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Why Did Dennis Weaver Leave Gunsmoke?

By John McGran

Key Takeaways

  • The question remains more than 60 years later
  • Goode limped into retirement with a throwaway line
  • There would never be an official explanation

 

Americans love conspiracy theories and plot twists. And, make no mistake, Chester Goode unceremoniously riding off into the sunset as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon’s lovable sidekick on Gunsmoke remains a major development more than 60 years after it occurred.

Over the course of nine seasons and 333 episodes, Chester Goode had become a beloved resident of Dodge City. In the early days of Gunsmoke, Chester won over audiences with his kind nature, sweet serenades, love of coffee and comic relief.

Shop Chester’s Cowboy Coffee in the INSP General Store

As one of the most adored characters on the show, the actor who brought him to life, Dennis Weaver, even won a Supporting Actor Emmy for the role. That’s why it was such a shock when the legendary character made his departure from the series at the height of its popularity.

But do you know why Chester really left Dodge City? It doesn’t take a Marshal Sam McCloud to explain this mystery.

“Bently” was the 28th episode of Season 9 of Gunsmoke. When it aired on April 11, 1964, it was also the 333rd overall episode of the series—and the final time Chester appeared onscreen. The plot synopsis was simple: Chester doubts a man’s deathbed murder confession, so he sets out to find the real killer.

Chester’s last words were far from the stuff of legend. There would be no “rosebud” mystery or epiphany. No, Chester Goode literally limped into retirement with the throwaway line spoken to a murder victim’s widow: “I think maybe I’ll take you down to the stage.”

There would never be an explanation for Chester leaving Dodge City. But in interviews following his departure from the CBS juggernaut, Weaver often spoke of his heartbreaking decision.

Stepping away from one of the most successful series in television history was not an easy decision, but Weaver felt his time as Chester Goode had run its course. And although there was no big dramatic exit or gossip-worthy story as to why he decided to exit the show, there are, instead, a few little reasons that led to his resignation.

First and foremost, he wanted his career to rise from sidekick to star status.

Weaver said he never thought the series would be as successful and long running as it was—and as he neared the end of his time on Gunsmoke, he was entirely out of creative directions in which to take his character. And he began to feel the physical repercussions of walking with a limp for so long.

In “James Arness: An Autobiography,” his Gunsmoke buddy and onscreen boss wrote: “Dennis later told me he had a heck of a time losing his limp after he left the show. On other shows when a director yelled ‘action,’ he’d automatically start to limp. It took him several months to walk normal when on camera.”

Then, in an interview with the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Weaver confessed that he had decided to leave the series not only because he felt that the character had run its course, but also because: “After almost 10 years, I want to walk without a limp.”

“If I knew I was going to be doing that for nine years, I might’ve had a different thought about it,” Weaver confessed. “Because you ever try and build a campfire with a stiff leg? Or worst of all, you ever try to put your boot on without bending your knee? I had to take yoga lessons to do some of that stuff.”

While he did not sprint his way to stardom with his next ventures—the forgettable TV Western Kentucky Jones which lasted just 26 episodes and Gentle Ben which had him playing second fiddle to a bear—Weaver had clearly lit the fuse on his rocket to stardom.

Things turned around for the actor in 1970 when he scored leading man status while starring as Sam McCloud in the hit crime series McCloud. The fish-out-of-water portrayal of a New Mexico deputy marshal on loan to the New York City police lasted seven seasons, garnered Weaver a pair of Emmy nominations, and branded him a Hollywood icon.

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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