The first episode aired in the united states on september 10, 1955, and the final episode aired on march 31, 1975. This episode included amanda blakes final appearance as kitty, after 19 years on the series. Matts horse finds his way to the farm of young widow named mike yardner, who, with the help of her dog, finds matt and brings him to her farm. She then takes him to a farm owned by the kriks, an older. However, if dillon was taking miss kitty for a ride in the country, why didnt he take her in a buggy. She doesnt want to tell matt or doc who he is and why. This is late in the long running series and it begins to address the question of matt and kitty s relationship from here on out.
This episode included amanda blakes final appearance as kitty, after 19 years on the. The last episode of gunsmoke was not designed to be a series finale. When an older gentlemen, jacob leech, comes into the dodge jail house and tells matt and chester that he plans to kill a. Carolyn wasnt all that happy about it but we finished watching the program and have been watching gunsmoke and reruns ever since. With so many of the late episodes focusing on guest characters instead of the regular cast, this show was one that brought all the glory of the series back to the screen.
Apr 20, 2016 best pic i think i have ever seen of matt and kitty i absolutely love this pic. The disciple is one of my very favorite of all episodes of gunsmoke. As he drained the last of his coffee, some items in a nearby glass cabinet caught his eye. Sofaer blames the husband, radford played by john pickard, who appeared on gunsmoke twelve times, for her death during.
The real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final season of gunsmoke. The real reason miss kitty didnt return for the final. In fact we were more than halfway through the episode and i did not understand where the. Kittys love affair from season 19 at join sign up keep track of your favorite shows and movies, across all your devices. Originally a popular radio show called gun law, gunsmoke is one of the. Who is the mother of matt dillons daughter on gunsmoke. The series ran for 20 seasons, making it the longestrunning western in television history. Gunsmoke always seemed to mine the most tragic stories. Burgoyne will be in dodge city this weekend to attend the gunsmoke 55th anniversary celebrations and to sign copies of her book. In order to understand how television has changed through the years, one would have to consider the onscreen relationship between marshal. She rides off in the night undercover and picks up a young boy.
It really showed miss kittys beauty and brains and the strength she had, she said. Kitty was lying next to him, her red hair fanned out across the pillow. When did doc adams leave the gunsmoke show answers. An entertaining episode to end the series for amanda blake. Author traces the life of miss kitty, amanda blake. This is the first time that kitty killed someone on gunsmoke but not the last. Amanda blake, milburn stone, ken curtis, dennis weaver, burt reynolds, asked in classic television what is miss kittys last name. Season 18, episode, december 11, 1972 kitty was gravely injured. Kitty even walks away from matt to be with her lover. Amanda blake played kitty on gunsmoke for 19 seasons. The late milburn stone july 5, 1904 june 12, 1980 who played in the role of doc galen adams made his last appearance in the gunsmoke series in. 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. Various characters blamed doctors for the death of their loved ones, regardless of the facts.
If my wife caught me me with miss kitty like this i guarantee she would call it a kiss. 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. Several episodes centered around her character, highlighting a tough. He died of a brain tumor in the third to last episode of the series in the role of harve daley. With james arness, milburn stone, amanda blake, ken curtis.
Marshall matt dillon had a daughter on tv show gunsmoke. Amanda blake appeared in over 500 episodes of the television series, with her last being the april 1, 1974 episode titled, the disciple when the character was last seen. Whatever happened to miss kitty, amanda blake form gunsmoke. In life, controversy seldom touched amanda blake, the straightshooting miss kitty of tvs 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. The twist in this episode is that his daughters husband, ollie radford, did not take his daughter to the doctor when she was pregnant, and she died in stillbirth. Join us as we explore some of the most intriguing and obscure details about matt dillon and the gang from dodge city. Conrad was one of the last actors to audition for the role of marshal dillon. What was the last episode amanda blake did on gunsmoke. The episode, the sharecroppers, aired in 1975 and revolved around deputy festus haggen, who accidentally.
The theme of medical malpractice came up several times over the years. 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. This is a well written episode with the usual strong acting of the regulars. For many, gunsmoke was more than just a tv western, it was an epic journey that many followed for over two decades. Does anyone remember how the gunsmoke series ended. In preparing them i watched at episodes and the extras from both sets. Gunsmoke is an american western television series developed by charles marquis warren and based on the radio program of the same name. Miss hites goal was to show the viewing audience what miss kitty was all about by developing her strong character. Amanda blake gave the perfect answer for why matt dillon and miss.
Watch gunsmoke season 5, episode 24 kittys killing. Her last episode was the disciple, but no mention was made of. I remember vividly being 10 or 12 years old and the impact that episode had on me. Not much in this episode by way of shootouts, horse chases, or outlaws but wow. He was tempted to gather her up in his arms and to give her the kind of waking up he liked. The unresolved love between marshal matt dillon and miss. Matt is shot and abandoned by a fugitive les dean, whom he was tracking. Like most shows, gunsmoke did not air its episodes in production order. Ran up to the front office half dressed and got change for a dollar bill. Gunsmoke is an american radio and television western drama series created by director. But the real question for longtime gunsmoke fans might be. Ultimately, romance wasnt the primary focus of gunsmoke.
Blakes character was miss kathleen kitty russell, the proprietor of a saloon in dodge city, the setting for gunsmoke. When gunsmoke first became a tv show in 1955, amanda blake wanted in. For the last show of the entire series this show was bizarre, not only in the story department but the way the characters acted on screen. Miss kitty is the third episode of the seventh season of the tv series gunsmoke.
Not the type of reaction you would get from a man who was tight with a woman. Marshall matt dillon had a daughter on classic tv show gunsmoke who debuted in 1990 made for television movie gunsmoke ii the last apache. Gunsmoke marches on in season 5 with one unhappy story after another one. Blake subsequently quit the popular television show, which was then in its 19th season. But ladybug seems to have a ring of truth about it. There are a few iconic tv characters from my childhood. A look at the long running tv show gunsmoke and some little known facts about its filming. In the radio series, kittys profession was hinted at, but never explicit. At the time, relatively few tv shows produced special final episodes. Watch all 39 gunsmoke episodes from season 2,view pictures, get episode information and more.
Once again dillon is out on the prairie, and he tries to find help at someones home after miss kitty fell off her horse. The writing in this show looked fresh and may have been a part of giving the series one more year. Many wondered if the label would complete the series. Gunsmoke is an american western television series developed by charles marquis. Amanda blakes last episode on gunsmoke was the disciple, which originally aired on april 1, 1974.
From the 1973 gunsmoke episode, matts love story and the 1990 tv movie, gunsmoke. The last apache, when matt learns he has a daughter. In real life, blake left in 1974 as she wanted more free time and missed her friendcostar glenn strange, who played kittys barkeeper, sam. Kittys outlaw this episode pointed to matt and kitty being no more than friends. Taken at face value this is a fun and refreshing gunsmoke that clearly detours off the formulaic path so familiar to gunsmoke enthusiasts.
The radio series first aired on cbs on april 26, 1952 with the episode billy the. Whatever happened to miss kitty, amanda blake from gunsmoke. Nearing home plate, cbsparamounts eighteenth and nineteenth of 20 season sets of gunsmoke 19551975 nearly finishes off the classic series. In this entertaining episode, matt is shot in the arm during a bank robbery and the injury will cause.