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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

Genres

Photos

  • Ken Curtis, photo 1 of 3
  • Ken Curtis, photo 2 of 3
  • Ken Curtis, photo 3 of 3

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  1. 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.

  2. Behind the camera

    In 1959, Curtis produced two monster films made on very small budgets: The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster.

  3. 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

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. Robin Hood1973 Adventure, Animation, Familyas Nutsy - A Vulturevoice

    IMDb rating 7.5152K votes

  2. The Searchers1956 Adventure, Drama, Westernas Charlie McCorry

    IMDb rating 7.8104K votes

  3. The Killer Shrews1959as Jerry Farrell

    IMDb rating 4.26.2K votes

  4. The Horse Soldiers1959as Cpl. Wilkie

    IMDb rating 7.113K votes

  5. The Wings of Eagles1957as John Dale Price

    IMDb rating 6.65.0K votes

  6. The Alamo1960as Capt. Almeron Dickinson

    IMDb rating 6.820K votes

  7. Mister Roberts1955as Dolan

    IMDb rating 7.620K votes

  8. Conagher1991as Seaborn Tay, Cattle Rancher

    IMDb rating 7.22.5K votes

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.

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Films together

Box office

What Ken Curtis's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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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. 1
    Robin Hood1973as Nutsy - A Vulture (voice)
    $33M72.2% of the total
  2. 2
    The Alamo1960as Capt. Almeron Dickinson
    $7.9M17.3% of the total
  3. 3
    The Quiet Man1952as Dermot Fahy
    $3.8M8.3% of the total
  4. 4
    The Killer Shrews1959as Jerry Farrell
    $1.0M2.2% of the total
  5. 5
    Cheyenne Autumn1964as Joe
    $11K0.0% of the total