Prior to Gunsmoke, Weaver held a number of odd jobs, including a janitor and a door-to-door salesman for items such as vacuum cleaners, ladies' hosiery and tricycles. There are many theories as to why Dennis Weaver decided to give his character Chester Goode a limp. His death was attributed to natural causes, said A. C. Lyle, a producer at Paramount Studios. While it was also rumored that Dennis chose the limp to accompany his country accent, to make him stand out. Relevance. Lv 7. A … This was Reynold’s first major acting role. mike Dodge Family Member (Top Poster) Posts: 2,952. Answer Save. Advertisement. It was reported that the producers told him to do it to appear shorter than he actually was. What happened to Burt Reynolds character on gunsmoke? I have been Watching Gunsmoke every day for the last 2 Months the 1/2 Show with Chester.When and in what matter did Chester Leave the Show. False. Blake's character was Miss Kathleen "Kitty" Russell, the proprietor of a saloon in Dodge City, the setting for "Gunsmoke." The episode Bently was his last show. Kitty 2. 5 years ago. Why did he leave the show? Why did Chester leave Gunsmoke? Milburn Stone (Doc) once told Burt Reynolds that he should quit Gunsmoke because he had a future in … Mr. Curtis played Festus Haggin, sidekick to Marshal Matt Dillon, from 1964 to 1975, when the series ended. Select Post; Deselect Post; Link to Post; Back to Top; Post by mike on Mar 30, 2012 22:04:37 GMT -5. The on-screen explanation was that he got it during the Civil War. Marshall Matt Dillon, right, played by James Arness, and his deputy Chester, played by Dennis Weaver, are shown in a scene from CBS' "Gunsmoke" in 1956. To accept the role of Chester in Gunsmoke, Dennis Weaver dropped a lucritive contract with MGM. 2 Answers. Burt Reynolds (born 02-11-1936) now 75, played half-breed blacksmith Quint Asper from 1962 to 1965. He replaced Dennis Weaver, who played Chester Goode before leaving the show after nine years. Amanda Blake's last episode on "Gunsmoke" was "The Disciple," which originally aired on April 1, 1974. Blake subsequently quit the popular television show, which was then in its 19th season. Chester Question Mar 30, 2012 22:04:37 GMT -5.