Photo: Trailer screenshot / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Blake will always be Miss Kitty, the red-haired saloon owner who anchored Gunsmoke through television's golden age, and that role alone secures her a lasting place in pop-culture memory. But what genuinely fascinates me is her second life: alongside her husband she ran one of the first successful captive cheetah-breeding programs, a serious conservation effort far removed from Hollywood. I find people with that kind of dual purpose far more interesting than pure celebrities. She passed away in 1989, yet the blend of on-screen warmth and off-screen conviction gives her a depth worth remembering, and I am glad to honor that legacy here.
Overview
Amanda Blake (born Beverly Louise Neill; February 20, 1929 – August 16, 1989) was an American actress best known for the role of the red-haired 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.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Amanda Blake
- Name (Japanese)
- アマンダ・ブレイク
- Reading
- あまんだ・ぶれいく
- Born
- February 20, 1929 – August 16, 1989
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Snake
- Origin
- Buffalo, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- film actor / television actor / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Amherst Central High School
- University
- Pomona College
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Gunsmoke | — |
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda%20Blake
Film actor — see all → · Television actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.