The actress, Mary Grace Canfield, whom you may know even better from "Green Acres," has died at the age of 89.
IN THE COMMENTS: Dan said:
I'm afraid you have the wrong Kravitz in your clip. You're showing Alice Pearce, who played Mrs. Gladys Kravitz. Canfield was in only 4 episodes, playing Abner Kravitz's sister Harriet.Oh! Sorry. You know, I almost figured this out, because I looked at IMDB for "The Disorderly Orderly." I was under the impression that the actress who played Mrs. Kravitz was also Mrs. Fuzzibee in "The Disorderly Orderly," and I didn't see that on Canfield's list. But here's "The Disorderly Orderly" on Pearce's IMDB page. Those 2 women sure did look alike, homely in the same way — a way which made for some great comedy. I'm sorry to see that Pearce died back in 1966, when she was only 48. And I'd just like to say that of all the movies that ever made me laugh, "The Disorderly Orderly" is in my top 5 of most laughing. I can only think of one other movie that made me laugh more. It's a Jerry Lewis movie that came out in 1964, and I was 13 when I saw it.
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I never liked Mrs. Kravitz. What a busy-body. And her husband was a putz. They just didn't seem to like each other. I understand that they were the counterpoint to Darren and Samantha, but everything was just too heavy-handed.
It was not a bad thing that she was written out.
We used to do the Mrs. Kravitz voice when we parked on quiet residential streets to smoke illegal substances. "Raaaaalph, there's those darn kids again. There's something going on in that car, Ralph!"
But that Samantha, rrrrrrrrrr! We had a wealth of hot womens to drool over back in the day. We had Agent 99, That Girl, Maryann and Ginger, Mary Tyler Moore...
It's already hard to chide someone under 40 for being a Mrs. Kravitz. They look at you and think: Lisa Bonet?
Alas, younger people seem not to such neighborly touchstones, or do they?
We had Agent 99, That Girl, Maryann and Ginger, Mary Tyler Moore......Diana Rigg
I'm afraid you have the wrong Kravitz in your clip. You're showing Alice Pearce, who played Mrs. Gladys Kravitz. Canfield was in only 4 episodes, playing Abner Kravitz's sister Harriet.
"I'm afraid you have the wrong Kravitz in your clip."
Althouse prides herself on cultural ignorance. Anything she doesn't know, you are not supposed to know.
Yes indeed to Diana Rigg and add either Catwoman -- Julie Newmar or Eartha Kitt.
Would she be the first recorded dyke character on the tele?
Dan, I am glad you noticed. I thought, how different she looks!
“Anything she doesn't know, you are not supposed to know.”
Then I guess I'm not supposed to know that Pearce, the original Mrs. K, died (all-too-young at 48) in 1966, while the show was at full steam. Hence, the brief appearance of Abner's sister followed by the advent of an all-new Gladys, played by Sandra Gould (also, alas, passed on).
I also don't know that Canfield's role as Ralph, the handywoman, in Green Acres was another 60s highlight; nor that she was wonderful as Angelica in Pollyanna. (By the way, anybody else want to add Hayley Mills to the list of sixties hotties?)
[Wiggling nose]--Poof! The knowledge is gone. A few more (increasingly all-too-scarce) brain cells freed up. Oh, what a relief it is. Thank you, Ann, for the valuable service!
Diana Rigg; crazy hot. Carol Post on Mr Ed too!! I Dream Of Jeannie obviously. The Farmer's Daughter (Inger Stevens)
Not a TV star, but I would have been drooling over Ann too!!
That's Lenny's mom! Wow, he looks nothing like her.
IMDB:
Mary Grace Canfield ...
Harriet Kravitz (4 episodes, 1966)
Sandra Gould ...
Gladys Kravitz (29 episodes, 1966-1971)
Alice Pearce ...
Gladys Kravitz (28 episodes, 1964-1966)
George Tobias ...
Abner Kravitz (55 episodes, 1964-1971)
There's something very strange about her.
What we like about witch cinema, I think, is that it's a metaphor for sex, and the sexual power that women hold over men.
That's why Mrs. Kravitz is a fun character. She's so uptight. She's snooping, looking for sex, secretly thrilled but also outraged.
Stop it! You're having way too much fun over there!
I also got a kick out of the movie The Craft because it is young witches in high school. You see girls becoming aware of their power. It's like witch puberty. They're blossoming into witches. Don't let your power go to your head! You crazy witches.
Dan said...
I'm afraid you have the wrong Kravitz in your clip. You're showing Alice Pearce, who played Mrs. Gladys Kravitz. Canfield was in only 4 episodes, playing Abner Kravitz's sister Harriet.
I thought something was off too, but truth be told, white actresses tend to look alike after a certain age. I comes from being encouraged to age gracefully.
I always liked the first Darrin better.
There are actors who die and you're surprised that they were still alive. Then there's actors who die and you never knew that they were alive.....Kind of sad that you can't properly identify the role she was obscure for.
The Monroe brothers and Mr. Kimball were great. Green Acres ended when I was just barley sentient. I didn't view those characters and Mr. Haney as being funny but as a nuisances that Mr. Douglas should avoid! Of course they were nuisances, and purposely so, but the humor went over my head but I still loved that show as a kid and wanted to be Eb. Mr. Lileks of the Bleat has mistakenly called Eb on two occasions Ed! I didn't correct him the last time he did it. RIP Mary Canfield.
David I assume you're joking about Lenny's mom, since Kravitz was the character's name on Bewitched. Funny thing though, his mom was an actress, the one who played the black lady married to the white guy on The Jeffersons. In real life she was married to a white producer who looked kinda like that guy (my best friend grew up singing with Lenny in choirs), which is how Lenny got that last name he has.
One last fun fact: Lenny and the California Boys Choir sang back-up on the Alice Cooper song "My God" (produced by Bob Ezrin for the Lace and Whiskey album. Bob might be best known for The Wall in which Pink Floyd also used the boys choir move (English there though) to some nice effect.
Mary Grace was Thelma Lou's cousin and got set up on a blind date with Gomer. Hilarity ensued.
Actually, one of the better Andy episodes ... maybe top 30.
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