When Gunsmoke premiered on CBS in 1955, it helped define a generation of television shows. Set in the lawless town of Dodge City, Kansas, the series followed Marshal Matt Dillon as he maintained order in the Old West. While James Arness anchored the show as Dillon, it was Amanda Blake, playing the fiercely independent saloon owner Miss Kitty Russell, who gave the show much of its enduring charm. Blake portrayed Kitty for 19 of the show’s 20 seasons, appearing in over 500 episodes.