17 Facts About Milburn Stone

Hugh Milburn Stone was an American actor, best known for his role as "Doc" on the Western series Gunsmoke.

In 1919, Milburn Stone debuted on stage in a Kansas tent show.

Milburn Stone ventured into vaudeville in the late 1920s, and in 1930, he was half of the Stone and Strain song-and-dance act.

Milburn Stone was featured in the Tailspin Tommy adventure serial for Monogram Pictures.

Milburn Stone made such an impression in this film that Universal Studios gave him a starring role in the 1945 serial The Master Key.

In 1953, Milburn Stone appeared as Charlton Heston's sidekick in Arrowhead, a Western featuring Brian Keith and Katy Jurado.

Howard McNear, the radio Doc Adams, was replaced by Milburn Stone, who gave the role a harder edge consistent with his screen portrayals.

Milburn Stone stayed with Gunsmoke through its entire television run, with the exception of 7 episodes in 1971, when Stone required heart surgery and Pat Hingle replaced him as Dr Chapman.

Milburn Stone appeared in 604 episodes through 1975, often shown sparring in a friendly manner with co-stars Dennis Weaver and Ken Curtis, who played, respectively, Chester Goode and Festus Haggen.

Milburn Stone's brother, Joe, was a writer who was the author of scripts for three episodes of Gunsmoke.

Milburn Stone was a cousin of the character actress Madge Blake.

In March 1971, Milburn Stone had heart bypass surgery at UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.

In June 1980, Milburn Stone died of a heart attack in La Jolla.

Milburn Stone was buried at the El Camino Memorial Park in Sorrento Valley, San Diego.

Milburn Stone had a surviving daughter, Shirley Milburn Stone Gleason was born on circa 1926 and of Costa Mesa, California, from his first marriage of 12 years to Ellen Morrison, formerly of Delphos, Kansas, who died in 1937.

In 1968, Milburn Stone received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama for his work on Gunsmoke.

In 1975, Milburn Stone received an honorary doctorate from St Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kansas, where Gunsmoke was set but not filmed.