What caused Ken Curtis death?

Ken Curtis

Why did the character Festus leave Gunsmoke?

Festus never appeared in any of the Gunsmoke made-for-TV movies. This is because Ken Curtis refused to play Festus after learning the amount of money he would be paid for the first film, Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge, and said that he should be paid based on Festus’ importance in the cast.

Did Chester and Festus ever meet?

That same season, character actor Ken Curtis began his role as Festus, appearing in several popular episodes. But the changing of the guard really happened in the Season 9 episode titled “The Prairie Wolfer,” where Chester and Festus actually appear together.