Can you name the many Western characters of Ken Curtis?

Curtis had several roles on Gunsmoke, and several Western roles not on the series. Can you name some of his characters?

Perhaps you know Ken Curtis best as Festus, the deputy marshal who joined Gunsmoke during its eighth season. 

Festus became the standout Western character for Curtis, and is the one he is likely best remembered professionally for, but Gunsmoke isn't the only Western he appeared on. 

Curtis played several characters in classic Westerns. Before he became a regular on Gunsmoke, he played several other characters on that series alone! 

Gunsmoke aside, it'll take a classic Western expert to correctly name all of these characters played by Ken Curtis. 

Take your best swing at this quiz!

Watch Gunsmoke on MeTV!

Monday - Saturday at 1 PM & 1:30 PM

*available in most MeTV markets
  1. Curtis appeared in two episodes of Wagon Train. What was his character's name in "The Horace Best Story?"
  2. In "The Colter Craven Story," what is his character's name?
  3. Curtis appeared in one episode of Rawhide titled "Incident of the Lost Idol." Can you remember the name of this character?
  4. His five appearances on Have Gun - Will Travel created just as many characters. What is the name of this one appearing in "The Posse?"
  5. In the episode "The Naked Gun," Curtis is dragged by a pair of horses in his first scene. What is his name in this episode?
  6. In the Have Gun - Will Travel episode "Soledad Crossing," a bearded Curtis plays the role of...
  7. In his last appearance of Have Gun - Will Travel, what is this character's name from the episode "Pandora's Box?"
  8. BONUS: In what series did Curtis play a character that was in the circus?

Can you name the many Western characters of Ken Curtis?

Your Result...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Pellentesque nec ante ipsum. Mauris viverra, urna et porta sagittis, lorem diam dapibus diam, et lacinia libero quam id risus.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

26 Comments

Suzies1952 7 months ago
I’m glad Burt Reynolds’s wasn’t in very long! Never liked him! Especially that layout of him in play girl? He was a joke
jackbennyfan 9 months ago
Well I only got 2 right. I'd have to say that he is a very versatile actor.
iluvwesterns 9 months ago
i got 7 of 8. i missed the last one. loved Ken Curtis as Festus and his arguments with Doc.
Kimk21 9 months ago
He was also in: The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams: Once Upon a Starry Night.
Muleskinner 9 months ago
8/8. A couple of lucky guesses in this this one.
Wendy57 9 months ago
6/8
He was a big band singer too, right ?
Sally 9 months ago
8/8 Don't know how I did that well. I knew some of the Have Gun Will Travel ones as my hubby loves that show. I totally guessed the last one. Must be my lucky day!
KJExpress 9 months ago
5/8. Like nearly everyone else, I guessed my way through this. 🤷‍♀️
Big3Fan 9 months ago
No smoking gun. Five, seven and eight I knew. The rest I blew.
JamesDean59 9 months ago
My ability at guessing still amazes me! 6/8
daDoctah 9 months ago
Not a clue on any of these, and yet I got four out of eight. They should have included him on the series Ripcord; it wasn't a cowboys-and-horses Western but the skydiving rescue service he ran was set in Southern California, which is in the West.
Wendy57 daDoctah 9 months ago
I remember that show, but, not him in it.
daDoctah Wendy57 9 months ago
You a Dash Riprock fan, then? Or maybe Shorty Kellums. Both Larry Pennell and Shug Fisher of "Ripcord" later became recurring characters on "The Beverly Hillbillies".
Wendy57 daDoctah 9 months ago
I vaguely remember.
Remember “Sky King” ?
Sway 9 months ago
3/8, Not surprised, all guessing. No I can't name the characters.
texasluva 9 months ago
6 out of 8. Guessed on everyone of them.
72doug 9 months ago
1/8! missed numbers 1,2,3,4,6,7, and 8. I did miserable.
CaptainDunsel 9 months ago
4/8
and those only by sheer, dumb luck.
So the answer to the question posed is "No," with a resounding THUD!!
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?