...On a fixed income, she worries most about the rising cost of heating oil, gas and food, said Blake, who started her 25-year film career as a secretary, and rose to producer and held producer roles on "The Silence of the Lambs," "School Daze" and the TV special "Martin," a dance tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King.

Her budget is tight and she has to watch expenses. But, "I feel fortunate that I have been very frugal all my life," said Blake, who was born in Venezuela, one of 12 children....