Alice Pearce (October 16, 1917 – March 3, 1966) was an American actress. She was brought to Hollywood by
Gene Kelly to reprise her
Broadway performance in the film version of ''
On the Town'' (1949). Pearce played comedic supporting roles in several films, before being cast as nosy neighbor
Gladys Kravitz
This is a list of characters in ''Bewitched'', an American fantasy television sitcom which aired from 1964 to 1972.
Cast Main
Recurring
Cast notes:
Main characters Samantha Stephens
Samantha Stephens ( Elizabeth Montgomery) is a witch a ...
in the television sitcom ''
Bewitched'' in 1964. She won the
posthumously after the second season of the series. She died from
ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...
in 1966.
Early life and career
Pearce was born in New York City, the only child of Margaret Clark and Robert E. Pearce.
Her father was a foreign banking specialist, and her family moved to Europe when she was 18 months old.
[ ] They lived in Brussels, Antwerp, Rome, and Paris.
At age nine, she fell off a swing after losing her grip and landed on her chin. This left her with an undeveloped chin. She returned to the United States as a teenager, and boarded at the
Masters School in
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 10,875 according to the 2010 United States Census. In 2019, its population rose to an estimated 11,027. The village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a ...
.
She graduated from
Sarah Lawrence College in 1940, with a degree in drama.
She began working in
nightclubs as a
comedian and was cast in the original
Broadway production of ''
On the Town'' (1944–1946).
Gene Kelly was so impressed by her that she became the only cast member to be included in the
film version in 1949.
Her comedic performance was well received by critics and public alike, and she was given her own television
variety show, ''The Alice Pearce Show''.
More movie roles followed, and she made appearances on Broadway, where she met her husband,
director Paul Davis, during a production of ''
Bells Are Ringing''.
During the 1953–1954 television season, Pearce was seen regularly on ABC's ''
Jamie
Jamie is a unisex name. It is a diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names. It is also given as a name in its own right.
People Female
* Jamie Anne Allman (born 1977), American actress
* Jamie Babbit (born 1970), American film and t ...
'', which starred
Brandon deWilde.
In 1964, Pearce was originally approached to play the part of Grandmama in the ABC television comedy series ''
The Addams Family''. She turned down the part, which went to veteran actress
Blossom Rock
Edith Marie Blossom MacDonald (August 21, 1895 – January 14, 1978), also known as Blossom Rock, was an American actress of vaudeville, stage, film and television. During her career she was also billed as Marie Blake or Blossom MacDonald. He ...
. In 1964, Pearce joined the cast of ''
Bewitched'' as the nagging and nosy neighbor
Gladys Kravitz
This is a list of characters in ''Bewitched'', an American fantasy television sitcom which aired from 1964 to 1972.
Cast Main
Recurring
Cast notes:
Main characters Samantha Stephens
Samantha Stephens ( Elizabeth Montgomery) is a witch a ...
. Pearce's scenes were almost entirely reactions to the
witchcraft she had witnessed at the house across the street. Her hysterical accusations against Samantha, played by
Elizabeth Montgomery, and the disbelief of her husband Abner (
George Tobias), provided a common thread through many of the series' early episodes. She played the role until her death in 1966, and was replaced by
Sandra Gould
Sandra Gould (July 23, 1916 – July 20, 1999) was an American actress, perhaps best known for her role as Gladys Kravitz on the sitcom ''Bewitched''. Gould was the second actress to portray the role, debuting at the start of the third season.
L ...
. Pearce was posthumously awarded an
Emmy Award for this role. Her husband accepted the award on her behalf.
Personal life
Pearce was married twice. Her 1948 marriage to
composer John Rox lasted until his death in 1957.
In 1964, she married
stage manager
Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...
Paul Davis, with whom she remained until her death.
Pearce had no children.
Death
Pearce was diagnosed with terminal cancer before ''Bewitched'' began. She kept her illness a secret, although her rapid weight loss was quite evident during the second season of the sitcom. She died from
ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...
toward the end of the second year of ''Bewitched'' at the age of 48. The last episode Pearce appeared in was titled "Prodigy." It was completed many months before Pearce died, but it aired after her death as the last episode of Season #2. Pearce was cremated and her ashes were scattered at sea.
[ ]
Filmography
Awards
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearce, Alice
1917 births
1966 deaths
20th-century American actresses
20th-century American singers
Actresses from New York City
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
Deaths from cancer in California
Deaths from ovarian cancer
Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
People from Dobbs Ferry, New York
Sarah Lawrence College alumni
Singers from New York City
20th-century American women singers