Ann B. Davis Movies

In this made-for-TV movie, the characters from the beloved "Brady Bunch" television series return home to spend the holidays together. All grown up with families of their own, the kids all return to take part in the Brady Christmas reunion. All of the original stars, save one, of the original television series appeared in this special. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

The original cast members from the popular comedy series The Brady Bunch reprise their roles in this made-for-television movie. Sisters Marcia (Maureen McCormick) and Jan (Eve Plumb) gather the family together to get ready for their double wedding. This movie was a pilot for a short-lived NBC series which followed called Brady Brides. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Even after four seasons and 73 episodes, The Brady Bunch is still the same old story, but a good story indeed: widow Carol (Florence Henderson) is married to widower Mike (Robert Reed), resulting in a household full of children from their respective previous marriages: Mike's sons, Greg (Barry Williams), Peter (Christopher Knight), and Bobby (Mike Lookinland), and Carol's daughters, Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Jan (Eve Plumb), and Cindy (Susan Olsen). Riding herd on this crop of humanity is sensible but slightly off-kilter housekeeper Alice (Ann B. Davis). The season gets under way with a three-part story set in Hawaii, replete with guest appearances by Vincent Price and -- who else? -- Don Ho. Among the most memorable "stateside" episodes during season four are "The Show Must Go On??," a musical extravaganza spotlighting the talents of the entire Brady brood; "Goodbye, Alice, Hello," in which the kids give Alice the silent treatment for betraying a confidence; "You're Never Too Old," featuring Robert Reed in the dual role of Mike Brady and Mike's foxy grandpa, and Florence Henderson likewise double-cast as Carol and Carol's peppery grandma; "A Room at the Top," wherein Greg and Marcia battle over possession of the family attic; and best of all, "The Subject Was Noses," the one in which a misguided football smashes Marcia's nose flat -- and we mean flat! ~ All Movie Guide

The most conspicuous change in The Brady Bunch during its second season is manifested in the series' familiar theme music. Whereas a rock group called the Peppermint Trolley chanted the "Story of a Lovely Lady" ballad at the beginning of each first-season episode, the shows seen during season two were heralded by the Brady kids themselves singing the now-familiar title theme. Need anyone be reminded that those "kids" consist of Greg (Barry Williams), Marcia (Maureen McCormick), Peter (Christopher Knight), Jan (Eve Plumb), Bobby (Mike Lookinland), and Cindy (Susan Olsen)? And can there be a TV addict alive who doesn't know that the kids' parents are Mike and Carol Brady (Robert Reed, Florence Henderson), or that the family's housekeeper is the kind-hearted, level-headed Alice (Ann B. Davis)? (And five points for everyone who remembers that the Brady's pet dog is named Tiger -- you know, the one who chased Fluffy the cat to parts unknown in the series opener.) The most memorable of the series' second-season episodes include "The Dropout," in which Greg Brady is talked out of forsaking college by no less than baseball legend Don Drysdale; "The Slumber Caper," which served to reunite series star Robert Reed with his former co-star on The Defenders, E.G. Marshall; "A Fistful of Reasons," wherein Peter Brady goes head-to-head with a school bully for the sake of stepsister Cindy; "Confessions, Confessions," a case study in misguided family loyalty; "Where There's Smoke," in which Greg Brady not only nearly picks up a nasty habit but also performs a song; "The Liberation of Marcia Brady," wherein the titular heroine strikes a blow for gender equality; and "Alice's September Song," a poignant tale of romance and remembrance focusing on the Brady housekeeper. ~ All Movie Guide

Although not as well known as Pillow Talk (1959), this romantic-comedy pairing of stars Rock Hudson and Doris Day earned an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay. Hudson stars as Jerry Webster, a Madison Avenue advertising executive who has achieved success not through hard work or intelligence but by wining and dining his big-shot clients, even setting them up on dates with attractive girls. Jerry's equal at a rival agency is Carol Templeton (Day). Although she has never met him, Carol is disgusted by Jerry's unethical antics and reports him to the Ad Council. Jerry avoids trouble with his usual aplomb, sending a comely chorus girl, Rebel Davis (Edie Adams), to seduce the council members. When Jerry subsequently makes Rebel the star of television commercials for a nonexistent product called VIP, the spots are accidentally aired by perplexed company president Pete Ramsey (Tony Randall). Carol becomes determined to win the VIP account away from Jerry, but after she discovers the truth, she again reports him to the Ad Council. Jerry skirts out of trouble a second time by producing VIP, an intoxicating candy quickly whipped up by company research scientist Linus Tyler (Jack Kruschen). VIP's extreme effects lead to a one-night stand between bitter rivals Jerry and Carol, with unexpected consequences. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Still on NBC after moving from CBS a year earlier, Love That Bob (originally The Bob Cummings Show) enters its fifth and final season in first-run prime time. Bob Cummings returns in his signature role as professional photographer and self-styled ladies' man Bob Collins, with Ann B. Davis as Bob's faithful assistant Schultzy, Rosemary de Camp as Bob's widowed sister Margaret, and Dwayne Hickman as Margaret's son Chuck, now a college sophomore. With the series' ratings in a slump, Love That Bob producer Paul Henning tries to freshen up the proceedings with a gimmick or two. First off, there are more guest stars this season than ever before, including Steve Allen, George Burns, Art Linkletter, Peter Lawford, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and, most memorably, Mamie van Doren, here hiding her considerable assets under a frizzy wig, an outsized pair of glasses, and a dumpy outfit. (It is explained that van Doren is "preparing" for a movie character role!) Secondly, a belated effort is made to "domesticate" the rakish Bob Collins by introducing child actress Tammy Marihugh in the role of six-year-old Tammi Johnson. Attracted to Tammi's widowed mother, Bob suddenly (and uncharacteristically) finds himself working overtime to win the little tyke's affection and respect, at one point hiring actor George Montgomery, then starring on the TV Western Cimarron City, to teach him how to be a "real cowboy"! Though Love That Bob would conclude its nighttime run at the end of its fifth season, the series' episodes were rebroadcast on ABC's daytime schedule from 1959 through 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Happy-go-lucky photographer Bob Collins (Bob Cummings) continues to ardently pursue his lovely models -- and for that matter, any other lovely lady who tickles his fancy -- as Love That Bob (originally The Bob Cummings Show) enters its third season. Also still on hand are future Brady Bunch co-star Ann B. Davis as Bob's "gal Friday" Schultzy, who secretly pines for her boss; Rosemary de Camp as Bob's widowed sister Margaret, still hoping that her randy brother will stop playing the field and settle down to marriage; and Dwayne Hickman as Margaret's son and Bob's nephew, Chuck, now an 18-year-old who is even more determined to follow in his Uncle's footsteps as God's Gift to Women (late 1956 model). New to the series is Mary Lawrence as Ruth Helm, the wife of Bob's Air Force Reserve buddy Harvey Helm. Fully aware of Bob's reputation with the opposite sex, jealous Ruth keeps Harvey on a short leash, but she can't censor the gleam in her otherwise 100 percent faithful husband's eye whenever he gets a gander at Bob's harem of lady friends. Also conspicuous by her frequent appearances this season is Nancy Kulp as gangly bird-watcher Pamela Livingston, who'd like to feather Bob's nest someday (this character is virtually a "dress rehearsal" for Kulp's more famous role as Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies, which like Love That Bob, was executive-produced by Paul Henning).
And finally, there are several more appearances this season by Bob's aged but spry grandfather Josh Collins, who is even more of a wolf than his grandson. (Both Bob and Josh are, of course, played by Bob Cummings.) Ol' Josh is in fact the focal point of the season opener, "Grandpa Meets Zsa Zsa" -- and it is surely unnecessary for us to mention who "portrays" Zsa Zsa! Of Season three's 35 episodes, several stand out. "Bob Clashes With His Landlady" is a film buff's dream, offering a romantic pairing of Amazonian character actress Hope Emerson and dialect comedian El Brendel. "Bob Meets Miss Sweden" introduces a new recurring player, real-life Miss Sweden Ingrid Goude." Former child actress Bonita Granville, on the verge of becoming co-producer of the TV series Lassiewith husband Jack Wrather, plays the cousin in "Bob Meets Schultzy's Cousin." And "Chuck at College" was originally intended as the pilot episode for a spin-off series starring Dwayne Hickman; though no such series materialized at the time, Hickman would eventually headline his own sitcom, Dobie Gillis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"Hold it! I think you're gonna like this picture!" With this jaunty assurance, Bob Cummings calmly snuggled into the late-Sunday-night NBC time slot previously occupied by The Hunter for the first season of the breezy sitcom Love That Bob (originally The Bob Cummings Show). Little time is wasted establishing professional photographer Bob Collins (Cummings) as an insatiable skirt-chaser, who uses his profession primarily as an excuse to romance a variety of curvaceous models and starlets. Nor is Bob the only person on the series with an ulterior motive. His widowed sister Margaret MacDonald (Rosemary de Camp), with whom he shares a tasteful little L.A. bungalow, is forever doing her best to undermine Bob's love life -- not out of any sisterly concern, but because she feels that Bob's hedonistic behavior sets a bad example for her teenaged son Chuck (Dwayne Hickman).
In the same vein, Bob's "gal Friday" Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz (Ann B. Davis) never tires of delivering little verbal zingers calculated to throw Bob's models off the track -- not because she feels her boss would be better off keeping his mind on his work, but because she secretly yearns to be "Mrs. Collins" herself. The series' first episode finds Bob going through the motions of finding a suitable second husband for Margaret (again, there's that ulterior motive: Marry Margaret off, and she'll stop meddling in his affairs). Later on, he attempts to fix up Schultzy with a girl-shy soda jerk, and still later he gives her the "glamour" treatment so she'll be more appealing to her erstwhile sailor beau Frank (Dick Wesson). Of course, these missions of mercy are secondary to Bob's own never-ending pursuit of the fairer sex -- said pursuit arousing the envy -- and emulation -- of his two Air Force reserve buddies, Paul Fonda (Lyle Talbot) and Harvey Helm (King Donovan). Paul, in fact, evinces so many "wolf-like" tendencies that a panicky Bob tries to discourage what he thinks is a budding romance between Paul and Margaret. Love That Bob did not crack the Top Twenty ratings during its first season, and in fact never would rank any higher than 32nd or 33rd place. But the series was popular and a solid performer -- so much so that when NBC decided to cancel at the end of the first season, the series' sponsor simply shifted the program over to rival CBS, where it remained for the next three years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Brady Bunch Movie pays tribute to the 1970s TV show while poking gentle fun at it. The Brady family, led by father Mike (Gary Cole), still live in their suburban, split-level home and are still throwbacks to the era that spawned them. Eternally perky wife Carol (Shelley Long) is the perfect homemaker, while the kids' behavior is as wholesome as their loud, time-warp pastel clothes. Meanwhile, the greedy, selfish modern era swirls dangerously around them, embodied in next-door neighbor and real estate agent Ditmeyer (Michael McKean), who wants to buy the Bradys' property and turn the neighborhood into a giant mall. But no amount of money or prodding can persuade the Bradys to give up their home. Director Betty Thomas contrasts the overlit sitcom look of the Brady house interiors (faithfully recreated from the series) with real locations and natural grit for the modern L.A. scenes. The result is a satire that deftly spoofs the idea of staying true to old-fashioned values without ever passing judgment on those values. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide