Ben and McCloud, and gave an excellence performance as trail-boss R.J. Poteet in the miniseries Centennial.)
The Gunsmoke writers gave no reason for Chester’s departure- one week he was there, the next week he was not, and he was never mentioned again that I am aware of. In fact, that tended to be the procedure on the show; new cast members were always introduced with an “origin” episode, showing them arrive in town, but when they left they were just gone without a word of explanation. The half-Comanche blacksmith Quint Asper, played by Burt Reynolds, is the only character I ever recall being mentioned again after they left (Festus: “Matthew, we’ve gone through several blacksmiths since the Comanche left.”)
Festus Haggen, played by Ken Curtis, was introduced in an eighth-season episode (“Us Haggens”), became a recurring character in the ninth season, and took over as Matt’s sidekick when Chester left –edging his predecessor out by appearing in 304 episodes. The apparently unlimited Haggen clan are sometimes referred to as Missouri ridge-runners, and Ken Curtis said he based the accent on someone he knew from his native Colorado… but said accent is very authentic Appalachian dialect.

Ken Curtis- a singer as well as an actor, and a former member of the Sons of the Pioneers –released two albums in the late ‘60s, singing and telling stories in character as Festus.

In one of the tales, “Ode to a Mule,” he tells of being a mule skinner in the Confederate Army, and specifically at the battle of Franklin in Tennessee. General Schofield (the Union commander) “was mighty hard on us Tennessee boys.” Festus came under heavy fire while trying to recover Confederate dead from Hood’s ill-fated charge- he survived only because his faithful mule Ruth carried him through the hail of bullets, succumbing herself once they reached safety. In gratitude to the mule who died carrying him to safety, he swore to name every mule he owned thereafter “Ruth,” no matter their sex.


The story tells us a lot about Festus. We can safely assume that the Haggen clan was comprised of East Tennessee mountain folk who migrated to Missouri at some point. Again, being from the area myself, the accent is perfect- my wife didn’t believe ye could be jobbed in the eye with a stob till she heard Festus say it too.
When we first met him, Festus was a man who had apparently spent most of his life on the wrong side of the law –like all his kin. His brother Jeff had been killed by a shotgun blast while trying to rob a stagecoach, and his twin brother Fergus had died of wounds received from a posse after a botched bank robbery. Festus first encounters Matt when they are hunting the same man- Black Jack Haggen, Festus’ uncle, who had abandoned the injured Fergus, stealing his horse and leaving him for dead. Matt and Festus strike up an uneasy partnership, catching the older bandit (who winds up shot dead by the marshal.)


We see Festus again the following season (the ninth)… trying to keep to the straight and narrow, he is now working in the Dodge area as a prairie wolfer. He shows up in town from time to time to trade in his hides, and winds up helping Matt more than once. For a very brief spell, Festus and Chester are both in Dodge- and they seemed to be fast friends.
After Chester leaves, Matt begins occasionally deputizing Festus and leaving him to watch over things when the marshal has to be out of town (this as-needed situation is first described in the season ten episode “Deputy Festus.”) Later, Thad Greenwood and then Newly O’Brien also serve as part-time deputies. Festus initially works part-time at Moss Grimmick’s livery stable, doing repair work to wagons (a skill he would’ve learned as a mule-skinner, no doubt) but eventually seems to be Matt’s full-time deputy, even doing the work of a deputy U.S. marshal (tracking fugitives in other states.) In the final season, Matt usually leaves Newly “in charge” –and, as we learn in the first TV movie, Newly eventually takes Matt’s place as marshal.

There’s the background. So who’s your favorite? I’ll say upfront that –while I like both characters –if I were the marshal and had to pick one I’d go with Festus. Here is how the two match up, in various categories…

COMPETENCE

Though Chester can be relied on in a posse, or for laying down covering fire… he’s not really a tough guy. He is hampered physically by his bad leg; he is also high-strung, nervous, fastidious, and a hypochondriac. One gets the distinct feeling he doesn’t wear a pistol because Matt doesn’t allow him to, figuring he’d get himself killed.
However, Chester is brave and determined… and as the show progresses, you can almost see the frustration in Dennis Weaver as he tires of being the gimpy sidekick and wishes for a more central, heroic role. He gets it a few times, in his last couple of seasons – catching some bad guys and solving some mysteries. The very last episode he appears in, “Bently,” features Chester figuring out who the killer is –only to be brushed off somewhat ignominiously by Matt, Doc, Quint, and Kitty. Not only do they not believe him, they are impatient with his antics, treating him like an idiot. Turns out Chester was right –the old farmer who had died leaving everyone to believe he had robbed and murdered Dave Bently was innocent; the bad-guy rancher who had really committed the crime (due to jealousy) tried to have Chester killed because he was snooping around too much, and accidentally killed his own young wife –who had been trying to warn Chester.

The last time we see Chester he is deeply shaken by the turn of events, and offers to escort the innocent man’s elderly widow to the stage, right after she learned that her husband had not been a killer and that Chester was the only one who had believed in him. In the last scene they are walking silently together to the depot. The more I watch that final scene, the more convinced I am that Chester just got on that stage with her and went someplace he’d be appreciated.
So I think in the final analysis Chester was more competent than the audience –or any of his friends –really realized.
Festus, on the other hand, was portrayed from the very beginning as a handy person to have in a shooting scrape or a brawl, as well as a talented tracker. If anything, he became more of a caricature as time went on –for some reason getting more scruffy and squinty-eyed after his first few seasons (Curtis also changed the character’s voice, making it deeper.) Toward the end of the series, the viewer could pretty much know that when Matt left town someone or other was going to knock Festus and Newly in the head and take over Dodge. Even then, however, Festus was presented as much more competent than Chester would have been –and many episodes were centered on Festus trailing desperadoes alone. And he was a hellion in a rough-and-tumble, apt to bite off that there hangy-down part of your ear.

From day one, Matt’s interactions with Festus demonstrated mutual respect and trust in his abilities, while his treatment of Chester was condescending and protective.
ADVANTAGE: FESTUS

BEING THE MARSHAL’S ASSISTANT
This was Chester’s official designation, and he was much better at the duties it entailed than Festus would or could have been. He always kept the coffee fresh, cleaned the place up (although I recall him grumbling once about Matt making him wash windows, which “ain’t no type of job for a man”), delivered messages, kept the prisoners fed, and so on. Festus, on the other hand, was seriously hampered by the fact he was completely illiterate… and he just wasn’t a tidy person like Chester.

ADVANTAGE: CHESTER

FASHION SENSE
Believe it or not, Festus wins this one… scruffy as he was on a normal day (and when he was prairie-wolfin’ he was even scruffier), Festus had something Chester did not.

A fancy dress shirt.
When the occasion suggests it, Festus foregoes his usual white shirt and goes with a sort of paisley one –he fastens the collar button, and even adds arm garters. The best Chester does is sometimes add a vest to his simple wardrobe.


ADVANTAGE: FESTUS

MUSICAL ABILITY
Chester sings to himself while he putters around the office –his favorite tune, which I don’t recognize, is about moving to Kansas. He also plays guitar pretty well, and blows a mean comb.
But he can’t compete with Festus. In his early episodes, Deputy Haggen occasionally unleashes that mellifluous Ken Curtis singing voice. He also, in those first few seasons he was on the show, frequently sings his own theme song: “Festus, don’t let no pretty woman make a fool of you… build yourself a herd, then you can cull one out if you want to…”
Plus, as THIS CLIP  from the aforementioned album shows, Festus can sing AND yodel:

ADVANTAGE: FESTUS

AMBITION
Both Chester and Festus are known for working hard when the occasion warrants, and for working hard to make sure the occasion doesn’t warrant. They’re also both cheap, and always on the lookout for a free drink or meal.
ADVANTAGE: DRAW

COLORFUL RELATIVES
We get to meet Chester’s “wild” brother Magnus, and the uncle who raised Chester after his father died, Wesley Goode (Magnus ran away and went wild when he was ten, never sleeping in a bed again. My guess would be that when Wesley’s brother died, he tried to take in both boys but Magnus didn’t cooperate.)

 In a first season episode, "How to Die for Nothing," however, Chester -after remarking that he was ten years old before he realized boys were supposed to have a ma -says he was raised up by Ben Cherry, a friend of his father's. When asked how long he stayed with him, Chester said "till he pegged out in his sleep one night, then I buried him in the ground and started out on my own." Maybe Uncle Wesley took him in for awhile, then he ended up with Cherry.
Uncle Wesley appears in a fourth season episode that was adapted from one of the radio episodes. Chester’s uncle shows up in town unannounced, to his nephew’s consternation; Chester had been writing home and saying that he was the marshal of Dodge City, and he had an assistant named Mister Dillon. Chester’s friends play along with the charade to help him save face. His uncle is impressed, for he too had a low opinion of his nephew’s competence:
““I had 11 nephews, and Chester was nowhere near the brightest. About number nine. Chester just borders on bein’ ignorant, I’d say… I never thought he’d amount to anything.”

Chester foils a robbery, proving he is not the klutz everyone takes him to be. Well, not completely.
This episode, oddly, keeps the original radio title: “Marshal Proudfoot.”
As discussed earlier, we also met Festus’ uncle (Black Jack) early on. The Haggens just keep coming (“there’s a sight of us around.”) We probably encounter over a dozen, plus we learn of many more via Festus’ stories (he frequently quotes his Grandpa Hawg Haggen.) There were so many, in fact, I’m not going to go into detail here and instead make them the subject of a future installment.
ADVANTAGE: FESTUS

ANNOYING DOC
Both Chester and Festus make a second career out of arguing with Doc Adams, often reducing him to dyspeptic sputtering.
ADVANTAGE: DRAW

FUN FACTOR
One thing that sets Festus apart in his first couple of seasons is his close friendship with the blacksmith, Quint Asper (Burt Reynolds.) It is a very playful relationship, showing us a side of Festus we rarely see otherwise. The episode “Comanches Is Soft” (Festus’ frequent rejoinder to the half-Comanche blacksmith), in which Festus and Quint go on a drunken, carousing adventure, is one of the funniest of the series.

“Mad Dog” is another favorite of mine, in which Festus is mistaken for a deadly gunfighter in another town… and also thinks he is dying of rabies, and decides he’d rather go out shooting (and biting) his enemies.
The funniest Chester episode (and one of the best in the series), by contrast, is “Chesterland”… in which Chester tries to satisfy his (somewhat accidental) fiancée by building a house out on the prairie. His housekeeping/homebuilding efforts are one hilarious disaster after another, and the girl was only after what little money he had anyway. So in the midst of the hilarity, there is still great sadness… and the humor with Chester, almost always, is along the lines of “Poor Chester… he really does try so hard, but he just can’t accomplish anything.” While often funny, that’s no fun.

ADVANTAGE: FESTUS

LOVE LIFE
“Chesterland” is probably the high point of Chester’s love life. He has a few unrequited crushes, gets taken advantage of a lot, and the one time he meets a woman who really does appreciate him –she throws him over and runs off with an outlaw, to keep the outlaw from killing him (“He Learned about Women.”)

Festus at least does have a steady girlfriend for awhile- April, who was introduced in the same episode he was and who appeared several times in the ninth season. There are also a few widder-women that take an interest in Festus, and sometimes vice-versa (Chester had an ill-fated widow adventure as well, and an ill-fated mail order bride.)

ADVANTAGE: FESTUS

That’s MY assessment- of course, I may be biased in favor of Festus, because he is the Gunsmoke sidekick I grew up with. When I talk to folks older than me, they tend to prefer Chester. I think that if they ever do a  TV or big screen remake of Gunsmoke –as they are about to do with The Big Valley and The Rifleman –they should use both Chester AND Festus, with Chester as the “marshal’s assistant” taking care of things at the jail and Festus as the chief deputy. That would be perfect.
What do you think?


A final note, about images- the screen captures I've used are from youtube. However, the first several episodes of Gunsmoke are available on DVD...



Try my own stories about the Old West:




And check out my previous blogs in this series:

Dodge City and Me

Marshal of What, Exactly?

124 comments:

  1. Festus. No contest. I remember watching the episode in which Festus was introduced. My father got so tickled when he talked about biting off the hangy-down part of somebody's ear that I've never forgotten it. Ken Curtis was just great in everything.

    When I was writing the Walker, Texas Ranger novels and had to write scenes where Trivette was arguing with the old Ranger who owned the bar (his name slips my mind, sorry), it got a lot easier once I realized, "Hey, they're Festus and Doc!"

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    1. Wasn't his name just "C.D.?"

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    2. While I like Chester, I love Deaths. He's funny, but he can be tough as nails!

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    3. Both Chester and Festus were good for the show.I took to Festus because of his trying to make a big deal of his family. I still today watch my show and will til they put me in a box.

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    4. I to this day watch Gunsmoke. I'm hooked!

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    5. UNKNOWN August 13, 2020 1:53 PM
      I still watch Gunsmoke almost every day. Festus is my favorite. I just enjoy listening to him talk. He does a fabulous job with that accent.

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    6. Festus by a long Shot he had his own Language and I have friends in Tennessee that talk just like him.I sometimes have to listen carefully when I speak to my Tennessean Mountain friends.The Draw is so strong it seems they make up words I have never hear or read in the dictionary. Webster's anyways.

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    8. Chester Hands Down is the best character on the show and one of the best characters on TV. Quint was my second favorite person. I seen all the episodes 4 or 5 times however I only watch now if it has Chester or Quint on. His character is the most authentic I have ever seen in any show.

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    9. In my opinion, Festus and that ignorant put-on hillbilly voice absolutely ruined Gunsmoke.

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  2. Festus, probably because he was the one appearing in the series when I started watching in its weekly broadcasts. Being young, I was unaware Dennis Weaver had ever been in the series until much later.

    Tom Roberts
    Black Dog Books

    And meeting Ken Curtis as a child has to flavor the choice a little bit too.

    After a moment I asked him where his mule was to which he gave a quick reply, without missing a beat, something to the extent that she was still in the barn because they wouldn't let her travel . . . dadgum their hides--I think. (This was nearly forty years ago. Criminy!)

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  3. Great article. Festus I guess, just because he really was very competant. I do love Chester for his humor though.

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    1. Dennis Weaver is a far better actor with much more range and I feel his character had more depth too. Festus got a little creepy for me with his bromance with Matt. And he just had that one expression and I felt he was pretty much a one note character.
      Doc was my favorite character, next to Matt. It became the Festus show toward the end when Matt only appeared in only a few scenes in most shows.
      I don't know why there was ever ANY question about the romance between Matt and Kitty. Anyone who says there wasn't either hasn't watched the early shows or doesn't know smoldering sexual chemistry when they see it.
      Oh, Lord, that last year with "Hannah". Boy they should have had Matt and Kitty ride off into the sunset. It is my all time favorite show but they should have known when to hold 'em and known when to fold 'em.

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  4. I like Festus, he was great although as years went on he became a little too much of a clown. The way his character was when he first started was much better.

    But I must say I have to choose Chester as the best companion for Marshal Dillon. If you watch the first five seasons you can see the strong bond between the two men that I never felt with Festus and Dillon even though they were good friends.

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    1. Plz bring festive back he is the festive

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  5. I've thought about this quite a bit since becoming a fan of the show several years ago through Encore Westerns...and I think Quint Asper (Burt Reynolds) would've made the best deputy of all (provided a half-breed was technically permitted to hold that position). He had excellent tracking and fighting skills and in many ways was Matt's equal. BTW - in the Chester years, I always thought it completely ridiculous that prior to one of his frequent out-of-town trips, Matt would tell Chester to "keep an eye on things." Clearly, Chester was not qualified to do so, considering that Dodge City was so big and bad.

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    1. In at least one episode, this was not the case. Matt was away, myriad miscreants were at play, and an atypical array of onerous situations were afoot in Dodge. Chester did such a capable job in Matt's absence that even Doc was impressed, profoundly enough to praise Chester for his performance and declare his intention to relay his impressions to Matt upon his return. This might be a one time only event in Gunsmoke history.

      Another episode involved the plight of a family from the east (an older couple and their neurotic adult daughter) who come to Dodge seeking a guide to take them to meet with a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. After they get ripped off for a few K by a con man, Chester offers to take them. However, because of the treacherousness of the journey and Chester's inexperience, Matt puts the kibosh on it and Quint ends up with the job, much to Chester's chagrin. Matt's gimpy sidekick surprises everyone by tracking down and, rather brutally, apprehending the con man and recovering the bulk of the victims' money.

      Admittedly, such incidents stand in bas relief to Chester's broad streak of hypochondriacal sloth and his often stunning tin ear for interpersonal nuance. These foibles notwithstanding, you'd be hard-pressed to find a vindictive or cowardly bone in his body.

      I share the dismay of other contributors to this forum who watched Festus slowly devolve from competent, self-sufficient prairie wolfer, to useful law enforcement backup and amusing foil for Doc Adams, to a fairly tolerable town bum, ultimately coming to rest as Dodge City's insufferable village idiot. Disgustingly awful. (Such ghastly decline has been the fate of numerous TV characters.) All told, though, Festus has his moments.

      In answer to the blogger's question -- Chester or Festus -- as a lifelong Gunsmoker, it's like being asked to pick a favorite among one's children. If I did have a preference, I could never reveal it!

      By the way, although the uber-competent, low-maintenance Quint Asper would be the deputy from heaven, something tells me he would never accept the position.


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  6. Hello friends, nice post and nice urging commented at this place, I am in fact enjoying by these.Escorts Liverpool

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  7. This is wonderful. But I have an ongoing question - why was Chester's name changed from the radio version from "Proudfoot" to "Goode"? Did they, mistakenly, think "proudfoot" was too native american? Proudfoot is a Scot name. Kathleen Hite was one of the original writers on the old show &, Hite being another Proudfoot family name, I always wondered if that was the reason the name was originally chosen. Anybody know anything about this.

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  8. My understanding is that there were some copyright issues in using the Chester Wesley Proudfoot name when the TV series came into being.

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  9. I liked the first couple seasons with festus. In the later years he played too much of a silly buffoon type character. Whereas in the early festus episodes he was more "trail savvy." All of the sidekicks complimented the Marshall, but I find myself drawn to the Chester years more so than the festus ones. On a side note, in the episode when jurors from a past trial are being murdered, Chester and Quint are both mentioned. Dillon tells Newly, "Chester used to help me out around here....he moved to California."

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    1. I found Festus incredibly annoying from day one til the series left the air. I think the writers are partly to blame. His dialogue is simply too wordy. He was also filthy looking, and that didn't help ingratiate the character. Chester by ten lengths.

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  10. I got a kick out of burke as he was a worry wort and a braggert at times.A know it all

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    1. William SommerwerckMay 26, 2014 at 5:26 AM

      His name appears to be a pun on "berk", He is the town jerk, in no way likeable, and guaranteed to be on the wrong side in any issue. I feel sorry for the actor who played him.

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    2. I always thought his name was 'Burt'. Hmm. He WAS the town 'almost unlikeable' though, I think.

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    3. If there was an idiotic choice to be made, Bert would make it. Don't you just love the way that out of NOWHERE a crowd can appear and WITH LIT TORCHES!
      i FOUND LOUIE WAS QUITE INTERESTING; HE SHOWED MANY SIDES; KINDNESS, COMPASSION, LOYALTY. iT'S JUST THAT HE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC BEFORE THEY KNEW WHAT THE NAME MEANT. aND HE WASN'T "FUNNY" HE WAS TRAGIC.

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  11. I am sorry but Festus not only has the honor of having the most ridiculous name in the history of television. He is also the most obnoxious character in the history of television. Chester is by far, hands down, above and beyond the better side-kick to Matt Dillon.
    The name Festus sounds like the name of a rectal disease for pigs. The way Festus walks, talks, makes stupid looking faces annoys me like no other. Most annoying of all is thw way in which Festus talks. It is by far too over the top for me. I find Festus so annoying I cannot stand to watch any episode of Gunsmoke he is in so I only watch the seasons that Chester was in.

    I have no idea how anyone could stand for 1 minute watching a scene with Festus. His character is so ridiculous its pathetic. Listening to him talk makes me want to put a bullet through my television set. Every time I see him in an episode I fantasize about him being tortured, mutilated, (especially by cutting out his tongue) and finally having him killed by being pulled apart by horses going in separate directions. I am sorry, but I have no idea how anyone could stand such an obnoxious character.

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    1. Wow, have you considered therapy? I mean, to get that worked up over a t.v. character is incredibly abnormal. Oh, and it is no contest. Festus. Chester was an effeminate puss. A little "broke back mountain" like.

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    2. I prefer Chester to Festus--in my opinion the show really went downhill without Chester. My older brother and I were just kids in the fifties and we both thought Chester was great. I never hated Festus-but he wasn't nearly as entertaining or likeable as Chester!

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    3. I get so sick of chester's whining and complaining about everything that if I could afford it I would buy a bunch of cheap TVs and shoot them every time Chester is on the show.

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    4. I don't wonder why you sign anonymous. If I said that nutty stuff I'd want to stay anonymous too so the men in the white coats would stay at bay.

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    5. Festus hands down chester was ok but to gullible and weak to be Matt's number one guy . Personally I enjoy hearing Festus speak and the words he comes up with . U agree you need therapy ya ole scudder

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    6. So why did you watch it if Festus made u feel like putting a bullet through your television set ? It was rated #1 TV show, and Festus was on more episodes than Chester.........just saying

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    7. I always check the episode description first and if Chester is in it I will never watch

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    8. I love both characters. Chester is a very strong right hand man, dependable. He always comes through. Ie: the show where he and Doc help a man out on the prairie who had been shot, as it turns out by his brother. Chester not only captures the brothers partner (played by Ken Curtis) but, he operates on Doc, removing a bullet, fends off the bad guy and protects Doc (also kills docs horse to make broth to help doc gain strength). That's just once episode.

      Festus, is amazing. He can fight, shoot, track, have the marshals back. Lots of episodes have shown that. His character does take on more of a fun quality as time passes, many characters in all kinds of shows grow in different direction than they began. however, Festus is always good to have on your side, loyal, and retains all of his original qualities (fighting, tracking etc).

      The thing to remember is, they are both there as Matt's "sidekicks". The focus is on his strengths and serious manner. Both Chester and Festus are fantastic at assisting Marshal Dillon and also bringing a lighter and comic side to the story.

      Although I am responding to an old reply, I just want to say, if a character inspires such torment and hate, perhaps turning off the tv and trying meditation might help.

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  12. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I thought they were both wonderful actors for the characters they played. I like Chester the best when I'm watching the episodes he is in and the same with Festus. I wish they made TV shows like that now. Encore Westerns is about the only channel that we watch and we love the old westerns.

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  13. Chester is a great character but I thought Festus actually topped him. Festus is the greatest sidekick in TV history - I just wish he and Chester could have had a few stories together.

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    1. I agree. I would liked to have seen them together too. It would have been interesting to see what kind of rapport the show's writers would have created for them. Somehow, I picture the two of them bickering a bit, Festus getting annoyed with Chester's somewhat simple thinking, and Chester getting annoyed with Festus, perceiving that Festus thinks he knows everything. It would have been an interesting experiment to see.

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    2. If you think Festus is the best sidekick on tv, you haven't seen Barney Fife.
      I agree with the person who said he was too over the top. He became more of a cartoon than a character.

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    3. Thadeus was more of a side kick than Chester to me. Chester was more like the jailer. Festus was great in the earlier episodes when Dillion kept questioning him about anything bad happened. "Those Haggins just cant be trusted is that what it is Marshall" is something like he'd say it and of course go on. Love the show

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  14. loved Festus, he had so many good traits he loved kids and was without a doubt loyal to his friends. he wasn't book smart but had a wealth of knowledge.Curtis played the part with perfection!!!!! Chester was a good person but lazy and whinny.. got on my nerves... Curtis was by far my favorite character..

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    1. Matt tells where Chester and quint went in the episode where the killer has a gun with a silencer and is looking to doc and afew others he doesn't say where Chester went but says quint went to California

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  15. Chester was by far a more likable character. in early episodes he saved Doc's life twice. Matt seemed to have more of a fondness for Chester. when Chester came down with typhoid and Kitty and Doc and Matt watched him for 5 days thinking he was going to die. when Chester woke ok Doc and Kitty went ti have a drink. Matt stayed with Chester and just smiled. one of the best episodes. never liked Festus, I don't watch episodes with him. wish they had his character shot immediately.

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    1. I totally agree with you, that is one of my favorite episodes, with the smile that Matt gives Chesterfield shows everyone how much Chesterfield meant to him and NOT on Brokeback Mountain way as mentioned before, talk about being way off base, to even bring that into a Gunsmoke episode, shows that person's qualities. DEFINITELY CHESTER, he was the original, any other qualities that Festus had, originated with Chester. Festus was good, but CHESTER was best! And really, did Festus have to b walk around on those big spurs of his 24/7? That was annoying!

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    2. If Chester is in an episode I absolutely will not watch

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    3. I can't stand Chester. He is dumb and stupid. Whenever I watch an episode that he's in. I change the channel. I actually get embarrassed for him because he is that stupid. And, that limp that he chose to do is phoney. I didn't find him to be a very good actor.

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  16. Chester and quint are both mentioned in a 1975 episode where matt is lookin for a killer. The one where the killer is using a silencer,kills several men in town, and doc is next.

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    1. Correct... that was a later show after Chester had left. Matt runs down a list of names who sat on a jury to convict a man, and Matt said, "...Chester, he used to work for me."

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    2. Correct... that was a later show after Chester had left. Matt runs down a list of names who sat on a jury to convict a man, and Matt said, "...Chester, he used to work for me."

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  17. The reason to watch Gunsmoke is to see Matt Dillon track down, overcome, outdraw and arrest bad guys. The rest of the characters are support of that character. Chester played that role better than Festus. Festus and Dooley to some extent started taking over the show and you saw less and less of Matt Dillon.

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    Replies
    1. Do you mean "Newly" instead of 'Dooley'?

      Delete
    2. Festus without question. I will never watch an episode with the foolish bumbling chester. Had to politely sit through a couple episodes at a friends once, never again

      Delete
  18. William SommerwerckMay 26, 2014 at 5:22 AM

    Dennis Weaver was unquestionably the best (regular) actor in the series. He's occasionally given difficult scenes (as in the story about his mail-order bride), and delivers in spades. No one else equals him.

    Ken Curtis's performance is a model of disciplined over-acting. (Think Robert Newton as Long John Silver.) And in his introductory episode ("Us Haggens", which is in season 9, not 10), where he's slyer and more-serious, he simply walks all over James Arness.

    My preference is for Festus -- and it's sexual. Heterosexual males won't really understand this, but he's adorable, "a cute li'l scudder", in a way the wussy Chester could never be. (It's surprising that his interest in women largely vanished after season 9.) I wrote a "Gunsmoke" script in which Doc calls him "a scruffy little possum", and that's a pretty good description.

    Chester and Festus are both comic characters who play against Matt's (usual) dead-serious nature. Festus might sometimes be a little silly, but he's never a buffoon (that I recall). He's considerably more "intelligent" than Chester (whose uncle admitted he wasn't the brightest member of the family), and Kitty even says he's one of the most-intelligent people she's ever known (high praise when she has Matt and Doc as reference points).

    The problem is that Chester is comically inept, while Festus is comically ept. This tends to make us think less of Chester.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I enjoyed reading that comment- very insightful. I think some heterosexual women, too, find Festus (especially the early Festus) attractive in a way they do not find Chester, for the same reasons you give.

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    2. Moved and seconded. I concur.

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    3. This heterosexual woman likes men who bathe; hence, Festus is out.

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    4. This heterosexual woman likes men who bathe; hence, Festus is out.

      Delete
    5. Your comment about Festus needing a bath is hilarious. I saw Ken Curtis perform with the "Sons of the Pioneers" in the early 70's at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. It was a great show! Festus might have been a little dusty and ripe, but he sure was a great actor. I needed a good laugh at this late hour, so thank you very much! Hugs from Phoenix, AZ.

      Delete
  19. I found Chester to be much more attractive than Festus. Festus looked rather dirty and unkempt. Chester was warm, sweet and caring.

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  20. I want to know what happened to Chester during parts of Seasons 7 & 8 when he just wasn't around but hadn't left the series yet. They don't mention that he is away or anything. This is when Quint starts showing up but sometimes neither are around.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good question with no answer probably

      Delete
    2. I've wondered the same thing. But there are also episodes without Kitty or Doc as well, although many of them are those that take place out on the prairie or in another town.

      Delete
    3. I have read that Dennis Weaver was growing a bit frustrated with the role of Chester and was trying to branch out or "stretch" as an actor. Some possibilities did not work out as well as he had hoped. He went back and forth with Gunsmoke for a time before he landed a series called Kentucky Jones. At that point he left, never to return.
      I have also read that his co-actors on Gunsmoke were a little fed up with his indecisiveness by that time … their attitude was "why look a gift horse in the mouth, Chester's a very successful role so play it as long as it goes". That blew over after a while though and all remained friends offscreen for years.

      Delete
    4. Dennis Weaver quit the show three times, and got three going-away parties from the cast. It was in seasons 7, 8 and 9. If he had wanted to come back again, I'm sure they'd have been glad to have him. Burt Reynolds too. Having going-away episodes for television characters is stupid, for two reasons. First, it makes bringing them back harder if they change their minds. And second, it announces to their fans that "Here's a good point for you to stop watching our show." As to which character added more to the show, it was Chester. The early Festus was good, but as the show went on the writers made him dumber and less of a bad-ass.

      Delete
  21. Chester without a doubt. I never saw the show after he left for many years and could not understand why he was no longer in it when I did see it again. But it was not the same.

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  22. Can anyone tell me why Chester's last name was changed from Proudfoot to Goode when the show went from radio to TV? I can only guess that someone thought that audience members might think that Chester's limp was being made fun of with a last name that included the word "foot." But that's just my guess and a longshot at that.

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  23. Dennis Weaver's performance in the "Chesterland" episode was not only
    brilliant but highly emotional - has to be one of his finest performances as
    an actor.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Both great.I will go with the ORIGINAL, Chester Dennis Weaver

    ReplyDelete
  25. William SommerwerckJune 17, 2015 at 7:55 AM

    I wouldn't say that Festus' voice got deeper. Rather, his "original" voice is (slightly) closer to Ken Curtis's, and less "comic" and nasal/twangy.

    In watching "Frasier", I've noticed the similarities between Festus and Niles Crane. Both can be silly and dead-serious, and we believe it.

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  26. I started off with Festus and liked the show just fine. Then I saw black and white episodes with some guy named Chester and I grumbled about thinking this "sucks"!
    Just a few episodes in with Chester I forgot all about Festus. When given the choice I choose Chester over Festus every time.
    I think it has to do with what someone said earlier in the fact the show is intended to be about Matt catching criminals, so if you like Matt then the episodes with Chester are for you. If you think Matt should take a back seat then Festus is for you.
    Also I'm sorry but Chester is by far the more stylish not Festus.
    One other thing Chester can be as tough as the situation calls for (he defended Doc on his own on more than one occasion). He just knows his place and does not mind letting Matt do his job.
    That does not make for a weak ignorant man, but a very wise man.
    Jaymz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since Matt was a United States Marshal, he had many duties that extended beyond Dodge city. He was often away and since the newer seasons covered these duties a more competent man was called upon to cover him. That is not taking a back seat.

      Delete
  27. I always preferred Chester over Festus. This is probably because I started watching it from the first episode.

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  28. I love them BOTH and could NEVER choose! I had only known Festus, and only became familiar with Chester through Encore Westerns this year, and they are both awesome! There are many things I like about both characters, but there are things they share that make them so endearing. For instance, they are both sweet, kind, loyal. Although Chester is somewhat innocent, and Festus won't take any lip from anybody. They both are protective of Ms. Kitty (love her too) and are gentleman towards the ladies. They both make me laugh, although Festus has the upper hand at going at it with Doc, they all love each other. Chester's gimp leg is not funny but yet it is because he never complains about it and just makes it work. I crack up watching him get on the horse or go up stairs. Poor Chester. The person that wrote this story was wrong about them not mentioning how his leg got that way. In one episode (don't remember which one), they said he was shot but I don't remember why or how. Anyway, they are BOTH awesome!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Festus, by a mile - a lot more fun, and he could really hold his own. Chester was nice, but pitiful.

    Festus 34, Chester 14

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How can a human being be nice and pitiful at the same time?

      Delete
  30. I grew up in the later years of Gunsmoke, and really became familiar with it through the radio series played on Radio Classics on Sirius XM. I only knew of Chester, although my husband kept mentioning Festus and I had no idea who he was talking about. Then I started watching it on TV with Chester and eventually found episodes with Festus. Like the last person posted, I don't think I could choose. I love Chester's innocence and childlike nature, but at the same time I also enjoy watching the occasional scene where he gets his dander up and tells someone off when it is called for. I wish the writers had given Dennis Weaver more opportunities to show that side of him. I like Festus because he doesn't take any guff from anyone. And I think Ken Curtis is one of the most handsome men I have ever seen. He really does clean up good. Not to mention that he has a beautiful voice.

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  31. I started watching the program when Chester was in it. I got used to Chester being with Matt and when Festus came on the scene, it wasn't the same. I always like the original characters.

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  32. I would take festus over Chester any day. Chester is always screaming Mr Dillon. If not he's whining about something,botching things,has let numerous people get the drop in him. Sorry Mr Dillon is what we hear. Like festus much better and is way more help to Matt than Chester.

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  33. I like them both but I must give the edge to Chester. I must disagree with something in this article. It says that Chester was never mentioned again after Mr. Weaver left the show. I can't remember the episode's name, but when jurists from a trial held years earlier are mysteriously murdered, an old list is read by Newly in Matt's office and one name was Chester Good. Matt said that Chester was a fellow that worked for him years prior. Just a little trivia.

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  34. I liked them both. I remember Festus from a old John Wayne movie called The Horse Soldiers.

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  35. Like most folks here I love them both but let me point out one important category in which Chester has the advantage … Realism. As mentioned in the article, Festus started out colorful and then became almost a caricature as time went on. While he is an enjoyable guy to watch, you don't really engage with him on the human level that you do with Chester.
    Chester was flawed, lacked confidence and was portrayed as if those failings were acknowledged by everyone in Dodge ... but he also had a great heart and enormous courage for a person of lesser abilities. He looked up to Matt, Kitty and even Doc … but he was every bit their equal as a person. Weaver's portrayal of the character is not just entertaining, it is wise. More of us are "Chesters" in this life than are "Matts", "Docs" or "Kittys". Chester was every man, striving with all he had to be more like those he admired and to live up to the values he believed in … Festus, while endlessly enjoyable, just does not speak to us on that level.
    I like to think that after Chester limped out of Dodge for good that he found a good, honest gal and settled into a life somewhere as a respected citizen.
    Good old Chester.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Chester was the trusted friend of Matt Dillon. Festus was a late comer. I vote for Chester.

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  37. The show was far more popular when Chester was on. I knew a lot of people that loved westerns that stopped watching Gunsmoke when Festus became the main sidekick. At first I liked his character but over the years he got and more like a cartoon character shouting "Doncha see" at the drop of a hat over and over again. I can't bear to watch those later episodes. Chester by a mile IMO.

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  38. I think a more important factor in the ratings decline than the introduction of Festus was the loss of HAVE GUN--WILL TRAVEL (also a Top 10 show) as the lead-in. Those two series were a classic pairing, and after HGWT was gone, CBS struggled for yeas to find anything as compatible to use as a lead-in for GUNSMOKE and never did really find anything. Of course that hurt the ratings. After the move to Monday night, GUNSMOKE's ratings rose dramatically, ranking consistently in the Top 10 for a while and as high as #2 one season. So I don't think it's fair to say the show was much more popular when Chester was on. There are a lot of factors to go into such things.

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  39. I liked the Barney Fife reference - I think Barney and Festus were two of TV's greatest colorful sidekicks. Festus also had similarities to Hoss Cartwright - both wore 10 gallon hats, and both were loved by both kids and animals. Although I liked Chester too, sometimes he had cringe-worthy moments when he complained about stuff.

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  40. I have the entire 1/2 hour Gunsmoke collection after seeing a a few half hours on TV a few years ago. I never saw Gunsmoke during its run, although I was certainly old enough to. The half hour episodes were so tight and although they started repeating themselves, were fresh. It was only at the end of the half-hour shows that it began to get hokey, especially the music.

    Chester has heart. He might have been dumb and lame but he was a courageous character and he certainly took his lumps for the team. I can't say how many times he was shot, hit in the back of the head with a blunt object, dragged, beat up, held hostage and much more. He certainly earned his stripes as Matt's assistant. Plus he made great coffee...just ask him...and he loved his speckledy gravy and all the trimmins.

    He had faults...many times he'd let the criminal get the beat on him and escape. But the character's good traits far outweighed the bad.

    I feel that Arness, once he got in the Producer's position on the show, demonstrated that he was insecure by having Matt Dillon constantly put down Chester in a very condescending manner. I think Arness was threatened by Weaver. Even when Gunsmoke switched musical directors late into the 1/2 hour episodes, the music made Chester appear very foolish...as well as some of the things that the writers and directors forced Chester to do. How many times can Matt wake Chester up. Sleeping on the job? Again?

    I recently discovered Bently, the last Gunsmoke episode with Chester, in which there is a $1000 bounty on him and the bounty hunter settles to rob Chester of his life savings, $18. Chester begs and grovels in this episode.

    For all the bullets and all the injuries, Gunsmoke unceremoniously dumped Dennis Weaver. Past posters are right. You can see the intelligent Weaver looking like he resented the last few years because of all the indignities.

    As much as I love Gunsmoke, I can't much stomach the hour long episodes with its asides, relationships and color, which take away from the action.

    I like Ken Curtis in some of the half-hours but Festus is too shrill for me.

    The answer is Chester, big time. And he was wronged by the show my friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Weaver wronged the show, he thought he should be the star

      Delete
  41. They did mention Chester on a color episode where they were looking through old files trying to trap a murderer. Also a couple of times Chester had new clothes. There was an episode where a woman he dated made him a new shirt also he wore a suit once to a party and looked pretty handsome actually. I do think you did a great job with your article I am a big fan of Gunsmoke.

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  42. DEFINITELY CHESTER! Sorry I didn't read all the post there were so many but why did Chester leave??

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  43. Both were good sidekicks.
    As noted in the article, the reason for Chester's limp was never stated during the show. In fact, I can't find an interview with Dennis Weaver where he answers that question.
    James Garner states in his autobiography that the reason the other characters such as Festus took center stage in so many of the later Gunsmoke episodes, was due to the beating James Arness's body took during the filming of the show.
    Thus they decided to allow the other characters to carry the heaving lifting, as it were.

    Bottom line, Chester or Festus, either way you got a good sidekick.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Dennis Weaver was not a "Carry-over" from the radio show. Chester was played by Parley Baer

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  45. I assume when you typed “James Garner” you meant James Arness. No worries. But as to one over the other, I contend it’s a draw. Festus was never intended to “ replace” Chester as they’re characters were as opposite as oil and water. Dennis Weaver was stellar as Chester, and no one could have duplicated the mannerisms, demeanor or character. Ken Curtis was an amazing actor whereas he had a natural way about him. Earlier episodes where he was featured other than Festus Hagen.. clean cut, smooth talking, sharp dressed. To be able to metamorph into a back woods prairie wolfer was quite amazing. Finally, it has to be said that the chemistry between Stone, Blake, Arness and the other regulars over the span of 20 years was a Once in a lifetime (if ever again) opportunity. I can think of no other program that exhibited that phenomenon, nor do I ever think it will again.

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    Replies
    1. Wow, you said it all. My parents, especially my dad loved Gunsmoke. The acting and comrade among the actors was truly anazing. There will never be another Matt Dillon, Doc, Miss Kitty, Festus or Chester. I clould never choose between Festus and Chester as each one had a totally different persona. The fact that Gunsmoke to this day is the Star, shall we say that todays writers and producers would like to meet, I think sums it up. "There was only one and will never be another". May they all RIP, if they only knew, including my parents that Gunsmoke continues to this day as an absolutely phenomenal show. INSP,ENCORE WESTERNS, KEEP IT ROLLIN'! Thank you...I love this show, Joan

      Delete
  46. My husband and I love watching Gunsmoke and enjoy both Chester and Festus, They are very different as noted but both very talented and loved. We did however, always wonder what happened to Chester and why an explanation of his leaving was never offered.

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  47. coming a bit late to the game i found this blog when i did a search on when Festus took over for Chester. I like both the characters a lot. I always assumed Chester left to take a Sheriffs job somewhere..esp after that episode where he didn't feel appreciated in Dodge. Who would I want there to protect me if Matt was gone? Festus.. hes just reckless enough and has that 'danged if you do!' attitude that could either be seen as bravery or stupidity. Either way he got the job done and didn't care how many of his teeth got knocked out doing it...or who he shot up.

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  48. Wasn’t Festus’ first appearance in Prarie Wolfer (67). Quint, Chester, and Festus all make appearances.

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  49. Love both characters. I was disappointed that Festus, Chester, Quint and even Thad were not present for the Return to Dodge movie. Even the Pat Hingle doctor character could have returned. I was disappointed in much of the reunion movie except the effort to recreate the town looked good.

    I notice that The Dodge City set is also seen in many of the Big Valley episodes. The print of the BV reruns are crisper than the color episodes that are rerun of Gunsmoke. But Gunsmoke was by far the best western ever on TV.

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  50. I liked Chester the best. I liked Festus and only knew him while growing up but when I started to watch the first seasons on dvd...Chester just fit better to me. Maybe it's because he was in more of the 30 minute episodes. I thought they were best because they got to the point without the padding which I think some of the hour long ones had.
    Both were good but Festus did become a caricature of himself later on.
    I don't understand why many shows back then didn't give characters a story when they left.

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  51. I actually came upon this blog while looking for the season and episode when Festus finally took over and Chester was out! I thought Dennis Weavers charactor of Chester was pure boredom and just needed to know when I would stop seeing him in the show. Ironically, I found I was watching his last appearence in "Bently" at the same time. Chesters charactor was boring, weak, dumb, and pretty much useless in most situations. Festus on the other hand was that of a real help to marshal Dillon. His hillbilly vocabulary and storys were funny and witty. The story about the mouse trap was one of my favorites as well as the very last episode "The Sharecroppers" Festus made the show entertaining and I would find myself laughing out loud at some of his antics. I have watched all the episodes I can find and remember with great fondness watching gunsmoke with my Dad as I was growing up. But honestly the Festus episodes are my favorite. And I to remember when Chester left the show and being disheartened when he left. Then along came Festus and quite frankly, I stopped thinking about Chester. For me it's Ken Curtis' Festus hands down! A side note: I recall an episode where Festus and Doc were on the sidewalk talking about a certain food that made festus cringe as he poked his fingers in his ears and started chanting some song about a chicken and a pea as Doc continued badgering him about that food. I wish I could recall that episode!

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  55. Was Chester’s last name(Goode) ever pronounced? Was it pronounced like the word, ‘good’? Or Otherwise? Thank you for any input! Enjoyed this .

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  56. Mant times Matt introduced him as Chester Goode and many timesChester intoduced himself , especially to the ladies as Chesteg Goode.

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  57. Gunsmoke became my favorite show after my husband had a stroke in Aug 2018. All he wanted was to watch Gunsmoke but none of the channels in the three hospitals he was in for rehab showed Gunsmoke. So I bought a small DVD player and the first two seasons of Gunsmoke on DVD for him to watch while he was going through rehab.

    This show is now the one that I wait to watch every day, and it is on three different cable channels in our area, and I have the days and times written out so neither of us forgets when an episode of Gunsmoke comes on. Yeah, we've seen many, many repeats because of the show being on three channels, but it is so much fun to hear my husband try to remember the lines that Doc, Chester, Festus or Matt will be saying. I just ordered the 3rd and 4th seasons of Gunsmoke for Father's Day, and I know that he will be so incredibly happy ... as will I. Both my husband and I are in our middle 70s, and we feel like kids again watching Gunsmoke.

    Now ... about whom I like better - Chester or Festus - I don't have a favorite because I feel that each character brought his own unique style to the program.

    Reading all of the comments took me a very, very long time, but I read them to my husband tonite and it gave him a thrill knowing just how many people love his favorite show of all times. HE favors Chester because he grew up with Chester as a young boy. I never watched it as a child or young woman, so I have no bias. I love them both. Both my husband and I are in our middle 70s, and we feel like kids again watching Gunsmoke.

    Hail Chester and Festus!! Long live Gunsmoke.

    Thanks for this blog Mr Tony "Tennessee WordSmith" Smith.

    ReplyDelete
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  60. On the comment about never hearing about Chester after he left; I can't remember the episode title, it was the one where a man, with a silencer on his Winchester started killing one man each night, but they finally found a connection. All the dead men turned out to be jurors on the same trial years earlier, and when they found the court records of that trial, I know they named Chester Good off the jurors list, and said he had left years earlier, and Clint AsPer was also on the list, and Dillon said that was a blacksmith that had also moved on years earlier

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  61. Festus! But early Festus.

    I'm not old enough to remember when gunsmoke was on in first run and have only seen full episodes as MeTV plays them (thank god in order). I enjoy early Festus much better because while he wasn't very educated he was still very wilderness smart and I liked his accent/speech pattern much better than the later seasons when he just became a silly squinting caricature who tended to whine a bit. I don't know who's idea it was for Festus to just become a bit of a buffoon but I think it was a big mistake.

    Early Festus was just sneaky enough to make him really interesting and enjoyable. Sneaky but always loyal to his friends and would always come around to finally do the right thing, even if it was a bit begrudgingly. I also enjoyed Festus's interaction with Doc better than Chesters because Festus seemed to be actively attempting to screwing with Doc just as many times as Doc enjoyed screwing with Festus. Festus was just a more enjoyable character in Chester imo. :)

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  63. Annoying, irritating, unclean, stupid and boring is NEVER appealing to me. Ken Curtis was all of these. Did Arness not know? Maybe they were in a relationship and that was Arness’s reason for keeping Curtis? I believe Ken Curtis lowered the quality of the show. Curtis added a continued silliness that lessened the appeal of the show. Dirty and stupid is never something attractive. When Curtis is on the screen … I turn the sound off. And look away. I do not understand his appeal. To me he is simply iffensive.

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  64. Yep. You just always felt sorry for him except in his rare moments when he stepped up to the plate. I often cringed sometimes at the way Matt would speak down to Chester. Lovable but simple minded . Festus was scruffy and unrefined but he kept you interested in how he was going to negotiate a crisis while going through his day with a homespun common sense approach.

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    Replies
    1. I think Dennis Weaver was the better actor in the way he played Chester as being simple-minded. Festus was far more reliable as Matt Dillon's assistant, however.

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  65. Chester Goode, Chester Goode, played by Dennis Weaver, was a member of the original cast- and, like all the other originals, was a carryover from the radio program. played by Dennis Weaver, was a member of the original cast- and, like all the other originals, was a carryover from the radio program.

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  66. I am a Festus girl all the way. The character was inventive. I mean, who would have thought a vagabond type would be a success in a character driven show. Plus, Festus was kind of sexy. I really sort of mean it. He would be a bad boyfriend but he had a little something.

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  67. The early episodes were best, first nine years or so. After that, they lost the magic.
    Very much prefer Chester over Festus. The humorous exchanges between Doc and Chester were priceless.

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  68. Chester’s whinie voice drives me nuts

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  69. Ken Curtis was the most obnoxious character to ever be on Gunsmoke. He was irritating to listen to and ugly to look at … and he was not six feet tall as he claimed to be.

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