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When “Gunsmoke” made the leap from beloved radio program to television show, fans of the former had to get used to change. I imagine it must have been difficult at the time because there was a six year period where Marshal Matt Dillon, the legendary lawman of Dodge City, was played simultaneously by William Conrad and James Arness. The groundbreaking CBS Western drama would ultimately win out though, lasting for a staggering 635 episode run across 20 seasons. But at the time where they were both shows on their respective airwaves, changes were made to differentiate each adaptation of its characters, with one of the most notable being Marshal Dillon’s right hand man.
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In the radio program, Parley Baer played Chester, an assistant to the Marshal who often sounded older than he really was. It was debatable whether he was an actual Dodge City deputy, but nevertheless, he was the best friend Dillon would have by his side. When it came time for the television series, not only would Chester’s last name go from Proudfoot to Goode, but so would the actor playing him.
Dennis Weaver would take over Chester duties on “Gunsmoke” for close to half of the series’ run, having made his introduction in the very first episode (“Matt Gets It”). For 290 episodes, he played a similar part as Dillon’s closest confidant, although like his radio counterpart, was never truly deputized. He was more of an unpaid intern than anything else.
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Weaver had two very specific trademarks in his adaptation of the character, with the first being a midwestern twang and the second being a limp. Chester maintained that limp throughout his entire run, which was a deliberate choice on Weaver’s part.
Weaver believed a limp would make Chester a more interesting sidekick
In his autobiography “All the World’s a Stage,” Weaver talked about how he initially had some concerns over how he would be perceived as Chester. When “Gunsmoke” was still in its rehearsal period, series writer, director and producer Charles Marquis Warren, who was also referred to as Bill, talked to Weaver about what being a sidekick character means. He considered the sidekick having some kind of handicap that makes the hero stand out a bit more. “Usually, he’s considered to be rather helpless,” says Warren (via MeTV).
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Weaver appeared to have grappled with how he was going to portray this, considering his large stature gave the impression he could easily get involved in some of the more physical confrontations. He had the confidence of a leading man, which didn’t bode well. Given that Chester isn’t an actual deputy, Weaver decided to take an alternate path with the character. “We want to make him a nonviolent character that doesn’t wear a gun – which also goes against tradition,” says Weaver. Together with Warren, Weaver came up with the idea of imbuing Chester with a limp that would not only provide a reason for the character’s pacifism, but would also be something the actor could pull off from week to week (via MeTV):
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“I knew that I had to select something that I could easily control and make consistent, something I wouldn’t have to worry about. I decided a stiff leg would do it. So, for a few days, I practiced running and jumping over things in the backyard stiff-legged, and it seemed to work well. I went and showed it to Bill, and he quickly agreed.”
In the television series, it’s implied that Chester received his limp at some point during the Civil War, but never expanded upon. Weaver would eventually get tired of the routine, however, and promptly left the series towards the end of its ninth season (“Bently”) in order to pursue other avenues in his career. Even after he exited “Gunsmoke,” it took him a while to break the habit of limping because of the toll it took on his body.
Every episode of “Gunsmoke” is currently streaming on Pluto TV. Solana Token Creator
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