Kids on Gunsmoke

Many Gunsmoke episodes revolved around or included children during the show’s 20-year run from 1955 to 1975. Some of these young’uns gained fame in their own right in TV sitcoms and films; some pursued careers in other fields. Here are some episodes that you may like:

Jack Elam and Jeanette Nolan in P.S. Murry Christmas (Gunsmoke)

“P.S. Murry Christmas” (1971, S17 E15) featured a bunch of orphans who ran away with Titus Spangler (Jack Elam) and turned up in Dodge. Headmistress Emma Grundy (Jeanette Nolan) was hot on their trail in this hilarious episode. Jack Elam was a much loved character actor who appeared in many “Gunsmoke” episodes. Jeanette Nolan also played several roles throughout the show’s run and even got her own spinoff as “Dirty Sally”. Here’s the rundown on the kiddies:

Runaway orphans in P.S. Murry Christmas (Gunsmoke)

• Jodie Foster got her first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress in “Taxi Driver” just 6 years later. Three Best Actress Oscar nominations would follow, with Jodie winning two for her work in “The Accused” (1988) and “Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
• Erin Moran became well-known as Joanie, Ron Howard’s little sister, on the popular sitcom “Happy Days” (1974-1984). She got her own spinoff series, “Joanie Loves Chachi” with co-star Scott Baio. That lasted two seasons before her showbiz career began to fade away. Sadly, Erin passed away at age 56 in 2017.
• Willie Aames had recurring roles in various TV shows but was most well-known as Tommy Bradford in “Eight is Enough” and Buddy Lembeck in “Charles in Charge”. Willie has since worked at various jobs, including directing. He most recently had a role in the horror film “Bottle Monster” (2020).
• Brian Morrison’s future acting career didn’t last that long; however, one long role he had was as Phillip, Adrienne Barbeau’s son and Bea Arthur’s grandson in the first five seasons of “Maude” (1972-1978).
• If Todd Lookinland’s surname sounds familiar, it’s because Todd’s brother, Mike Lookinland, played Bobby on “The Brady Bunch”. Todd appeared in two 1974 episodes of “Gunsmoke”, “The Colonel” and “The Schoolmarm”.
• Josh Albee was also in “Eleven Dollars” (Chad) with Ike Eisenmann as his brother, Clay.
• Patti Cohoon appeared in 5 more episodes of “Gunsmoke”, more than any of the other kids in “P.S. Murry Christmas”. She was 10 years old when she began acting in 1969, with appearances in several other TV series before her first “Gunsmoke” role in 1971.

Patti Cohoon and Clay O’Brien in “The River” (Gunsmoke)

In 1972, Patti Cohoon played Hannah Kincaid in a 2-parter called “The River”. Clay O’Brien was her brother Tuttle. Patti’s 3 other episodes were “The Iron Blood of Courage” (1974); “Milligan” (1972) and “Trafton” (1971). Clay O’Brien appeared in other shows and films before leaving his western acting career in the dust to become a real rodeo champion.

Gunsmoke: Jack Elam and Miriam Colon in The River (Gunsmoke)

Jack Elam was one of the adult guest stars in “The River”. He played a crafty French thief named Pierre. Miriam Colon was Paulette, his partner in crime. (She was Al Pacino’s mother in “Scarface” many years later.)

Jena Engstrom and Billy Hughes in “Milly” (Gunsmoke)

“Milly” (S7 E9): Billy Hughes played Joey, the hungry little brother of the title girl (Jena Engstrom). Although her character was 17 in this episode, Jena was already over 18. “Milly” aired just a few days before Billy’s 13th birthday. He would also appear in two more episodes of Gunsmoke (“Us Haggens” and “Reprisal”). Billy had roles in many other popular TV series between 1961 and 1964, including “The Rifleman, “Leave It to Beaver”, “Lassie” and “Wagon Train”.

Ron Hayes and Edmund Vargas in “Wonder” (Gunsmoke)

“I Call Him Wonder” (S8 E28): Edmund Vargas played Wonder, an Arapaho Indian boy. Looking for help after his village has been wiped out, he comes across Jud Sorrell (Ron Hayes) and, after a bit of a bad start, adopts him. (No, we didn’t mean Jud adopts the boy.) The only word the boy ever says sounds like “wonder” so that is what Jud calls him. It turns out to mean “help.” This episode was recycled in Season 13 (Episode 14) and just called “Wonder”. Richard Mulligan played Jud and Tony Davis played Wonder in that one. Of these 4 actors, only Ron Hayes played several other roles on “Gunsmoke”

Pernell Roberts, Eric Shea and Jacqueline Scott in “Stranger in Town” (Gunsmoke)

Eric Shea played Billy Madison in “A Stranger in Town” (1967), a little feller who thinks it’s the bees knees to kill bad guys with a gun. He wants to grow up to be a marshal like Matt Dillon, at least until he finds out that Dave Reeves, another man he admires, is a professional gunman. Little does Billy know that his new hero is his father. Pernell Roberts played Dave Reeves two years after he left his role as Adam Cartwright on “Bonanza”. In 1957, Roberts was in one other “Gunsmoke” episode (“How to Kill a Woman”) two years before “Bonanza” debuted. Jacqueline Scott played Billy’s momma. Ms. Scott was in 7 other episodes, three as Abelia (see below). Eric Shea appeared in two more “Gunsmoke” episodes and continued to appear on TV and in films (most notably, 1972’s “The Poseidon Adventure”) until he was 17.

Three of the future Brady kids appeared in various episodes of Gunsmoke. Susan Olsen was just a few years away from becoming Cindy Brady when she played Marianne, the daughter of “Abelia” (S14 E8). Mike Durkin was her brother Jonathan and Jacqueline Scott was their mother in the title role. The family showed up again in “A Man Called Smith” (S15 E6). That man was their daddy, Earl Holliman. Abelia returned again in “The Predators” (S17 E20) in 1971. This time around, Jodie Foster and Brian Morrison played her (now older) children.

Christopher Knight (Peter Brady) had a role as “Boy” in “The Miracle Man”(S14 E7), a 1968 episode). Eve Plumb (Jan Brady) played Sue in “Goldtown” (S14 E18) in 1969.