Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker | |
---|---|
Born | Anna Myrtle Swoyer May 10, 1922 |
Died | March 25, 1992 Studio City, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 69)
Other names | Nan Barto |
Occupation(s) | Actress, director |
Years active | 1937–1992 |
Spouses | Gar Moore
(m. 1948; div. 1949)David Craig (m. 1951) |
Children | 1 |
Parent |
|
Nancy Walker (born Anna Myrtle Swoyer;[note 1][citation needed] May 10, 1922[citation needed] – March 25, 1992) was an American actress and comedian of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director (lending her talents to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, on which she also made several guest appearances). During her five-decade-long career, she may be best remembered for her long-running roles as Mildred on McMillan & Wife and Ida Morgenstern, who first appeared on several episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later became a prominent recurring character on the spinoff series Rhoda.
Acting career
In 1937, as "Nan Barto", Walker appeared on the
She continued acting throughout the 1940s and 1950s, originating the roles of Hildy Eszterhazy ("I Can Cook, Too!") in
Walker also starred in the short-lived Broadway musical comedy Copper and Brass in 1957, and appeared in the 1958 New York City Center production of Wonderful Town. For the early 1970s revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, she appeared again opposite Silvers, playing the character of Domina. Owing to her television contractual responsibilities, she was unable to transfer with the show to Broadway. Her musical appearances led to record releases, including I Hate Men (1959; with Sid Bass and his orchestra, featuring such show tunes as "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair", and "You Irritate Me So"); the cover featured Walker humorously sticking male dolls with pins.[2]
Dozens of television guest appearances and recurring roles followed, providing her with steady work. Her career spanned five decades and included comedies, dramas, and television variety shows such as Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town, The Garry Moore Show, and The Carol Burnett Show.
In the 1960–61 television season, she appeared in two episodes of NBC's The Tab Hunter Show. In 1970, she secured a recurring role as Emily, the housekeeper, on the television series Family Affair, which starred Brian Keith. After five seasons, though, the ratings of Family Affair had plummeted opposite NBC's popular The Flip Wilson Show, and the series was canceled at the end of that season.[citation needed]
In 1970, she also made her first appearance playing Ida Morgenstern, the mother of Valerie Harper's character Rhoda Morgenstern on the first season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The role proved to be ideal for her. The episode that introduced her character, "Support Your Local Mother", was so well received that it won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing Achievement in a Comedy Series for James L. Brooks and Allan Burns. Walker thereafter became an annual guest star on the show for the next three years. When the MTM spinoff series Rhoda premiered in 1974, Walker was a regular cast member in 41 episodes.[citation needed]
From 1971 to 1976, she was a regular on the successful
Before she filmed the first episode of the series, Walker made her only appearance on Rhoda for the 1976–77 season. In the season premiere, "The Separation", Rhoda (Valerie Harper) and her husband Joe (David Groh) decide to separate. Rhoda tries to keep the news from her mother Ida (Walker), since Ida is about to embark on a year-long trip across America with Rhoda's father (Harold Gould). Ida learns the truth from Rhoda prior to Ida's departure.
In "The Love Boat" S2 E15 "Home Sweet Home" she played Mrs. Waterhouse, who plans to move on to the ship for 5 years to spend time near Charles Fletcher (played by Abe Vigoda). It aired 1/19/1979.
One of Walker's last major film roles was in the 1976 all-star comedy spoof
In 1990, Walker began starring on the Fox sitcom True Colors as Sara Bower, the outspoken mother of Ellen Davis Freeman (Stephanie Faracy), who moves into Ellen's household despite having objections to her daughter's interracial marriage. In 1990, Walker appeared as herself in the Columbo episode "Uneasy Lies the Crown".[citation needed]
Directing career
Walker had guest starred as Rhoda's mother
In 1980, Walker made her feature-film directorial debut, directing
Death
Walker died of lung cancer on March 25, 1992, at age 69, in
Personal life
Walker was married twice. Her first husband was Gar Moore, whom she wed on August 1, 1948. They divorced within 10 months. She remarried, to musical theater teacher David Craig on January 29, 1951. Craig died in 1998 at the age of 75 from lung cancer.[8]
Walker was also a close friend of actor Montgomery Clift. Biographer Patricia Bosworth stated the two first met in 1948, but did not become good friends until 10 years later, after Clift's disfiguring car accident. Bosworth adds that Walker would sustain him as his dearest friend for the rest of his life; their relationship was one of mutual support – whereas most of Clift's friends assumed he needed to be looked after, or else left alone, Walker stated, "he needed to be needed", adding "I liked his face better after the accident; his strength shone through." Clift nicknamed friends for whom he felt particular affection, and he called Walker "Nanny".[9]
Walker was a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.[10]
Filmography
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1943 | Best Foot Forward |
Nancy – Blind Date | |
1943 | Girl Crazy | Polly Williams | |
1944 | Broadway Rhythm | Trixie Simpson | |
1954 | Lucky Me | Flo Neely | |
1972 | Stand Up and Be Counted | Agnes | |
1973 | The World's Greatest Athlete | Mrs. Petersen | |
1973 | 40 Carats | Mrs. Margie Margolin | |
1975 | Death Scream | Mrs. Jacobs | |
1976 | Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Mrs. Fromberg | |
1976 | Murder by Death | Maid | |
Television | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1959 | The World of Sholom Aleichem | Wife | Play of the Week "Tale of Chelm" |
1959–1964 | The Garry Moore Show | Herself | Regular guest star (13 episodes) |
1960 | The Tab Hunter Show | Buddy Parker | Episode: "I Love a Marine" |
1970–1971 | Family Affair | Emily Turner | Recurring role (6 episodes) |
1971–1974 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Ida Morgenstern | Recurring role (4 episodes) |
1971–1976 | McMillan & Wife | Mildred | Main cast (32 episodes) |
1972 | Bridget Loves Bernie | Aunt Ruthie | Episode: "The Little White Lie That Grew" |
1973 | The Partridge Family | Mrs. Applebaum | Episode: "Aspirin at 7, dinner at 8" |
1974 | Thursday's Game | Mrs. Bender | Television film |
1974–1978 | Rhoda | Ida Morgenstern | Main cast (42 episodes) |
1976–1977 | The Nancy Walker Show | Nancy Kitteridge | Main role (13 episodes) |
1977 | Blansky's Beauties | Nancy Blansky | Main role (13 episodes) |
1978 | Fantasy Island | Mumsy | Episode: "The Common Man" |
1982 | Trapper John, M.D. | Harriett Krieger | Episode: "42" |
1987 | The Golden Girls | Angela | Recurring role (2 episodes) |
1987–1988 | Mama's Boy | Molly McCaskey | Main role (6 episodes) |
1989 | Newhart | Aunt Louise | Episode: "Attack of the Killer Aunt" |
1990 | Columbo | Herself | Episode: " Uneasy Lies the Crown "
|
1990–1992 | True Colors | Sara Bower | Main cast (46 episodes) |
Stage/musical theatre work
- Best Foot Forward (1941)
- On the Town (1944–1946)
- Barefoot Boy with Cheek (1947)
- Look Ma, I'm Dancin'! (1948)
- Along Fifth Avenue (1949)
- The Roaring Girl (1951)
- Pal Joey (1952; succeeding Helen Gallagher)
- Phoenix '55 (1955)
- Fallen Angels (1956; 1966)
- Desk Set (1957)
- Copper and Brass (1957)
- Wonderful Town (1958)
- The Girls Against the Boys (1959)
- Do Re Mi (1960–1962)
- Everybody Loves Opal (1962)
- Folies Bergère (1964)
- UTBU (1966) (as director)
- Luv (1967)
- The Cherry Orchard (1968)
- The Cocktail Party (1968)
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1971)
- Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (1973)
Notes
- ^ Often mistranscribed as "Smoyer"
References
- ^ Delaney, Betsy Marks (June 25, 2013). "Little Theatre of Alexandria Twentieth Century". ShowBizRadio. ShowBiz Theater Network LLC. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ISBN 978-0786453757.
- ISBN 9781591391470. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
- ^ "Nancy Walker, 69, of 'Rhoda' And Paper-Towel Commercials". The New York Times. March 26, 1992. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
- ^ a b "Nancy Walker: Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
- ^ "Feisty Nancy Walker loses long battle with cancer". UPI. 25 March 1992. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
- ^ "David Craig, 75, Singing Instructor". The New York Times. September 5, 1998. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
- ISBN 978-1453245019.
- ^ Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
Sources
Thomas S. Hischak. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: theatre, film, and television (June 2008), Oxford University Press, USA (
"Betty Lou Swoyer, aka Betty Lou Barto" https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/betty-lou-swoyer-aka-betty-lou-barto-24-rdl1c1. Ancestry.com 2022.
External links
- Nancy Walker at IMDb
- Nancy Walker at the Internet Broadway Database
- Nancy Walker at the TCM Movie Database
- Nancy Walker at AllMovie