Amanda Blake Movies

This gory medical thriller managed to pre-date an early-'90s spate of direct-to-video exploitation films dealing with sleazy black-market organ banks. The plot centers on the activities of the "Body Organ Replacement Network," a secret criminal organization (led by ubiquitous movie villain William Smith) which obtains donor organs -- by any means possible -- for anyone willing to meet their prices and keep their mouths shut. Their methods usually involve patrolling the city in an ambulance looking for unwilling "donors" (usually female), who are promptly chopped up on the operating table. The sinister wheels are put in motion again when a wealthy family approaches the B.O.R.N. network about obtaining a replacement heart for their ailing daughter. Though not quite as gory as it sounds, this is still a pretty sleazy exercise which plays like a tabloid-flavored version of Robin Cook's novel Coma, without the clever insight of Michael Crichton's 1978 film. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

In her first non-Gunsmoke appearance in two decades, Amanda Blake plays Helen Mercer, a lonely, middle-aged widow. Helen hires the deceptively sweet Adele Murphy (Tisha Sterling) as her companion. What she doesn't know (but we do, thanks to a rather violent prologue) is that "Adele" is really an extortionist named Gretchen, in league with her homicidal con-artist boyfriend Jay (Sam Groom). Singing star Dick Haymes makes his TV movie debut in the third-billed role of Harold Porter. Based on a novel by suspense specialist Doris Miles Disney, the made-for-TV Betrayal premiered December 3, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

With the cancellation of Bonanza in December of 1972, Gunsmoke remained standing as the last of the "golden age" TV westerns as it entered its record-breaking eighteenth season on the air. Heading the cast just as they had way back when the show got under way in 1955 are James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Milburn Stone (back from a brief respite while recovering from a heart attack) as Doc Adams. Also, Buck Taylor returns for his sixth season in the role of gunsmith Newly O'Brien, just as Ken Curtis is back for his ELEVENTH season as deputy Festus Haggen. If nothing else, Gunsmoke certainly afforded job security to actors! The season begins with one of the series' rare two-parters, "The River", a showcase for star James Arness as Matt is ambushed, left to drown in a raging river, and rescued by a brace of "raft" kids. Figuring prominently in the proceedings are several reliable character actors, among them Jack Elam and Slim Pickens. Subsequent episodes would provide ample acting opportunity for such familiar players as Richard Kiley, Mariette Hartley, Victor French, Anne Francis, Vic Tayback, Harry Morgan, Alan Hale Jr., Diana Hyland, Margaret Hamilton, William Devane and a young, pre-stardom Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss! By season's end, it was clear as crystal that Gunsmoke had not yet worn out its welcome: The series closed out its eighteenth season as America's fourth highest-rated TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having twice "cheated the hangman" by eluding CBS' efforts to cancel the series, the venerable western Gunsmoke was still safely imbedded in its by-now-familiar Monday evening slot for a sixteenth season--the longest-running dramatic series in TV history, with no end in sight! Still in harness after all those years were three of the series' original regulars: James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, and Milburn Stone as Doc Adams. Likewise in attendance were two relative newcomers, no less popular: Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen and Buck Taylor as Newly O'Brien. Among the guest actors passing through Dodge this season are Ricardo Montalban, Suzanne Pleshette, Vera Miles, Loretta Swit, L.Q. Jones, Annette O'Toole, Anthony Zerbe, Forrest Tucker and David Carradine. Perhaps the most interesting episode of the season is "Captain Sligo", which was directed by William Conrad, the actor who originated the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in the original radio version of Gunsmoke. A close second in the "most interesting" category is the two-part "Pike", in which Jeanette Nolan guest stars as a grizzled female desert rat named "Dirty Sally" Fergus, a recurring character who proved entertaining enough to be spun off into her own series, Dirty Sally, in January of 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Despite stiff competition from NBC's top-rated Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, the venerable CBS western Gunsmoke continued to flourish in its (relatively) new Monday-night timeslot during its 14th season on the air, finishing the year as America's sixth most popular TV program, with a 24.9 ratings share. Still at peak form were the series' veteran stars James Arness as Matt Dillon, Amanda Blake as Miss Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doc Adams and Ken Curtis as Festus Haggen, with relative newcomer Buck Taylor no less impressive in the role of garrulous gunsmith Newly O'Brien. Also, though the program had started way back in the censor-ridden 1950s, Gunsmoke had admirably grown and matured with changing times, offering hard-hitting episodes about racial prejudice, sexual harrassment, child abuse, alcoholism and other social ills that were just as timely in Dodge City of the 1870s as they were in the United States of the late 1960s. Among the talented actors appearing in guest roles in the 26 episodes comprising Season Fourteen are future Dallas patriarch Jim Davis, octogenarian character man Burt Mustin (playing a man even older than himself!), John Ford "regular" Harry Carey Jr., longtime Michael Landon costar and associate Victor French, soon-to-be Police Squad stalwart Leslie Nielsen, and the ubiquitous Bruce Dern, who seems to have appeared in every TV western ever made except for The Cisco Kid. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Beginning with its 12th season, Gunsmoke switched from black-and-white to color, one of the last major network series to do so. This necessitated the reshooting of the series' familiar opening sequence, in which Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) outdraws an unidentified desperado on the deserted main street of Dodge City. Happily, the sequence was moved back outdoors, where it belonged: During the past several seasons, the "showdown" opening had been staged in a painfully phony studio "exterior". Also,the addition of color rather surprisingly enhanced rather than detracted from the naturalistic "look" of the four main players, James Arness, Amanda Blake (as Miss Kitty), Milburn Stone (as Doc) and Ken Curtis (as Festus). Unfortunately, for the most part the series was still weighed down by the phlegmatic writing that had plagued season eleven; of the 29 new episodes this season, only a handful (notably the two-part season finale "Nitro!") are truly memorable. Conversely, the season's guest-star roster is much stronger than in the previous year. Among the talented players making one-shot appearances are such up-and-coming youngsters as Bruce Dern (and his then-wife Diane Ladd), Jon Voight, Tom Skerritt) and Zalman King, and such veterans as Carroll O'Connor, Fritz Weaver and Alan Hale Jr.. And in the episode "The Jailer", the great Bette Davis etches an searing portrait of an embittered woman who lives only for revenge. With the western format in the doldrums on network television, and with Gunsmoke's ratings lower than ever, the decision was made to cancel the series at the end of season 12. But at the very last moment, CBS president William Paley decided to give the venerable property a new lease on life--and in a brand-new timeslot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The fact that Gunsmoke is able to enter its 10th season despite ever-descending ratings is a tribute not only to the series' solid story and production values but also its most fervent fans. Had it been any other series, Gunsmoke would have ground to a halt as the result of its many artistic setbacks during its tenth year on the air. For one thing, the series lost its longtime producer and spiritual guide Norman McDonnell, who had grown weary of battling over story content and dialogue with star James Arness, who for all intents and purposes now "owned" the Gunsmoke franchise. McDonnell's replacement was British-born Philip Leacock, who at first seemed to have a strong grip on the series' established formula, but who within a year would compromise Gunsmoke's austerity and realism with an influx of writers unfamiliar with the western format--not to mention a plethora of "celebrity" guest stars who were hired more for name value than their appropriateness to the series. The first inkling of this trend occurred during the first weeks of Season Ten, when Leacock dreamed up a publicity stunt whereby local TV personalities from the various CBS affiliates throughout the land would appear in minor roles on Gunsmoke; for example, Chicago talk-show hostess Lee Philips showed up as a frightened stagecoach passenger, while Milwaukee kiddie-show emcee Tommy Richards was seen as a big-time gambler. These appearances, though amusing, invariably smacked of gimmickry, something Gunsmoke had never been guilty of in the past. By the time Gunsmoke reached the end of its tenth season, producer Leacock would have gone far beyond local TV personalities and provided guest roles for the likes of Jean Arthur and Betty Hutton--talented ladies admittedly, but rather out of place in Dodge City. Also, Dennis Weaver,aka the loyal lovable deputy marshal Chester Good, had left the series, never to return. The producers still hadn't hit upon a suitable replacement for Chester, despite trying out Burt Reynolds in the role of halfbreed blacksmith Quint Asper and Ken Curtis as mercurial hillbilly Festus Haggen. Fortunately, Curtis firmly cemented his position on the series with the mid-season episode "Deputy Festus", and would remain with Gunsmoke until its final episode ten years later. For Reynolds, however, Season Ten was the end of the line: he was clearly far more comfortable as a leading man than as a supporting player, and within seven years he would ascend to the top of his profession in theatrical features. Happily, James Arness, Amanda Blake and Milburn Stone were still in fine fettle in their respective roles as Matt Dillon, Miss Kitty and Doc Adams. And, of course, Gunsmoke benefited from a steady stream of reliable supporting players, among them George Kennedy, Denver Pyle, Jack Elam, Mariette Hartley, Claude Akins, Jeanette Nolan, Hal Needham and Forrest Tucker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The decision to expand Gunsmoke from 30 to 60 minutes during its seventh season may have made sense insofar as offering more in-depth storytelling and providing a larger forum for potential sponsors, but it didn't do much for the series' ratings. After riding high as America's top-rated series for four consecutive years, Gunsmoke dropped to third place during Season Seven, then plummeted to tenth place in Season Eight. In all fairness, however, this may have had less to do with the series' quality than its stiff NBC competition, Saturday Night at the Movies, as well as an overall flagging of audience interest in TV westerns (in 1960, nine westerns were listed among the Top Thirty programs; that number had dropped to five by 1962). That said, the series' eighth season still boasted the top-flight production and story values that had won the hearts and minds of viewers way back when Gunsmoke started in 1955. And if anything, stars James Arness (Matt Dillon), Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty), Milburn Stone (Doc) and Dennis Weaver (Chester) were delivering better and more realistic performances than ever. In fact, Dennis Weaver had decided that he had gotten all out of his Gunsmoke role than he would ever get, and had opted to leave the series, in hopes of landing a starring vehicle of his own. Although Chester was not entirely absent from the eighth season, he was nowhere to be found for the most part, obliging the writers to offer up a brace of potential replacments for the popular supporting character. The episode "Quint Asper Comes Home" introduces a young Burt Reynolds as the title character, a half-breed who has returned to Dodge to bury his murdered white father and to escort his Comanche mother back to her tribe. Although rampant prejudice and bigotry has turned Quint against the white race, he changes his mind by episode's end and set up a blacksmith shop in Dodge. In later episodes, Quint will assist his friend Matt Dillon in tracking down various miscreants, never officially deputized by always on call if he's needed. Burt Reynolds will remain with Gunsmoke on a recurring basis throughout the next three seasons. And in "Us Haggens", Ken Curtis, a popular singing cowboy and John Ford regular, is introduced in the role of Festus Haggen, a scraggly hillbilly who hails from a family of scoundrels, thieves and murderers--but who, adhering to his own peculiar set of values and brand of loyalty, casts his lot with lawman Matt Dillon and agrees to "go straight" in Dodge. It would, however, be several years before Festus would matriculate to full deputy--and full costar--status. At any rate, it wasn't possible during Season Three, due to the frequent reappearances of Dennis Weaver. Of the season's 38 episodes, the most intriguing is "I Call Him Wonder", which was clearly designed as the pilot for a spinoff series headlining guest star Ron Hayes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having ridden high in the saddle as America's top-rated TV series for the past three years Gunsmoke managed to retain this lofty status as the series entered its Sixth season on the air--which was also its final season in the half-hour format. Thanks to the series' popularity, a major influx of westerns had been ushered onto the Big Three networks, with four other "oaters" being telecast on the same Saturday night in which Gunsmoke had been safely entrenched since 1955. In addition, no fewer than eight westerns were ranked in the Top 30 ratings during the 1960-61 season--including Rawhide, produced by Gunsmoke expatriate Charles Marquis Warren. Not only did Gunsmoke uphold the no-nonsense austerity that had distinguished its earlier seasons, but the four major actors--James Arness (Matt Dillon), Dennis Weaver (Chester), Amanda Blake (Kitty) and Milburn Stone (Doc) were delivering better and more realistic performances than ever before. Dennis Weaver in particular was benefiting from his Gunsmoke exposure by taking "outside" dramatic roles on such series as The Twilight Zone, and their were rumors circulating that he would soon leave the role of Chester to pursue a starring TV vehicle of his own. Among the prominent character actors appearing in the 38 Gunsmoke entries offered up during Season Six were George Kennedy (in the episodes "The Blacksmith", "Kitty Shot" and "Big Man"), John Dehner ("The Badge"), Denver Pyle ("The Wake), Harry Carey Jr. ("Bad Sheriff") and Strother Martin ("Tall Trapper"). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having ended its third season as America's top-rated TV series, Gunsmoke managed to retain that title throughout Season Four, not only because of its own innate excellence but also because of its unusually strong lead-in show on CBS' Saturday-night schedule, Have Gun: Will Travel. Even though the series' "adult western" trappings which had been regarded as daring and innovative back when it first aired in 1955 were now considered commonplace and even cliché-ridden, the show remained a viewer favorite even among non-western fans. Inevitably, however, a bit of friction had developed internally on Gunsmoke. Whereas during the series' first three seasons the leading actors were more than willing to follow the scripts as written, by the fall of 1958 those same actors--James Arness (Matt Dillon), Dennis Weaver (Chester), Milburn Stone (Doc), Amanda Blake)--were now full-fledged stars, and acted accordingly. Without going into further detail, we offer this rueful observation from series coproducer Charles Marquis Warren, as originally published in TV Guide: "It reached the point when I'd arrive on the set in the morning only to have Arness tell me that 'Matt Dillon wouldn't say a thing like that!' Everybody suddenly got to be a self-appointed authority." Small wonder that Warren was no longer associated with the series come Season Four, relinquishing the producing chores to his partners Norman McDonnell and John Meston. Having pretty much exhausted the scripts from the radio version of Gunsmoke (which was still running as of 1958), the series began featuring more and more "originals" during its fourth season, many of them penned by producer John Meston. Among the noteworthy actors making guest appearance this season are Martin Landau, Dan Blocker, Charles Bronson, Ross Martin, Warren Oates, Jack Elam and James Drury. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having ended its third season as America's top-rated TV series, Gunsmoke managed to retain that title throughout Season Four, not only because of its own innate excellence but also because of its unusually strong lead-in show on CBS' Saturday-night schedule, Have Gun: Will Travel. Even though the series' "adult western" trappings which had been regarded as daring and innovative back when it first aired in 1955 were now considered commonplace and even cliché-ridden, the show remained a viewer favorite even among non-western fans. Inevitably, however, a bit of friction had developed internally on Gunsmoke. Whereas during the series' first three seasons the leading actors were more than willing to follow the scripts as written, by the fall of 1958 those same actors--James Arness (Matt Dillon), Dennis Weaver (Chester), Milburn Stone (Doc), Amanda Blake)--were now full-fledged stars, and acted accordingly. Without going into further detail, we offer this rueful observation from series coproducer Charles Marquis Warren, as originally published in TV Guide: "It reached the point when I'd arrive on the set in the morning only to have Arness tell me that 'Matt Dillon wouldn't say a thing like that!' Everybody suddenly got to be a self-appointed authority." Small wonder that Warren was no longer associated with the series come Season Four, relinquishing the producing chores to his partners Norman McDonnell and John Meston. Having pretty much exhausted the scripts from the radio version of Gunsmoke (which was still running as of 1958), the series began featuring more and more "originals" during its fourth season, many of them penned by producer John Meston. Among the noteworthy actors making guest appearance this season are Martin Landau, Dan Blocker, Charles Bronson, Ross Martin, Warren Oates, Jack Elam and James Drury. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Newly arrived in Heaven, mystery writer Alexander Arlington (John Williams) asks permission from Recording Angel Wilfred (Alan Napier) to return to Earth so that he can find out who murdered him. The list of suspects is formidable indeed, including not only Arlington's faithless wife Carol (a pre-Gunsmoke Amanda Blake), but also his nephew and his secretary. In his efforts to reconstruct the crime, Arlington succeeds only in getting himself bumped off all over again -- and it looks for a while as though he'll never discover "whodunit." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi