A cathode ray tube has a phosphor screen and an electron gun including an indirectly heated cathode structure and a plurality of electrodes disposed downstream of the indirectly heated cathode structure for projecting an electron beam toward the phosphor screen, and a deflection yoke for scanning the electron beam on the phosphor screen. The indirectly heated cathode structure includes: a base metal having an electron emissive material coating on an outer top surface thereof; a metal sleeve having the base metal attached to an end of the metal sleeve; a heater housed partly within the metal sleeve which includes a major heating portion formed of a spirally wound heating wire and leg portions formed of heating wires wound spirally in a plurality of layers; an insulating film covering the major heating portion and a portion of each of the leg portions continuous with the major heating portion; and a black coating film covering a portion of the insulating film extending from the major heating portion toward each of the leg portions, the whole of the black coating film being housed within the metal sleeve.