Joyce Bulifant

Last updated

Joyce Bulifant
Mary Tyler Moore Show 1975 (cropped).jpg
Bulifant on a 1975 episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Born
Joyce Collins Bulifant [1]

(1937-12-16) December 16, 1937 (age 86)
Newport News, Virginia, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1959–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1958;div. 1968)​
​
​
(m. 1969;div. 1974)​
​
​
(m. 1976;div. 1993)​
Glade Bruce Hansen
​
​
(m. 2000;div. 2001)​
​
​
(m. 2002;died 2018)​
Children3, including John Mallory Asher

Joyce Collins Bulifant [1] (born December 16, 1937) [1] is an American actress and author. In addition to recurring roles on television, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Marie Slaughter, Bulifant is recognized for film roles in The Happiest Millionaire and Airplane! and as a frequent panelist on game shows, including Chain Reaction , Match Game , and Password Plus .

Contents

Early years

Bulifant was born in Newport News, Virginia. She attended Solebury School in New Hope, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1956 in the same class as her first husband, James MacArthur, son of Helen Hayes and Charles MacArthur. [1] She then studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. [2]

Theatre

Bulifant's Broadway credits include Tall Story (1958) and The Paisley Convertible (1966). [3] [4]

She appeared in Glad Tidings; [5] Auntie Mame ; [6] Gentlemen, The Queens!; and Under the Yum-Yum Tree. [7]

She has written and performed autobiographical shows, Life Upon the Wicked Stage [8] and Remembering Helen Hayes with Love, about her former mother-in-law, Helen Hayes, as well as Lillian Gish. [9]

Television

Regular cast

One of Bulifant's earliest roles on television was as a dancer on Arthur Murray's Dance Party (1950–1960). [10] [11] She played Timmie Barnes in Too Young to Go Steady (1959), [11] : 1096  Mary Gentry in Tom, Dick and Mary (1964–1965), [11] : 1092  Marie Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977), [11] : 662  Peggy Wilson on Love Thy Neighbor (1973), [11] : 631  Lois on It's a Man's World (1962–1963), [11] : 515  Marsha Patterson on The Bill Cosby Show (1969–1971), [11] : 106  Marjorie Martin on Big John, Little John (1976–1977), [11] : 102  and Alice Wurlitzer on The Bad News Bears (1979–1980). [11] : 69  She was heard as the voice of Queen Vanda on the syndicated cartoon series Sport Billy (1982). [11] : 1006 

Guest appearances

Bulifant guest-starred as Jessica in Tales of Wells Fargo, episode "Fraud," in 1961, in addition to episodes of Channing ; 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 ; and The Donald O'Connor Show .

She played an intended murder victim in a 1961 episode of Boris Karloff's Thriller (episode: "An Attractive Family"). [7]

She starred opposite her future husband, Roger Perry, in a 1962 pilot for General Electric Theater called "The First Hundred Years" [12] and with Eva Le Galliene in The Play of the Week 's Thérèse Raquin . She played Jenny Logan, the incorruptible wife of Tom Logan, played by Frank Aletter, both of whom were being tempted by Mr. Lucifer, played by Fred Astaire, and Mr. Lucifer's assistant, Iris Hecate, played by Elizabeth Montgomery, in "Mr. Lucifer," a 1962 episode of Alcoa Presents.

She played innocent defendant Nancy Banks in the Perry Mason 1964 episode "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands," the second of two appearances on that show.

She played Miriam Willoughby on Flo and David Spade's mother on Just Shoot Me!

From 1994 to 1997, she played Emily Wallace, the mother of her real-life son John Asher's character in Weird Science .

Television movies

Bulifant appeared in Hanging by a Thread , Better Late Than Never , Little Women, Charley's Aunt, and The Shining. [13] [14] [15]

Game shows

Bulifant appeared as a frequent guest on game shows including Name That Tune , Password , Match Game , Crosswits, Tattletales , To Tell the Truth , $25,000 Pyramid , and Decisions Decisions, along with David Letterman. [16]

The Brady Bunch

Bulifant was the original choice for the role of Carol Brady on ABC's The Brady Bunch , but the part ultimately went to Florence Henderson. [17]

Film

Bulifant's most popular film roles were as Rosemary in the Disney live-action feature The Happiest Millionaire , in which she sang "Bye-Yum Pum Pum," and in the 1980 comedy Airplane! [18]

She has twice been directed by her son, John Asher, in Diamonds and Tooken, and appeared in a comedic short, The Haircut , opposite John Cassavetes. [19]

Recognition

Bulifant received a Theatre World Award for 1961–1962 for her performance in Whisper to Me. [20]

In 2014, she and her husband Roger Perry were honored with a Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California. [21]

Personal life

Bulifant has been married five times:

Bulifant has a grandson, Evan Joseph Asher, from her son John's marriage to Jenny McCarthy.[ citation needed ]

Advocacy

Bulifant discovered she had dyslexia in her 40s [25] and has served as a longtime advocate for dyslexia research, including writing two musicals on the subject, Gifts of Greatness and Different Heroes, Different Dreams. Recipients of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, which Bulifant founded to recognize dyslexics who've made a positive contribution to society, include Stephen J. Cannell and Whoopi 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-profit Childhelp, including serving as a Celebrity Ambassador and as a vice-president on the National Board of Directors. [28] [29]

She also advocates for autism research. [9]

Her memoir, My Four Hollywood Husbands, details the alcoholism of four of her spouses and her recovery from codependent relationships. [18]

Filmography

Theatre

YearTitleCharacterNotesref
1959Tall StoryNancy
 [3]
1967The Paisley ConvertibleAmy RodgersUnderstudies: Richard Hoffman (Charlie Rodgers, Ralph Keppleman), Jen Nelson (Meg Tynan) and Mary Rausch (Amy Rodgers, Sylvia Greer) [3]

Film

YearTitleCharacterNotesref
1967 The Happiest Millionaire Rosemary Musical film starring Fred MacMurray and based upon the true story of Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle. [30]
1980 Airplane! Mrs. DavisTitled as Flying High! in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and the Philippines [31]
1999 Diamonds JuneAmerican comedy film directed by her son, Asher and written by Allan Aaron Katz.
2005 Dirty Love MaryWritten by and starring Jenny McCarthy and directed by her son, Asher.
2010WreckageDeputy Priest
2015 Tooken Edna Millers
2019I Hate KidsBetty Bartlett

Television

YearTitleCharacterNotesref
1961 The Play of the Week Episode: "Therese Raquin" (S 2:Ep 24)
Naked City Connie HackerEpisode: "Take and Put" (S 2:Ep 32)
1962 Thriller Jinny WillisEpisode: "An Attractive Family" (S 2: Ep15)
General Electric Theater Connie DuncanEpisode: "The First Hundred Years" (S 10:Ep 34)
Alcoa Premiere Jenny LoganEpisode: "Mr. Lucifer" (S 2:Ep 5)
Gunsmoke EllieEpisode: "Uncle Sunday" (S 8:Ep 14)
1963 My Three Sons Rebecca HollyEpisode: "Flashback" (S 3:Ep 19)
Empire Betty WormserEpisode: "The Tiger Inside" (S 1:Ep 20)
Perry Mason Hollis WilburnEpisode: "The Case of the Surplus Suitor" (S 6:ep 19)
The Real McCoys BarbaraEpisode: "The Peacemakers" (S 6:Ep 36)
McHale's Navy Lt. Georgianna ComstockEpisode: "Today I Am a Man!" (S 2:Ep 7)
1964 The Virginian Nancy MayhewEpisode: "Roar from the Mountain" (S 2:Ep 16)
Perry MasonNancy BanksEpisode: "The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands" (S 7:Ep 16)
Arrest and Trial AliceEpisode: "A Roll of the Dice" (S 1:Ep 22)
Destry Sheba HannibalEpisode: "Go Away, Little Sheba" (S 1:Ep 7)
Wagon Train JulieEpisode: "The Michael Malone Story" (S 7:Ep 16)
1964–65 Tom, Dick and Mary Mary GentryPart of the umbrella title of a short-lived NBC experiment comprising three situation comedies set in a Southern California apartment complex located at the 90 Bristol Court address.
1966 Dr. Kildare Judy Cannon Recurring
1968 The Woody Woodbury Show HerselfEpisodes:
  • "February 20, 1968" (S 1:Ep 127)
  • "July 2, 1968" (S 1:Ep 223)
1969 Lancer CassieEpisode: "Angel Day And Her Sunshine Girls" (S 1:Ep 19)
1969–71 The Bill Cosby Show Mrs. PattersonMain cast [32]
1970 Bonanza BonnieEpisode: "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 HerselfSemi-regular panelist
1974 Tattletales HerselfEpisode: "March 18, 1974" (S 1:Ep 5)
The Michele Lee Show Gladys Gooch
  • Pilot (S 1:Ep 1)
  • Only the pilot episode was aired and the series did not proceed on CBS.
Sierra ShirleyEpisode: "Taking Cody Winslow" (S 1:Ep 3)
Police Woman Peggy LakesEpisode: "Warning: All Wives..." (S 1:Ep 3)
1975–77 Match Game PM HerselfSemi-Regular Panelist
1976 Police Story Katie PardnalesEpisode: "Monster Manor" (S 4:Ep 8)
1976 Big John, Little John Marjorie MartinRecurring
1977 $20,000 Pyramid HerselfEpisode: "Joyce Bulifant & David Doyle" (S 6:Ep 11)
Three's Company Mrs. CrossEpisode: "Chrissy's Date" (S 2:Ep 5)
1978$20,000 PyramidHerselfEpisode: "Joyce Bulifant & Ron Glass" (S 6:Ep 26)
Alice Connie RaymondEpisode: "Who Ordered the Hot Turkey?" (S 3:Ep 9)
1979 Turnabout 9-months-expectant motherEpisode: "We're a Little Late, Folks" (S 1:Ep 3)
The Bad News Bears AliceEpisodes:
  • "Three's a Crowd" (S 1:Ep 9)
  • "Wedding Bells, part 1" (S 2: Ep 2)
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 HerselfCelebrity guest
1980–81 Flo Miriam Willoughby Spin-off of Alice . [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 MargaretEpisode: "Teacher, Teacher" (S 7:Ep 4)
1987 American Playhouse Miss DelahayEpisode: "Charley's Aunt" (S 6:Ep 14)
1994–97 Weird Science Emily Wallace Recurring
1999 E! True Hollywood Story HerselfEpisode: "The Brady Bunch" (S 3:Ep 21)
2001 Just Shoot Me! Fantasia 'Fanny' Olivia FinchEpisode: "Fanny Finch" (S 5:Ep19)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ancestry Library Edition". search.ancestrylibrary.com.
  2. ↑ "In Conversation With Actress and Author Joyce Bulifant". www.bookpleasures.com. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Joyce Bulifant". IBDB . Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  4. ↑ "("Joyce Bulifant" search results)". Playbill Vault. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  5. ↑ "The 'Glad Tidings': Diana's Tops, in Barrymore Tradition". www.newspapers.com. July 23, 1957. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  6. ↑ Muir, Helen (August 8, 1960). "Gypsy Rose Blossoms Out as Witty 'Auntie Mame'". www.newspapers.com. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "MacArthurs Are Costars First Time in Mall Play". www.newspapers.com. October 23, 1961. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  8. ↑ Beuck, Jules E.; Botkin-Beuck, Rose (June 4, 2008). "Life journeys bound in the Inland Empire". Highland Community News. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  9. 1 2 "The Crowd: Joyce Bulifant to have one-woman show at Balboa Bay Club". Daily Pilot. September 12, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  10. ↑ Winchell, Walter (November 8, 1958). "Walter Winchell". Kingsport News. Tennessee, Kingsport. p. 4.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN   978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 59.
  12. ↑ "Sunday's Previews". www.newspapers.com. May 26, 1962. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Hanging by a Thread (1979)". BFI. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Better Late than Never (1979)". BFI. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ "AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE: CHARLEY'S AUNT (TV)". www.paleycenter.org. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  16. ↑ "David Letterman on Decisions Decisions, Dec. 1978 or Jan. 1979". YouTube. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  17. ↑ 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. ISBN   978-0762441648 . Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  18. 1 2 "TINSELTOWN TALKS: Joyce Bulifant recounts her life and career in "My Four Hollywood Husbands."". news-sentinel.com/. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  19. ↑ Thomas, Nick. "Joyce Bulifant recounts Hollywood Ups and Downs". The Spectrum. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Theatre World Award Recipients". Theatre World Awards. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  21. ↑ Palm Springs Walk of Stars official website, archive.org; accessed August 15, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Blissful Bride, Groom". Independent. California, Long Beach. Associated Press. November 3, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  23. ↑ "TINSELTOWN TALKS: Joyce Bulifant recounts her life and career in "My Four Hollywood Husbands."".
  24. ↑ McNary, Dave (July 13, 2018). "Roger Perry, 'Star Trek' and 'Harrigan and Son' Actor, Dies at 85". Variety. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  25. ↑ Newkirk, Barrett (February 16, 2016). "Dyslexia: 'Mary Tyler Moore' actress says the arts help". The Desert Sun. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  26. ↑ Click, Carrie (November 19, 2002). "Actress plays leading role in battle against dyslexia". postindependent.com. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Foundation News | The Dyslexia Foundation" . Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Celebrity Ambassadors". Childhelp. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008.
  29. ↑ "Childhelp, Inc". JustGive.org. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  30. ↑ Holliss, Richard; Brian Sibley (1988). The Disney Studio Story. London: Octopus Books Limited. p. 202. ISBN   0-517-57078-5.
  31. ↑ "Life of Brian named best comedy". BBC News . Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  32. ↑ Lambert, David. "The Bill Cosby Show - Budget-Priced 2-DVD Set with 'The Best of Season 1'". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  33. ↑ Lambert, David. "Flo - Warner Archive Kisses Your Grits; Schedules Complete Series for Tuesday!". tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
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