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She Played Beloved Housekeeper Alice Nelson on ‘The Brady Bunch.’ For an Earlier Generation of TV Fans, She Was the Cherished Photo Assistant Shultzy. Ann B. Davis, a Wonderful Comic Actress, Dies at 88

Jun 2, 2014  •  Post A Comment

"Ann B. Davis [88], the comic actress best known as the wistful, wisecracking live-in maid on the long-running ABC sitcom 'The Brady Bunch,' died on Sunday [June 1, 2014] at a hospital in San Antonio," reports The New York Times.

The story reports: "She had slipped into a coma after falling in the bathtub and hitting her head on Saturday, her agent, Robert Malcolm, said. She used a walker and had been in excellent health, he said. She had been living in San Antonio with Bill C. Frey, a retired Episcopal bishop, and his wife."

Florence Henderson, who played played Carol Brady on "The Brady Bunch," tweeted, "I'm so shocked & saddened to learn my dear friend & colleague Ann B Davis died today. I spoke with her a few months ago & she was doing great."

John Stamos said in a tweet, "Alice- i'm sure Sam the butcher is excited to see you!!   RIP Ann B Davis"

Marlee Matlin tweeted, "I grew up wanting to be Marcia Brady but with 4 kids, I turned into Alice the Maid. RIP Ann B. Davis."

Christina Applegate took to Twitter to say, "Ann B Davis. How many mornings I have spent with you. ' oh Alice'. RIP"

Mia Farrow also expressed herself on Twitter: "Oh no- not Alice!  Peace Ann B. Davis. We loved you."

And Harry Shearer tweeted, "Before Alice, she was Shultzy.   RIP great comic actress Ann B Davis.   http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/ann-b-davis …"

Shearer was referring to Davis' Emmy-winning role as Charmaine "Shultzy" Schultz on "The Bob Cummings Show," which originally aired on NBC and CBS from midseason 1955 throught Sept. 15, 1959. It was then shown on daytime network TV and later was syndicated to local TV stations for many years under the title "Love That Bob."

In that show, Cummings played "a swinging bachelor" who was a professional photographer, according to "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows," by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh. Davis played his "devoted assistant Shultzy, who had a crush on her boss, but couldn't compete with [his] glamorous models…," the directory says.

For that role Davis garnered four Primetime Emmy nominations, winning twice.

"The Brady Bunch" currently airs on ME-TV, Weigel Broadcasting's digital TV network that is available in many cities.

Ann b. Davis as Alice Nelson.jpgAnn B. Davis as Alice Nelson

Ann-b.-Davis-as-Shultzy.jpgAnn B. Davis as Shultzy

 

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