# Frances Bavier aka "Aunt Bea" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 17, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939 "2012-09-17T04:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/21 "2012-09-18T03:56:19Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > …Re: other pains in the rear on TV shows. Supposedly Tina Louise was very difficult on the set of “Gilligan’s Island” and of course we’ve all heard the stories of Robert Reed’s behavior when “The Brady Bunch” was filming. Lucille Ball had a reputation as a bitch offscreen and could be very difficult to work with. She’d rehearse everything to death and often made the director shoot take after take after take until she felt a stunt went right. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/22 "2012-09-18T04:01:40Z")
Well the winner in the difficult TV series actor would be Valerie Harper. She got kicked off her own show. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/23 "2012-09-18T13:31:27Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > Re: Gary Burghoff. As I recall the phrase on the set of MASH was, “Everybody loved Radar, but NOBODY liked Gary Burghoff.” > > Re: Ron Palillo. I never heard that about him; Ditto for Sarah Michelle Gellar; any details? > > Re: other pains in the rear on TV shows. Supposedly Tina Louise was very difficult on the set of “Gilligan’s Island” and of course we’ve all heard the stories of Robert Reed’s behavior when “The Brady Bunch” was filming. Re: Ron Palillo, I’m going by [Mark Evanier’s](http://www.newsfromme.com) blog entry from the day Palillo died. Evanier was one of **Kotter** ’s writers: > [@](#): > > Ron played Arnold Horshack, the goofiest of Mr. Kotter’s “Sweathogs” and viewers loved him. The writers on the show did not as Ron was often abrasive and he had (we thought) a tendency to look at every line and ask the question, “How can I take the maximum amount of time and get the maximum amount of attention for saying this?” The shows always ran long so we were always looking for cuts and Ron did not help. If we sliced a long speech of his in half, he would somehow manage to make the remaining half take even longer than the whole. In his defense, you have to remember this: The audiences — at least the ones who came to our tapings — laughed whenever he opened his mouth. They practically gave him a standing o’ when he opened it to shout, “Oooh! Oooh!” > > He was certainly a major factor in that show’s popularity but I did not get along well with the guy…then. Later though, our paths crossed when I was writing for Hanna-Barbera and he was in to do occasional voice work. We had one nice conversation when he apologized for things he’d said and done. I told him I understood but I’m not altogether certain I really did. And then our paths never crossed again. > > He did not get a lot of work as an actor, post-Kotter. I can’t explain why that was since he was really good in front of a camera. I heard he was on a soap opera for a time…that he had some plastic surgery…that he was doing some teaching and some painting…and this morning, that he’d left us. I did not like the guy I worked with on Welcome Back, Kotter but I have nothing but warm thoughts about the Ron Palillo in the Hanna-Barbera waiting room. I’d like to think that was the real person. As for SMG, there were just lots of reports of diva behavior. When one cast member had a mother in the hospital and other people were trying to be of comfort, Gellar said something like “Can we hurry this up? I have a hair appointment.” Granted, everyone on that show had a financial stake in Buffy looking like a million bucks, but… No cites, as this was over a decade ago in print media. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/24 "2012-09-18T13:56:11Z")
IIRC, There were not many tears shed when Shelley Long left _Cheers_. I liked the character of Aunt Bee. The episode about her “kerosene cucumbers” was one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/25 "2012-09-18T13:59:01Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Re: Ron Palillo, I’m going by [Mark Evanier’s](http://www.newsfromme.com) blog entry from the day Palillo died. Evanier was one of **Kotter** ’s writers: I don’t think writer’s complaints are fair. Those guys hate anyone who doesn’t blow them. If the director, producer, and fellow cast members don’t have a problem, the actor is just fine. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/26 "2012-09-18T16:51:57Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > Re: Gary Burghoff. As I recall the phrase on the set of MASH was, “Everybody loved Radar, but NOBODY liked Gary Burghoff.” > > Re: Ron Palillo. I never heard that about him; Ditto for Sarah Michelle Gellar; any details? > > Re: other pains in the rear on TV shows. Supposedly Tina Louise was very difficult on the set of “Gilligan’s Island” and of course we’ve all heard the stories of Robert Reed’s behavior when “The Brady Bunch” was filming. When I taught college, I had the pleasure of having both the daughter of Gary Burghoff and his ex wife enrolled in my classes. The daughter was definitely the daughter of Gary…looked just liked him but in a very cute way. However, never mention it to her. His daughter HATED him and I don’t mean in a strongly dislike way. I mean HATE. Guess he was a terrible father. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/27 "2012-09-18T18:53:56Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > Re: other pains in the rear on TV shows. Supposedly Tina Louise was very difficult on the set of “Gilligan’s Island” and of course we’ve all heard the stories of Robert Reed’s behavior when “The Brady Bunch” was filming. Now, I would say just the opposite as I’d heard about Tina Louise but never heard anything about Robert Reed. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/28 "2012-09-18T19:01:52Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Now, I would say just the opposite as I’d heard about Tina Louise but never heard anything about Robert Reed. There’s an interview with Sherwood Schwartz (creator of both “Gilligan’s Island” and “Brady Bunch”) on YouTube. He talks quite a bit about Reed and what a pain in the ass he was to work with. As I recall, Reed was written out of the series’ finale, and was quite surprised when they wanted him back for the revival. He talks about Tina too, but most of the things I’ve heard about her come from Bob Denver’s memoirs. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/29 "2012-09-18T19:07:32Z")
Some interesting information about Frances Bavier [here](http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/b/Frances%20Bavier/frances_bavier.htm). Apparently she was a Crazy Old Cat Lady ™. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/30 "2012-09-18T19:24:54Z")
Gary Burghoff was on _Match Game_ for several weeks around the time _M_A_S_H\* was getting big, and those episodes are almost unwatchable. By the time Charles returns from his absence, I am ready to reach back through time and stab Burghoff to death with his Marks-a-Lot. ---
**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:** [September 18, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/31 "2012-09-18T20:28:31Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Some interesting information about Frances Bavier [here](http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/b/Frances%20Bavier/frances_bavier.htm). Apparently she was a Crazy Old Cat Lady ™. Some additional info I found: She had and older brother (b. @1898) and one sister (b. @1893). Her mom died in 1920, and her father shortly thereafter. [This death notice](http://books.google.com/books?id=wuQBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=charles+bavier+died&source=bl&ots=Ev5rjbP3Gf&sig=jr1_xtSujAQ21xeCezqTBcyOWXA&hl=en#v=onepage&q=charles%20bavier%20died&f=false) is almost certainly her dad. Her sister apparently died in 1959, a spinster. Her brother, if I have the right person, did marry and had one daughter, who–if she’s still living–would be in her 70s. I’ll leave it to others to check on that to track her down to see whether she has any personal recollections of her Aunt Frances. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/32 "2012-09-18T21:04:45Z")
I dont know about FB, but try to find someone in Wlmington, NC who has the first nice thing to say about Andy Griffith. ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/33 "2012-09-18T22:21:58Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Aunt Bee. Please explain. Her name was Beatrice, so wouldn’t it be Aunt Bea? ---
**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:** [September 18, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/34 "2012-09-18T22:44:54Z")
> [@hermann](#): > > Please explain. Her name was Beatrice, so wouldn’t it be Aunt Bea? It would have been if that had been the way they spelled it in the script, but they didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/35 "2012-09-19T00:12:12Z")
> [@hermann](#): > > Please explain. Her name was Beatrice, so wouldn’t it be Aunt Bea? [FAQ #1](http://www.tagsrwc.com/faq/index.php?cat=11#a28) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/36 "2012-09-19T00:20:19Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Actually I heard just the opposite about Ron Palillo. I have never seen a single ill word about him. By all accounts, he was just a plain nice guy. Quite a few years ago I dealt with his sister on a professional basis. She was a total wackjob. I have not heard about her in years. She must have moved out of town. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/37 "2012-09-19T03:42:03Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I don’t think writer’s complaints are fair. Those guys hate anyone who doesn’t blow them. If the director, producer, and fellow cast members don’t have a problem, the actor is just fine. That’s a fair assessment in principle, but (A) Evanier doesn’t have a reputation for slamming everyone he works with; look at a few weeks’ worth of his website and you’ll see what I mean. And (B) for such a high-profile character actor, Palillo didn’t get much work subsequent to **Kotter**. If the director, producer, and fellow cast members don’t have a problem, this would be inexplicable. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/38 "2012-09-19T04:05:47Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > He talks quite a bit about Reed and what a pain in the ass he was to work with. However I seem to recall he got along tolerably well with his co-workers. Apparently one of the biggest complaints by the producers was that Reed was effective in getting the kids on his side during disputes. It was management he fought with, not everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/39 "2012-09-19T11:47:41Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > And (B) for such a high-profile character actor, Palillo didn’t get much work subsequent to **Kotter**. If the director, producer, and fellow cast members don’t have a problem, this would be inexplicable. I can think of about a dozen other people who were well thought of as sitcom character actors, but who got very little other work due to being typecast. Michael Richards and Wayne Knight from Seinfeld are examples. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939/40 "2012-09-19T16:14:13Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I can think of about a dozen other people who were well thought of as sitcom character actors, but who got very little other work due to being typecast. Michael Richards and Wayne Knight from Seinfeld are examples. Wayne Knight has his own sitcom right now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frances-bavier-aka-aunt-bea/634939.md?page=3)