AS SEEN ON TV: BARBARA BILLINGSLEY

BARBARA BILLINGSLEY

AS SEEN IN:
'SCTV'

AS PLAYED BY:
Catherine O'Hara

TV DIMENSION:
Skitlandia

From Wikipedia:
Barbara Billingsley (December 22, 1915 – October 16, 2010) was an American film, television, voice and stage actress. She gained prominence in the 1950s movie "The Careless Years", acting opposite Natalie Trundy, followed by her best–known role, that of June Cleaver on the television series 'Leave It to Beaver' (1957–1963) and its sequel 'Still the Beaver '(1985–1988, retitled in season two as The New Leave It to Beaver).

In 1952 Billingsley had her first guest–starring role on an episode of 'The Abbott and Costello Show'. The part led to other roles on 'The Lone Wolf', two episodes of 'City Detective', 'The Pride of the Family', 'Schlitz Playhouse of Stars', 'Letter to Loretta', 'General Electric Summer Originals', 'You Are There', 'Cavalcade of America', 'Panic!', 'Mr. Adams and Eve', 'The Love Boat', 'Silver Spoons', 'Parker Lewis Can't Lose', 'Mike Hammer', 'Empty Nest', among many others. She reprised her June Cleaver role three times, in 'Amazing Stories', 'Baby Boom' and 'Roseanne'. She also guest-starred on an episode of 'Make Room For Daddy', in which Thomas's character is a widower. The producers reportedly considered casting her as his second wife, but later decided against it, and Marjorie Lord eventually got the role.

After an absence of 17 years from the public eye (other than appearing in two episodes of 'The F.B.I.' in 1971), Billingsley spoofed her wholesome image with a brief appearance in the comedy "Airplane!" (1980), as a passenger who could "speak jive". She became the voice of Nanny and The Little Train on 'Muppet Babies' from 1984 to 1991.Billingsley appeared with Robin Williams and Pam Dawber in a 1982 episode of 'Mork & Mindy'. She appeared in a 'Leave It to Beaver' reunion television movie entitled "Still the Beaver" in 1983. Hugh Beaumont had died the year before of a heart attack, so she played his widow.

'SCTV' may have been afraid of lawsuits with this sketch, because all the names of the actors were slightly altered, but they were still supposed to have starred in 'Leave It To Beaver'.  But Toobworld Central doesn't accept onscreen credits to be part of the Toobworld Dynamic.

BCnU!