Tuesday, June 24, 2008

THE HAT SQUAD: DODY GOODMAN

Two words, spoken twice, will forever keep the voice of Dody Goodman alive in the memories of classic TV lovers:

Mary Hartman,
Mary Hartman


Dody Goodman passed away over the weekend at the age of 93.

Ms. Goodman played Mary's mother on the soap opera spoof which became as addictive as any of the daytime dramas that were playing it straight. Married to George Schumway, Martha Schumway's maiden name was Larkin and her father gained a reputation in the last years of his life as the notorious "Fernwood Flasher". At one point in the show, she had an affair with a hot air balloonist who crashed in her kitchen.

Here is a list of the roles Dody Goodman brought to life in Toobworld:

STARRING ROLES
"The Mary Tyler Moore Hour" (1979) TV series .... Ruby Bell

"Forever Fernwood" (1977) TV series .... Martha Schumway

"Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" .... Martha Schumway

RECURRING ROLES

"One Life to Live" (1968) TV series .... Molly McDermott

"Diff'rent Strokes" .... Aunt Sophia Drummond

"Punky Brewster" .... Mrs. Morton

"St. Elsewhere" .... Gretchen Parks
- Blizzard (1984)
- All About Eve (1983)

"Texas" (1980) TV series .... Mavis Cobb

"Search for Tomorrow" (1951) TV series .... Althea Franklin

TV SEQUELS
Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis (1988) (TV) .... Ruth

I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later (1985) (TV) .... Scheherazade

TV GUEST ROLES
"Boston Common" .... Mrs. Gunderson
- I.D. Endow (1997)

"Here and Now" .... William's Grandmother
- Take My Grandparents... Please (1992)

"Murder, She Wrote" .... Beverly Hills
- If It's Thursday, It Must Be Beverly (1987)

"Bustin' Loose"
- Rain, Rain Go Away (1987)

"Crazy Like a Fox"
- The Duke Is Dead (1986)

"Just Our Luck"
- Uncle Harry (1983)

"The Love Boat"
- April the Ninny/The Loan Arranger/First Voyage, Last Voyage (1981) TV episode .... Ms. Chadwick
- Julie's Dilemma/Who's Who/Rocky (1978) TV episode .... Patricia Seldon

"Fantasy Island" .... Mona Boggs
- High Off the Hog/Reprisal (1981)

"CBS Children's Mystery Theatre" .... Miss Eells
- The Treasure of Alpheus T. Winterborn (1980)

"Flying High" .... Midge
- Beautiful People (1978)

"The Defenders" .... Miss Kalish
- The Locked Room (1962)

"The Phil Silvers Show" .... Waitress
- Rich Kid. (????)

TV MOVIES
Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare (1995) (TV) .... Grandma Dotty Dooley

Valentine Magic on Love Island (1980) (TV) .... Ida Kramer

THE TOONIVERSE
"Alvin & the Chipmunks" .... Miss Rebecca

The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) (voice) .... Miss Rebecca Miller

A Chipmunk Reunion (1985) (TV) (voice) .... Miss Rebecca Miller

TOOBWORLD/CINEVERSE INTERFACE Splash (1984) .... Mrs. Stimler

Splash, Too (1988) (TV) .... Mrs. Stimler

Someday I'll have to check out her appearances as herself on the 'Tonight' show with Jack Parr.... if they have any episodes available at the Paley Center. Supposedly she proved to be so popular that Parr let her go after a year for fear he'd be just the announcer for the "Dody Goodman Show"!

As Martha, she was one of my favorites in Fernwood, Ohio, and I'll miss hearing her addled reasonings.

May she rest in peace.

BCnU.....
Toby OB

1 comment:

Terence Towles Canote said...

I read about her death on Yahoo News last night. I wasn't even alive when Paar hosted Tonight, but I have seen clips of her appearances there. She was brilliant.