Mabel Albertson Movies

With Howard Hawks's Bringing Up Baby (1938) as his blueprint, Peter Bogdanovich resurrected and payed homage to 1930s screwball comedy in What's Up, Doc? (1972). When wacky co-ed Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand, in the Katharine Hepburn part) spies nebbishy musicologist Howard Bannister (Ryan O'Neal in bespectacled Cary Grant mode) in a San Francisco hotel lobby, she decides that Howard and his precious igneous rocks are right up her alley. Too bad Howard already has a fiancée, the propriety-fixated Eunice (Madeline Kahn in her film debut). Using all her arcane knowledge from brief stays at numerous colleges, Judy tries to charm her way to a $20,000 grant for Howard, and Howard himself, at a banquet with grantor Frederick Larrabee (Austin Pendleton). Things get even more complicated the next day when Judy's underwear-filled overnight bag gets mixed up with Howard's rock bag, which gets mixed up with Mrs. Van Hoskins' bag of jewels, which gets mixed up with Mr. Smith's bag of top secret government papers. All sides converge at Larrabee's mod townhouse and the chase begins. Retaining Hawks' machine-gun pace (as well as the sly pop culture referentiality of Billy Wilder), Bogdanovich and writers Buck Henry, David Newman, and Robert Benton updated the opposites-attract screwball convention for contemporary times. O'Neal gently parodied not only Grant but also his own Love Story (1970) preppy, while Kahn represents stiff-wigged 1950s manners as opposed to Streisand's long-haired, pants-wearing free spirit. The happy ending, in which Cole Porter-belting youth wins out over old manners, found favor with audiences, as What's Up, Doc? became one of the most popular films of 1972, and the second hit in a row for Bogdanovich after 1971's The Last Picture Show. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Samantha suffers guilt feelings when she uses witchcraft to do her housework, and her guilt is compounded when Darrin refuses to get mad. As a result, Sam comes down with a bad case of the hiccups, causing expensive gifts to magically appear in the Stephens household. A blessing in disguise? Not quite: All of the "gifts" have been zapped from a local department store, and before long, a team of detectives comes a-knocking at the Stephenses' door. Dr. Bombay finally reveals that Sam's current dilemma is merely a matter of semantics -- or more specifically, bad spelling. Written by John L. Greene, "Samantha's Psychic Pslip" first aired on April 1, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Barbara Stanwyck made her TV movie debut in 1970's The House That Would Not Die. The setting is an old house in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Stanwyck moves after inheriting the house, but has cause to rethink her decision. Built during the Revolutionary era, the house is said to be haunted by the spirits of its original inhabitants--who are disinclined towards hospitality. House That Would Not Die was based on a novel by Barbara Michaels (one of several pseudonyms for author Barbara G. Mertz). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Vincente Minnelli directed, and Alan Jay Lerner adapted the stage musical he had written with Burton Lane, for this this feature film version. Barbra Streisand stars as Daisy Gamble, a chain smoker who, at the urging of her uptight fiance Warren (Larry Blyden), seeks help in kicking the habit from a psychiatrist, Dr. Marc Chabot (Yves Montand). While undergoing hypnosis, however, Daisy and Dr. Chabot discover that she is clairvoyant and can remember a past life as a 19th century heiress named Melinda. As their sessions continue, Dr. Chabot falls in love not with Daisy, but Melinda, while Daisy begins to fall for Chabot and decides she's had enough of Warren. Excised from the final cut of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970) was a musical number performed by Jack Nicholson, who costars as Daisy's stepbrother. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

The first episode of Bewitched's sixth season, "Sam and the Beanstalk" also marked the series debut of Dick Sargent as the "new" Darrin Stephens. Written by Michael Morris, the story hinges on the jealousy of Samantha and Darrin's daughter, Tabitha, who is none too happy that Sam is about to have a second child. Retreating into her own fantasies, Tabitha takes the place of Jack in her Jack and the Beanstalk storybook, while Jack (played by Family Affair's Johnnie Whitaker) takes Tabitha's place in the "real" world. Frequent Bewitched supporting player Ronald Long is seen as the Giant, with Bobo Lewis as the long-suffering Mrs. Giant. "Sam and the Beanstalk" originally aired on September 18, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While entertaining Tabitha and Adam, Esmerelda goes into another of her magical sneezing fits and conjures up Mother Goose (Jane Connell), whose arrival coincides with a visit from Darrin's mother (Mabel Albertson). Passing Mother Goose off as Sam's eccentric aunt, the Stephenses find they have another dilemma on their hands -- Darrin's parents have quarreled, and are on the verge of divorce. Complication piles upon complication when Darrin's dad (Roy Roberts) seemingly takes quite a shine to Sam's "kooky relative." Originally aired on December 4, 1969, "Sam's Double Mother Trouble" was written by Peggy Chantler Dick and Douglas M. Dick. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

At the suggestion of Darrin's mother (Mabel Albertson), Samantha enters a slogan contest conducted by one of Darrin's clients, the Tinker Bell Diaper Company. Amazingly, Sam wins first prize: an all-expense-paid trip to Tahiti. But Darrin refuses to belief in the efficacy of blind luck, falsely accusing Sam of winning through witchcraft. Written by frequent Bewitched supporting actor Arthur Julian, "Is It Magic or Imagination?" first aired on November 21, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

At long last, Howard Sprague's domineering mother (Mabel Albertson) remarries and moves out of Howard's house. To celebrate his liberation, Howard transforms his conservative domicile into a "swingin' bachelor pad." Alas, his first bachelor party-with Andy and Helen in attendance--proves to be a bust. Love those hanging beads and Howard's new threads! Written by Joe Bonaduce, "The Wedding" originally aired on March 4, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Aunt Clara's warlock boyfriend, Ocky (Reginald Owen), is tired of having his British castle-hotel haunted by a pesky ghost named McTavish (Ronald Long). Troubleshooting Samantha manages to exorcise Ocky's establishment, only to have McTavish move in with the Stephens family, wails, rattling chains, and all. Meanwhile, Ocky suffers a drop-off in business when the customers -- including Darrin's parents -- complain that they miss old McTavish! Written by James Henerson, "McTavish" originally aired on February 15, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Darrin doesn't want his parents (Mabel Albertson and Robert F. Simon) to find out that baby Tabitha is a witch, but at the same time, he can't come up with a good reason not to leave them alone with their granddaughter. The problem blossoms into a full-scale feud between Darrin's mother and Samantha's mom, Endora. Worse still, the bitter feelings threaten to break up Darrin's mom and dad. Written by James Henerson, "It's Witchcraft" first aired on March 30, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sean Connery attempted to make a clean break from his "James Bond" image in the boisterous comedy A Fine Madness. Connery plays Samson Shillitoe, a Brendan Behan-like poet with a mile-wide misogynistic streak. Try as he might to complete his latest masterpiece, Shillitoe is constantly interrupted by the women in his life. Driven to a nervous breakdown, he seeks help from the medical establishment -- and ends up a babbling shell of his former self. The film takes scattered potshots at a repressive society that forces the truly creative among us into near-madness; at times, it is sidesplittingly funny, though never quite as potent as the Elliot Baker novel upon which it is based. Sean Connery is brilliant, but the public wanted James Bond to behave himself, thus the film didn't do as well at the box office as it should have. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jack Dodson makes his first Andy Griffith Show appearance as Howard Sprague in "The County Clerk." Whenever Howard wants to go out on a date, his domineering mother (Mabel Albertson) feigns illness. Andy and Helen try to help poor Howard cut those pesky apron strings. Nina Shipman rounds out the guest cast as nurse Irene Fairchild, Howard's newest hearththrob. Written by Bill Idelson and Sam Bobrick, "The County Clerk" first aired on March 14, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bonanza closed out its seventh season on May 15, 1966 with the comic episode "A Dollar's Worth of Trouble." Gypsy palm reader Mme. Adella (Mabel Albertson predicts that Hoss Cartwright's life will soon accommodate a blue-eyed blonde, a moonshiner, and a murderous gunslinger. As these prognostications come true in the form of blue-eyed Kathleen Walker (Sally Kellerman) and booze-brewing John Walker (Elisha Cook Jr.), Hoss nervously gears himself for his inevitable confrontation with gun-wielding Craig Bonner (Hampton Fancher III). This episode was written by Robert L. Goodwin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide