Barbara Perry (June 22, 1921 – May 5, 2019) was an American actress, singer and dancer who worked for 84 years in Hollywood and on Broadway.
Career Norfolk, Virginia-born Perry began her film career in 1933, when she appeared in Counsellor at Law. She also had a small part in The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 1935. She performed on Broadway in various productions, including playing Anna in Rumple in 1957. In 1950 she was Mrs. Larry in Happy as Larry on Broadway.
By the mid-1950s to the early-1960s, she had studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England, while performing opposite George Formby, Warde Donovan, and Sara Gregory in Zip Goes a Million at the Hippodrome and Palace Theatres, and upon her return to the USA had started appearing in numerous television series such as Perry Mason,The Donna Reed Show, The Andy Griffith Show, My Three Sons, and The Dick Van Dyke Show, where she played Buddy Sorrell's wife Pickles, before being replaced by Joan Shawlee.
In 1981, Perry wrote and performed in Passionate Ladies, a one-woman Broadway show at the Bijou Theatre. Her other Broadway plays included Swan Song (1946), If the Shoe Fits (1946), Happy as Larry (1950), and Rumple (1957). She also played Thelma Brockwood on The Hathaways. Perry's last known role was in the television series Baskets in 2017, meaning that her film/television career spanned extraordinary 84 years.
Personal life Perry was first married to Bennett Warren James, with whom she had a daughter, from 1953–1965. The union ended in divorce. Her second marriage was to animator Art Babbitt on April 14, 1967, in Hollywood, California, until his death in 1992. They had no children.
Death Barbara Perry died on May 5, 2019, in Los Angeles at the age of 97.
Filmography Film Year Film RoleNotes1933Counsellor at LawDorothy Dwight1935The Mystery of Edwin DroodSchoolgirlUncredited1944Hi, BeautifulSpecialty dancerUncredited1945An Angel Comes to BrooklynBarbara1949I Was a Male War BrideTall WAC1960From the TerraceBlondeUncredited1962Period of AdjustmentCherylynn AndersonUncredited1963Shock CorridorUncredited1964The Naked KissEdna1965MirageDr. Broden's ReceptionistUncredited1971ThiefMrs. Risman Television film1973TomJim's Mother1978Operation RoomTelevision film1980Marilyn: The Untold StoryTelevision film1983I Take These MenProfessor Ann BromfieldTelevision film1984TrancersMrs. Santa Claus1989Trust MeSevere Woman 1989TapMilly1989Wedding BandMargot 1990Polly Comin' Home!Mrs. Clayton1991Father of the BrideFemale Factory Worker1993Double DeceptionLil Paxton1997Just WriteMildred2007Mr. WoodcockOld Woman2010The Back-up PlanWedding Singer2011Let GoSweet Old Lady 2012The Tango SingerBertha Gardes2015Everybody Does ItGrandma2017The ExtraHerself
Television Year Title RoleNotes1948Rooftop RendezvousHerselfSeason 1, Ep. 51955The Pepsi-Cola PlayhouseHerself1 episode1957The Ed Sullivan ShowHerselfSeason 11, Ep. 121959The Thin ManBinky1 episode1959The Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpPhronsie LaTour1 episode1960The Twilight ZoneBlonde WomanEpisode: The Chaser1960The Jim Backus ShowLollypop1 episode1960The Donna Reed ShowBuffieSeason 3 - Episode 131961ThrillerBabs Dawson 1 episode1961-1962The Dick Van Dyke ShowPickles Sorrell2 episodes1961-1962The HathawaysThelma Brockwood / Thelma Blackwood 6 episodes1962Pete and GladysBetty / Carol 2 episodes1963The Joey Bishop ShowShopperEpisode: Two Little Maids Are We1963-1966The Andy Griffith ShowFloss / Doris Williams / Lavinia / Mary Lee Becktel4 episodes1964-1972My Three SonsMrs. Thompson / Mrs. Hoover3 episodes1964The FugitiveWoman in hallEpisode: Rat in a Corner1964The Farmer's DaughterConnie Episode: The Turkish Delight1964Arrest and TrialClaraEpisode: Those Which Love Has Made1964The Cara Williams ShowMiss BertrandEpisode: The Wedding Rehearsal1965My Favorite MartianMiss Hotchkiss Episode: Martin of the Movies1965-1966Perry MasonGirl Assistant / Beauty Operator2 episodes1966The Lucy ShowBlonde Customer / The Housewife2 episodes1966Family AffairBess MelvilleEpisode: Buffy1966Daniel BooneLydia Dorsey Episode: The Loser's Race1967Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.Den MotherEpisode: Gomer, the Good Samaritan1968BewitchedMrs. Bentley / Mrs. MacLane2 episodes1970Room 222PearlEpisode: The Whole World Can Hear You1970The Bill Cosby ShowMrs. PerryEpisode: Open House1971Adam-12Wilma Engles Episode: Log 26: LEMRAS1973Needles and PinsMrs. Martindale Episode: It Was a Very Good Line1975Joe and SonsTheresaEpisode: Joe's Date1980Barnaby JonesMitzi Episode: The Final Victim1982Trapper John, M.D.RegistrarEpisode: Doctors and Other Strangers1982BensonMary ColtonEpisode: Mary and Her Lambs1983St. ElsewhereDietician Episode: Rain1984The Duck FactoryAunt PaulineEpisode: The Annies1984NewhartTouristEpisode: Tickets, Please1989Quantum LeapTheora BeamanEpisode: Good Morning, Peoria - September 9, 19591989The Magical World of DisneyWomanEpisode: Polly1989DallasMs. Perkins Episode: Sex, Lies and Videotape1989Murder, She WroteParty GuestEpisode: Town Father1990Murphy BrownSecretary #39Episode: The Last Laugh1992Parker Lewis Can't LoseAuntie Em Episode: Civil Wars1992Married... with ChildrenOld LadyEpisode: Psychic Avengers1997Alright AlreadyLillian Episode: Again with the Funeral2000Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction1 episode2003The GuardianWomanEpisode: Carnival2009The UnitOld Woman Episode: The Last Nazi2009-2014How I Met Your MotherMrs. Douglas 2 episodes2011Perfect CouplesAunt BerthaEpisode: Perfect Wedding2013Work ItElderly Woman #1Episode: My So-Called Mid-Life Crisis2014ReviewEpisode: Making a Sex Tape; Being a Racist; Hunting2017BasketsGift Shop EmployeeEpisode: Ronald Reagan Library
References
External links
Barbara Perry at the American Film Institute Barbara Perry at Find a Grave