Facts About Ken Curtis
He was more than Festus Haggen.
Gunsmoke was one of the longest running shows in TV history. Part of the reason for that was the show’s popularity was the characters on the show. And one of the popular characters was Festus Hagen, played by Ken Curtis. Curtis was a very busy character actor even played a different character on Gunsmoke. And if you look closely, you will see him in a ton of other westerns.
In addition to his acting ability, he was also a talented singer. While he sometimes played a scruffy character, like Festus, he also played a ladies man on occasion. Those are a few facts about Ken Curtis that are fairly well known, but here are some things you might not have known about Ken Curtis.
1: Curtis made a lot of films with director John Ford and John Wayne.
That may have been, in large part because his second wife was John Ford’s daughter, Barbara Ford. It turns out Curtis could be a ladies' man off camera too.
2: The musically talented Curtis was a member of the musical group, “The Sons of the Pioneers.”
Did the pioneers have any daughters? If so, what became of them?
