Ann B. Davis was everybody’s favorite TV housekeeper. The
88-year-old actress, who died on June 1, was best known for her role as live-in
maid Alice Nelson on the 1970s sitcom The
Brady Bunch. And while she was also famous for her Emmy-winning role as Schultzy
on The Bob Cummings Show in the late
1950s, Davis popped up in a few more shows over the years. Here’s a look at
five surprising Ann B. Davis TV moments.
The Dating Game
Looks like teen idols Barry Williams and Maureen McCormick
weren’t the only Brady alums to
appear on The Dating Game. Smack in
the middle of her Brady Bunch stint, Davis tried
her luck at love on the campy television dating show. The TV legend asked
questions like: ‘If you had to sleep at
the zoo tonight, what cage would you hope they would put you in?” And yes, one
of her suitors actually described himself as “truly one of the world’s great
lovers. And I’d like to have the opportunity to show you just how nice it can
be.” And she actually picked him! What
would Sam the Butcher think?
Love, American Style
In 1970, Davis had her trippiest TV appearance ever when she
appeared on the Love American Style
segment, “Love and the Trip.” She played Vi Cooper, a mom who finds a stash of marijuana
in her future daughter in law’s luggage. After debating on ways to get rid of
it (“Burn it in the fireplace,” “bury it”), Davis’s character and her curious
husband decided to smoke it instead!
The Love Boat
In 1980, Davis made a pit
stop on ABC’s The Love Boat, but her character
didn’t find love there. She played Agnes in the episode “Invisible
Maniac/September Song/Peekaboo,” a woman who mistakenly believed a sex maniac
was loose on the ship. (Don’t worry, it
wasn’t Gopher or Doc!)
The Brady Bunch
Variety Hour
All of the Brady cast
(except for Eve Plumb) reunited in 1977 for this bizarre family variety show,
but Davis really surprised us when she acted witchy in a Wizard of Oz themed sketch. Who knew Alice could sing and cackle
like that? And why were The Scarecrow (Greg Brady), the Tin Man (Peter) and the
Cowardly Lion ( played by Rip Taylor) singing the song “Car Wash?”
The John Forsythe
Show
And before she became famous for that bright blue maid
uniform, Davis played a gym teacher! On the 1965 NBC sitcom The John Forsythe Show, the actress played
Miss Wilson, the phys-ed teacher at the fictional Miss Foster’s School for
Girls. But this fledgling sitcom did a switcheroo mid-season and segued into a
spy-themed show, which totally confused viewers. No wonder it only lasted one
season!
Ann B. Davis on The Brady Bunch:
No comments:
Post a Comment