NO, IT'S GRANNY'S FRIEND!

Since posting last night, I kept thinking I'd better take another look at who I THOUGHT was Hope Summers in Abbott and Costello's "In Society." After all, imdb is seldom wrong. I watched it again and realized it was NOT Hope. But I knew that face. I KNEW THAT FACE. I'm not being dramatic ... I really did toss and turn all night thinking about it. Eventually, it hit me. I didn't know the actress's name, but I knew one of her characters' names. She played a recurring character named Elverna Bradshaw on "The Beverly Hillbillies." Y'see, back in the hills, Granny (Irene Ryan) and Elverna had a competition which one would marry off their young'un first. (I think Elverna won, because Donna Douglas's Elly May never snagged a husband in nine seasons.) So early this morning, I hopped on imdb and typed in the character name Elverna Bradshaw. Sure enough, the actress's name was revealed: Elvia Allman. And, yes, Elvia Allman IS in the cast of "In Society." Check out this wonderful actress's filmography -- she LIVED on '60s television.

At least I got the category right: Older Comedic Actresses Who Played Busybody Friends of Other Older Comedic Actresses on Hayseed Sitcoms of the '60s.

Speaking of which -- last night I caught the "Andy Griffith" episode in which Gypsies put a weather "curse" on the town of Mayberry because Andy wouldn't let them peddle their trinkets. Both Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) and Clara (Hope Summers) were customers. The head Gypsy was played by Vito Scotti, who was television's "go to" guy if any sort of ethnic character was called for. Vito even played Japanese (on "Gilligan's Island")! Well, it was the '60s. Will Hollywood EVER live down Mickey Rooney's Mr. Yunioshi in "Breakfast at Tiffany's?" If you can't place Vito's face, I have an instant trigger for you: He was Nazorine the baker in "The Godfather" -- the man who baked the elaborate wedding cake for Connie Corleone's wedding and asked Don Vito to arrange his future son-in-law's visa.

This I know without having to verify it. THIS I KNOW.