<P> French appeared twenty - three times on Gunsmoke, often playing a crook, whether dangerous or bumbling . On October 25, 1971, he portrayed a cold - hearted gunman named "Trafton", who while robbing the communion vessels in a Roman Catholic church murders a priest . As the clergyman lies dying, he forgives his killer, a development which dogs Trafton, who holds human life in low regard, for the entire episode until he is shot to death by Marshal Matt Dillon . French guest starred in another episode, titled Matt's Love Story, in which Dillon falls in love with a character played by Michael Learned . This episode would then lead to the story line in the 1990 made - for - television movie, Gunsmoke: The Last Apache in which Matt rejoins with Learned's character "Mike" and he learns that he has a grown daughter . </P> <P> The appearance also led to French's re-teaming with Learned in a guest - actor role on The Waltons a year later . In "The Fulfillment", French plays a blacksmith named Curtis Norton whose wife could not have children and subsequently adopts an eight - year - old orphan boy who has come to spend the week on Walton's Mountain . </P> <P> This led to his being cast in his most well - known role as Mr. Edwards in the series based on the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder entitled Little House on the Prairie, beginning in 1974 . </P> <P> In other work, French also starred opposite Elvis Presley in the 1969 western, Charro! and played the recurring character "Agent 44" in the NBC series Get Smart in 1965 - 1966, where he portrayed an undercover spy who showed up in the worst, most unlikely of places (like a mailbox or a porthole in a boat) and appeared in a few episodes of Bonanza, with Michael Landon . The two young actors found considerable common ground and became each other's best friend as a result . Shortly before being teamed up once again, French made a guest appearance on Kung Fu as a corrupt, bigoted sheriff in 1973 . French also guest starred in episode 24 ("Trial by Fury") of season 2 of Mission: Impossible, in which he played the informer in a prison . </P>

Who played edwards on little house on the prairie
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