She filled in for Alice as Gladys Kravitz during the 2nd season when Alice got sick.
What do you think of her working with Sandra? I know she went on to Green Acres but I liked the way she handled the role.
While I'm here, and don't think it rates a topic, why did Darrin or Sam ever need to sleep on the couch? They had a spare bedroom.
You must be psychic!! Just two nights ago, I watched "A Nice Little Dinner Party," the first episode (I believe) in
which Sam zaps Darrin onto the couch (for a minor reason, btw - both had admitted that Endora created problems
and that "it was a mistake to bring our parents together"). For the first time - ever- I thought, 'don't they have
a guest room???' And, later, Frank admits that HE slept on the couch because Phyllis was angry when he came
home late from the theater with Endora. Again, no guest room?
I think it initially works because Sam isn't just zapping him out of the bed - she's zapping him off of the second
floor AND into discomfort. But why does Darrin always STAY on the couch all night? Maybe he's afraid?
I never cared for Mary Grace Canfield. While she was a hoot on "Green Acres" (possibly TV's first lesbian
character?), I found her awkward on BW. She was obviously just reciting lines written for Pearce ("but Abner
never believes Alice. But YOU believer her (me) don't you?" Yeah, awkward. BTW, Canfield played the
role during Pearce's final days, AND after her death.
Gould made the role her own, and like her or not (I know many don't), she played Gladys with her own zip.
Gee, never thought about "sleeping on the couch" when they had a spare bedroom! Yeah that would've made a lot more sense. I seem to recall a very early episode when Samantha zapped Darrin onto the couch after an argument. I think the idea was that the husband was supposed to suffer by having an uncomfortable night on the sofa.
Mary Grace Canfield? Well she filled in as Abner's sister, not Gladys. Alice Pierce had been diagnosed with cancer before she got the role of Gladys Kravitz. Amazing how she was able to play the role even though she was so ill.
Miss Canfield's role was obviously a last minute fill in until they found a new Mrs. Kravitz. She wasn't given very much to do with the role. I did like her as Ralph Monroe on Green Acres. I doubt if the character was a lesbian though, a tomboy perhaps, she wore those baggy work coveralls, no make-up and did a traditionally masculine job as a carpenter. But Ralph was so in love with the country clerk, Hank Kimball. I think they finally had a date in one of the episodes.
Not too long ago I saw an Andy Griffith episode where Mary Grace Canfield played a visiting cousin of Thelma Lou. THey arranged a date for her with Gomer. She wore a very feminine dress in that episode and I couldn't help but notice was a great figure she had. Those baggy work clothes of Ralph Monroe covered up a very nice figure!
Depends on how you look at it. Today, Ralph would definitely be considered a comic "gay" character, just as
Uncle Arthur would. But in those days, even HE was supposed to be straight (in his last appearance - a truly
fun episode - he is engaged and in LUST with Aretha).
I worded that badly. I meant as a Gladys filler till they found a new actress, not that she actually played Gladys.
shareThe couch bit actually occurred to me when Sam tried to sleep there because of Darrin's snoring.
I've been watching from the beginning and at the end of season 2.
I think that snoring teaser is one of those weak ones that has zero to do with the main plot (isn't it the teaser for the return of Charlie Leach? Funny two-parter, but here, it's only a so-so ep in which Endora turns a female client into a cat. Pretty hum-drum).
shareYes, I just watched that episode last night! Been going through season two. I haven't watched it for a while. I cannot believe that I didn't even remember that episode. Interesting though the connection between women and cats on the show. There was a woman/cat in the first season at a party. Was she a woman who was really a cat or vice versa? Darrin also thought Sam had turned herself into a Siamese cat to spy on him with a client.
Now with men, they went to the dogs. LOL Sam turned a client of Darrin's who "pawed" her into a dog in season one. A young Richard Dreyfuss showed up in season two and turned himself into a dog so he could hang around Sam. I think there were a few other man and dog stories later.
Mary Grace Canfield was neither cat nor dog, just stuck with a difficult role as a fill in for Alice Pearce. Interesting how she is just as big a snoop as her sister-in-law and was quick to believe all the stories Gladys told her.
They say men marry women who remind them of their mothers. Seems like Abner married a woman who reminded him of his sister!
I like that comment about Abner mayying his sister. Makes me wonder if the mother was the same.
I personally liked Canfield in the role.