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Here’s why food played an important role in Ken Curtis’ early life.
The Gunsmoke star could handle the heat when it came to the kitchen.
Food matters — not just for your health, but for your happiness. A good meal can win just about anyone over, including Ken Curtis.
Best known for playing Festus Haggen on Gunsmoke, Curtis had a deep appreciation for home-cooked food long before he arrived in Dodge City.
"People used to get arrested just so they could stay in my dad’s jail and eat my mother’s cooking," Curtis said in a 1973 interview with The Shreveport Journal. "The prisoners ate the same as mother cooked for us, so it was mighty good."
According to the interview, Curtis’ father served as a sheriff in Colorado during the Great Depression, a time when many struggled to find enough to eat. Despite that, his mother made sure no one went hungry
"It was Depression time, and people weren’t eating too good," Curtis said. "My mother was a very plain but very good cook. I can never remember a morning we didn’t have hot biscuits for breakfast. She got up around 5 a.m. and cooked on an old wood stove."
The family made nearly everything from scratch — milking their own cows, churning butter, and preparing vegetables grown in their garden.
And for breakfast? That was Curtis’ favorite part. The menu included fried eggs, bacon or ham, homemade jam, and, of course, fresh biscuits.
"We always had our big meal at noon and supper at night," Curtis said. "Mother was allowed about a dollar a day to feed each prisoner. She was a real good manager."
One dollar might not sound like a lot, but during the Great Depression, it would be equal to around $24 today. Still, not much to feed a whole jail, but the Curtis family made it work.
Born in Colorado, less than 100 miles from the real Dodge City that inspired Gunsmoke, Ken Curtis brought an authentic Western sensibility to his role. Off-screen, he shared his mother’s love of cooking. On-screen, he brought that same small town charm to the small screen.
"I like to barbecue — I’m a beef man, but I like lamb, too," Curtis said. "I enjoy getting in the kitchen and whipping up a great stew because it’s relaxing."
When he hosted gatherings, his Gunsmoke co-stars — including Milburn Stone (Doc Adams) and James Arness (Marshal Matt Dillon) — were often on the guest list, especially when lamb shanks with gravy were on the menu.
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