July 05, 2023 · 5 min

Remember the red-haired saloon keeper, Miss Kitty, on the long running TV series “Gunsmoke?” Amanda Blake, born Beverly Louise Neill appeared in Hollywood films including “A Star is Born.” She also did comedy routines on the Red Skelton Show and on the “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast.” And she was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers. You’ll never guess what Amanda did after showbiz. She’ll explain. Blake was a heavy cigarette smoker and had surgery for oral cancer. She became a supporter of the American Cancer Society.