Tuesday Talent: Alice Ghostley

This weekly feature originally titled, The Tuesday De-Briefing, has to do with those talented individuals who need to be in the public's eye more often on account of the many gifts they possess. Of course, most are fetching young men--something that would not be lost on lusty Bernice Clifton, the last public persona created and played to a large audience by Alice Ghostley who recently passed away at the tender age of 81.

Of course, Ms Ghostley had a career than spanned decades, therefore, there is no reason to call for appreciation of her talent. 'Tis sad in these parts because her Bernice is a source of much inspiration.

From the excellent Designing Women Tribute site:





... keeping up with Bernice can be extremely difficult since she has an arterial flow problem above the neck that causes her to behave rather outrageously. Bernice sends the group health tips and enters everyone in contests. She's been known to phone Suzanne to say, "if you're not going to eat all the food in your refrigerator, why don't you just put it in a cab and send it over to me?" Bernice lives in a retirement community called Hillcrest Leisure Land, and, since she is easily bored there, makes frequent visits to Sugarbakers for the afternoon. After a while, the ladies become used to Bernice's eccentricities --- often delegating the responsibility of entertaining her to Anthony ... Her father was a Southern Baptist minister and when "all her circuits are burning," Bernice is a scripture authority.
... Her odd behavior drives Suzanne absolutely crazy, and she often refers to Bernice as a "little fruitcake." Anthony is the subject of her motherly attention ---and alternately her uninhibited lust. Actually, Bernice often implies that Anthony is hot for her --- along with many others with whom she claims to have had wild encounters. However, she has been known to claim Anthony as her illegitimate son and frequently breaks into a song of her own invention when Anthony is near --- "Black Man, Black Man." She also does not look favorably on any of his girlfriends --- commonly referring to them as she-beasts.

Bernice is very active, participating in senior citizen beauty contests and dance contests, but she has been known to loudly question the concept that growing old gives you a talent for arts and crafts.

Alice Ghostley

... it was her role as Esmeralda, the nervous supernatural babysitting maid on the popular series Bewitched, that first brought Alice national popularity and recognition. Esmeralda was a shy sorceress who faded from sight when she got nervous. "That seems to happen continually", laughed the talented comedienne during the series. "I disappear so regularly, I may end up as only a voice-over".
Alice's recurring character of wacky Bernice on Designing Women became so popular that she appeared as a semi-regular during the series final two seasons --- a performance for which she received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Married to actor Felice Orlandi for over 50 years, the two made their home in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles until his passing in May, 2003.

*****
A quote from The Bewitched Book:

"It's funny ... I seldom watch myself, and I don't know why. I guess I watch the screen and say, 'Is that what I really look like? Oh, dear, I wouldn't watch this if I were someone else.' ... It's always difficult for me to critique myself."

Interestingly enough she says that her favourite episode on Bewitched is called, "Samantha's Magic Mirror" in which Samantha conjures up a more attractive mirror double to boost Esmeralda's self-image. Ghostley was brought on to replace Marion Lorne who had passed away. Both were champions at playing bumbling, yet loveable women.




Ghostley's Bernice has been adopted by this website and log because it is a character who uses her confusion to help arrive at the truth and a character full of life in her senior years with more than a little bit of lust in her heart.