Ken Curtis Picture
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Ken Curtis (I) (1916–1991)

Actor | Soundtrack | Producer

Considering the kind of scruffy, backwoods, uneducated, Deep-South hillbilly types he played, many people would be surprised to hear that Ken Curtis wasn't actually born in the south but in the small town of Las Animas, Colorado, the son of the town sheriff. They would probably be even more surprised to learn that he began his show business career as a singer in the big-band era... See full bio »

Born:

Curtis Wain Gates
in Lamar, Colorado, USA

Died:

(age 74) in Fresno, California, USA
Ken Curtis Still of James Arness and Ken Curtis in Gunsmoke Still of Burt Reynolds, James Arness, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis and Milburn Stone in Gunsmoke Still of Ken Curtis in Gunsmoke Still of Burt Reynolds, James Arness, Amanda Blake, Ken Curtis and Milburn Stone in Gunsmoke
8 photos | 11 videos | 4 news articles »

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Known For


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Filmography

Hide HideActor (66 titles)
1991 Conagher (TV movie)
Seaborn Tay, Cattle Rancher
 
1990 In the Heat of the Night (TV series)
Tom McCauley
– December Days (1990) … Tom McCauley
 
1988 Once Upon a Texas Train (TV movie)
Kelly Sutton
 
1986 Airwolf (TV series)
Cecil Carnes Sr.
– Wildfire (1986) … Cecil Carnes Sr.
 
1985 All American Cowboy (TV movie)
 
1983-1984 The Yellow Rose (TV series)
Hoyt Coryell
– The Far Side of Fear (1984) … Hoyt Coryell
– Villa's Gold (1984) … Hoyt Coryell
– Beyond Vengeance (1984) … Hoyt Coryell
– Chains of Fear (1984) … Hoyt Coryell
– Debt of Honor (1984) … Hoyt Coryell
See all 22 episodes »
 
1983 Lost
 
1981 Legend of the Wild
 
1981 California Gold Rush (TV movie)
Kentuck
 
1979 How the West Was Won (TV mini-series)
Sheriff Orville Gant
– Hillary (1979) … Sheriff Orville Gant
 
1979 Vega$ (TV series)
Digger Dennison
– Death Mountain (1979) … Digger Dennison
 
1978 Once Upon a Starry Night (TV movie)
 
1978 The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (TV series)
– Once Upon a Starry Night (1978)
 
1978 Black Beauty (TV mini-series)
Howard Jakes
 
1976 Pony Express Rider
Jed Richardson
 
1976 Petrocelli (TV series)
Harry Underwood
– The Falling Star (1976) … Harry Underwood
 
1959-1975 Gunsmoke (TV series)
Festus / Festus Haggen / Brisco / …
– The Sharecroppers (1975) … Festus
– Manolo (1975) … Festus
– The Busters (1975) … Festus
– I Have Promises to Keep (1975) … Festus
– Hard Labor (1975) … Festus
See all 304 episodes »
 
1973 Robin Hood
Nutsy (voice)
 
1964 Cheyenne Autumn
Joe
 
1964 Death Valley Days (TV series)
Graydon
– Graydon's Charge (1964) … Graydon
 
1961-1963 Ripcord (TV series)
Jim Buckley / Ken Buckley
– The Last Chapter (1963) … Jim Buckley
– The Money Mine (1963) … Jim Buckley
– A Free Falling Star (1963) … Jim Buckley
– A Present for Felipe (1963) … Jim Buckley
– Expose (1963) … Jim Buckley
See all 75 episodes »
 
1962 How the West Was Won
Cpl. Ben (uncredited)
 
1959-1962 Have Gun - Will Travel (TV series)
Monk / Curley / Lucky Laski / …
– Pandora's Box (1962) … Lucky Laski
– Soledad Crossing (1961) … Tom Strickland
– Love's Young Dream (1960) … Monk
– The Naked Gun (1959) … Monk
– The Posse (1959) … Curley
 
1961 Two Rode Together
Greeley Clegg
 
1961 The Aquanauts (TV series)
Head Waiter / Horton
– The Diana Adventure (1961) … Head Waiter
– The Stakeout Adventure (1961) … Horton
 
1961 Sea Hunt (TV series)
Dean
– The Octopus Story (1961) … Dean
 
1961 The Case of the Dangerous Robin (TV series)
– Design for Death (1961)
 
1961 Rawhide (TV series)
Vic Slade
– Incident of the Lost Idol (1961) … Vic Slade
 
1960 Wagon Train (TV series)
Kyle Cleatus / Pappy Lightfoot
– The Colter Craven Story (1960) … Kyle Cleatus
– The Horace Best Story (1960) … Pappy Lightfoot
 
1960 Perry Mason (TV series)
Tim Durant
– The Case of the Clumsy Clown (1960) … Tim Durant
 
1960 The Alamo
Capt. Almeron Dickinson
 
1960 Freckles
Wessner
 
1960 My Dog, Buddy
Dr. Lusk
 
1959 The Killer Shrews
Jerry Farrell
 
1959 The Horse Soldiers
Cpl. Wilkie
 
1959 Woman on the Run (TV movie)
 
1959 The Young Land
Lee Hearn
 
1958 Escort West
Trooper Burch
 
1958 The Last Hurrah
Monsignor Killian
 
1958 The Missouri Traveler
Fred Mueller
 
1957 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV series)
Major Hendericks
– Warpath (1957) … Major Hendericks (uncredited)
 
1957 Spring Reunion
Al
 
1957 The Wings of Eagles
John Dale Price
 
1957 5 Steps to Danger
FBI Agent Jim Anderson (uncredited)
 
1956 The Searchers
Charlie McCorry
 
1955 Mister Roberts
Yeoman 3rd Class Dolan
 
1955 The Long Gray Line
Specialty (uncredited)
 
1952 The Quiet Man
Dermot Fahy (uncredited)
 
1951 Fighting Coast Guard
Ken - Member Sons of the Pioneers (uncredited)
 
1951 Don Daredevil Rides Again
Lee Hadley / Don Daredevil
 
1950 Rio Grande
Donnelly - Regimental Singer (uncredited)
 
1950 Everybody's Dancin'
Ken - Member Sons of the Pioneers (as Sons of the Pioneers)
 
1949 Call of the Forest
Bob Brand
 
1949 Stallion Canyon
Curt Benson
 
1949 Riders of the Pony Express
Tom Blake
 
1947 Screen Snapshots: My Pal, Ringeye (short)
Ken Curtis
 
1947 Over the Santa Fe Trail
Curt Mason
 
1946 Lone Star Moonlight
Curt Norton
 
1946 Singing on the Trail
Curt Stanton
 
1946 Cowboy Blues
Curt Durant
 
1946 That Texas Jamboree
Curt Chambers
 
1946 Throw a Saddle on a Star
Curt Walker
 
1945 Out of the Depths
Buck Clayton
 
1945 Song of the Prairie
Dan Tyler
 
1945 Rhythm Round-Up
Jimmy Benson
 
1944 Cowboy Canteen
Soldier in Front Row at Canteen Show (uncredited)
 
Show ShowSoundtrack (12 titles)
1956 The Searchers (performer: "Skip to My Lou" - uncredited)
 
1952 The Quiet Man (performer: "The Wild Colonial Boy" - uncredited)
 
1949 Call of the Forest (performer: "Git Along Little Dogies")
 
1949 Riders of the Pony Express (performer: "Red River Valley" - uncredited, "Skip to My Lou" - uncredited, "Git Along Little Dogies" - uncredited, "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" - uncredited)
 
1947 Over the Santa Fe Trail (writer: "Hi-Yo Texas" / performer: "Hi-Yo Texas", "Over the Santa Fe Trail")
 
1946 Lone Star Moonlight (writer: "It's Great To Be Back", "Lone Star Moonlight" / performer: "It's Great To Be Back", "Lone Star Moonlight", "Home on the Range")
 
1946 Singing on the Trail (writer: "Singing on the Trail", "Soft Breeze" / performer: "Singing on the Trail")
 
1946 Cowboy Blues (writer: "Little Cowgirl", "A Lot of Elbow Room" / performer: "The First Thing I Do Every Morning")
 
1946 That Texas Jamboree (writer: "Never Tangle with Old John Law" - uncredited, "Prairie Serenade" - uncredited)
 
1946 Throw a Saddle on a Star (performer: "The Strawberry Blonde on the Strawberry Roan", "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" - uncredited / "The Strawberry Blonde on the Strawberry Roan")
 
1945 Song of the Prairie (performer: "Sing To Me Cowboy", "Idaho-Ho", "Silver on the Sage")
 
1945 Rhythm Round-Up (performer: "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", "Empty Saddles")
 
Show ShowProducer (3 titles)
1960 My Dog, Buddy (producer)
 
1959 The Giant Gila Monster (producer)
 
1959 The Killer Shrews (producer)
 
Show ShowThanks (1 title)
1992 John Wayne's 'The Alamo' (video documentary short) (dedicated to the memory of)
 
Show ShowSelf (3 titles)
1979 When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1972 This Is Your Life (TV series)
Himself
– Ken Curtis (1972) … Himself
 
1972 The World of Sport Fishing (documentary)
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (6 titles)
1992 Fonda on Fonda (TV documentary)
Yeoman 3rd Class Dolan (uncredited)
 
1992 Legends of the West (documentary)
Actor in 'Cheyenne Autumn' (uncredited)
 
1992 John Wayne's 'The Alamo' (video documentary short)
Himself
 
1987 Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge (TV movie)
Festus Haggen (flashback sequence)
 
1982 Henry Fonda: The Man and His Movies (TV documentary)
Actor in 'Mr. Roberts' (uncredited)
 
1966 The Secret of Wendel Samson (short)
Festus Haggen
 

Related Videos

The Killer Shrews -- On an isolated island, a small group of people is terrorised by giant, voracious shrews in the midst of a hurricane. Airwolf: Season 3: Episode 13 -- A family feud and illegal drugs make ominous bedfellows. The Searchers -- As a Civil War veteran spends years searching for a young niece captured by Indians, his motivation becomes increasingly questionable.
See all 11 »
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Personal Details

Other Works:

(1958) Single: "Five Years" / "Violets For Your Fur" (R-Dell Records)

Publicity Listings:

1 Biographical Movie  | See more »

Alternate Names:

Sons of the Pioneers

Height:

6' (1.83 m)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

I'm really proud of Gunsmoke. We put on a good show every week, one that families could all watch together without offending anyone. See more »

Trivia:

Dick Haymes replaced Frank Sinatra as male vocalist with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Sinatra himself in his final appearance with Dorsey introduced his replacement during a September 2, 1942, broadcast. See more »

Star Sign:

Cancer