Why Dennis Weaver's Chester Left Gunsmoke

It's hard to undersell the impact "Gunsmoke" had on the television landscape when it first aired. Westerns for the small screen were largely occupied by kid-friendly fare like Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy at the time, but the presence of an adult-driven series led to the development of countless genre programs in its wake. But the series outlasted all of them as the longest-running television western of all time with 20 seasons under its holster, with "Death Valley Days" wagon-trailing just behind it. The town of Dodge City was like a beacon for all manner of stories, with James Arness' steadfast Marshal Matt Dillon often finding himself in the center of the episode's conflict. The lawman would often be surrounded by a recurring cast of characters, like saloon owner Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) and resident bullet extractor Doc Adams (Milburn Stone), with one of them being his first right-hand man.

For the first nine seasons of "Gunsmoke," Dennis Weaver's Chester Goode made an impression among television viewers as the timid yet resourceful assistant to the Marshal. Like Dillon, the character was a holdover from the popular radio show that preceded the CBS western drama, where he was played by Parley Baer. In both cases, Chester was never a legitimate deputy so much as a great friend that Dillon liked having around to help him keep law and order in check. He had a very kind and boyish quality about him that absolutely made him the sidekick in the relationship.

Weaver was initially worried that his physical prominence would make it difficult to believe his character couldn't join fights, so he adopted a limp that would be a mainstay throughout his time on the show (via MeTV). The role even won him an Emmy in 1959. Nine years is a good run for any actor on a successful series, but there came a point where Weaver thought enough was enough.

In a 2002 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, when Weaver was asked why he left "Gunsmoke," especially when it was still pulling in great ratings, his answer simply came down to wanting to move on and try new things:

"I'd pretty much exhausted all creative possibilities with the character and I just wanted to do something else. I'd got into business to play a leading man and have more say-so about whether the show's a success or not. I just felt it was time to move on. I know it was very risky doing that because a lot of actors who did the same thing and really disappeared."

You have to keep in mind that Weaver starred in over 290 episodes of the series before calling it quits, which is more airtime than most shows will ever receive in their entire run, unless you're "The Simpsons" or "General Hospital." In addition to wanting to spread his wings, Weaver had lived with his fictional limp for so long that it took him ages just to unlearn the habit.

Weaver's final "Gunsmoke" appearance was towards the end of the ninth season in the episode "Bently." What's strange, however, was that the character didn't receive any semblance of a goodbye arc to explain his disappearance. The slot of Dillon's second in command would ultimately go to Ken Curtis' Festus Haggen, who stuck around until the series' final season in 1975. Unlike Chester, though, Festus would actually be endowed with the title of Deputy Marshal.

Even though he left to do his own thing, Weaver didn't have any hard feelings and ultimately supported the show until the very end. "I don't think I'll ever completely leave Chester, you know," said Weaver (via MeTV). He even got the chance to direct four episodes of the show. Following his exit, Weaver fell into a number of opportunities.

It's worth noting Weaver booked a role in Orson Welles' bleak noir "Touch of Evil" only a few seasons into "Gunsmoke." When he eventually left the show, he already had a deal in place for an NBC series called "Kentucky Jones," but the short-lived dramedy only lasted for 26 episodes. Weaver would have some luck on television a few years later with the series "Gentle Ben," which I can't not mention without bringing up the infamous "Simpsons" clip.

One distinction that Weaver has above most actors is not only being in one of the best television movies ever made in "Duel," but having that also be the genesis of one of our greatest working filmmakers in Steven Spielberg. The cat-and-mouse game between an ordinary guy and a crazed, unseen truck driver is still an effectively tense thrill ride over five decades later.

It was right around that point in the early '70s when Weaver would land arguably his greatest post-Chester role in NBC's police drama "McCloud," which lasted for seven seasons. Good on him for actually booking a role that let his character actually be a Deputy Marshal this time. While being a part of this show, there was a period from 1973 to 1975 where he was voted to be the President of the Screen Actors Guild. Weaver mostly stuck to television movies and guest spots across a lot of shows, with his final screen appearance being a recurring role on the then-ABC Family drama "Wildfire" before his passing in 2006.

Every episode of "Gunsmoke" is currently available to stream on Pluto TV.