It is way close. Festus eventually was made into a clown or caricature, I guess. But that is only because he lasted so much longer and the later Gunsmokes became general garbage. I dig the Killer Shrews, but I dig the heck out of Duel too. I wish the both had more work. Ken Curtis could really sing, I think. I think Weaver was a better pure actor maybe. Never saw that sheriff TV show he was in.
Freegards
“Ken Curtis could really sing, I think.”
Ken Curtis was a singer with the “Sons of the Pioneers” along with Roy Rogers.
About a dozen years ago, I asked an online DJ if he did requests. He said, “Sure”. I asked for the Sons of the Pioneers. He emailed me back that he would be playing the entire Sons of the Pioneers collection from 1AM until done 3 days from then. 200+ songs. I recorded the whole lot.
They are great.
Ken Curtis was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers.You can find him in a video singing, “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.”