Signature beauty mark answered correctly gunsmoke gang. Friendsand her doctorsay aids, not cancer, killed gunsmoke. Blake s character was miss kathleen kitty russell, the proprietor of a saloon in dodge city, the setting for gunsmoke. They had ongoing disputes over wardrobe and she disrespected him in front of. An interesting bit of trivia about him is that he was an olympic level swimmer and diver. I remember vividly being 10 or 12 years old and the impact that episode had on me. However, this was eventually changed in the early 70s, just a few years. This episode included amanda blakes final appearance as kitty, after 19 years on the series. Marshal of dodge city, kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. Nov 20, 1989 in life, controversy seldom touched amanda blake, the straightshooting miss kitty of tvs gunsmoke, but now, three months after her death in sacramento, calif. Amanda blake miss kitty from gunsmoke died of aids. The real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of gunsmoke. However, i do not remember kitty wearing any hat in this episode. When an older gentlemen, jacob leech, comes into the dodge jail house and tells matt and chester that he plans to kill a.
The character was created by writer john meston, who envisioned him as a man. The first episode aired in the united states on september 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on march 31, 1975. A look at the long running tv show gunsmoke and some little known facts about its filming. Along with her third husband, frank gilbert, she ran one of the first successful programs for breeding cheetahs in captivity. I think the beauty mark first appeared in cooter, s. She then takes him to a farm owned by the kriks, an older couple and asks them to look after the child, whom she reveals is the son of a.
Kitty wells was a country music singer in the 50 s, 60 s and 70 s. Once gunsmoke shifted from a halfhour to an hour format, it became impossible to prominently feature star james arness in every episode he would have dropped dead from exhaustion. In the united kingdom gunsmoke was originally broadcast under the title gun law. Miss kitty, having changed to a pants and a shirt, rides out at midnight to a stagecoach station to pick up a young boy named thaddeus nicknamed thad. Gunsmoke that gunsmoke is the greatest tv western of all time is hard to dispute.
Sep 30, 2015 the real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of gunsmoke. The episode was based on matts love story, which was noted for the marshals first overnight visit to a. What was the last episode amanda blake did on gunsmoke. Chester, festus, doc, and of course kitty, the owner of the longbranch where sam bartended, where the boys would gather for a cold one after a long day of keeping the town safe and patching up a. After 20 seasons on air, gunsmoke simply disappeared from the schedule. Amanda blake 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. Jun 01, 2010 the real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of gunsmoke. For many, gunsmoke was more than just a tv western, it was an epic journey that many followed for over two decades.
Amanda blake s last episode on gunsmoke was the disciple, which originally aired on april 1, 1974. That proved successful enough that gunsmoke was revived as a series of tvmovies. Matt dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of gunsmoke. A tv executive was crazy about the series, and kept it on the air long past it s prime. Gunsmoke was originally a halfhour program filmed in blackandwhite. When kitty is hurt in a fall from a horse, she and matt must seek help from shiftless dirt farmers who are oddly uninterested in aiding them. First of all, wow, she looked insanely old for her actual years at least in comparison to modern hollywood actresses. Richard kiley stars as a reformed gunfighter who stirs a romantic interest in kitty. Blake subsequently quit the popular television show, which was then in its 19th season.
The season 1 episode, cara, is the first episode involving an old flame of matts, and kittys reaction to a favor matt asks of her on caras behalf is not to be missed. Gunsmoke is an american radio and television western drama series created by director norman macdonnell and writer john meston. In life, controversy seldom touched amanda blake, the straightshooting miss kitty of tvs gunsmoke, but now, three months after her death in sacramento, calif. Gunsmoke is an american western television series developed by charles marquis warren and based on the radio program of the same name. It gets pretty funny how old those actors were getting before gunsmoke was finally laid to rest. With james arness, milburn stone, amanda blake, burt reynolds. Blakes character was miss kathleen kitty russell, the proprietor of a saloon in dodge city, the setting for gunsmoke. Matts life is changed when his gun arm is seriously wounded. Since amanda blake had died the year before, the writers decided to revisit a 1973 episode for the movie. Jan 06, 2011 the real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of gunsmoke. The last apache, when matt learns he has a daughter.
Marshall matt dillon had a daughter on tv show gunsmoke. A tv executive was crazy about the series, and kept it on the air long past its prime. Kittys love affair from season 19 at join sign up keep track of your favorite shows and movies, across all your devices. In the first of three cbs postseries movies gunsmoke. Kitty gets caught in the middle when a crazyeyed man goes hunting for his former soninlaw, whom he blames for the death of his daughter in childbirth.
The real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of. Have been watching gunsmoke reruns lately and was trying to figure out how old amanda blake was so i checked out her wikipedia page. They had ongoing disputes over wardrobe and she disrespected him in front of the cast and crew while filiming the episode, the lost. Amanda blakes last episode on gunsmoke was the disciple, which originally aired on april 1, 1974. Return to dodge, kitty tells hanna ryan that she left dodge to return to new orleans, as she was no longer willing to watch matt cheat death another time actually, a flashback was created by cleverly editingintegrating footage from a 1970 episode where kitty left matt dodge but. Played by amy stockpoyton now amy stoch, beth would turn up in the final three gunsmoke movies. The last episode of gunsmoke was not designed to be a series finale. From the 1973 gunsmoke episode, matts love story and the 1990 tv movie, gunsmoke.
With james arness, dennis weaver, milburn stone, amanda blake. She then takes him to a farm owned by the kriks, an older couple and asks them to look after the child, whom she reveals is the son of a notorious outlaw, teddy. Just a few episodes back, matt got his love affair episode during an amnesia event so i guess the writers felt like it was time for kitty to have a little swing. Miss kitty is the third episode of the seventh season of the tv series gunsmoke. Amanda blake played kitty on gunsmoke for 19 seasons. Competing with kitty is a fancy new woman in town with plenty of money to build a new saloon and a secret from the past life she recently left behind. Kitty amanda blake has been badly injured in a fall from a horse.
Kitty is just someone matt has to visit every once in a while. Jul 03, 2017 chester, festus, doc, and of course kitty, the owner of the longbranch where sam bartended, where the boys would gather for a cold one after a long day of keeping the town safe and patching up a. Think of what your favorite show might have been like after 20 years on the air and then compare it to gunsmoke, which was probably as good as anything on tv for its entire twenty year run. Navy during wwii as a swimming instructor for navy personnel. Whatever happened to miss kitty, amanda blake form gunsmoke. Beckey burgoyne, author of a new biography of amanda blake, who played miss kitty for 19 years, remembers that episode.
The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longestrunning western in television history. When he makes a pass, her spirited rejection of it results in her being left alone on the prairie. Kitty has her friends in dodge buzzing when she meets the stage in the early hours to pick up a small boy. Very great family program pleaseyou would make a lot of people so happy. As far as i know kitty wells never was an actress in gunsmoke. The creators loved the scene so much that they started every episode with this iconic sequence.
Asked in cowboy movies and westerns, gunsmoke tv and. The last apache in 1990, to the last man in 1992, the long ride in 1993 and one mans. Whatever happened to miss kitty, amanda blake from gunsmoke. Thus, hard labor, episode 20 of season 20, was the final story shot for the. Sep 02, 2019 one part of gunsmoke that remained consistent throughout the majority of its run was the opening credits. Kitty takes a buggy ride with a dandified stranger. If you mean catch kitty as in he sees hyde and kitty dancing,then its the episode that disco episode,in season 1 episode 9. Ultimately, romance wasnt the primary focus of gunsmoke. Aug 09, 2015 in order to understand how television has changed through the years, one would have to consider the onscreen relationship between marshal matt dillon james arness and saloon owner miss kitty russell amanda blake on the classic western series gunsmoke, which ran on cbs from 1955 to 1975. Jul 25, 2017 played by amy stockpoyton now amy stoch, beth would turn up in the final three gunsmoke movies. It really showed miss kittys beauty and brains and the strength she had, she said.
Kitty wells was a country music singer in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Amanda blake, 60, saloonkeeper on tvs gunsmoke for 19. Please bring all the gunsmoke progrs back on the western channel. Asked in gunsmoke tv and radio show did matt dillon kiss miss. A dying man confesses to a murder of which he was acquitted, but chester suspects the man was lying.
Kitty and a gunman start to fall in love, but shes unaware a vengeful woman has offered 1,000 dollars reward to anyone who kills him. Amanda blake, miss kitty russell, ilse rehbein ard. Watch gunsmoke season 5, episode 24 kittys killing. The episode, the sharecroppers, aired in 1975 and revolved around deputy festus haggen, who accidentally shoots a. Join us as we explore some of the most intriguing and obscure details about matt dillon and the gang from dodge city.
From the 1973 gunsmoke episode, matt s love story and the 1990 tv movie, gunsmoke. Author traces the life of miss kitty, amanda blake. With james arness, milburn stone, amanda blake, ken curtis. Asked in gunsmoke tv and radio show what was the last. What episode was the last one for kitty russell on gunsmoke. The very first episode saw matt dillon square up against another gunman.
1427 1098 230 1166 80 676 745 93 323 489 349 872 1451 738 1319 1057 1046 1259 1292 319 1266 867 1017 76 617 821 329 156 710 431