61 years ago, this main character “Gunsmoke” suddenly left the emblematic Western series and never returned

For the first nine seasons of Manure,, James harness‘The Marshal Matt Dillon was joined at work by the adorable (although simple) Chester Goode, played remarkably by Dennis Weaver. A faithful and sometimes competent acolyte of Dillon, Chester has never completely overshadowed the main hero of the series, and it was always part of its charm of the Midwest. However, it was always a semi-permanent element of the series, the one that remained for almost a decade before calling it. But why did Weaver finally left the show? Well, simply speaking, he had more aspirations beyond what Dodge himself could offer.

Dennis Weaver played Chester Goode for almost nine seasons on “Gunsmoke”

The most knows that before Manure was a television series, it was first of all a radio program. It is therefore not surprising that Chester is from the broadcasting drama, played by Parley baer and named “Chester Proudfoot”. Although the Chester of the radio show was certainly supposed to be an older character (and was not in fact an assistant), the television adaptation changed all this. Instead, Dennis Weaver played a slightly younger version of the characterOne with a clear accent of the Midwest, a box in his approach and a love for coffee that exceeds, well, almost everything else. Renowned Chester Goode, Manure Make that Matt Dillon’s companion an official deputy and gave Weaver – who was himself more than six feet but still looked quite short compared to James Arness – more equipment over the years. While Chester was rarely the goal, several episodes put it under the spotlight.

During 290 episodes, Dennis Weaver transformed Chester not only into a must -see of Dodge City, but a coherent and full member of the community. Next to Milburn stone“S Doc Adams, Amanda BlakeMiss Kitty, and finally Burt Reynolds“Quint Asper, Chester was a character that people expected that Marshal Matt Dillon was in post in the old west. After all, Weaver had remained with the program throughout its transition from a half hour to an hour from an hour, and had been with the show for almost a decade. Presented in many more episodes than most television characters see these days, Dennis Weaver made a name for himself as a Chester Goode, but he did not want to be limited by the character either.

So, Weaver left the program halfway from his ninth season, his latest episode being “Bently”, “ An hour centered on the Chester who focused on the deputy when he discovered the secrets behind the confession of the deathbed of a murderer. It’s a beautiful episode, and with his last words on the screen (“Well, I may … I’m going to take you to the station”), the Western deputy remains a good man until the end. Tragically, no explanation is never given for the absence of Chester from the rest of the series. Although the fans undoubtedly knew that Weaver had left the program, neither Matt nor the rest of the distribution recognized that Chester was no longer there, despite his best place in Dodge City. We could, perhaps, assume that, given his last moments, he left the city with the widow Clara Wright (Jan Clayton), but this is never confirmed.

After “ Gunsmoke ”, Dennis Weaver wanted to try new things

After “Bently”, Weaver returned to television on short -term NBC drama Kentucky Joneswhich lasted only one season of 26 episodes. After that, Weaver would play in the feature film Sweet benThis would generate a television continuation which lasted 56 episodes on CBS. Meanwhile, Weaver also ended up with guests on various programs and also appearing in a handful of films, but nothing as popular as his time as Chester on one of the most classic westerns. So why did the television star leave the program? Well, he had his reasons.

In 2002, Weaver spoke to the television academy of this thing. It was no secret that The star estimated that he had exhausted all the creative possibilities with the character of ChesterA deputy who was often enough to a note even to his best. “I entered the business to play a leading man and I had more to say whether this program was successful or not,” admitted Weaver to the television academy. “I just felt that it was time to move on.” Of course, that was the way Weaver left Manure That – a bit like the way the show ended in its 20th season – rubbed the public in the wrong direction because there was no real farewell to the character. Chester is just gone, and Ken Curtis“Festus (which had been presented the previous season) simply takes its place as the first deputy of Dodge. Tisserand finally broke with the Manure Mold to play a traditional western hero of its own manufacture.

After “ Gunsmoke ”, Dennis Weaver played in “McCloud”

Image via NBC

While Festus took care of the adjuct functions ManureAssuming that Matt Dillon would always have an eccentric acolyte, Weaver looked for career opportunities that he would not have yet peak in the Chester type. Having released from this mold and proven its value in a variety of other acting capacities, NBC has taken its chance on Weaver by throwing it into the main role of a new Herman Miller Police drama simply titled McCloud.

Part of the network NBC mystery film Series of rotating television program wheels (which also included Colon And HEC RAMSEY At different times), the series followed the new Mexican deputy marshal Sam McCloud when he was plunged into the Big Apple, where his western sensitivities of small town are forced to compete with the bustle of New York. For seven years, the drama of one hour captivated the modern public in a post-Rural Purge TV landscape while attracting this aging audience of Weaver’s Manure days.

But thinking about it, Dennis Weaver never regretted getting out of Dodge. “I have no regrets to leave Manure“He said to Post-Dispatch TV Magazine St. Louis in 1970. “I am [finally] Do what I wanted to do when I left this show. It took me six years to get here. “After all, Weaver has always wanted to be a leading star, and he was never going to graduate in a show like Manure. Instead, McCloud was the program that put it on the map as a leading star which could bring its Western charm to the modernity of New York. It turned out that everything worked to Chester – Uh, Tisserand – In the end, even if we have never obtained a good Manure farewell.

Manure

Release date

1955 – 1974

Directors

Andrew V. McLaglen, Harry Harris, Ted Post, Bernard MCEVEETY, Vincent MCEVEETY

Writers

John Meston, Charles Marquis Warren, Paul Savage

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  James harness

  Marshal Matt Dillon

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