Olive Dunbar obit

Olive Dunbar Obituary

 

She was not on the list.

Olive Joann Dunbar (known privately as Jo Keene) was a stage, film and TV actress, born on March 30, 1925 to lawyer Harry C. Dunbar and Geneva Teague Dunbar in Wellesley Hills, Mass. At an early age, Jo (who identified herself with the heroine of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women) decided she wanted to be an actress. (Not surprisingly, her favorite performer was Katherine Hepburn, who memorably created the Alcott character on film). After finishing high school, with lessons in elocution, Olive was accepted at the Yale Drama School as an acting major, one of the youngest in the class of '46. She left after completing two of the three-year program because she had won a role in Philip Barry's Broadway play, The Joyous Season, making her debut in the company of Ethel Barrymore. Several stage performances followed, including the leading role in John van Druten's I Remember Mamma. Later, she went on tour with Gertrude Lawrence in several plays written and directed by Noel Coward. When a cross-country tour of an Archibald MacLeish play starring Raymond Massey ended in Los Angeles, she decided to remain there and soon found work in films (The First Monday in October, The Carey Treatment, The Lottery) and in many television shows, including a series with Fred MacMurray and another with Carroll O'Connor. She married William Keene, a New York radio actor who had migrated to Hollywood and the couple lived and worked there until his death. She returned to New York briefly and was persuaded by Richard Burdick, the son of her roommate at Yale, to move to a retirement community (Kendal at Ithaca) where she resumed her acting career at the Kitchen Theatre and helped to form another dramatic group, Icarus, with which she appeared for several seasons. Failing health forced her permanent retirement and she died on February 8, 2017, a month before her 92d birthday, mourned by all her friends.

Actress

The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys (1992)

The Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys

7.4

TV Series

1992

1 episode

 

Heather Tom, Thorsten Kaye, and Katherine Kelly Lang in The Bold and the Beautiful (1987)

The Bold and the Beautiful

3.5

TV Series

Matron

1990

1 episode

 

Robin Wright, Judith Anderson, Valorie Armstrong, Melissa Reeves, Robert Alan Browne, Paul Burke, Ismael 'East' Carlo, Margarita Cordova, Nicolas Coster, Lane Davies, Richard Eden, Gina Gallego, Linda Gibboney, Andrea Howard, Ava Lazar, A Martinez, Todd McKee, John Allen Nelson, Rupert Ravens, Julie Ronnie, Kerry Sherman, Louise Sorel, Jonna Leigh Stack, Marcy Walker, and Dane Witherspoon in Santa Barbara (1984)

Santa Barbara

5.7

TV Series

Mrs. Cobb

1987–1988

3 episodes

 

Robert Hays in Starman (1986)

Starman

6.7

TV Series

Landlady

1987

1 episode

 

John Ritter and Connie Sellecca in The Last Fling (1987)

The Last Fling

6.1

TV Movie

Juez

1987

 

Eileen Davidson, Bryton James, Joshua Morrow, Gina Tognoni, Justin Hartley, Melissa Claire Egan, and Peter Bergman in The Young and the Restless (1973)

The Young and the Restless

5.4

TV Series

Margaret

1986

2 episodes

 

Erin Gray, Ricky Schroder, Joel Higgins, and Franklyn Seales in Silver Spoons (1982)

Silver Spoons

6.2

TV Series

Marlena Werneck

1986

1 episode

 

Tiffany Brissette in Small Wonder (1985)

Small Wonder

7.0

TV Series

Saleslady

1985

1 episode

 

Helen Hunt, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Lee Montgomery in Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

6.0

Sister Kathleen

1985

 

ABC Afterschool Specials (1972)

ABC Afterschool Specials

7.2

TV Series

StellaStudent

1982–1985

2 episodes

 

Days of Our Lives (1965)

Days of Our Lives

5.3

TV Series

Mary Ellen Donahue

1984

2 episodes

 

Valerie Bertinelli, Bonnie Franklin, Pat Harrington Jr., and Mackenzie Phillips in One Day at a Time (1975)

One Day at a Time

6.6

TV Series

Woman Owner

1983

1 episode

 

Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford in The Jeffersons (1975)

The Jeffersons

7.5

TV Series

Mrs. Whittendale

1982

1 episode

 

First Monday in October (1981)

First Monday in October

6.4

Ms. Radabaugh

1981

 

Carroll O'Connor in Archie Bunker's Place (1979)

Archie Bunker's Place

6.4

TV Series

Victoria Springer

1981

1 episode

 

This Is the Life (1952)

This Is the Life

6.4

TV Series

Judge

1980

1 episode

 

The Goosehill Gang and the Gold Rush Treasure Map

Video

Librarian

1980

 

Trish Van Devere in The Hearse (1980)

The Hearse

4.9

Mrs. Gordon

1980

 

Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger (1980)

Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger

5.6

TV Movie

Mrs. Sullivan

1980

 

Salvage 1 (1979)

Salvage 1

7.4

TV Series

Doris Cloister

1979

1 episode

 

Todd Bridges, Gary Coleman, and Dana Plato in Diff'rent Strokes (1978)

Diff'rent Strokes

6.7

TV Series

Woman #2

1979

1 episode

 

The Next Step Beyond (1978)

The Next Step Beyond

7.6

TV Series

Mrs. Wyckoff

1978

1 episode

 

What's Happening!! (1976)

What's Happening!!

7.1

TV Series

Judge Miriam Lubash

1977

1 episode

 

Big John, Little John (1976)

Big John, Little John

7.2

TV Series

Bertha Bottomly

1976

13 episodes

 

The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

The Streets of San Francisco

7.3

TV Series

Miss Ardmore

1976

1 episode

 

David Niven, Kim Richards, Herschel Bernardi, Barbara Feldon, Don Knotts, Darren McGavin, and Brad Savage in No Deposit, No Return (1976)

No Deposit, No Return

6.4

Mrs. Hadley

1976

 

The Long Christmas Dinner

Short

Ermengarde

1975

 

Edward Asner, Valerie Harper, and Mary Tyler Moore in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

8.3

TV Series

Joyce Franklin

1975

1 episode

 

Melissa Sue Anderson, Melissa Gilbert, Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Richard Bull, Sidney Greenbush, Jonathan Gilbert, Rachel Lindsay Greenbush, and Katherine MacGregor in Little House on the Prairie (1974)

Little House on the Prairie

7.5

TV Series

Sales lady

1974

1 episode

 

Walt Disney in The Magical World of Disney (1954)

The Magical World of Disney

8.3

TV Series

Mrs. Barkley

1974

2 episodes

 

Alvin the Magnificent

6.2

TV Movie

1974

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

Katherine

1974

1 episode

 

The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974)

The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton

6.9

TV Movie

Mrs. Barkley

1974

 

William Conrad in Cannon (1971)

Cannon

6.8

TV Series

Mary

1973

1 episode

 

Cleavon Little, Joan Van Ark, Nancy Fox, Reva Rose, and James Whitmore in The New Temperatures Rising Show (1972)

The New Temperatures Rising Show

7.2

TV Series

Miss LlewellenLlewellen

1972–1973

3 episodes

 

Jack Lemmon, Jason Robards, Lisa Eilbacher, Moosie Drier, Lisa Gerritsen, and Barbara Harris in The War Between Men and Women (1972)

The War Between Men and Women

6.1

Woman #1

1972

 

James Coburn in The Carey Treatment (1972)

The Carey Treatment

6.2

Dr. Barker (uncredited)

1972

 

Shepherd's Flock (1971)

Shepherd's Flock

TV Movie

Dr. Hewitt's Secretary

1971

 

Here's Lucy (1968)

Here's Lucy

6.9

TV Series

Librarian

1970

1 episode

 

Leslie Nielsen in Bracken's World (1969)

Bracken's World

7.0

TV Series

Nan Fowler

1970

1 episode

 

My World and Welcome to It (1969)

My World and Welcome to It

8.6

TV Series

Ruth JensenMrs. Jensen

1969–1970

3 episodes

 

The Lottery (1969)

The Lottery

7.2

Short

Tessie Hutchinson

1969

 

Bill Cosby in The Bill Cosby Show (1969)

The Bill Cosby Show

6.1

TV Series

Mrs. Jacobi

1969

1 episode

 

Lee Majors, Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans, Peter Breck, and Richard Long in The Big Valley (1965)

The Big Valley

7.6

TV Series

Eliza Grant

1969

1 episode

 

Diahann Carroll and Marc Copage in Julia (1968)

Julia

7.8

TV Series

Secretary

1968

1 episode

 

Carl Betz and Stephen Young in Judd for the Defense (1967)

Judd for the Defense

7.7

TV Series

Bridget Hauser

1968

1 episode

 

Lucille Ball in The Lucy Show (1962)

The Lucy Show

7.2

TV Series

Biology Teacher

1967

1 episode

 

Laredo (1965)

Laredo

7.6

TV Series

Mrs. MortonWidow Morton

1967

2 episodes

 

Death Valley Days (1952)

Death Valley Days

7.5

TV Series

Gita Schieffelin

1967

1 episode

 

Edward Mallory and Elizabeth Perry in Morning Star (1965)

Morning Star

8.5

TV Series

Ann Burton

1965

2 episodes

 

Yul Brynner in Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)

Invitation to a Gunfighter

6.3

Townswoman

1964

 

William Demarest, Don Grady, Barry Livingston, Stanley Livingston, and Fred MacMurray in My Three Sons (1960)

My Three Sons

7.1

TV Series

Ruth Pfeiffer

1961–1963

11 episodes

 

The Donna Reed Show (1958)

The Donna Reed Show

7.4

TV Series

Pauline

1963

1 episode

 

Our Man Higgins (1962)

Our Man Higgins

7.0

TV Series

Mrs. Ashmore

1963

1 episode

 

Alfred Hitchcock in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

8.5

TV Series

Mrs. Ranwiller

1962

1 episode

 

Dr. Kildare (1961)

Dr. Kildare

7.0

TV Series

Mrs. Parlin

1962

1 episode

 

Jay North in Dennis the Menace (1959)

Dennis the Menace

7.0

TV Series

Miss Creaper (uncredited)

1962

1 episode

 

The Alcoa Hour (1955)

The Alcoa Hour

7.2

TV Series

Betty

1956

1 episode

 

Natalie Wood and Jacques Sernas in Camera Three (1954)

Camera Three

6.6

TV Series

1956

1 episode

 

Kraft Theatre (1947)

The Philco Television Playhouse

7.6

TV Series

Fiancee (uncredited)

1953

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Walt Disney in The Magical World of Disney (1954)

The Magical World of Disney

8.3

TV Series

Mrs. Hadley (archive footage)

1982

2 episodes