In a wicked twist of irony, Gunsmoke’s villain of the week is none other than…Kitty Russell! Please, cue the dramatic music!
Okay, maybe that’s a bit too theatrical, but according to an interview with the Newspaper Enterprise Association, Amanda Blake revealed that at the height of her career in Gunsmoke, she was also routinely doing jobs as a thief! The target? Herself!
If you’ve never been famous and are a plebian like we are, here’s a simple run down. Sometimes, a person becomes so rich and famous that they hire a business manager to take their money and use it responsibly, for things like savings and investments.
This didn’t mean that Blake didn’t have any money to spend for herself. Much like a teenager, Blake was given an allowance by her business manager, Bill, which she was welcome to spend on what might be considered more frivolous items, like clothing. “I never see my salary checks,” Blake explained. “Bill just sends me that little old living allowance.”
So to grease the wheels a bit and withdraw a bit more of her Gunsmoke earnings than her manager would like, Blake had to get sneaky.
“I go to the bank and borrow the money. Then I pay it back in allowances.” Of course, Blake would have to pay for the withdrawal in some way or another. “Sometimes there isn’t much to eat in the house,” she said, “but you should see me in my new mink coat.”
This all begs a few questions: Is it stealing if you’re taking your own money? Is it still technically stealing if you eventually pay the person you’re stealing from back? The moral arguments of this get pretty fuzzy, but luckily, Blake didn’t have to worry too much. It seemed that her business manager was wise to her scheme, and didn’t seem to mind that much at all.
“I think maybe he knows all about my little tricks. But so long as I don’t ask for a bigger monthly allowance, I guess he’s happy.”
So maybe she’s not some big-time Gunsmoke villain. Maybe she’s just a lady who enjoys the finer things, and let’s be honest, who can blame her for that?