Beverly Louise Neill was born on 20 February 1929, in Buffalo, New York State USA, and was an actress, best known for being a part of the television series “Gunsmoke”, in which she played the proprietress Miss Kitty Russell. She was active in the industry from 1950 up to her passing in 1989. She was also responsible for creating one of the first successful programs in breeding cheetahs in captivity, but all of her efforts helped put her net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Amanda Blake? As of late-2017, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $500,000, mostly earned through a successful career in acting, and her interest in wildlife. All of these achievements solidified her net worth during her time.
Amanda Blake Net Worth $500,000
Amanda worked as a telephone operator before deciding to pursue a career in acting. Her popularity and performance in minor parts in Western films would lead her to her eventual work at “Gunsmoke”; in 1955, she was cast in the television series in which she played saloon keeper Miss Kitty for 19 years. She was also a part of several major films too, including “Miss Robin Crusoe” and “Cattie Town”. All of these works increased her net worth significantly.
In 1968, she was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the Oklahoma City National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Due to her television schedule, she started to have less time for films; she had a recurring comedy role in “The Red Skelton Show”, and was a regular panelist on “Hollywood Squares”. In the 1970s, she appeared in the revival of “Match Game” and also at the “Dean Martin Celebrity Roast”. Later in her career, she went into semi-retirement, appearing only later in the “Gunsmoke” reunion film. She was also cast in films such as “The Boost”, and “B.O.R.N”, so her continued work increased her net worth even further.
For her personal life, it is known that Amanda Blake was married four times, firstly to Don Whitman in 1954, but it only lasted a year. In 1964 she married Jason Day, but they divorced three years later, after which she married Frank Gilbert in 1967, and their marriage would last until 1982. Two years later, she married Mark Spaeth but they divorced within a couple of years. Blake was a heavy cigarette smoker and it contributed to her eventual diagnosis of oral cancer in the 1970s. She devoted most of her free time to animal welfare, and set up an animal compound at her home. During this time, she was able to successfully breed cheetahs , eventually raising seven generations of them. She helped form the Arizona Animal Welfare League which is the largest no-kill animal shelter in the state. She also helped start the Performing Animal Welfare Society. She passed away in 1989 due to cardiac arrest and liver failure. Rumors later stated that she died due to AIDS but no proof was ever given. In 1997, the Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge opened in Herald, California.
Gunsmoke, Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge, A Star Is Born, The Glass Slipper, Stars in My Crown, Miss Robin Crusoe, Lili, The Adventures of Hajji Baba, The Boost, Cattle Town, Duchess of Idaho, About Mrs. Leslie, Sabre Jet, Scarlet Angel, Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard, Sunny Side of the Street, Betrayal,...
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Fact
1
Amanda raised cheetahs on a ranch she owned with her 4th husband, producer Frank Gilbert. They send the cheetahs to zoos. Amanda credits former Secretary of the Interior James Watt for spurring her interest in wildlife and conservationism.
2
Her second husband, Jason Day, was an Arizona cattleman.
3
Smoked 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day until being diagnosed with oral cancer in 1980.
4
In 1961 she sold her residual rights to Gunsmoke (1955) for $100,000.
5
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.
6
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.
7
Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1968.
8
Before making it in show business, she worked as a telephone operator.
9
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.
$500,000
