Ken Curtis
Biography
Ken Curtis was an American actor and singer who started in music before moving into film and television. Born in Lamar, Colorado, in 1916, he worked as a singer with bandleaders Shep Fields and Tommy Dorsey. From 1949 to 1953 he performed and recorded with the Sons of the Pioneers, and he recorded with them again from 1955 to 1957. Columbia Pictures signed him in 1945, and he starred in musical Westerns with the Hoosier Hot Shots. His films included Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), Mister Roberts (1955), The Searchers (1956), The Killer Shrews (1959), The Horse Soldiers (1959), The Alamo (1960), and Conagher (1991), his final acting role. He voiced Nutsy the Vulture in Robin Hood (1973). On television he was best known as Festus Haggen on Gunsmoke, a role he played for 11 years and 304 episodes. In 1981, he entered the Western Performers Hall of Fame.
74years old at death
- Born Lamar
- Died Fresno
- Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
Movie Career
- Films
- 17
- Career span
- 41 years1950 to 1991
First and latest
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A change of course
Before turning to acting, Curtis worked as a singer. Once he started making films, he kept up both jobs, and he performed with the bandleaders Shep Fields and Tommy Dorsey.
Behind the camera
In 1959, Curtis produced two monster films made on very small budgets: The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster.
A first
Curtis appeared in every one of the three films made by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney's C. V. Whitney Pictures: The Searchers, The Missouri Traveler and The Young Land.
Ken Curtis movies on Netflix
Conagheras Seaborn Tay, Cattle Rancher
Once Upon a Texas Trainas Kelly Sutton
Robin Hoodas Nutsy - A Vulture (voice)
Cheyenne Autumnas Joe
Two Rode Togetheras Greeley Clegg
The Alamoas Capt. Almeron Dickinson
The Horse Soldiersas Cpl. Wilkie
The Killer Shrewsas Jerry Farrell
The Young Landas Lee Hearn
The Last Hurrahas Monsignor Killian
The Missouri Traveleras Fred Mueller
The Wings of Eaglesas John Dale Price
The Searchersas Charlie McCorry
Mister Robertsas Dolan
The Long Gray Lineas Specialty
The Quiet Manas Dermot Fahy
Rio Grandeas Donnelly - Regimental Singer
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
John Ford directed ten of these films. Three actors appear in six of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.








Films together
John Wayne6 films together, 1950 to 1960
John Wayne's page The Alamo1960IMDb rating 6.8Curtis as Capt. Almeron DickinsonWayne as Col. Davy Crockett
The Horse Soldiers1959IMDb rating 7.1Curtis as Cpl. WilkieWayne as Col. John Marlowe
The Wings of Eagles1957IMDb rating 6.6Curtis as John Dale PriceWayne as Frank W. 'Spig' Wead
The Searchers1956IMDb rating 7.8Curtis as Charlie McCorryWayne as Ethan Edwards
The Quiet Man1952IMDb rating 7.7Curtis as Dermot FahyWayne as Sean Thornton
Rio Grande1950IMDb rating 7.0Curtis as Donnelly - Regimental SingerWayne as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke
Harry Carey Jr.6 films together, 1950 to 1988
Harry Carey Jr.'s page Once Upon a Texas Train1988IMDb rating 5.7Curtis as Kelly SuttonCarey as Herald Fitch
Two Rode Together1961IMDb rating 6.7Curtis as Greeley CleggCarey as Ortho Clegg
The Searchers1956IMDb rating 7.8Curtis as Charlie McCorryCarey as Brad Jorgensen
Mister Roberts1955IMDb rating 7.6Curtis as DolanCarey as Stefanowski
The Long Gray Line1955IMDb rating 7.2Curtis as SpecialtyCarey as Dwight D. Eisenhower
Rio Grande1950IMDb rating 7.0Curtis as Donnelly - Regimental SingerCarey as Trooper Daniel 'Sandy' Boone
Patrick Wayne6 films together, 1955 to 1964
Patrick Wayne's page Cheyenne Autumn1964IMDb rating 6.7Curtis as JoeWayne as 2nd Lt. Scott
The Alamo1960IMDb rating 6.8Curtis as Capt. Almeron DickinsonWayne as Capt. James Butler Bonham
The Young Land1959IMDb rating 5.5Curtis as Lee HearnWayne as Sheriff Jim Ellison(Pat Wayne)
The Searchers1956IMDb rating 7.8Curtis as Charlie McCorryWayne as Lt. Greenhill
Mister Roberts1955IMDb rating 7.6Curtis as DolanWayne as Bookser
The Long Gray Line1955IMDb rating 7.2Curtis as SpecialtyWayne as Abner "Cherub" Overton
Ward Bond5 films together, 1952 to 1957
Ward Bond's page The Wings of Eagles1957IMDb rating 6.6Curtis as John Dale PriceBond as John Dodge
The Searchers1956IMDb rating 7.8Curtis as Charlie McCorryBond as Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton
Mister Roberts1955IMDb rating 7.6Curtis as DolanBond as Chief Petty Officer Dowdy
The Long Gray Line1955IMDb rating 7.2Curtis as SpecialtyBond as Captain Herman Kohler
The Quiet Man1952IMDb rating 7.7Curtis as Dermot FahyBond as Father Peter Lonergan
Willis Bouchey5 films together, 1955 to 1961
Willis Bouchey's page Two Rode Together1961IMDb rating 6.7Curtis as Greeley CleggBouchey as Mr. Harry J. Wringle
The Horse Soldiers1959IMDb rating 7.1Curtis as Cpl. WilkieBouchey as Col. Phil Secord
The Last Hurrah1958IMDb rating 7.3Curtis as Monsignor KillianBouchey as Roger Sugrue
The Wings of Eagles1957IMDb rating 6.6Curtis as John Dale PriceBouchey as Barton
The Long Gray Line1955IMDb rating 7.2Curtis as SpecialtyBouchey as Major Thomas
Hank Worden4 films together, 1956 to 1988
Hank Worden's page Once Upon a Texas Train1988IMDb rating 5.7Curtis as Kelly SuttonWorden as Old Timer
The Alamo1960IMDb rating 6.8Curtis as Capt. Almeron DickinsonWorden as Parson
The Horse Soldiers1959IMDb rating 7.1Curtis as Cpl. WilkieWorden as Deacon Clump
The Searchers1956IMDb rating 7.8Curtis as Charlie McCorryWorden as Mose Harper
John FordDirector, 10 films, 1950 to 1964
All films by John Ford Cheyenne Autumn1964IMDb rating 6.7Curtis as Joe
Two Rode Together1961IMDb rating 6.7Curtis as Greeley Clegg
The Horse Soldiers1959IMDb rating 7.1Curtis as Cpl. Wilkie
The Last Hurrah1958IMDb rating 7.3Curtis as Monsignor Killian
The Wings of Eagles1957IMDb rating 6.6Curtis as John Dale Price
The Searchers1956IMDb rating 7.8Curtis as Charlie McCorry
Mister Roberts1955IMDb rating 7.6Curtis as Dolan
The Long Gray Line1955IMDb rating 7.2Curtis as Specialty
The Quiet Man1952IMDb rating 7.7Curtis as Dermot Fahy
Rio Grande1950IMDb rating 7.0Curtis as Donnelly - Regimental Singer
Also four films together1 more actor
- Maureen O'HaraThe Wings of Eagles (1957), The Long Gray Line (1955), The Quiet Man (1952) and Rio Grande (1950)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Ken Curtis's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$45.7 million
5 of the 17 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 17 films: 5 worldwide figure; 2 us gross only; 2 never in cinemas; 8 figure not found.
- 5Worldwide figure
- 2US gross only
- 2Never in cinemas
- 8Figure not found
Highest grossing
The five biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$33M72.2% of the total
- 2$7.9M17.3% of the total
- 3$3.8M8.3% of the total
- 4$1.0M2.2% of the total
- 5$11K0.0% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.










