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How Festus Became a Deputy on Gunsmoke

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By John McGran

In the annals of television history there are few shows that match the star power of Gunsmoke and its core group of memorable regulars. But what’s often forgotten is that the sometimes cantankerous, yet often comical character Festus Haggen does not ride into Dodge City on his mule Ruth until halfway through Season 8 of the show that ran from 1955 to 1975.

Festus was a scruffy mountain man on a mission to avenge the death of his twin brother Fergus when he guest starred in the 1962 episode “Us Haggens.” It didn’t take long for the outsider with the nasally twangy voice—portrayed to perfection by actor and singer Ken Curtis—to become hotter than a jug full of red ants.

Festus went on to earn admiration, love and laughs while making the rounds as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon’s trusted deputy sheriff for 11 years and 304 episodes of one of television’s longest running primetime series. However, it took a perfect storm of creative writing and savvy casting for Curtis as Festus to earn his badge while he earned his place in television history.

Festus arrives in Dodge City as basically a replacement character for Chester Goode, the hobbled and humble assistant to Marshal Dillon. The need for yet another lovable sidekick arose when Dennis Weaver decided to leave the show at the height of its popularity to pursue other acting opportunities.

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The character storylines overlap a bit before Festus emerges as his own man—and a fan favorite as Matt’s deputy sheriff—and Chester departs the show. Festus and Chester appear together for the first time in the Season 9 episode “The Prairie Wolfer.” Chester rides off into the sunset after Episode 28, “Bently.”

After Chester departs, Matt begins occasionally deputizing Festus and leaving him to watch over things when the marshl has to be out of town—a situation first described in the Season 10 episode “Deputy Festus.”

Festus was a man who—like just about all of his kin—had spent most of his life on the wrong side of the law. His brother Jeff had been killed by a shotgun blast while trying to rob a stagecoach. His twin brother Fergus had died of wounds received from a posse after a botched bank robbery.

Festus first encounters Matt when they are both tracking Black Jack Haggen. Festus’ uncle had abandoned the injured Fergus, stealing his horse and leaving him for dead. Matt and Festus strike up an uneasy partnership before catching up to and killing Black Jack.

As the character known for his witty metaphors and musings once proclaimed, “The onliest thing you get from straddlin’ the fence is a sore backside.”

There would be no more straddling for this character. Chester was history; Festus was the future.

Sadly, Festus never appeared in any of the Gunsmoke made-for-TV movies. Curtis reportedly refused to again don his boots and badge because of financial reasons. That’s how and why Newly O’Brien became deputy marshal in the post-series movies.

View the full schedule to catch the next time Gunsmoke airs on INSP.

About John McGran

Veteran author and web content creator John McGran has spent the past 40 years blazing trails in the fields of news, food and sports. The guy who grew up binge-watching black-and-white Westerns like The Rifleman, Gunsmoke and Bonanza has joined the posse of INSP writers to provide a colorful new look at the characters, shows and movies you know and love. 

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