Gunsmoke actor Milburn Stone was among the show’s remarkably charming ensemble cast. Few performers ever played a role longer than he starred as Doc Adams. Over the course of Gunsmoke‘s record-setting run, Stone didn’t appear in a total of seven episodes. However, it wasn’t a decision of his own. Here’s a look at what happened to cause his absence.
‘Gunsmoke’ actor Milburn Stone played Doc Adams for 20 seasons
Stone was first cast as Doc Adams along with the other original Gunsmoke actors. This also included James Arness as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russell, and Dennis Weaver as Chester Goode. Similar to his co-stars, Stone took his Gunsmoke character and ran with it, giving him the name “Galen.” Additionally, he gave the character a greater degree of softness compared to the radio iteration.
Gunsmoke set a record for running 20 seasons, running from 1955 until 1975, with a total of 635 episodes. Stone played Doc Adams for the entire run, which was only matched by Arness. Weaver left after season 9 to pursue other creative opportunities, while Blake quit after season 19.
Milburn Stone missed 7 ‘Gunsmoke’ episodes due to health problems
Stone was already an experienced performer when he started playing Doc Adams on Gunsmoke. But, similar to Arness, he became an overnight sensation, immediately boosting his career. Stone had an idea of how successful the show could become, so he ensured a contract condition allowed him to profit from it in the future.
He also earned praise from his peers, earning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama. However, Stone didn’t have the opportunity to star in every Gunsmoke episode due to complications out of his control.
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According to Salina Journal, Stone missed seven episodes of Gunsmoke after he had a heart attack in 1971. As a result, he needed to have open heart surgery. During that time, Pat Hingle replaced the role of playing another doctor character.
Milburn Stone retired after ‘Gunsmoke’
Stone traveled from vaudeville works all the way to the heights of Gunsmoke. He had a unique spark that informed charismatic performances, but the end of the Western television show marked the end of his career. Arness moved on to other television shows, such as How the West Was Won, but not all cast members were so lucky.
The end of Gunsmoke marked the perfect opportunity for Stone to retire, but he had some difficulty adjusting to a slower speed in life. Unfortunately, he died only five years later, in 1980, from a heart attack in La Jolla.
Gunsmoke made a grand return in the form of five made-for-TV movies until the ratings slipped. Arness returned for all five, while Blake starred in only the first entry, called Return to Dodge. However, she noted that her return to Dodge City didn’t feel the same without Stone around, choking up on the set remembering how things would have been different with him around.
