# Is The Entire Cast of "GUNSMOKE" All Dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854 "2004-09-18T15:05:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/1 "2004-09-18T15:05:48Z")
I’ve been watchin Gunsmoke on TVLand…man, that was a good show! Makes me sad to realize that most of these folks have passed on…are they all gone? Will we ever see a revival of the Old West genre? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/2 "2004-09-18T15:12:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Will we ever see a revival of the Old West genre? We did, in the '80s and '90s. _Young Guns_, _The Young Riders_, _Lonesome Dove_, _Dances With Wolves_, _Silverado_, _The Long Riders_, _Unforgiven_… Not to mention the cowboy boot craze. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/3 "2004-09-18T15:17:35Z")
And _ **Posse.** _ Don’t forget _ **Posse.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/4 "2004-09-18T15:19:16Z")
James Arness, Burt Reynolds, Buck Taylor, and Dennis Weaver are all still living. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/5 "2004-09-18T15:19:37Z")
[utl=http://imdb.com/name/nm0915840/]Dennis Weaver is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/6 "2004-09-18T15:21:30Z")
That’s what happens when you post with an affectionate cat in your lap (and fail to preview). [link](http://imdb.com/name/nm0915840/) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/7 "2004-09-18T15:26:52Z")
[Short bio/obits](http://www.findagrave.com/php/famous.php?page=pr&FSctf=187) of Amanda (“Miss Kitty”) Blake, Milburn (“Doc”) Stone, Ken (“Festus”) Curtis, and James (“Louie Pheeters”) Nusser. [James (“Marshall Matt Dillon”) Arness](http://www.jamesarness.com/biogphy.htm) remains alive, though retired, at the age of 81. The [Dead People Server](http://dpsinfo.com/dps/anames.html) which tracks the dates of death of celebrities and is current through 9/11/04 shows him as alive, as well as [Dennis (“Chester”) Weaver.](http://216.92.255.170/dps/wnames.html) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/8 "2004-09-18T17:01:26Z")
Kelsey Grammar recently got into a bit of trouble with Arness over Grammar’s character “Frasier Crane” tying “Matt Dillon” on prime time TV. I.e., Arness is alive and [swearing](http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=18806). ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/9 "2004-09-18T17:13:07Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Kelsey Grammar recently got into a bit of trouble with Arness over Grammar’s character “Frasier Crane” tying “Matt Dillon” on prime time TV. I.e., Arness is alive and [swearing](http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=18806). Interesting little piece of information. But I’m banking the house that Matt LeBlanc shatters all records. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/10 "2004-09-18T20:32:36Z")
I always thought it might make a nice touch in a satirical movie if Matt Dillon did a cameo as a character named James R. Ness! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/11 "2004-09-18T20:42:39Z")
His name is spelled grammer and the only reason I remember that is becuase you would think he would be a stickler for grammar rules and such but his last name is spelled different…yeah I need to get a life I know. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/12 "2004-09-18T20:44:29Z")
Damn you because\* :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/13 "2004-09-18T23:55:06Z")
I’ve been informed that James Arness is only _partially_ dead. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/14 "2004-09-19T00:33:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Will we ever see a revival of the Old West genre? _Deadwood_, a current series on HBO, is perhaps the best western ever shown on TV. Fantastic program. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/15 "2004-09-19T02:35:48Z")
Damn I read the James Arness bio on imdb and I never realized while watching the show when I was younger how fucking big this guy is…6’7’’! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/16 "2004-09-19T02:53:35Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I’ve been informed that James Arness is only _partially_ dead. What, did you date him? :eek: 😃 Although that would explain why he was so hostile to Kelsey Grammer! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-entire-cast-of-gunsmoke-all-dead/264854/17 "2004-09-19T15:45:29Z")
> [@pool](#): > > Damn I read the James Arness bio on imdb and I never realized while watching the show when I was younger how fucking big this guy is…6’7’’! Well, he certainly wasn’t cast as [The Thing](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044121/) for his charming good looks.