Amanda Blake Biography

Amanda Blake, born as Beverly Louise Neill, was a popular American actress. She was best recognized for playing the role of Miss Kitty Russell in the TV series ‘Gunsmoke’. Besides this, she was known for appearing in television projects ‘The Red Skelton Show’, ‘Tattletales’ and ‘The Edge of Night’. She also acted in dozens of films including ‘Stars In My Crown’, ‘Duchess of Idaho’, ‘Cattle Town’, ‘Miss Robin Crusoe’, ‘About Mrs. Leslie’, ‘The Adventures of Hajji Baba’, ‘High Society’ and ‘The Boost’. A former telephone operator, Blake was an avid animal lover. She, along with her husband Frank Gilbert, was one of the first to successfully breed cheetahs in captivity. The American actress was also one of the co-founders of the Arizona Animal Welfare League (AAWL). She was even a one-time board member of Humane Society of the United States. Talking about the honours Blake had received, she was once inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. She was also awarded with a ‘Courage Award’ by the American Cancer Society.