Amanda Blake height - How tall is Amanda Blake?

Held the record for being the actress who played the same character for the longest time (19 years) on television, until Mariska Hargitay surpassed her with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).

In 1989, she traveled to Virginia City, Nevada for a special guest appearance at the renowned Miss Kitty's Longbranch Saloon. She signed several hundred autographed pictures in costume as Kitty Russell. At the time, Miss Kitty's Longbranch Saloon was owned and operated by producer, director and cinematographer Virgil E. Hammond III.

After enduring oral cancer surgery in 1984, the American Cancer Society awarded her with its Courage Award which was presented to her in Washington, DC by President Reagan. In 1985, Blake received the American Cancer Society's Sword of Hope award.

Smoked 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day until being diagnosed with oral cancer in 1980.

In 1971 she joined with others in Phoenix, Arizona, to form the Arizona Animal Welfare League. The AAWL is now the oldest and largest "no-kill" animal shelter in Arizona. In 1976 she hosted the 1st Annual "Sato" Mutt Show in response to all the purebred dog shows.

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1968.

In 1961 she sold her residual rights to Gunsmoke (1955) for $100,000.

Was roommates with Jan Shepard, before she landed the role of "Miss Kitty" on Gunsmoke (1955).

Amanda Blake was born in Buffalo, NY, of English and Scottish descent. She and her parents moved to Claremont, California, while Amanda was still in high school, and she graduated from Claremont High. She enrolled at Pomona College but, due to her avid participation in community and theater productions, she was devoting much more time to acting than her schoolwork. Amanda started on a full acting schedule, doing summer stock in New England. She followed that up with theater and radio acting in Buffalo and then movies in Hollywood. While acting in small theater and stock companies she also painted backdrops and scenery. She was still in her teens when she debuted in MGM"s Stars in My Crown (1950), and her first television role was in Schlitz Playhouse: Double Exposure (1952).

Her death certificate listed the immediate cause of death as cardiopulmonary arrest due to liver failure and cytomegalo virus (CMV) hepatitis. CMV hepatitis is AIDS-related, according to Sacramento (CA) internist Dr. Lou Nishimura. She was believed to have contracted the AIDS virus from her last husband, Mark Spaeth, a member of the city council of Austin, Texas. The openly bisexual Spaeth (1939-1985) also died of complications of the disease.