# Can you id this actress/TV program? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750 "2009-12-28T00:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/1 "2009-12-28T00:48:36Z")
Here’s a [youtube montage](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv5UX7H_YPs&feature=channel) of outtakes and bloopers from some various TV programs. At 1:50 or so, the young lady with Charley Weaver forgets her lines and just starts saying "Fuck, fuck fuck. . . " I don’t have a good feel for the actress, but, while this particular clip probably never made it to prime time, it’s one of the earlier occurrences of the word trapped on celluloid (or kinescope, or whatever). It’s also a rare sighting of Cliff Arquette out of his Charley Weaver character. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/2 "2009-12-28T01:23:08Z")
NO idea who she is, but Weaver’s comeback to her threat is priceless! ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/3 "2009-12-28T02:02:21Z")
I think it is Kay Medford who played Fanny Brice’s mother in Funny Girl. I cannot find any really clear picture of her online; but the voice sounds like her. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/4 "2009-12-28T02:07:18Z")
Could it be Gwen Verdon? A google search for Arquette and Verdon brings up [this link to an episode of the Jonathan Winters show in 1968](http://www.tv.com/the-jonathan-winters-show/show/1059/episode.html), but the episode description doesn’t mention a skit with the two of them. Too bad the clip isn’t in color. Verdon’s red hair might cinch it. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/5 "2009-12-28T03:52:35Z")
Pretty sure that’s not [Gwen Verdon](http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/178265.jpg). She would’ve been much younger in the 1950s and facially she really doesn’t resemble her much. I think [Kay Medford](http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/photos/kmedford.jpg) is a _very_ good guess. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/6 "2009-12-28T04:00:09Z")
Absolutely not Gwen Verdon; wrong face, wrong voice. My money’s on Kay Medford. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/7 "2009-12-28T04:10:35Z")
[Kay Medford’s IMDB listing](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0575552/) only gives one TV variety show listing in the 50’s, an appearance on Toast of the Town in 1957. That episode of TotT doesn’t list Cliff Arquette as a guest. It’s hard to tell from that clip how old the woman is. Her voice isn’t particularly young. I’m still thinking Gwen Verdon’s a possibility. She was born in 1914, so would have been age 36+ in the 50’s. And she did appear with Arquette on a variety show in the 50’s. ETA: Never mind. The Winters show was in the 60’s. Do’h! ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/8 "2009-12-28T14:37:33Z")
Shelly Winters? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/9 "2009-12-28T14:56:45Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s not Shelley. The voice isn’t quite right. I looked for a video that would give a good example of Shelley’s voice. Found [a clip from when she was on What’s My Line?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN_DPFkopJw). It’s hard to tell from the clip, but Shelley’s voice was kinda screechy when she spoke loudly, and kinda husky when she was quiet. ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/10 "2009-12-28T15:37:28Z")
how about Estelle Parsons from Bonnie and Clyde fame? [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCGPPjrSHOU) ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/11 "2009-12-28T16:42:19Z")
If it’s not too much of a hijack, does anyone know what the very last clip is from, and what the hell it was doing on NBC in the '50s? ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/12 "2009-12-28T17:25:29Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > If it’s not too much of a hijack, does anyone know what the very last clip is from, and what the hell it was doing on NBC in the '50s? IMO The actor is Jose Ferrer. Perhaps it is a clip form “Your Show of Shows.” ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/13 "2009-12-28T17:27:46Z")
I’m wondering what **any** of it was doing on TV. The clip with Cliff Arquette was funny but the rest of it was “What was that?” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/14 "2009-12-28T17:53:52Z")
Now I’m thinking Estelle Parsons. When she says “You know what I’m going to do for you?” she sounds like Roseanne’s mother. And the jaw line and nose are close. Yeah, some of those clips are . . . strange. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/15 "2009-12-28T18:46:21Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Yeah, some of those clips are . . . strange. “Now you see it. Now you don’t!” :dubious: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/16 "2009-12-28T18:48:25Z")
IMDB for Estelle Parsons has just one TV listing in the 1950’s – she was “the Today Girl” one time in 1954. Then nothing on TV until 1963. ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/17 "2009-12-28T20:08:00Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Yeah, some of those clips are . . . strange. Yeah, Jack Paar should have had THAT joke censored. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/18 "2009-12-28T20:14:41Z")
Most of the clips were clearly never intended for public broadcast. Some are outtakes or bloopers. The voice-over for the exercise demo was probably recorded for a gag reel that would have been shown at a private event. (No, fellas, those aren’t real plants.) The latrine joke may have been part of an audience warm-up. What puzzled me about the last clip is that it seems to have been deliberately produced for a sketch/variety show and yet it’s more overtly sexual (even before the actor climbs on top of the actress) than I would expect from a '50s TV sketch. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/19 "2009-12-28T20:44:43Z")
Erm… is anyone actually looking at the woman’s _face_? I mean… Estelle Parsons? Gwen Verdon? Why not guess Hattie MacDaniel while you’re at it? 🙂 Now, Shelley Winters looks a bit more right (in that era she was quite the bombshell), but vocally it’s not a match, except some of the higher-pitched whiny stuff right at the beginning. Winters’ voice is _very_ recognizable. Plus she has a slight Brooklyn accent that’s not in evidence here. ---
**Author:** ![Zen\_Postman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4da419/32.png) [@Zen\_Postman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zen_Postman)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750/20 "2009-12-29T00:36:34Z")
> [@CT\_Damsel](#): > > I think it is Kay Medford who played Fanny Brice’s mother in Funny Girl. I cannot find any really clear picture of her online; but the voice sounds like her. [Here you go.](http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6433) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-actress-tv-program/522750.md?page=2)