Why Did Chester In Gunsmoke Have A Limp

So weaver came up with the idea of giving chester his famous limp.
Why did chester in gunsmoke have a limp. It was reported that the producers told him to do it to appear shorter than he actually was. The show would go on to become the highest rated and longest running live action series in united states television history 1955 to 1975. Goode who had the limp. Some say the producers of the show thought it could explain why he didn t carry a pistol.
Dennis weaver the lanky actor with the gentle drawl who came to fame in the 1950s playing marshal matt dillon s limping deputy chester on gunsmoke and later starred as a contemporary western deputy marshal who battled crime in the big apple on mccloud has died. James arness was shot by machine gun fire at the battle of anzio. Matt did from time to time have a limp when injured during several of the episodes. Dennis weaver came up with chester s limp he was told to distinguish his character from dillon so he decided that a limp would be a unique character trait to make chester stand out.
While it was also rumored that dennis chose the limp to accompany his country accent to make him stand out. Chester goode supposedly got that wound during the civil war. It was while delivering flowers that he heard he had landed the role of chester goode the limping loyal assistant of marshal matt dillon james arness on the new television series gunsmoke. According to dennis weaver the late actor who played the role of chester goode the producers of the show wanted him to develop a disability to explain why chester never carried a gun and had a nonviolent attitude.
One of chester s most noticeable features is his stiff right leg the cause of which is never explicitly stated though it s implied that he was injured during the civil war. It was his big break. James arness was wounded during wwii and did have a limp but not noticeable during most of the tv series. There are many theories as to why dennis weaver decided to give his character chester goode a limp.
He also said that because he was supposed the sidekick they told him that chester needed something to separate himself from matt. Weaver showed up to the first day of shooting and demonstrated the now famous limp. Now why did somebody decide to give the character a disability. Dennis weaver regretted giving chester a limp.