Here’s Why Miss Kitty Disappeared From ‘Gunsmoke’
What was the real reason that Amanda Blake, the talented actress who played the iconic Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke, did not return for the show’s final season? Before we dig into the details, let’s provide a little context.
Gunsmoke was the show to watch from 1955 to 1975. Spanning an impressive 20-year run, it starred Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty Russell, James Arness as Matt Dillon, Dennis Weaver as his trusty sidekick Chester, and Milburn Stone as Doc Adams. Did you know that Amanda wasn’t the original actress cast to play Miss Kitty?
Nope! That honor goes to Polly Bond (1954’s Miss California). Believe it or not, she turned down the role because she feared it would strain her marriage to actor Tommy Bond, primarily due to her potentially earning more money than her husband. That decision would turn out to be a costly one, but on the plus side, her marriage did last more than half a century.
With Polly turning down the role, enter Amanda Blake. She was determined and relentless — and unlike Polly, she wanted this role very badly, and made sure that everyone in Hollywood knew it. Her persistence, her willingness to do whatever it took to land the role, paid off.
Lee Green / TV Guide / Everett Collect
As time went on, Amanda’s character, Miss Kitty, became a fan favorite. She was smart, a person that a lawman like Matt Dillon could trust. Perhaps, most importantly, Amanda herself loved playing Miss Kitty; she was a character that Amanda wanted to be more like in real life.
Here’s what Amanda told journalist Gene Handsaker in 1962: “She’s smart and, to me, a real person. Sometimes I try to solve problems as Kitty would. I think she has better judgment than I have.”
However, after 19 years of doing the show, Amanda announced that she would not be returning for its 20th season. There was a lot of speculation as to why she had decided to walk away, but the biggest reason was that she was tired of commuting to California from Arizona. It was wearing on her, and she believed that it was affecting her health.
Amanda Blake and James Arness (Season 6, 1960). Credit: TV Guide/ Everett Collection
It’s likely she was thinking about her health due to the tragedy that had recently struck the Gunsmoke family. In September of 1973, Glenn Strange, the actor who played Sam Nunan, the head bartender at Miss Kitty’s Long Branch Saloon, sadly passed away from lung cancer. This devastating loss hit Amanda hard, as Glenn was not only a co-star but also a close friend.
Losing someone you care about can be incredibly challenging, and from everything I’ve read, Amanda struggled to cope with the grief. Combine that with the time spent away from her family and friends while filming the show, and suddenly, her decision to leave makes a whole heck of a lot of sense.
Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone (front) and Dennis Weaver. Credit: Everett Collection
But there’s a bit of a twist to the story, folks. One year after Amanda left, in 1975, CBS made a shocking decision that left the entire Gunsmoke cast stunned. Without making any sort of public announcement or informing the producers or cast members ahead of time, the network chose not to renew the show for a 21st season.
And even though Amanda was no longer on the show, she was absolutely livid. So much so, in fact, that in David R. Greenland’s book, The Gunsmoke Chronicles, he says that she wanted to storm the steps of CBS in New York City, ready to give CBS President William Paley a piece of her mind.
That news, as I said, came as a complete surprise to everyone involved, and for that reason, they didn’t even have a chance to do a final wrap-up show. The cast and crew finished the 20th year with the expectation that they were continuing for another season or more, and it was a shock to read the news in the trade papers, discovering along with the general public that their beloved show had come to such an abrupt end.
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TV Westerns of the 50's & 60's
September 2021
’50s and ’60s TV Westerns roundup, celebrating the shows and stars of their golden age.
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