I do not like Festus. He was one of my favorite characters. I preferred Festus to Chester, whom I felt was a whiner and not too bright. The article describes the episode as lighthearted. It followed the character of Festus, who was played by Ken Curtis. Many people think the radio show stopped when the television show started, but it didnt. The Real Reason Chester Was Written Off Gunsmoke ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, James Corden gets a star-studded send-off on his final Late Late Show, Kim Kardashian is catching shade from Patti LuPone and Sharon Stone for AHS casting, Jonathan Majors accuser gets full temporary protection order ahead of court date, Review: The Russo brothers spy thriller Citadel has plenty of action and little else, Former Springer bouncer Steve Wilkos pays tribute to TV mentor Jerry Springer. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Mannon also has an old score to settle with Miss Kitty. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ Actress Amanda Blake, who as Miss Kitty reigned for 19 years as the queen of Dodge Citys Long Branch Saloon in the TV series Gunsmoke, died after a long battle with cancer. Im a lover of early TV westerns and Gunsmoke is the BEST imho. With Amanda Blake appearing as Miss Kitty for 19 of the 20 seasons. It had numerous loyal fans who were undoubtedly upset about its cancelation. As a child, I listened to it on the radio with William Conrad as Matt Dillon. According to an article on MeTV.com, it was never announced that the 20th season of Gunsmoke would be the shows last. It's not certain whether it's a coincidence or not that the CBS show was canceled the next year, in 1975 or if after 20 years on air, it was just time. She played Miss Kitty Russell on the show. Ive been enjoying the recent re-runs of the early 1955 episodes. I fully expected Matt to turn to him one day and exclaim your character is just plain dumb but he never did. One of the most passionate responses to the cancelation of Gunsmoke came from actress Amanda Blake. However, other reports said she died of AIDS-related complications. It launched Spielbergs career. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); How would you like to ride hell-bent for leather into a world full of adventure and heroismthe world made vividly real by Zane Grey? According to the article, the final episode was titled The Sharecroppers.. They married in April 1984, and divorced a short time later. 8. The episode occurred during the middle of his run. The book also reports that Arness and other actors wanted to work on Gunsmoke for one more season at least. Its still a very good, wholesome show. However, she actually left the show after Season 19. All things considered, it seems that Weaver's desire to move beyond playing Chester was the real reason that the beloved character permanently rode off into the sunset on "Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke Star Amanda Blake Dies at 60 - AP NEWS Besides her work for the American Cancer Society, Miss Blake was a longtime activist for animal protection. Gunsmoke: Why the 1st Actress Offered Miss Kitty - Outsider