The legendary Amanda Blake portrayed Marshal Matt Dillon’s love interest and saloon owner, Miss Kitty, on the legendary western series Gunsmoke. Celebrating her beauty, talent, and humanitarian efforts, she became a beloved figure both on and off film.
Unfortunately, at the age of 60, her life came to an untimely end on August 16, 1989. Tell me what happened just before and after Amanda Blake passed away. The terrible life of the Gunsmoke actor is detailed here.
Amanda Blake’s Cause of Death and Controversy
Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, California was the site of Amanda Blake’s death on August 16, 1989. Her friends and the hospital first stated that her throat cancer, which had returned after 12 years in remission, was the cause of her death. Months later, though, it came to light that she had contracted AIDS as well, and that it was the real reason behind her demise.
She passed away from cardiopulmonary arrest brought on by liver failure and the viral illness CMV hepatitis, according to her doctor Lou Nishimura, who had diagnosed her with AIDS-related symptoms a year before to her passing. While he did mention that she had throat cancer, he insisted that it had nothing to do with her passing.
Both AIDS and cancer were recorded as contributing causes of death on her death certificate, which he signed. Many people were curious about how Amanda Blake had contracted the virus and why her friends had lied about her cause of death after her AIDS diagnosis was revealed. This led to a great deal of discussion and controversy.
Rumor has it that she got the virus from her ex-husband Mark Spaeth, who also passed away in 1985 from AIDS-related causes. Although this was never verified, Spaeth’s relatives rejected the idea that he was suffering from AIDS. She may have gotten the virus via an unidentified sexual partner or a blood transfusion, according to some publications.
Even these, though, were never confirmed, and nothing was known about Blake’s private life. To save her the shame and discrimination that came with being gay at the time, as well as to preserve her privacy, her friends claimed they had lied about her cause of death. Her wishes had been honored, they added, and she had passed away peacefully with loved ones by her side.
Amanda Blake’s Early Life and Career
Amanda Louise Neill came into this world in Buffalo, New York, on February 20, 1929, as Beverly Louise Neill. Jesse Neill worked as a banker and Louise Neill as a telephone operator; they had one child, her. She went to Pomona College for a short time before pursuing a career in Hollywood, where she had an early interest in acting.
In the late 1940s, she inked a deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and went on to star in a number of films, including Miss Robin Crusoe, A Star Is Born, and Cattle Town. But from 1955 until 1974, she was known for her role as Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke. She made history as one of the first strong-willed female TV characters to own her own business.
James Arness, who played Marshal Dillon, was a longtime friend of hers, and the two had gentle but noticeable screen chemistry. After 19 seasons, Blake announced her departure from the show in 1974, citing exhaustion as her reason. The Red Skelton Show, The Boost, and B.O.R.N. were among her subsequent film and television appearances.
The Private Life and Health Issues Facing Amanda Blake
Even though Amanda Blake was married five times, her marriages never really took off. She wed film producer Jack Shea in 1952 but filed for a divorce the following year. Don Whitman was a radio announcer who she wed in 1954 and later divorced in 1956. He was her second husband.
She wed Peruvian politician Jason Day in 1964 and then filed for a divorce in 1967; he was her third spouse. The film producer Frank Gilbert was her fourth spouse; they wed in 1967 and later divorced in 1982. Mark Spaeth, a city councilman, was her fifth and final spouse; they were married from 1984 until her death in 1985.
Blake developed mouth cancer in 1977 as a result of his severe smoking habits. She was able to overcome her illness after undergoing radiation treatment and surgery. She took up the cause of cancer prevention and research, and she became an ardent supporter of the American Cancer Society.
Additionally, she developed a strong affinity for and commitment to protecting endangered creatures, such as cheetahs, and established the Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge in California to do just that.
Conclusion
Actress Amanda Blake was beloved by millions of viewers of Gunsmoke for her portrayal as Miss Kitty. Furthermore, she was a caring and giving individual who contributed much to many causes, including cancer research and animal welfare. But she also had to deal with a lot of troubles and difficulties in her life, such a tragic death, health issues, and unsuccessful marriages.
Her death was initially attributed to throat cancer, but it was later determined to be AIDS, leading to much conjecture and controversy. A tragic and unexpected conclusion to an extraordinary and motivational life came with Amanda Blake’s cause of death.
The most up-to-date information regarding obituaries, autopsy reports, and other relevant topics can be found on our website, lakecountyfloridanews.com.
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