Dennis Weaver Dies

[WaynamoJim]

Dennis Weaver, who played Chester on gunsmoke back in the 50's and McCloud in the 70's has died of cancer. Sorry, I don't know any other details. Fox News was just mentioning it but, gave no details, not even age.

[ethanedwards]

Hi WaynamoJim,

Sad to hear that news, he was a great boyhood favourite.
Strangely, one of very few actors, who didn't get to
appear with Duke!

R.I.P

[Jay J. Foraker]

Sorry to hear of his passing. Up until recently, he was doing some hosting on the Western Channel (part of the Encore group) - he had aged, but did not look ill.
Cheers - Jay :(

[Phantomstranger]

Don Knotts
Darren McGavin
and now Dennis Weaver

What a really lousy week

[JOHNWAYNEABE]

I cant believe it soon there will be no one left who represents honesty integrity in other words the right way to be someone one can emulate I feal very sorry for the youth of today there are MTV victoms and most parents are so wrapped up with their work relationships or whatever that no one is teaching their kids the right way to be whats right from wrong today the heros are 50 cent, snoop dog andy dick and all these straight thug athletes. It is a very sad state we are in and it will only worsen.
I started my boys young on John Wayne, Gunsmoke and all the other greats thank god for TCM .
It is a very sad day indeed with the passing of Dennis Weaver and Don Knotts my best to there families.

[Baby Sister]

How very sad...

Rest in Peace Chester


Baby Sister

[chester7777]

Originally posted by WaynamoJim+Feb 27 2006, 10:43 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(WaynamoJim @ Feb 27 2006, 10:43 AM)</div>

Dennis Weaver, who played Chester on gunsmoke back in the 50's and McCloud in the 70's has died of cancer. Sorry, I don't know any other details. Fox News was just mentioning it but, gave no details, not even age.

[snapback]28049[/snapback]

[/b]

Here are some of those details you were looking for -

ABC News
About.com
TV Fodder
CBC
Reuters

and finally -

IMDb - Dennis Weaver
The Dennis Weaver Website

Originally posted by Phantomstranger@Feb 27 2006, 12:48 PM
Don Knotts
Darren McGavin
and now Dennis Weaver

What a really lousy week

[snapback]28055[/snapback]

I've heard these things seem to happen in threes, I was just wondering who the third one would be . . . and now we know. :(

Originally posted by JOHNWAYNEABE@Feb 27 2006, 12:58 PM
I cant believe it soon there will be no one left who represents honesty integrity in other words the right way to be someone one can emulate I feal very sorry for the youth of today . . . .
I started my boys young on John Wayne, Gunsmoke and all the other greats thank god for TCM .
It is a very sad day indeed with the passing of Dennis Weaver and Don Knotts my best to there families.

[snapback]28056[/snapback]

Aren't you glad for DVDs and videos?? At least we can still instill those values :D .

<!--QuoteBegin-Baby Sister@Feb 27 2006, 04:17 PM
Rest in Peace Chester

[snapback]28061[/snapback]

As Mark Twain once said, The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

Just kidding - I had to inject a little bit of levity into an otherwise sad subject . . . .

Chester

[Hondo Duke Lane]

Sorry to see you go Chester. Not you Chester But Dennis Weaver.

We lost a lot this week. They were all in their eighties and great actors. We will miss them.

I liked Dennis Weaver on the mini series Centenial as R.J. Poteet (1978), the cattle driver. He was also great in the McCloud series. A little before my time on Gunsmoke playing Chester Goode (1955-1964).

Rest in Peace Chester, not you Chester .

Cheers B)

[arthurarnell]

Hi

Looks like its the season to lament the passing of another group of star of the past. This time its Dennis Weaver another good actor in many oles

Rip Dennis

LOS ANGELES Feb 27, 2006 (AP)— Dennis Weaver, the slow-witted deputy Chester Goode in the TV classic western "Gunsmoke" and the New Mexico deputy solving New York crime in "McCloud," has died, his publicist said Monday. The actor was 81.

Weaver died of complications from cancer on Feb. 24 at his home in Ridgway, in southwestern Colorado, publicist Julian Myers said.

A struggling actor in Hollywood in 1955, Weaver was earning $60 a week delivering flowers when he was offered $300 a week for a role in a new CBS television series, "Gunsmoke." He learned that another actor had turned down the same role at $400 a week. Weaver summoned his courage and asked for and got $400. By the end of his nine years with "Gunsmoke," he was earning $9,000 a week.

When Weaver first auditioned for the series, he found the character of Chester "inane." He wrote in his 2001 autobiography, "All the World's a Stage," that he said to himself: "With all my Actors Studio training, I'll correct this character by using my own experiences and drawing from myself."

The result was a well-rounded character that appealed to audiences, especially with his drawling, "Mis-ter Dil-lon."

At the end of seven hit seasons, Weaver sought other horizons. He announced his departure, but the failures of pilots for his own series caused him to return to "Gunsmoke" on a limited basis for two more years. The role brought him an Emmy in the 1958-59 season.


Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Regards

Arthur

[Emmanuel]

Hi all

It's sad to hear of the passing of Dennis Weaver.
I remember him as Chester in Gun Smoke. Didn't
he say "I'm a coming Mr Dillon"

R I P Dennis.

Emmanuel.

[ejgreen77]

Sad news. I'll always remember him as the crazy, creepy motel night manager in Touch of Evil (1958). I'm convinced that his performance there was the inspiration for the Norman Bates character in Hitchcock's Psycho.


R.I.P Dennis.

[The Ringo Kid]

:( Rest In Peace Dennis, you sure will be missed. I rarely got to see an episode of you in Gunsmoke but, when they were kind enough to play one w/ you in it; I always watched it and enjoyed it. :( :( :(