Milburn Stone was the man behind the face of Dr. G. “Doc” Adams on the show. Stone grew up in Burrton, Kansas, which is a small town just like Dodge, so he felt right at home playing the role of Doc. Everyone in the fictional town on the series simply referred to him by his nickname, which left fans wondering if he even had a first name at all.
Finally, before season 17, the creators decided to give the doctor a first name. But, since at that point, Stone was the person who best knew Doc, the decision was left to him. He went with the name Dr. Galen Adams.
William Shatner on "Gunsmoke"
There were several famous guest stars who appeared on the show throughout the years. But some of those stars wouldn’t really become well-known until after their time on "Gunsmoke". Take for instance future "Star Trek" leading man, William Shatner.
He wasn’t the only one from that particular show, either. James Doohan (Scotty) and DeForest Kelley (Dee) appeared in one episode with their future cast-mate and captain.
"Gunsmoke" Guest Stars
Any show's guest stars are a big part of its success. Having big stars agree to be on your show shows that it's perceived as good and valuable.
"Beverly Hillbilly" star Buddy Ebsen made an appearance on the show over the span of a decade, starting in 1960 and for the last time in 1971. Bette Davis, Richard Dreyfuss, and Alan Hale Jr (Skipper) all popped up in different episodes during the series as well.
A Future Indiana Jones
A (very) young Jodie Foster made an appearance in episode 19 of season 17, which aired in 1972. And she wasn’t the only one, either. That same year, Harrison Ford would pop up in his first episode of the series.
Ford appears in the episode titled "The Sodbusters," in which he plays the role of an outlaw named "Print." Although his character gets shot – twice – he returns the following season. But when he comes back, the marshal is out of town and it’s up to Miss Kitty to handle him and his gang.
Meet the Pre-Brady Bunch
A few future "Brady Bunch" cast members were on "Gunsmoke." In fact, three of the main cast members appeared in at least one episode of the series. The youngest Brady, played by Susan Olsen, was one of them.
Olsen first made an appearance on "Gunsmoke" in a 1968 episode titled “Abelia.” On the show, Festus must nurse her character, Marianne, back to health after she’s bitten by a rattlesnake. Marianne returns to the show the following season for another episode as well. The same year that Olsen first appeared on the show, her fellow 'Brady Bunch' cast member, Christopher Knight, popped up in an episode, too.