Amanda Blake is best remembered for her 19-year stint as the redheaded Miss Kitty Russell on Gunsmoke. Blake, born in 1929,had early success after appearing in shows such as the dramatic anthology Schlitz Playhouse of Stars. She won the role of Kitty on Gunsmoke when she was only 26 years old. She was nominated for an Emmy three years later, in 1958, but lost to Barbara Hale of Perry Mason.

In the late '60s and early '70s, Blake began appearing on game shows, including Password and Tattletales, as well as on the syndicated country comedy series Hee Haw. After she left Gunsmoke in 1974, Amanda's career quickly faltered. She made a Love Boat appearance in 1979, and was featured in Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge in 1987, the first of several Gunsmoke TV movies. A longtime smoker, Amanda was forced to undergo oral cancer surgery in 1977. Seven years later, the American Cancer Society awarded her with its Courage Award. She died of cancer in 1989 when she was just 60 years old.