‘Gunsmoke’ Star Ken Curtis Described One Co-Star as One of the Most ‘Honest Guys’ He Ever Met
When you have a star like Gunsmoke legend Ken Curtis saying rad things about another co-star, then you want to know who is he talking about.
So, we are going to see what star Curtis, who played Festus on the CBS Western, was talking about. We get some help from this article that appears on GunsmokeNet.com.
The person he’s talking about is Milburn Stone, who played Doc Adams for 20 seasons on the show. As a little trivia teaser, Doc Adams in the radio version was played by Howard McNear. That actor would go on to secure his place in TV lore as Floyd Lawson, barber extraordinaire on The Andy Griffith Show.
‘Gunsmoke’ Actor Had High Praise For His Co-Star Milburn Stone
But what did Curtis say about Stone? We get that info right here. “Mil is one of the most entertaining fellows I’ve ever been around in my life,” Curtis, a one-time Big Band singer, said. “But when he decides to do something, he doesn’t pull any punches.
“You’ve got to admire him for it because he really stands up and fights,” the Gunsmoke star said of Stone. “He’s one of the most honest guys I’ve ever met. He gets a little salty now and then, but always for a reason.”
It is true that Stone was never shy about expressing his attitudes and thoughts. Heck, one day he even took time to verbally dress down James Arness, who played Marshal Matt Dillon. Arness stood 6 feet, 4 inches tall, and pretty much hovered over his other cast members.
That didn’t matter to Stone, who didn’t like the way Arness was going about his business on the Gunsmoke set. After hearing Stone’s words, Arness happened to agree with his co-star’s assessment. Still, Curtis and Stone would find time to head out on personal appearances together. They’d dress up as Doc and Festus, but also entertain people as themselves.
Ken Curtis Once Actually Took The Bandstand In Place of Frank Sinatra
People who know anything about Big Band music are aware that Frank Sinatra got his start in this world. Ken Curtis would have a role here, too.
So, Sinatra was becoming a very big star in the 1940s. If you look at the Sinatra career resume’, then you will see concerts and radio shows taking over his work. As he would go off and do these appearances, that would take time away from being in the Tommy Dorsey Band.
Sinatra was the band’s main singer. Well, when he was gone, who would sing for in his place? A guy named Ken Curtis. Actually, the future Gunsmoke star started doing this upon returning from serving the country in World War II.
