Nancy Walker

Nancy Walker (born Anna Myrtle Swoyer;[note 1] May 10, 1922 – March 25, 1992) was an American actress and comedian of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director (lending her talents to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, on which she also made several guest appearances). During her five-decade-long career, she may be best remembered for her long-running roles as Mildred on McMillan & Wife and Ida Morgenstern, who first appeared on several episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later became a prominent recurring character on the spinoff series Rhoda.

Nancy Walker
Trailer for Best Foot Forward (1943)
Born
Anna Myrtle Swoyer

(1922-05-10)May 10, 1922
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMarch 25, 1992(1992-03-25) (aged 69)
Studio City, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesNan Barto
Occupation(s)Actress, director
Years active1937–1992
Spouses
Gar Moore
​
​
(m. 1948; div. 1949)​
    David Craig
    ​
    (m. 1951)​
    Children1
    Parent

    Early life

    Walker was born in 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the elder of two daughters of Dewey Barto (né Stewart Steven Swoyer) and Myrtle Flemming Lawler, a dancer. The couple wed in Manhattan in 1919. Walker and her father both stood 4'11" (1.50 m). Her younger sister was Betty Lou Barto.

    Acting career
    Nancy Walker, Sebastian Cabot, and Brian Keith on Family Affair (1970)

    In 1937, as "Nan Barto", Walker appeared on the NBC radio programs Coast to Coast on a Bus and Our Barn.[1] She made her Broadway debut in 1941 in Best Foot Forward. The role provided Walker with her film debut, when she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to appear in the 1943 film version, starring Lucille Ball. She also appeared with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in the second film version of Girl Crazy (1943). Her next film, Broadway Rhythm, in which she had a featured musical number backed by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet", ended Walker's contract with MGM.

    Her dry comic delivery enabled her to continue acting throughout the 1940s and 1950s, originating the roles of Hildy Eszterhazy ("I Can Cook, Too!") in On the Town (1944), Yetta Samovar in Barefoot Boy with Cheek (1947), and Lily Malloy in Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'! (1948) on Broadway. She was nominated for a Tony Award in 1956 for her work in the musical revue Phoenix '55, and again in 1960 for her performance in Do Re Mi, opposite Phil Silvers.

    Walker also starred in the short-lived Broadway musical comedy Copper and Brass in 1957, and appeared in the 1958 New York City Center production of Wonderful Town. For the early 1970s revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, she appeared again opposite Silvers, playing the character of Domina. Owing to her television contractual responsibilities, she was unable to transfer with the show to Broadway. Her musical appearances led to record releases, including I Hate Men (1959; with Sid Bass and his orchestra, featuring such show tunes as "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" and "You Irritate Me So"); the cover featured Walker humorously sticking male dolls with pins.[2]

    Walker's first appearance as Ida Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1970

    Dozens of television guest appearances and recurring roles followed, providing her with steady work. Her career spanned five decades and included comedies, dramas, and television variety shows such as Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town, The Garry Moore Show, and The Carol Burnett Show.

    In the 1960–61 television season, she appeared in two episodes of NBC's The Tab Hunter Show. In 1970, she secured a recurring role as Emily, the housekeeper, on the television series Family Affair, which starred Brian Keith. After five seasons, though, the ratings of Family Affair had plummeted opposite NBC's popular The Flip Wilson Show, and the series was canceled at the end of that season.

    In 1970, she also made her first appearance playing Ida Morgenstern, the mother of Valerie Harper's character Rhoda Morgenstern on the first season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The role proved to be ideal for her. The episode that introduced her character, "Support Your Local Mother", was so well received that it won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing Achievement in a Comedy Series for James L. Brooks and Allan Burns. Walker thereafter became an annual guest star on the show for the next three years. When the MTM spinoff series Rhoda premiered in 1974, Walker was a regular cast member in 41 episodes.

    From 1971 to 1976, she was a regular on the successful Rock Hudson detective series McMillan & Wife, playing the McMillans' housekeeper, Mildred. During the first two years of Rhoda, Walker was not featured every week, so she was able to shuttle back and forth between the CBS sitcom and the NBC detective series. These two roles brought her seven Emmy Award nominations. In 1976, ABC-TV offered Walker a contract to headline her own series, The Nancy Walker Show, which was produced by Norman Lear's production company, in which she starred as Nancy Kittredge, a talent agent. Walker appeared on a second-season episode of The Muppet Show.[3]

    Before she filmed the first episode of the series, Walker made her only appearance on Rhoda for the 1976–77 season. In the season premiere, "The Separation", Rhoda (Valerie Harper) and her husband Joe (David Groh) decide to separate. Rhoda tries to keep the news from her mother Ida (Walker), since Ida is about to embark on a year-long trip across America with Rhoda's father (Harold Gould). Ida learns the truth from Rhoda prior to Ida's departure.

    Almost immediately, Garry Marshall signed Walker for another series, Blansky's Beauties. The main character of the series was introduced a week before the series premiere in an episode of the hit sitcom, Happy Days. The show premiered on ABC-TV in February 1977 with Walker playing Nancy Blansky, den mother to a group of Las Vegas showgirls. It failed to find an audience and was canceled in May 1977, giving Walker the unenviable distinction of being in two failed series in the same year. She returned to Rhoda at the beginning of the 1977–78 season (giving the show a much-needed boost in the ratings, which had fallen the previous year), and remained with the series for the rest of its run. During this time, she began directing, including episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, 13 Queens Boulevard, and Alice.

    Walker as Rosie in a 1977 magazine ad with Vito Scotti

    One of Walker's last major film roles was in the 1976 all-star comedy spoof Murder by Death. She continued to remain active in show business until her death, playing Rosie, a New Jersey diner waitress in a series of commercials for Bounty paper towels from 1970 to 1990. She helped make the product's slogan, "the quicker picker-upper", a common catchphrase.[4] She credited the towel commercials with landing her the role of Ida Morgenstern.[5]

    Among her final guest appearances in a television series was the recurring role of Aunt Angela, Sophia Petrillo's (Estelle Getty) widowed sister, on The Golden Girls, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination. Golden Girls creator Susan Harris then cast Walker opposite Bruce Weitz in her NBC sitcom project Mama's Boy, which aired as six comedy specials during the 1987–88 season, but never reached series status.

    In 1990, Walker began starring on the Fox sitcom True Colors as Sara Bower, the outspoken mother of Ellen Davis Freeman (Stephanie Faracy), who moves into Ellen's household despite having objections to her daughter's interracial marriage. In 1990, Walker appeared as herself in the Columbo episode "Uneasy Lies the Crown".

    Directing career

    Walker had guest starred as Rhoda's mother Ida Morgenstern in several episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and continued that role in its spin-off Rhoda. After establishing the character, Walker directed some episodes of both series, along with episodes of other situation comedy series.[6]

    In 1980, Walker made her feature-film directorial debut, directing disco group The Village People and Olympian Bruce Jenner in the pseudoautobiographical musical Can't Stop the Music. The film was a box-office failure, and Walker's sole feature-film directorial credit. After the film, she did some stage and television directing, including three episodes of the situation comedy Alice.[6]

    Death

    Walker died of lung cancer on March 25, 1992, at age 69, in Studio City, California.[7]

    Personal life

    Walker was married twice. Her first husband was Gar Moore, whom she wed on August 1, 1948. They divorced within 10 months. She remarried, to musical theater teacher David Craig on January 29, 1951. Craig died in 1998 at the age of 75 from lung cancer.[8] The couple had a daughter, Miranda Craig, an advertising copywriter, who died at age 47 from undisclosed causes.

    Walker was also a close friend of actor Montgomery Clift. Biographer Patricia Bosworth stated the two first met in 1948, but did not become good friends until 10 years later, after Clift's disfiguring car accident. Bosworth adds that Walker would sustain him as his dearest friend for the rest of his life; their relationship was one of mutual support – whereas most of Clift's friends assumed he needed to be looked after, or else left alone, Walker stated, "he needed to be needed", adding "I liked his face better after the accident; his strength shone through." Clift nicknamed friends for whom he felt particular affection, and he called Walker "Nanny".[9]

    Walker was a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.[10]

    Filmography
    Film
    Year Title Role Notes
    1943Best Foot ForwardNancy – Blind Date
    1943Girl CrazyPolly Williams
    1944Broadway RhythmTrixie Simpson
    1954Lucky MeFlo Neely
    1972Stand Up and Be CountedAgnes
    1973The World's Greatest AthleteMrs. Petersen
    197340 CaratsMrs. Margie Margolin
    1975Death ScreamMrs. Jacobs
    1976Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved HollywoodMrs. Fromberg
    1976Murder by DeathMaid
    Television
    Year Title Role Notes
    1959The World of Sholom AleichemWifePlay of the Week "Tale of Chelm"
    1959–1964The Garry Moore ShowHerselfRegular guest star (13 episodes)
    1960The Tab Hunter ShowBuddy ParkerEpisode: "I Love a Marine"
    1970–1971Family AffairEmily TurnerRecurring role (6 episodes)
    1971–1974The Mary Tyler Moore ShowIda MorgensternRecurring role (4 episodes)
    1971–1976McMillan & WifeMildredMain cast (32 episodes)
    1972Bridget Loves BernieAunt RuthieEpisode: "The Little White Lie That Grew"
    1973The Partridge FamilyMrs. ApplebaumEpisode: "Aspirin at 7, dinner at 8"
    1974Thursday's GameMrs. BenderTelevision film
    1974–1978RhodaIda MorgensternMain cast (42 episodes)
    1976–1977The Nancy Walker ShowNancy KitteridgeMain role (13 episodes)
    1977Blansky's BeautiesNancy BlanskyMain role (13 episodes)
    1978Fantasy IslandMumsyEpisode: "The Common Man"
    1982Trapper John, M.D.Harriett KriegerEpisode: "42"
    1987The Golden GirlsAngelaRecurring role (2 episodes)
    1987–1988Mama's BoyMolly McCaskeyMain role (6 episodes)
    1989NewhartAunt LouiseEpisode: "Attack of the Killer Aunt"
    1990ColumboHerselfEpisode: "Uneasy Lies the Crown"
    1990–1992True ColorsSara BowerMain cast (46 episodes)

    Stage/musical theatre work

    Notes
    1. Often mistranscribed as "Smoyer"

    References
    1. Delaney, Betsy Marks (June 25, 2013). "Little Theatre of Alexandria Twentieth Century". ShowBizRadio. ShowBiz Theater Network LLC. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
    2. DiFonzo, Nick (2004). The WORST album covers in the world... EVER!. London: New Holland Publishers. p. 85. ISBN 978-1843308881.. The album cover and a discussion of the album can be seen here and here
    3. Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa M. (October 26, 2009). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. McFarland & Company. p. 218. ISBN 978-0786453757.
    4. Davis, Dyer (May 1, 2004). Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter and Gamble. Harvard Business Press. p. 280. ISBN 9781591391470. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
    5. "Nancy Walker, 69, of 'Rhoda' And Paper-Towel Commercials". The New York Times. March 26, 1992. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
    6. "Nancy Walker: Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
    7. "Feisty Nancy Walker loses long battle with cancer". UPI. 25 March 1992. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
    8. "David Craig, 75, Singing Instructor". The New York Times. September 5, 1998. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
    9. Bosworth, Patricia (June 5, 2012). Montgomery Clift: A Biography. Open Road Media. pp. 322–323. ISBN 978-1453245019.
    10. Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers

    Sources

    Thomas S. Hischak. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: theatre, film, and television (June 2008), Oxford University Press, USA (ISBN 0195335333)

    "Betty Lou Swoyer, aka Betty Lou Barto" https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/betty-lou-swoyer-aka-betty-lou-barto-24-rdl1c1. Ancestry.com 2022.

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