Amanda Blake

Amanda Blake was an American actress known for the role of the redhaired saloon proprietress Miss Kitty Russell on the television western Gunsmoke Amanda Blake born Beverly Louise Neill February 20 1929 August 16 1989 was an American actress best known for the role of the redhaired saloon proprietress Miss Kitty Russell on the Western television series Gunsmoke Along with her fourth husband Frank Gilbert she ran one of the first successful programs for breeding cheetahs in captivity Early life Amanda Blake was born Beverly Louise Neill in Buffalo New York the only child of Jesse and Louise née Puckett Neill Her father was a banker Blake was a telephone operator and briefly attended Pomona College before she took up acting Blake attended Brenau Academy from 1944 to 1945 She then served on the board of advisors and became a trustee Career In the late 1940s Blake was signed to MetroGoldwynMayer as the studio saw her as its next Greer Garson She appeared in a few Hollywood films such as the 1952 western Cattle Town and in the starring role of Miss Robin Crusoe a 1954 adaptation of the Robinson Crusoe adventure In 1954 she appeared in A Star Is Born Blake became best known for her 19year stint as the saloonkeeper Miss Kitty on the television series Gunsmoke from 1955 to 1974 On February 27 1974 Blake brought a lion named Kemo on to the Gunsmoke set Because of her continuing role on television Blake rarely had time for films She did appear on a number of television shows including a recurring comedy routine on The Red Skelton Show as a celebrity on Hollywood Squares Tattletales and the 1970s revival of Match Game and comedy appearances on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast In 1957 Blake gueststarred as Betty LavonCoate in the episode titled Coate of Many Colors on Rod Camerons crime drama State Trooper Later after a Gunsmoke reunion film she made two featurefilm appearances in The Boost a drugaddiction drama starring James Woods and Sean Young and BORN both in 1988 Personal life Blake was married five times first to Jack Shea 195253 then Don Whitman in 1954 divorced from him in 1956 After the divorce from Whitman she would go to the saloon set of Gunsmoke Blake felt like it was home to her on the days when she was not needed She married Austin Texas city councilman Mark Edward Spaeth in 1984 Spaeth died of AIDSrelated pneumonia in 1985 Declining health and death In 1977 Blake who was a heavy cigarette smoker developed oral cancer that was successfully treated with surgery She became a supporter of the American Cancer Society and made fundraising appearances throughout the country On August 16 1989 Blake died of AIDSrelated hepatitis at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento California at the age of 60 Her death was initially attributed to throat cancer but after her death her doctor publicly announced her death was due to complications from AIDS It is not known how Blake contracted the disease Blakes close friends insisted that she was not a drug user or sexually promiscuous and that she may have acquired AIDS from her fifth husband who also died of AIDSrelated pneumonia in 1985 CLR From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia