Sam, the bartender in “Gunsmoke,” was played by actor Glenn Strange. He passed away in 1973, but the character was not killed off in the show. Instead, Sam was simply no longer seen, and the show continued without addressing his absence.
In the long-running television Western series “Gunsmoke,” which aired from 1955 to 1975, the character Sam the bartender was a fixture at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City. Glenn Strange, a former cowboy and character actor, portrayed Sam from 1961 until his death in 1973. Strange’s portrayal of Sam made him a beloved character among the show’s fans, as he was often seen serving drinks and providing a friendly ear to the saloon’s patrons.
When Glenn Strange passed away due to lung cancer on September 20, 1973, the producers of “Gunsmoke” decided not to kill off the character of Sam. Instead, they chose to handle his absence by simply not featuring him in future episodes. This was a common practice at the time, as television shows often refrained from addressing the departure of characters played by actors who had died. The show continued for two more seasons without mentioning Sam’s fate, allowing viewers to remember Strange’s character as he was.
The absence of Sam was not a significant plot point in the series, and the show’s focus remained on the adventures and challenges faced by Marshal Matt Dillon, played by James Arness, and the other main characters. The decision not to address Sam’s disappearance allowed “Gunsmoke” to maintain its narrative continuity without drawing attention to the real-life loss of Glenn Strange.