Kitty s last episode on gunsmoke

Gunsmokes last episode on march 31, 1975, ranks among the highest watched final television episodes of all time. In what season and episode did kitty russel s signature beauty mark on her right cheek appear. Kitty wells was a country music singer in the 50 s, 60 s and 70 s. Ma s h favorite harry morgan pops in for a guest roll in a later episode, giving him time to kick back with arness on the porch. The real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of gunsmoke. Matts life is changed when his gun arm is seriously wounded. That was an excellent episode and kitty lost has been a loving part of our lives for 54 years, tho we have not seen it since our honeymoon night. An interesting bit of trivia about him is that he was an olympic level swimmer and diver. Kitty is just someone matt has to visit every once in a while.

Sep 03, 2010 beckey burgoyne, author of a new biography of amanda blake, who played miss kitty for 19 years, remembers that episode. Matt dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of gunsmoke. I have just finished listening to all of the gunsmoke playlists, probably over 300 episodes. The radio series first aired on cbs on april 26, 1952 with the episode billy the kid, written by walter newman, and ended on june 18, 1961.

That proved successful enough that gunsmoke was revived as a series of tvmovies. Doc s first name and chester s last name were changed for the television program. Amanda blake kitty russell 555 episodes 20192019 dennis weaver chester goode 419 episodes 20192019 ken curtis festus haggen 319 episodes 20192019. The character was created by writer john meston, who envisioned him as a man. Amanda blake reads a letter, perhaps a piece of fan mail. Matt dillon runs into excon, perce mccall, who saves his life in a shootout. Amanda blake, who played the kindhearted saloonkeeper miss kitty in the gunsmoke television series for 19 years, died of oral cancer on wednesday at. Before he leaves, matt takes off his badge despite doc s plea that he stay within the law. When he makes a pass, her spirited rejection of it results in her being left alone on the prairie. A look at the long running tv show gunsmoke and some little known facts about it s filming. The first episode aired in the united states on september 10, 1955, and the final episode. It really showed miss kitty s beauty and brains and the strength she had, she said.

Matt is thankful for his help and tries to intervene when perce falls for ida poe, one of miss kitty s girls, who is actually another man s girlfriend. Stone passed away in 1980 and the first gunsmoke reunion movie wasnt made until 1987. Match the manner in which some of gunsmoke s main characters addressed kitty. She doesnt want to tell matt or doc who he is and why. With james arness, dennis weaver, milburn stone, amanda blake.

Navy during wwii as a swimming instructor for navy personnel. The show stars william conrad as marshal matt dillon, howard mcnear as doc charles adams, georgia ellis as kitty russell, and parley baer as dillons assistant, chester wesley proudfoot. I enjoyed every single one and robert conrad, parley baer, and howard mcnear were masterful in every episode. Playing the character harve daley in one of the show s final episodes in 1975, gary busey made history when he became the final character to ever be killed off on gunsmoke. Jun 01, 2010 the real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of gunsmoke. His longtime sidekick ken curtis, who was actually seven years his senior, died in 1991. Kitty has her friends in dodge buzzing when she meets the stage in the early hours to pick up a small boy. Send your question, with your citystate of residence, to marshall. Kitty makes reference to a gift of a cameo from matt on several episodes. The last apache in 1990, to the last man in 1992, the long ride in 1993 and one man s. Amanda blakes last episode on gunsmoke was the disciple, which originally aired on april 1, 1974.

Signature beauty mark answered correctly gunsmoke gang. I remember vividly being 10 or 12 years old and the impact that episode had on me. Kitty dressed hurriedly remembering the last time shed worn these clothes. Gunsmoke was notable for its critically acclaimed cast and writing, and is commonly regarded as one of the finest old time radio shows. Jul 10, 2012 marshall trimble is arizonas official historian and the wild west history associations vice president. James arness, right, who starred as matt dillon on gunsmoke, had a daughter who would later get screen time in the 1990 madefortv movie gunsmoke ii. Kittys profession was hinted at, but never explicit.

Many wondered if the label would complete the series before the dvd format. Blakes character was miss kathleen kitty russell, the proprietor of a saloon in dodge city, the setting for gunsmoke. Author traces the life of miss kitty, amanda blake news. While miss kitty lies hovering between life and death in doc adams office, matt hunts down jude. Was kitty the owner of the saloon in which she worked. Beckey burgoyne, author of a new biography of amanda blake, who played miss kitty for 19 years, remembers that episode. In life, controversy seldom touched amanda blake, the straightshooting miss kitty of tv s gunsmoke, but now, three months after her death in sacramento, calif. Along with her third husband, frank gilbert, she ran one of the first successful programs for breeding cheetahs in captivity. Nearing home plate, cbsparamount s eighteenth and nineteenth of 20 season sets of gunsmoke 19551975 nearly finishes off the classic series.

From behindthescenes drama to that polarizing ending. Author traces the life of miss kitty, amanda blake. The season 1 episode, cara, is the first episode involving an old flame of matts, and kittys reaction to a favor matt asks of her on caras behalf is not to be missed. Kitty takes a buggy ride with a dandified stranger. Once gunsmoke shifted from a halfhour to an hour format, it became impossible to prominently feature star james arness in every episode he would have dropped dead from exhaustion. Gunsmoke 19551975 was tv s longest running western.

In the first of three cbs postseries movies gunsmoke. Matt dillon james arness and kitty amanda blake never married during the series 195575 run, although close watchers of the show were convinced they had connected at. Blake s character was miss kathleen kitty russell, the proprietor of a saloon in dodge city, the setting for gunsmoke. It holds the record for being american television s longest running primetime drama, having run 20 seasons and 635 episodes.

Miss kitty is the third episode of the seventh season of the tv series gunsmoke. Blakes kitty presumably departed dodge city at the close of the series 19th season, sans an onscreen farewell. Nov 20, 1989 in life, controversy seldom touched amanda blake, the straightshooting miss kitty of tvs gunsmoke, but now, three months after her death in sacramento, calif. Given such a popular, highquality series it would be foolishdarn near impossibleto say these are definitively its greatest adventures. Gunsmoke is an american western television series developed by charles marquis warren and based on the radio program of the same name. On the back of gunsmoke s success, cbs released a spinoff series called dirty sally. However, i do not remember kitty wearing any hat in this episode. Blake subsequently quit the popular television show, which was then in its 19th season. Aug 09, 2015 in order to understand how television has changed through the years, one would have to consider the on screen relationship between marshal matt dillon james arness and saloon owner miss kitty russell amanda blake on the classic western series gunsmoke, which ran on cbs from 1955 to 1975. The season 1 episode, cara, is the first episode involving an old flame of matt s, and kitty s reaction to a favor matt asks of her on cara s behalf is not to be missed. Carolyn wasnt all that happy about it but we finished watching the program and have been watching gunsmoke and reruns ever since. However, this was eventually changed in the early 70s, just a few years.

Best pic i think i have ever seen of matt and kitty i. The stories take place in and around dodge city, kansas, during the settlement of the american west. James best on andy griffith show 1960 episode 3 duration. Miss kitty, having changed to a pants and a shirt, rides out at midnight to a stagecoach station to pick up a young boy named thaddeus nicknamed thad. In a one on one fight, matt has a chance to crush jude s head with a rock. He might have only appeared in one episode, but it was a huge moment in the show s history. Episodes of matt andor kittys romatic interests gunsmoke gang. They had ongoing disputes over wardrobe and she disrespected him in front of the cast and crew while filiming the episode, the lost. Gunsmoke first aired on the cbs network on april 26, 1952, billed as the first adult western. Amanda blake, 60, saloonkeeper on tvs gunsmoke for 19. Return to dodge, kitty tells hanna ryan that she left dodge to return to new orleans, as she was no longer willing to watch matt cheat death another time actually, a flashback was created by cleverly editingintegrating footage from a 1970 episode where kitty left matt dodge but. She and matt had gone riding and spent an uninterrupted and romantic day together at a cabin. The first episode aired in the united states on september 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on march 31, 1975. She rides off in the night undercover and picks up a young boy.

The episode, the sharecroppers, aired in 1975 and revolved around deputy festus haggen, who accidentally shoots a. The creators loved the scene so much that they started every episode with this iconic sequence. Indeed, the only surviving regular cast member of gunsmoke is buck taylor, who played yet another dillon sidekick, newly obrien. Gunsmoke question s for roger ewing and roger s replies. The last episode of gunsmoke was not designed to be a series finale. Once dressed, kitty flew downstairs and found doc talking to festus and newly. Sep 02, 2019 one part of gunsmoke that remained consistent throughout the majority of its run was the opening credits. In preparing them i watched at episodes and the extras from both sets. She then takes him to a farm owned by the kriks, an older couple and asks them to look after the child, whom she reveals is the son of a notorious outlaw, teddy. Her hair styles also became much more stylish for the time and she started wearing the hats she was so famous for in this episode. Amanda blake february 20, 1929 august 16, 1989 was an american actress best known for the role of the redhaired saloon proprietress miss kitty russell on the western television series gunsmoke. As far as i know kitty wells never was an actress in gunsmoke. The show, which ran for just one season, starred jeanette nolan, who originally starred alongside orson welles in 1948 s macbeth, as well as the show the virginian.

It s also one that is still respected for its high values, in all aspects. The last apache in 1990, to the last man in 1992, the long ride in 1993 and one mans. Life photos of matt and kitty miss kitty and matt dillion. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longestrunning western in television history. With james arness, milburn stone, amanda blake, ken curtis. Drifter frank cassidy befriends beulah parker and announces his intentions of marrying her. The very first episode saw matt dillon square up against another gunman. Played by amy stockpoyton now amy stoch, beth would turn up in the final three gunsmoke movies. Marshall matt dillon had a daughter on tv show gunsmoke.

Tv s gunsmoke ran over twenty years, 635 episodes 19551975, and five television movies 19871994. See more ideas about miss kitty, tv westerns and kitty. Miss kitty did not appear on the radio series until the may 10, 1952 episode jaliscoe. Matt dillon james arness and kitty amanda blake never married during the series 195575 run, although close watchers of the show were convinced they had connected at some time.

Amanda blake s last episode on gunsmoke was the disciple, which originally aired on april 1, 1974. Kitty s profession was hinted at, but never explicit. Mar 6, 2017 amanda blake s most memorable role as the saloon keeping first lady of dodge city and fashion icon of the victorian west. Gunsmoke is one of those longrunning classic oldtime radio shows that everyone knows and remembers. It really showed miss kittys beauty and brains and the strength she had, she said. Marshal of dodge city, kansas, who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. And, i have no idea how long it would take to travel on a horse from one to the other. Kitty gets caught in the middle when a crazyeyed man goes hunting for his former soninlaw, whom he blames for the death of his daughter in childbirth. Also, please note, i have no idea the distance from dodge to garden city is. In order to understand how television has changed through the years, one would have to consider the onscreen relationship between marshal matt dillon james arness and saloon owner miss kitty russell amanda blake on the classic western series gunsmoke. Before gunsmoke s first episode, john wayne introduced us to the show.

It wasnt sunday without gunsmoke growing up not the reruns. How did chester goode, matt dillons assistant on gunsmoke. Upset with him, kitty sets off for herself meeting a guns. Matt s life is changed when his gun arm is seriously wounded. Gunsmoke is an american radio and television western drama series created by director norman macdonnell and writer john meston.

I think the beauty mark first appeared in cooter, s. What was the name of the saloon in which kitty worked. No information about the redhaired saloon proprietress, miss kitty russell, on the western television series, gunsmoke is given about the death of the character. Friendsand her doctorsay aids, not cancer, killed gunsmoke. Some listeners have argued that the radio version of gunsmoke was far more realistic than the television program.