"Gunsmoke" Soap Stars Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jess Walton

Yes, Jill from "The Young and The Restless" played Patricia in the episode of the same name. She was caretaker to a young boy that was injured during a tornado. Newly knew right away she'd be his bride. However, their marriage was short-lived. Patricia had a blood disease and she died in the episode. Jess Walton also starred in the episode entitled "Manolo", starring Robert Urich and Nehemiah Persoff. Walton was born in 1949, she took the role of Kelly Harper on the daytime soap "Capitol" after drug and alcohol rehabilitation and maintained it until the show was cancelled.

In 1987 she became the fourth actress to assume the role of Jill on "The Young and The Restless". Ms. Walton is also the only award winner for the role of Jill Abbott.

Answer: Joseph Campanella

Campanella played the mouthpiece for the Forrester family and business. A very accomplished actor in his own rights, he joined the cast of "The Bold and The Beautiful" in 1997. Campanella made two appearances on "Gunsmoke". In an episode entitled "Milligan", which aired in 1972 and in "The Hide Cutters", which aired in 1968.

In "The Hide Cutters", Campanella played a cattle trail boss whose herd was being followed by a gang of cattle rustlers.

Answer: Darlene Conley

I remember the episode Ms. Conley was in, but not her in the role of Leelah Case. The episode was "Gentry's Law", and it was about a wealthy cattle baron whose sons were wanted by the law. However, the father refused to turn them over to Matt Dillon. Darlene Conley stepped into the role of Sally Spectra on "The Bold and The Beautiful" in 1988.

The role earned her numerous nominations. She had also done, roles on "Days of Our Lives", "General Hospital", and "Capitol". Ms. Conley sadly passed away January 14, of 2007.

Answer: David Canary

The two part episode "Nitro" featured Canary as a down on his luck drifter who was so down he couldn't even get the girl. To remedy his situation he takes an offer to make and bottle nitroglycerin. It paid well, but unfortunately for George McClaney (Canary) in these 1967 episodes, it was lethal. David Canary has garnered much acclaim for his dual role as Adam and Stuart Chandler on "All My Children".

However, he has also appeared on "Search For Tomorrow", "Another World", and of course "One Life To Live" in his daytime drama career.

Answer: Joan Van Ark

Joan Van Ark is no stranger to daytime television. While she made a splash in the linked "Dallas" and "Knots Landing" prime time soaps, she was also in "Days of Our Lives" before them. Her entry into Genoa City came in 2004 when she signed on as Gloria Fisher on "The Young and The Restless". Ms. Van Ark appeared in one episode of "Gunsmoke".

She played the daughter of a former U.S. Marshal who was seeking reconciliation between her and her father, played by Morgan Woodward. The episode aired in 1969 as "Stryker".

Answer: Constance Ford

Constance Ford appeared in two episodes of "Gunsmoke". In 1956 she was Pearl in the "Poor pearl" episode which was about love found, love lost, and a tragic end for Pearl. She was Florida Jenkins in the 1962 episode "Wagon Girls". The show was about eight women on their way to a Colorado mining town.

The women were to be dance hall girls and Florida was in charge of them. Bay City was home to the cast of "Another World" and among them, Ada Hobson, played by Constance Ford. Ford joined the cast in 1967, three years after it began airing; as Ada Hobson, she was the mother of the show's leading lady, Rachel Davis. Constance Ford also appeared in "Search For Tomorrow", "The Edge of Night", and the little known to this author, "Woman With A Past". Ford, a member of the gay and lesbian community, passed away in 1993.

Her character died on the show.

Answer: Eric Braeden

Eric Braeden was born, Hans Jörg Gudegast, in Bredenbek, Germany, April of 1941. He has won acclaim for his acting skills in the United States as well as Germany. He performed in five episodes of "Gunsmoke" Between 1971 and 1974. One was a three parter entitled, "Gold Train: The Bullet".

The episode also featured the return of Milburn Stone as "Doc". Marshal Dillon is shot in the back; as Doc is apprehensive about being skilled enough to remove the bullet without causing possible paralysis, Doc, Festus and the gang load Matt aboard a train that is also carry a federal gold shipment. Eric Braeden plays the leader of a gang of robbers who intend to have the gold at any cost. Braeden began his soap career in 1980 as a short term player on CBS's, "The Young and The Restless".

While being signed for only half a year, the audience grew to, love to hate him, when he took the rival for his wife's affections captive. Braeden in the role of Victor Newman has been credited with being on only one other soap, "The Bold and The Beautiful".

Answer: Dack Rambo

The "Pike: aka Dirty Sally" episode of "Gunsmoke" starred Jeanette Nolan as Sally and Dack Rambo as Cyrus Pike. Pike was a bank robber who while wounded, was on the run to escape capture by Dillon. Falling unconscious from his horse, he is later rescued by Sally and her mule. Sally nurses him back to health and hides his whereabouts from the marshal.

In the meantime, Sally and Cyrus develop a tender and trusting relationship.The episode brought such acclaim it was made into a spin-off series. The show "Dirty Sally", aired in 1974 and lasted for thirteen episodes.

Its stars were the original "Gunsmoke" lead actor and actress, Rambo and Nolan. Rambo also appeared in "The Witness" episode of "Gunsmoke". Rambo appeared in a soap geared to teenagers called "Never Too Young", he also did "All My Children" before joining "Another World" in 1990 as Grant Harrison.

Born Norman Rambo in 1941, he had a twin brother named Dirk. Dack Rambo passed away in 1994 of complications due to AIDS. He was a professed bisexual.

He was one of my favorite actors, visually.

Answer: John Reilly

In March of 1974, John Reilly appeared in the "Gunsmoke" episode entitled, "To Ride A Yeller Horse". Reilly portrayed Orlo Baker, a farmer sweet on his neighbor, Anna May. Anna May however, was sweet on Newly. Meanwhile, her mother Joan(Louise Latham) had a whole different plan for her daughter's life.

She wanted her to marry the rich guy in town. Orlo and Newly engaged in a scuffle that left Orlo (with the help of Joan) accusing Newly of attempted murder. Orlo hit his head and lost his memory and Joan saw this as a way to kill two birds with one stone.

Born in 1936, Reilly's soap career began in 1974 when he stepped into the role of Dr. Dan Stewart on "As The World Turns", a role he kept from 1974-1976. After a hiatus from soaps, in 1984 he took the role of Officer Sean Donely on "General Hospital". Reilly left in 1994 opting to exercise a buy out option in his contract with Wendy Riche.

He later took roles in "Sunset Beach" and "Passions".

Answer: Jeanne Cooper

Jeanne Cooper was born of Cherokee descent in 1928, in the state of California. This is one of the most acclaimed and accomplished actors in daytime television. In 1963 she played Lily Pitts in an episode of "Gunsmoke" entitled, "Ex-Con". Lily's husband Leo had been released from prison and went home to retrieve his gold stash. Wanting to make Marshal Dillon pay for his life in prison, Leo's bushwhack attempt fails and Matt sends him out of town. Matt suffering from a fever manages to get to a shack where he falls unconscious and upon awakening, finds Leo Pitts dead. By a judge's order, Lily gets the gold but Leo's brother Sam is full of revenge against her for killing Leo.

He beats Lily who then gets a gun from the shack and in a shootout is killed. Jeanne Copper was not a member of "The Young and The Restless" when it began.

She joined the cast in 1973, as Katherine Chancellor. Her memorable story lines included her as a subtle lesbian and a not so subtle alcoholic. Ms. Cooper's actual 1984 face lift was written into the show on her say so.

She has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, has received seven Daytime Emmy nominations for appearances in 148 episodes and is one of the most endearing daytime characters. Her only other daytime soap appearance is for "The Bold and The Beautiful" in 2005.

Answer: Philip Carey

In an episode of "Gunsmoke" that first aired October 25, 1971, entitled "Trafton", Phil Carey played Bannion. Bannion and other members of Trafton's gang are in pursuit of him, thinking he has their money. Meanwhile, Matt is escorting Trafton back to Dodge City while trying to keep Trafton alive. Victor French was in the title role of "Trafton". Philip Carey was born in 1925. He too had a career that included the silver screen as well as television. In 1980 he reprised the role he originated in late 1979, as Asa Buchanan on "One Life To Live". Carey acting in the role until due to illness he decided to leave the role he loved. Suffering the effects of cancer and subsequent chemotherapy, Carey left "One Life To Live" in 2007 and his character died off the show. Carey's only other daytime credit was an appearance in 2004 on "All My Children".

*Do any of you remember Philip Carey's 1971 appearance on "All In The Family?
In an episode titled, "Judging Books By Covers", Carey played Archie's buddy Steve. Archie always considered Steve to be 'Mr. Macho', until he found out Steve was gay.

Answer: Anna Lee

Anna Lee was born in England in 1913; her given name is Joan Boniface Winnifrith. She is the goddaughter of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and does indeed hold an MBE. She is accomplished as an actress for works on the Wide and small screens. Lee appeared in the 1967 episode of "Gunsmoke" called "Rope Fever".

This episode had Deputy Festus Hagen almost swinging at the end of a rope. Festus was falsely accused of robbing the town bank and the citizens were fervid to see him pay. Anna Lee portrayed Amy Bassett, who was married to Dan Bassett skillfully played by Ralph Bellamy. Dan was the town sheriff looking for perhaps another chance to gain glory's last stand, even at the cost of seeing an innocent man hang. Ms. Lee's performance as the conscience of her husband was inspiring. Anna Lee joined the cast of "General Hospital" in 1978 as Lila Quartermaine. Soon after joining the show she was wheelchair bound owing to an automobile accident. Though Ms. Lee was promised a lifetime job at "General Hospital", upon the departure of Wendy Riche, the new staff fired Lee.

She passed away not long after in May of 2004. Ms. Lee's only other soap work was in "Port Charles" where she carried over her role as Lila Quartermaine.

Answer: Miriam Colón

Miriam Colón was in eight (8) episodes of "Gunsmoke" between 1962 and 1974. In the "Zavala" episode she played Amelita Avila; a mother of an adolescent son who hates the man his mother lives with so much, he wrangles a way for Matt to kill him. Thereby endearing Matt to Paco(Manuel Padills, Jr.) and his mother. Matt meanwhile is in Mexico to execute a warrant for the brother of a ruthless killer. Miriam Colón was born in August of 1936, in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

She has had soap roles in "All My Children", "One Life To Live", and as Maria Santos in "Guiding Light".

Answer: Gloria DeHaven

Ms. DeHaven acting career began with her as an extra in "Modern Times". She found roles for the big screen and later for television. Her abilities as an actor never diminished. She also worked in daytime soaps such as "All My Children", "As The World Turns" and in one of my favorites, "Ryan's Hope". Ms. DeHaven was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame to punctuate her career.

In 1974 she portrayed Carrie Louise Thompson in the "Like Old Times" episode of "Gunsmoke". The show centered around a newly released from prison safe cracker returning to Dodge City to reclaim his lady love.

However, he encounters men looking for a safe cracker. Nehemiah Persoff played Ben Rando who reluctantly aides and abets them...sort of.

Answer: Ruth Warrick

Born Ruth Elizabeth Warrick in 1915, She went on to numerous awards in the showbiz industry for screen work on the big and small screen. In 1965 she appeared in "The Storm" episode of "Gunsmoke" as the mother of a pair of evildoer sons who allow an innocent man to be blamed for a robbery and murder they committed. After one of the boys is shot he confesses their crime and Matt has to race against time to save him from the gallows. Matt's only recourse is to try and persuade Clara Benteen (Warrick) and her husband to turn over their son. Dame Ruth Elizabeth Warrick began her soap career in 1953 when she joined "The Guiding Light", which she left the next year. She joined the cast of "As The World Turns" in 1956 and remained there until 1960. In the winter of 1970 her friend, Agnes Nixon, was set to premiere a new daytime soap called, "All My Children", and among the characters was Phoebe Tyler. The role was for Ruth Warrick who played Phoebe English Tyler, Wallingford, Matthews, Wallington, to the hilt. Dame Ruth Warrick passed away in January of 2005; her on screen death was in May of the same year.

*I hope you enjoyed this look at a few soap stars from a "Gunsmoke" perspective.