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Ken Curtis
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Ken Curtis
(born 1916) is best known for his role as Festus Hagen, the cantankerous
deputy in the TV series
'Gunsmoke'
(1955-75). He began his career as a vocalist in the
legendary Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in the 1940s, and then acted in several low-budget
Westerns, worked as a movie producer, and also became a regular in the films of direc-
tor John Ford (who was his father-in-law). Curtis was a temporary member of The Sons
Of The Pioneers and performed with them at Carnegie Hall; he died in 1991.