Ken Curtis

Birth Name:

Curtis Wain Gates

Birth Place:

Lamar, Colorado, United States

Profession

Actor, Soundtrack, Producer

He was an infantry member during World War II and served from 1942 to 1945
Attended Colorado College in 1935 with the intention of becoming a doctor, but went to Hollywood after his success as a songwriter
Started out as a swing band singer in the 1930s, joining the Tommy Dorsey band when Frank Sinatra left it to begin his solo career
Best known for his role as Festus Haggen in the TV series "Gunsmoke․"
Columbia Pictures signed him as a singing cowboy after the success of "Tumbling Tumbleweeds․"
During the sci-fi movie boom in the 1950s, he founded his own production company and produced the black and white monster films "The Killer Shrews" and "The Giant Gila Monster․"
Appeared in numerous classic western films, including "The Searchers" and "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne
He played the character Festus Haggen in "Gunsmoke" for 11 years after replacing Dennis Weaver in 1964
He was a member of Sons of the Pioneers, a western singing group that included Roy Rogers

Fast Facts