Joyce Bulifant
Joyce Bulifant | |
---|---|
Born | Joyce Collins Bulifant[1] December 16, 1937 |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1959–present |
Spouses | Glade Bruce Hansen
(m.2000;div.2001) |
Children | 3, includingJohn Mallory Asher |
Joyce Collins Bulifant[1](born December 16, 1937)[1]is an American actress and author. In addition to recurring roles on television, includingThe Mary Tyler Moore Showas Marie Slaughter, Bulifant is recognized for film roles inThe Happiest MillionaireandAirplane!and as a frequent panelist ongame shows,includingChain Reaction,Match Game,andPassword Plus.
Early years
[edit]Bulifant was born inNewport News, Virginia.She attendedSolebury SchoolinNew Hope, Pennsylvania,graduating in 1956 in the same class as her first husband,James MacArthur,son ofHelen HayesandCharles MacArthur.[1]She then studied acting at theAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts.[2]
Theatre
[edit]Bulifant'sBroadwaycredits includeTall Story(1958) andThe Paisley Convertible(1966).[3][4]
She appeared inGlad Tidings;[5]Auntie Mame;[6]Gentlemen, The Queens!;andUnder the Yum-Yum Tree.[7]
She has written and performed autobiographical shows,Life Upon the Wicked Stage[8]andRemembering Helen Hayes with Love,about her former mother-in-law, Helen Hayes, as well asLillian Gish.[9]
Television
[edit]Regular cast
[edit]One of Bulifant's earliest roles on television was as a dancer onArthur Murray's Dance Party(1950–1960).[10][11]She played Timmie Barnes inToo Young to Go Steady(1959),[11]: 1096 Mary Gentry inTom, Dick and Mary(1964–1965),[11]: 1092 Marie Slaughter onThe Mary Tyler Moore Show(1970–1977),[11]: 662 Peggy Wilson onLove Thy Neighbor(1973),[11]: 631 Lois onIt's a Man's World(1962–1963),[11]: 515 Marsha Patterson onThe Bill Cosby Show(1969–1971),[11]: 106 and Marjorie Martin onBig John, Little John(1976–1977).[11]: 102 She was heard as the voice of Queen Vanda on the syndicated cartoon seriesSport Billy(1982).[11]: 1006 She was also a regular on CBS’s “Flo,” as Flo’s best friend Miriam Willoughby from 1980 to 1981.
Guest appearances
[edit]Bulifant guest-starred as Jessica inTales of Wells Fargo,episode "Fraud," in 1961, in addition to episodes ofChanning;Empire;The Virginian;Bonanza;Gunsmoke;Wagon Train;Destry Rides Again;The Real McCoys;McHale's Navy;Dr. Kildare;Naked City;Police Woman;My Three Sons;Love, American Style;The Facts of Life;Harper Valley PTA;The Bad News Bears;Alice;Three's Company;The Joey Bishop Show;andThe Donald O'Connor Show.
She played an intended murder victim in a 1961 episode ofBoris Karloff'sThriller(episode: "An Attractive Family" ).[7]
She starred opposite her future husband,Roger Perry,in a 1962 pilot forGeneral Electric Theatercalled "The First Hundred Years"[12]and withEva Le GallieneinThe Play of the Week'sThérèse Raquin.She played Jenny Logan, the incorruptible wife of Tom Logan, played byFrank Aletter,both of whom were being tempted by Mr. Lucifer, played byFred Astaire,and Mr. Lucifer's assistant, Iris Hecate, played byElizabeth Montgomery,in "Mr. Lucifer", a 1962 episode ofAlcoa Presents.
She played innocent defendant Nancy Banks in thePerry Mason1964 episode "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands", the second of two appearances on that show.
She played Miriam Willoughby onFloandDavid Spade's mother onJust Shoot Me!
From 1994 to 1997, she played Emily Wallace, the mother of her real-life sonJohn Asher's character inWeird Science.
Television movies
[edit]Bulifant appeared inHanging by a Thread,Better Late Than Never,Little Women,Charley's Aunt,andThe Shining.[13][14][15]
Game shows
[edit]Bulifant appeared as a frequent guest on game shows includingName That Tune,Password,Match Game,Crosswits,Tattletales,To Tell the Truth,$25,000 Pyramid,andDecisions Decisions,along withDavid Letterman.[16]
The Brady Bunch
[edit]Bulifant was the original choice for the role of Carol Brady on ABC'sThe Brady Bunch,but the part ultimately went toFlorence Henderson.[17]
Film
[edit]Bulifant's most popular film roles were as Rosemary in the Disney live-action featureThe Happiest Millionaire,in which she sang "Bye-Yum Pum Pum," and in the 1980 comedyAirplane![18]
She has twice been directed by her son,John Asher,inDiamondsandTooken,and appeared in a comedic short,The Haircut,oppositeJohn Cassavetes.[19]
Recognition
[edit]Bulifant received aTheatre World Awardfor 1961–1962 for her performance inWhisper to Me.[20]
In 2014, she and her husband Roger Perry were honored with a Golden Palm Star on theWalk of StarsinPalm Springs, California.[21]
Personal life
[edit]Bulifant has been married five times:
- Her first husband was actorJames MacArthur.They married on November 2, 1958,[22]had two children together, Mary MacArthur and Charles MacArthur,[23]and divorced in 1967.[citation needed]
- Her second husband wasDays of Our LivesstarEdward Mallory.They married on September 19, 1969, and had one child,John Mallory Asher.They divorced in 1974.[citation needed]
- Her third husband was TV directorWilliam Asher.He adopted her son John, giving him the last name of Asher. She and Asher married August 28, 1976, and divorced in 1993.[citation needed]
- Her fourth marriage was to Glade Bruce Hansen; they married in 2000 and divorced the next year.[citation needed]
- Her fifth husband was actorRoger Perry.They married in 2002 after he divorced his wife of many years,Jo Anne Worley,and remained wed until Perry's death on July 12, 2018.[24]
Bulifant has a grandson, Evan Joseph Asher, from her son John's marriage toJenny McCarthy.[citation needed]
Advocacy
[edit]Bulifant discovered she haddyslexiain her 40s[25]and has served as a longtime advocate for dyslexia research, including writing two musicals on the subject,Gifts of GreatnessandDifferent Heroes, Different Dreams.Recipients of theHans Christian Andersen Award,which Bulifant founded to recognize dyslexics who've made a positive contribution to society, includeStephen J. CannellandWhoopi Goldberg.[26]Bulifant herself is a recipient of the 2015 Broken Glass Award from The Dyslexia Foundation.[27]
She has for many years been actively involved with the child abuse prevention non-profitChildhelp,including serving as a Celebrity Ambassador and as a vice-president on the National Board of Directors.[28][29]
She also advocates forautismresearch.[9]
Her memoir,My Four Hollywood Husbands,details the alcoholism of four of her spouses and her recovery from codependent relationships.[18]
Filmography
[edit]Theatre
[edit]Year | Title | Character | Notes | ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | Tall Story | Nancy |
|
[3] |
1967 | The Paisley Convertible | Amy Rodgers | Understudies:Richard Hoffman(Charlie Rodgers, Ralph Keppleman), Jen Nelson (Meg Tynan) and Mary Rausch (Amy Rodgers, Sylvia Greer) | [3] |
Film
[edit]Year | Title | Character | Notes | ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
1967 | The Happiest Millionaire | Rosemary | Musical filmstarringFred MacMurrayand based upon the true story ofPhiladelphiamillionaireAnthony J. Drexel Biddle. | [30] |
1980 | Airplane! | Mrs. Davis | Titled asFlying High!inAustralia,New Zealand,South Africa,Japanand thePhilippines | [31] |
1999 | Diamonds | June | Americancomedy filmdirected by her son, Asher and written by Allan Aaron Katz. | |
2005 | Dirty Love | Mary | Written by and starringJenny McCarthyand directed by her son, Asher. | |
2010 | Wreckage | Deputy Priest | ||
2015 | Tooken | Edna Millers | ||
2019 | I Hate Kids | Betty Bartlett |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Character | Notes | ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | The Play of the Week | Episode: "Therese Raquin" (S 2:Ep 24) | ||
Naked City | Connie Hacker | Episode: "Take and Put" (S 2:Ep 32) | ||
1962 | Thriller | Jinny Willis | Episode: "An Attractive Family" (S 2: Ep15) | |
General Electric Theater | Connie Duncan | Episode: "The First Hundred Years" (S 10:Ep 34) | ||
Alcoa Premiere | Jenny Logan | Episode: "Mr. Lucifer" (S 2:Ep 5) | ||
Gunsmoke | Ellie | Episode: "Uncle Sunday" (S 8:Ep 14) | ||
1963 | My Three Sons | Rebecca Holly | Episode: "Flashback" (S 3:Ep 19) | |
Empire | Betty Wormser | Episode: "The Tiger Inside" (S 1:Ep 20) | ||
Perry Mason | Hollis Wilburn | Episode: "The Case of the Surplus Suitor" (S 6:ep 19) | ||
The Real McCoys | Barbara | Episode: "The Peacemakers" (S 6:Ep 36) | ||
McHale's Navy | Lt. Georgianna Comstock | Episode: "Today I Am a Man!" (S 2:Ep 7) | ||
1964 | The Virginian | Nancy Mayhew | Episode: "Roar from the Mountain" (S 2:Ep 16) | |
Perry Mason | Nancy Banks | Episode: "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands" (S 7:Ep 16) | ||
Arrest and Trial | Alice | Episode: "A Roll of the Dice" (S 1:Ep 22) | ||
Destry | Sheba Hannibal | Episode: "Go Away, Little Sheba" (S 1:Ep 7) | ||
Wagon Train | Julie | Episode: "The Michael Malone Story" (S 7:Ep 16) | ||
1964–65 | Tom, Dick and Mary | Mary Gentry | Part of the umbrella title of a short-livedNBCexperiment comprising threesituation comediesset in aSouthern Californiaapartment complex located at the 90 Bristol Court address. | |
1966 | Dr. Kildare | Judy Cannon | Recurring | |
1968 | The Woody Woodbury Show | Herself | Episodes:
|
|
1969 | Lancer | Cassie | Episode: "Angel Day And Her Sunshine Girls" (S 1:Ep 19) | |
1969–71 | The Bill Cosby Show | Mrs. Patterson | Main cast | [32] |
1970 | Bonanza | Bonnie | Episode: "Return Engagement" (S 11:Ep 22) | |
1971–77 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Marie Slaughter | Recurring | |
1973 | Love Thy Neighbor | Peggy Wilson |
|
|
Love, American Style | Episode: "Love and the Awkward Age" {S 5:Ep 49) | |||
1973–82 | Match Game | Herself | Semi-regular panelist | |
1974 | Tattletales | Herself | Episode: "March 18, 1974" (S 1:Ep 5) | |
The Michele Lee Show | Gladys Gooch | |||
Sierra | Shirley | Episode: "Taking Cody Winslow" (S 1:Ep 3) | ||
Police Woman | Peggy Lakes | Episode: "Warning: All Wives..." (S 1:Ep 3) | ||
1975–77 | Match Game PM | Herself | Semi-Regular Panelist | |
1976 | Police Story | Katie Pardnales | Episode: "Monster Manor" (S 4:Ep 8) | |
1976 | Big John, Little John | Marjorie Martin | Recurring | |
1977 | $20,000 Pyramid | Herself | Episode: "Joyce Bulifant & David Doyle" (S 6:Ep 11) | |
Three's Company | Mrs. Cross | Episode: "Chrissy's Date" (S 2:Ep 5) | ||
1978 | $20,000 Pyramid | Herself | Episode: "Joyce Bulifant & Ron Glass" (S 6:Ep 26) | |
Alice | Connie Raymond | Episode: "Who Ordered the Hot Turkey?" (S 3:Ep 9) | ||
1979 | Turnabout | 9-months-expectant mother | Episode: "We're a Little Late, Folks" (S 1:Ep 3) | |
The Bad News Bears | Alice | Episodes:
|
||
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo | Guest | Episode: "Disco Fever Comes To Orly" (S 1:Ep 4) | ||
1979–81 | Password Plus | Herself | Recurring | |
1980 | Chain Reaction | Herself | Celebrity guest | |
1980–81 | Flo | Miriam Willoughby | Spin-offofAlice. | [33] |
1982 | Harper Valley PTA | Guest | Episode: "The Return Of Charlie's Chow Palace" (S 2:Ep 16} | |
1980–81 | Sport Billy | Sport Lilly/Queen Vanda | ||
1985 | The Facts of Life | Margaret | Episode: "Teacher, Teacher" (S 7:Ep 4) | |
1987 | American Playhouse | Miss Delahay | Episode: "Charley's Aunt" (S 6:Ep 14) | |
1994–97 | Weird Science | Emily Wallace | Recurring | |
1999 | E! True Hollywood Story | Herself | Episode: "The Brady Bunch" (S 3:Ep 21) | |
2001 | Just Shoot Me! | Fantasia 'Fanny' Olivia Finch | Episode: "Fanny Finch" (S 5:Ep19) |
References
[edit]- ^abcd"Ancestry Library Edition".search.ancestrylibrary.
- ^"In Conversation With Actress and Author Joyce Bulifant".bookpleasures.RetrievedNovember 19,2020.
- ^abc"Joyce Bulifant".IBDB.RetrievedNovember 11,2015.
- ^"(" Joyce Bulifant "search results)".Playbill Vault.RetrievedJanuary 4,2017.
- ^"The 'Glad Tidings': Diana's Tops, in Barrymore Tradition".newspapers.July 23, 1957.RetrievedNovember 18,2020.
- ^Muir, Helen (August 8, 1960)."Gypsy Rose Blossoms Out as Witty 'Auntie Mame'".newspapers.RetrievedNovember 18,2020.
- ^ab"MacArthurs Are Costars First Time in Mall Play".newspapers.October 23, 1961.RetrievedNovember 18,2020.
- ^Beuck, Jules E.; Botkin-Beuck, Rose (June 4, 2008)."Life journeys bound in the Inland Empire".Highland Community News.RetrievedSeptember 26,2020.
- ^ab"The Crowd: Joyce Bulifant to have one-woman show at Balboa Bay Club".Daily Pilot.September 12, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 26,2020.
- ^Winchell, Walter (November 8, 1958)."Walter Winchell".Kingsport News.Tennessee, Kingsport. p. 4.
- ^abcdefghiTerrace, Vincent (1999).Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows.McFarland & Company, Inc.ISBN978-0-7864-4513-4.P. 59.
- ^"Sunday's Previews".newspapers.May 26, 1962.RetrievedNovember 18,2020.
- ^"Hanging by a Thread (1979)".BFI.Archived fromthe originalon January 26, 2021.RetrievedNovember 20,2020.
- ^"Better Late than Never (1979)".BFI.Archived fromthe originalon November 16, 2018.RetrievedNovember 20,2020.
- ^"AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE: CHARLEY'S AUNT (TV)".paleycenter.org.RetrievedNovember 20,2020.
- ^"David Letterman on Decisions Decisions, Dec. 1978 or Jan. 1979".YouTube.RetrievedApril 20,2022.
- ^Schwartz, Sherwood; Schwartz, Lloyd J. (2010).Brady, Brady, Brady: The Complete Story of The Brady Bunch as Told by the Father/Son Team who Really Know.Running Press. pp. 53–56.ISBN978-0762441648.RetrievedJanuary 4,2017.
- ^ab"TINSELTOWN TALKS: Joyce Bulifant recounts her life and career in" My Four Hollywood Husbands. "".news-sentinel /.RetrievedSeptember 25,2020.
- ^Thomas, Nick."Joyce Bulifant recounts Hollywood Ups and Downs".The Spectrum.RetrievedSeptember 25,2020.
- ^"Theatre World Award Recipients".Theatre World Awards.RetrievedJanuary 4,2017.
- ^Palm Springs Walk of Stars official website,archive.org; accessed August 15, 2017.
- ^"Blissful Bride, Groom".Independent.California, Long Beach. Associated Press. November 3, 1958. p. 1.RetrievedJanuary 3,2017– via Newspapers.
- ^"TINSELTOWN TALKS: Joyce Bulifant recounts her life and career in" My Four Hollywood Husbands. "".
- ^McNary, Dave (July 13, 2018)."Roger Perry, 'Star Trek' and 'Harrigan and Son' Actor, Dies at 85".Variety.RetrievedOctober 24,2018.
- ^Newkirk, Barrett (February 16, 2016)."Dyslexia: 'Mary Tyler Moore' actress says the arts help".The Desert Sun.RetrievedSeptember 25,2020.
- ^Click, Carrie (November 19, 2002)."Actress plays leading role in battle against dyslexia".postindependent.RetrievedSeptember 25,2020.
- ^"Foundation News | The Dyslexia Foundation".RetrievedNovember 20,2020.
- ^"Celebrity Ambassadors".Childhelp. Archived fromthe originalon May 10, 2008.
- ^"Childhelp, Inc".JustGive.org.RetrievedAugust 8,2018.
- ^Holliss, Richard; Brian Sibley (1988).The Disney Studio Story.London: Octopus Books Limited. p. 202.ISBN0-517-57078-5.
- ^"Life of Brian named best comedy".BBC News.RetrievedNovember 4,2015.
- ^Lambert, David."The Bill Cosby Show - Budget-Priced 2-DVD Set with 'The Best of Season 1'".tvshowsondvd.Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedNovember 2,2015.
- ^Lambert, David."Flo - Warner Archive Kisses Your Grits; Schedules Complete Series for Tuesday!".tvshowsondvd.Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedNovember 4,2015.