The Western drama series revolutionised Amanda Blake’s life, and Miss Kitty was a fan favourite. There were several reasons to adore Miss Kitty’s persona. She was outspoken, and her steamy connection with Matt Dillon left everyone wanting more.
She quickly rose to the top of the fan favourites list. Blake ended his career after more than 500 episodes. Yet Amanda Blake’s cause of death stunned viewers the most.
Even after she passed away, Amanda Blake’s notoriety led some people to wonder what exactly killed her. Years have passed since the demise of this Hollywood hunk. Despite this, Amanda Blake’s cause of death is a hotly contested topic among fans.
Amanda Blake was born Beverly Louise Neil in Buffalo, New York, in the year 1929. Blake began her professional life as a telephone operator.
Although though she was only paid $40, she quickly changed her career after achieving her long-held goals. Amanda began performing on the radio in a few modest radio works at a time. She also went to the neighbourhood women’s club to practise her acting and participate in dramatic readings.
Amanda Blake: A Career of Nearly Four Decades
Amanda soon made the switch to beginning her stage performance and dramatic acting career. She was a summer stock performer in New England when MGM spotted the potential star.
Many expected that she would follow in the footsteps of Greer Garson, a legendary 1940s performer who had five consecutive Best Actress Oscar nominations.
After the release of “Stars in My Crown” by MCM Pictures in 1950, Amanda rose to fame. She soon began landing significant parts in Hollywood productions like “Cattle Town in 1952” and the title character in the Robinson Crusoe adventure movie.
The part that changed Amanda’s life, though, was that of Miss Kitty Russell from Gunsmoke. The show ran for nineteen years till Miss Kitty decided to quit, and the following year it was cancelled.
After a brief hiatus, she did make a comeback in the TV movie “Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge,” which is regarded as Amanda’s best last performance.
She was an animal lover who dedicated her life to animal protection after retiring. Given that Amanda Blake was one of the most renowned actors of all time, the news was all over her cause of death.
Amanda Blake Cause of Death: How Did She Die?
The actress passed away before realising how much outrage Amanda Blake’s death caused. On August 16, 1989, Amanda Blake passed away in the Sacramento, California-based Mercy General Hospital at the age of 60.
When the initial reports were released, Amanda Blake’s death was attributed to mouth cancer. It is believed that she was a chain smoker and that she had to fight this fatal illness for years.
She had surgery to treat it in 1977. The celebrity even spoke out strongly about it and frequently seemed to support the American Cancer Society. So, it was reasonable to assume that Amanda Blake’s death was caused by mouth cancer.
There was, however, more to it. Amanda’s trusted doctor, Dr. Lou Nishimura, stated that “there was no recurrence of cancer” and that “oral cancer wasn’t the reason that she died.”
What ultimately led to Amanda Blake’s demise? Was it a secret that the public wasn’t aware of? Well, more investigation turned up that Amanda Blake had died from AIDS. Strictly speaking, she passed away from viral hepatitis-related liver failure brought on by AIDS.
Nobody ever foresaw that AIDS would be the cause of death for Amanda Blake. The legend learned of it a year before she passed away.
She maintained complete secrecy. As her close friend passed away, Pat Derby remarked, “Amanda just appeared to accept it. She wasn’t resentful or outraged. We respected her wishes since it was exactly how she wanted things.
Many of Amanda Blake’s friends were unaware of the exact reason of death. They were both equally shocked. The last thing Amanda said before leaving her office was, “Find me a job,” according to Steven Stevens, Amanda’s agent.
I’d like to work elsewhere. I wish to socialise more. She wanted to keep acting like everything was fine until the very end. It appears that Amanda acted even when she wasn’t acting, concealing her anguish and suffering.
It was devastating to learn Amanda Blake’s cause of death because the icon didn’t deserve it.
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Why did Amanda Blake leave Gunsmoke?
Many people believed that Gunsmoke was more than just another TV western; it was an epic adventure that hundreds, if not millions, of people had followed for more than 20 years.
There was no doubting the impression Glenn Strange, the real-life cowboy-turned-actor, had on his co-stars. Tragically, he passed away from lung cancer at the age of 74, two years before the show’s conclusion.
The passing of Glen was the reason Kitty departed Gunsmoke. His passing had such a profound effect that Blake, who played Miss Kitty, was unable to manage it and was fired from the show a year later.
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Conclusion
The television series Gunsmoke ran from 1955 to 1975. The programme was a great success for CBS and was one of the first TV Westerns targeted at adults. The main character was U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), who lived in the Kansas frontier town of Dodge City.
The marshall and his deputies faithfully dealt with all the disputes and criminals that blew into town. Ms Kitty Russell was Dillon’s confidante and companion.
For 19 of the show’s 20 seasons, actress Amanda Blake portrayed the proprietor of the neighbourhood saloon and bordello.
However, the actor encountered difficulties following her fruitful run, including health issues that finally led to her demise.