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We lost one of our most beloved character actresses when Dody Goodman died Sunday. Dody is perhaps best known by our generation as Blanche, the daffy sidekick to the principal in Grease. We also loved her in Splash, and Diff'rent Strokes. For me, her most memorable role was probably as Louise Lasser's mother in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Her Southern charm, strawberry blonde hair and loveable goofiness made her a popular and regular guest with talk show hosts from Jack Paar to David Letterman. Born Dolores Goodman on Oct. 28, 1914, in Columbus, Ohio, Goodman started out on Broadway and easily transitioned to film and television. Her last role was in the 2007 thriller, Black Ribbon, which I will be immediately adding to our Netflix queue.
Danny Goggin, who cast Goodman in his play Nunsense, reminisces to Playbill, "Her comedy was unique and her timing was impeccable...She didn't even need a funny line. She was the embodiment of comedy."
As they put it on her personal website, "Although her unmistakable voice on earth is stilled, we will continue to hear her with out hearts."
Watch one of her classic moments after the jump
What a great lineup of comic actresses - Dody Goodman, Fannie Flagg, and the amazing Alice Ghostley, who we lost last year.
Photo courtesy of DodyGoodman.com
