Patricia Joy Harmon or Joy Patricia Harmon (born May 1, 1940) is an American baker and former actress.

Early years

The daughter of Homer Harmon, Joy Patricia Harmon was born in

Jackson Heights, New York Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, Woodside to the west, northern Astoria ( Ditmars-Steinw ...

, or

Flushing, New York Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the i ...

. She and her family moved to Connecticut in 1946. She was a

Miss Connecticut The Miss Connecticut competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Connecticut in the Miss America pageant. Connecticut has won the Miss America crown once (Marian Bergeron, 1933), and is the only New England st ...

, She tied for fourth runner-up in the 1957 competition for Miss Connecticut. When she was three years old, Harmon modeled clothes in

Fox Movietone News Movietone News is a newsreel that ran from 1928 to 1963 in the United States. Under the name British Movietone News, it also ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986, in France also produced by Fox-Europa, in Australia and New Zealand until 1970 ...

newsreels. She skipped two grades in elementary school and graduated from Staples High School in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 according to the 2020 U.S. Census. History ...

Career

Harmon's stage debut came in ''Pajama Tops'' at the Klein Memorial Theatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She toured the United States in stock company productions, including ''

The Marriage-Go-Round ''The Marriage-Go-Round'' is a 1958 play written by Leslie Stevens. The 1961 film adaptation of the same name, written and produced by Stevens, stars Susan Hayward, James Mason and Julie Newmar, who reprised her role from the play. The play wa ...

'', ''The Solid Gold Cadillac'', '' The Tender Trap'', ''The Importance of Being Ernest'', and ''Susan Slept Here''. On Broadway, Harmon portrayed Betty Phillips in ''Make a Million'' (1958). She also appeared in an off-Broadway production of ''Susan Slept Here'' (1961). Harmon was a contestant during the last season of Groucho Marx's television program ''

You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show deb ...

'' (titled ''The Groucho Show'' during its last season), and later a regular on Marx's program ''Tell It to Groucho'' (credited as "Patty Harmon"). She guest-starred on several 1960s TV series, including ''

Gidget Gidget () is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenaged daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, ''Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas''. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing fri ...

'', '' Batman'', and ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...

''. She appeared in a cameo role as blonde Ardice in the Jack Lemmon comedy ''

Under the Yum Yum Tree ''Under the Yum Yum Tree'' is a 1963 American sex comedy film directed by David Swift and starring Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Dean Jones, and Edie Adams, with Imogene Coca, Paul Lynde, and Robert Lansing in supporting roles. The film received ...

'' in 1963. She had a role as

Tony Dow Anthony Lee Dow (April 13, 1945 – July 27, 2022) was an American actor, film producer, director and sculptor. He portrayed Wally Cleaver in the iconic television sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'' from 1957 to 1963. From 1983 to 1989, Dow repr ...

's girlfriend in the 1965–66 television soap opera ''

Never Too Young ''Never Too Young'' is an American daytime serial that aired on ABC from September 27, 1965 to June 24, 1966 and was the first soap opera geared towards a teen audience. The show premiered on ABC on the same day as '' The Nurses''. Synopsis The s ...

''. Harmon's stand-out acting roles include the 30-foot-tall (9 m) Merrie in ''

Village of the Giants ''Village of the Giants'' is a 1965 American teensploitation comedy science fiction film produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon. Based loosely on H. G. Wells's 1904 book ''The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth'', it contains ...

'' (1965, in which she captures normal-sized

Johnny Crawford John Ernest Crawford (March 26, 1946 – April 29, 2021) was an American actor, singer, and musician. He first performed before a national audience as a Mouseketeer. At age 12, Crawford rose to prominence playing Mark McCain in the series ' ...

and suspends him from her bikini top), and the car-washing Lucille in '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967) with her purportedly 41–22–36 measurements.

Personal life

Harmon was married to film editor and producer Jeff Gourson from 1968 to 2001, raising three children. For a time, a son worked at Walt Disney Studios. She later established a bakery, Aunt Joy's Cakes, in Burbank, California.

Filmography

Films roles

*''

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit ''The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' is a 1956 American drama film based on the 1955 novel '' The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' by Sloan Wilson. The film focuses on Tom Rath, a young World War II veteran trying to balance his marriage and fami ...

'' (1956) - Minor Role (uncredited) *''

Let's Rock ''Let's Rock'' (known as ''Keep It Cool'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1958 rock and roll film starring Julius LaRosa as a crooner attempting to fight off the rival music rock and roll, Phyllis Newman as his songwriting girlfriend who convinces ...

'' (1958) - Pickup Girl *''

Mad Dog Coll Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll (born Uinseann Ó Colla, July 20, 1908 – February 8, 1932) was an Irish-American mob hitman in the 1920s and early 1930s in New York City. Coll gained notoriety for the allegedly accidental killing of a young child dur ...

'' (1961) - Caroline *''

'' (1963) - Ardice (uncredited) *''

Roustabout Roustabout (Australia/New Zealand English: rouseabout) is an occupational term. Traditionally, it referred to a worker with broad-based, non-specific skills. In particular, it was used to describe show or circus workers who handled materials ...

'' (1964) - College Girl (uncredited) *''

Young Dillinger ''Young Dillinger'' is a 1965 gangster film directed by Terry O. Morse. It stars Nick Adams as the notorious criminal John Dillinger, and co-stars Robert Conrad, John Ashley and Mary Ann Mobley. Plot With help from Elaine, his girlfriend, you ...

'' (1965) - Nelson's Girl *'' One Way Wahine'' (1965) - Kit Williams *''

The Loved One ''The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy'' (1948) is a short satirical novel by British novelist Evelyn Waugh about the funeral business in Los Angeles, the British expatriate community in Hollywood, and the film industry. Conception ''The ...

'' (1965) - Miss Benson (uncredited) *''

'' (1965) - Merrie *''

A Guide for the Married Man ''A Guide for the Married Man'' is a 1967 American bedroom-farce comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, and Inger Stevens. It was directed by Gene Kelly. It features many cameos, including Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Terry-Thomas ...

'' (1967) - Party Girl in Bar (uncredited) *'' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967) - Lucille, The Girl *''

Angel in My Pocket ''Angel in My Pocket'' is a 1969 American comedy film directed by Alan Rafkin and starring Andy Griffith. One of three films originally planned by Universal Pictures to star Griffith, it also features Lee Meriwether, Jerry Van Dyke, Kay Medford, ...

'' (1969) - Miss Holland

Television roles

*''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...

'' (1963) - Kitty *''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'' (1964) - Joanne Grant *'' Burke's Law'' (1964-1965) - Barbara Sue / Belle Sue Walsh *''

'' (1965) - Blonde Girl Dancing / Midge (uncredited) *'' Batman'' (1966) - Julia Davis (uncredited) *'' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' (1966) - Barbara *'' Bewitched'' (1966) - Francie *'' The Rounders'' (1966) - Rosetta *''

Occasional Wife ''Occasional Wife'' is an American sitcom which aired on NBC beginning September 13, 1966 and running until May 9, 1967 (repeats were aired through August 29). It was originally on NBC's Tuesday night schedule, airing from 8:30–9:00PM ET/ PT. ...

'' (1967) - Model *''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewste ...

'' (1967) - Miss Bridges *''

'' (1967) - Zelda / Cashier *'' Love, American Style'' (1972) - Rosalie (segment "Love and the Secret Habit") *''

The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televisi ...

'' (1972) - Waitress *'' Thicker Than Water'' (1973) - (final appearance)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harmon, Joy American film actresses American television actresses 1940 births Living people American bakers American beauty pageant contestants Actresses from New York City Actresses from Connecticut 21st-century American women American stage actresses Broadway theatre people