Actress Amanda Blake, who died from AIDS-related hepatitis in 1989, was one tough cookie, just like her most famous character, Miss Kitty Russell on TV’s long-running Western, Gunsmoke.

What was the real reason that Amanda Blake, the talented actress who played the iconic Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke, did not return for the show’s final season? Before we dig into the details, let’s provide ...

Offscreen, James Arness traded Dodge City’s saloon dust for the comfort of his own king-size bed. Photographed in 1956, the towering Gunsmoke star relaxes with a script for an upcoming episode, ...