Was the Kitty Russell character on GUNSMOKE (1955-74) a retired prostitute?
The radio show didn’t even bother hinting at Miss Kitty’s job. They spelled it out. For those that didn’t get the hint, the creator of the radio series said the following: In a 1953 interview with Time, MacDonnell declared: “Kitty is just someone Matt has to visit every once in a while. We never say it, but Kitty is a prostitute, plain and simple.” (Dunning, 304) Television of that era had no place to even imply such a profession, so Miss Kitty’s job description was left vague. She probably was a prostitute, but there was no need to spell it out. == In an episode featuring Johnny Whitaker as a boy with a prostitute mother, her madam questions Dillon as to why the law overlooks Miss Kitty’s enterprise. It appears that bordellos could exist “at the law’s discretion” (meaning the Marshal’s). [edit] Differences between the characters on the radio and television versions There were differences between the characters on the radio and TV versions of Gunsmoke. The radio series Doc was acerbic,
