When the actors learned who they would be working with Bette Davis (who was already a big fan of the series), they couldn't believe it. James Arness told the Archive that Davis "was dynamite" and that Amanda Blake "was absolutely petrified at the idea of working with this great lady." Davis and Blake's characters share many tense scenes together. "Amanda was scared to death," said casting director Pam Polifron, but added that "they really did become great friends." After her initial fear subsided, Amanda Blake got to know Bette Davis as more than just the legendary performer she admired. They were just two actors in a scene together and, as Arness put it, Davis was "right down to earth, no monkey business at all, and she went out of her way to work well with Amanda."