A screen sensation during her illustrious career which spanned from 1950 to 1989, Amanda Blake was an American actress with a huge job. While paying for her contributions to film and television, Blake made a bigger impact with her appearances on television shows, the most popular of which is the western television series. Gunsmoke where she brought the character of Kitty Russell to life.
In addition to her exploits, Amanda Blake has also made a name for herself for her exceptional love for animals. She collaborated with one of her husbands to start the first programs that successfully raised cheetahs in captivity.
Following his death which was believed to be a result of cancer, various speculations have suggested that there was something else behind it. She may have died of a disease other than the one we have been led to believe. Get all the lesser-known details about the iconic actress’ life and death below.
Amanda Blake – Biography,
The actress was born as the only child to banker Jesse and his wife Louise (née Puckett) Neill on February 20, 1929 in Buffalo, New York. She was named Beverly Louise Neill after birth, but later changed to Amanda Blake as her professional nickname. Her educational journey took her to Central High School in Amherst. After working as a telephone operator, she decided to follow her dream of becoming an actress.
Her first outing was in the film Stars in My Crown (1950) where she played Faith Radmore Samuels. She then took on other roles in other Hollywood films of the 50s, including Cattle Town, Miss Robin Crusoe (title role), Lili, glass slipper and many more. His television works, however, surpass all others as they have earned him a name to be reckoned with in the world of acting. At the top of her charts, she spent 19 years (1955 to 1974) as venue owner Miss Kitty on the television series Gunsmoke.
His other TV series and shows include The Red Skelton Show, Tattletales, Match Game, The Quest, Wire of the Night, Dean Martin Celebrity Roast and many more. In 1987, she reprized her role as Kitty Russel in Gunsmoke: Back to Dodge, the first-ever Western film made for television. As the name suggests, the film is based on Gunsmoke, the television version that ran for twenty years.
In recognition of her work, Amanda Blake became the third performer to be inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy and Western History Museum in Oklahoma City. His predecessors were Tom Mix and Gary Cooper.
Net value
Her time on earth was productive and she spent most of her time on camera entertaining the world. During her career, she made a fortune estimated at $500,000 at the time of her death. Although that seems like a pittance in the 21st century, it must have been a huge fortune in Blake’s day.
the size
Amanda was a total charmer in her youth and aged gracefully too. She maintained her beauty and physical form, standing at a portable height of 1.67m (5ft 5in). The American beauty was also known for her dark brown hair and charming blue eyes.
Spouse, children, sister
Amanda Blake was born as an only child, so she had no known sisters or brothers. However, she married four times with four men, but she had no children. Her first marriage was in 1954, to Don Whitman, but the union ended in divorce in 1956. Jason Seymour Day Jr became her second better half in 1964. The marriage lasted a bit longer than the first and s ended in 1967. Interestingly, while her second marriage ended on June 28, Blake tied the knot on June 30 of the same year. This time it’s with Frank Gilbert, a union that ended in a new divorce in 1982. She waited a little longer than usual to marry Mark Edward Spaeth in 1984 and this time it’s death and not the divorce that separated them. Spaeth died in 1985.
The death of Amanda Blake
Although she lived the life of a chain smoker and was diagnosed with oral cancer in 1977, which required surgery. Amanda’s death was not a consequence of the disease. According to her doctor, it was AIDS that claimed her life at the age of 60, on August 16, 1989. She is suspected of having been affected by the disease by her fourth husband who died of pneumonia linked to the AIDS. Amanda Blake died at Mercy General Hospital in California.