If Abby Dalton couldn’t remember it, then what hope is there for the rest of us? After all, I had never actually seen an episode of The Joey Bishop Show, a relatively popular sitcom from the early 1960’s. It’s one that’s always been on my radar to see, but the only thing I knew about it was that it was the only sitcom to regress from color back to black and white when it switched networks, and that Abby Dalton was in it. When I met her at the Hollywood Show on October 8, 2011, I was counting on her to remember her character’s name.
That didn’t happen.
Once she realized that she couldn’t recall it, an all-out manhunt began with fans searching their smart phones, Abby making calls, and me standing by stupidly. It was quite the scene.
Eventually, the truth came out. Her name was Ellie. And I had a good story to post about.
Incidentally, The Joey Bishop Show wasn’t her only work. She also had a starring role in Hennessey (with Jackie Cooper), a recurring role in Falcon Crest, and was a regular on Match Game and Hollywood Squares. Despite the momentary memory loss, I found her quite charming, and was glad to add her autograph and a (free) photo with her to my collection.
Celebrity encounters of the Fall 2011 Hollywood Show will continue…
I always liked her on Match Game. She had the prettiest smile and the cutest dimples.
Bev
June 11th, 2012
You should have asked her what is was like working with former Stooge Joe Besser. He co-starred on “The Joey Bishop Show.” Most episodes I have seen run hot and cold within’ the same episode. You’ll have a hilarious scene or two surrounded by others that are ho-hum. Besser played the superintendent in the apartment building Bishop and Dalton live in. He was definitely the highlight of the show. Besser’s best work was away from the Three Stooges, as he always seemed mis-cast with them. But on shows like Joey Bishop, or on the Abbott and Costello Show, he was hilarious.
Jim Harwood
June 13th, 2012
Let’s not forget get her more recent performances on Falcon Crest! Tell we’ve loved her ever since “The Saga of the Viking Women and their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent”. A Roger Corman ‘classic’. Love you always, Abby!
Duffy Odum
August 10th, 2017
I sat next to her at a restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. 2012 She was demanding and rude. A young waiter approached her and simply wanted to place a printed sheet of the wine list on her table – or perhaps hand it to her – and she snapped, “NO AUTOGRAPHS!!!” The kid didn’t even know who she was — and he said so. He said, “I don’t want your autograph. This is the wine list.” She knew he wasn’t an autograph seeker because she had just watched as the young man handed me the same paper only seconds before. She wanted attention and she was annoyed that she was seated toward the rear of the patio near a lot of bamboo growth — it was a nice spot. She probably requested privacy and then got pissy when she got zero attention because it was too private. I’m old. I know who she is, bit nobody else in the restaurant had a clue. She was accompanied by two elderly gay men — the whole thing was a mess.
Kay Shkorn
November 10th, 2018