Betty Harford obit

Betty Harford Dies: ‘Dynasty’ & ‘The Paper Chase’ Actress Was 98

 She was not on the list.

Betty Harford, the television actress best known for her roles on ABC soap opera Dynasty and CBS/Showtime’s serialized adaptation of The Paper Chase, has died at the age of 98.

Her death was confirmed by friend Wendy Mitchell, who wrote on Facebook that Harford “passed away peacefully with family at her side, noon on November 2, 2025.”

In The Paper Chase — based on the 1971 John Jay Osborn Jr. novel and subsequent 1973 film adaptation starring John Houseman (for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) — Harford portrayed supremely efficient legal secretary Mrs. Nottingham for longtime law professor Charles W. Kingsfield, the role originated by Houseman and which he reprised in the series. The show, which followed the lives of law students like lead James T. Hart (James Stephens) at a fictional university modeled after Harvard, first aired on CBS from 1978-79 before being canceled and later resurrected by Showtime for three more seasons in 1983, culminating in James’ graduation from law school.

Later, Harford had a recurring role as Hilda Gunnerson on sudser Dynasty, which followed the rivalries between two warring, oil-wealthy families, the Carringtons and the Colbys, in Denver, Colo. Mrs. Gunnerson worked as a staff member/chef for John Forsythe’s Blake Carrington across 34 episodes of the primetime soap, reprising her role for the 1991 reunion miniseries.

In addition to her most notable performances, Harford logged credits in such series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (and its continuation The Alfred Hitchcock Hour), Gunsmoke, Dr. Kildare, The Twilight Zone and The Big Valley.

On the film side, Harford appeared in 1959’s The Wild and the Innocent as Mrs. Forbes, who cared for Sandra Dee’s Rosalie Stocker, and as the sister to Natalie Wood’s titular character in 1965’s Inside Daisy Clover.

Harford logged several collaborations with director James Bridges (who helmed both The Paper Chase film and subsequently developed the show), appearing in a 1963 episode of The Great Adventure written by the two-time Oscar-nominated scribe-director, playing a nurse in his 1977 movie September 30, 1955 and featuring in his 1979 action-thriller The China Syndrome.

She was also a member of the UCLA Theatre Group circa the 1960s, which was supported by the likes of Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint.

Actress

Fun with Gumby (1994)

Fun with Gumby

Video

Gumba (voice)

1994

 

Heather Locklear, John Forsythe, Linda Evans, John James, and Emma Samms in Dynasty: The Reunion (1991)

Dynasty: The Reunion

6.1

TV Mini Series

Mrs. Gunnerson

1991

1 episode

 

Dynasty (1981)

Dynasty

6.4

TV Series

Mrs. GunnersonHilda Gunnerson

1981–1987

34 episodes

 

The Paper Chase (1978)

The Paper Chase

8.1

TV Series

Mrs. NottinghamMrs. Wilson

1978–1986

45 episodes

 

Kate Mulgrew in Mrs. Columbo (1979)

Mrs. Columbo

5.7

TV Series

Secretary

1979

1 episode

 

The China Syndrome (1979)

The China Syndrome

7.4

Woman at Demonstration

1979

 

Buddy Hackett and Harvey Korman in Bud and Lou (1978)

Bud and Lou

5.5

TV Movie

Stern Nurse

1978

 

September 30, 1955 (1977)

September 30, 1955

6.3

Nurse

1977

 

Win, Place or Steal (1974)

Win, Place or Steal

4.6

Landlady

1974

 

Michael Constantine, Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas, and Karen Valentine in Room 222 (1969)

Room 222

7.7

TV Series

Nancy Stopps

1970

1 episode

 

The Name of the Game (1968)

The Name of the Game

7.6

TV Series

Map Seller

1969

1 episode

 

Robert Loggia in T.H.E. Cat (1966)

T.H.E. Cat

8.0

TV Series

Phoebe

1967

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

Grace Stullman

1966

1 episode

 

Natalie Wood in Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

Inside Daisy Clover

6.1

Gloria Clover Goslett

1965

 

Alfred Hitchcock in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962)

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

8.5

TV Series

The WomanElsie MuldoonWoman in Museum

1964–1965

3 episodes

 

Signpost to Murder (1964)

Signpost to Murder

6.2

Gwen Smith (uncredited)

1964

 

Profiles in Courage (1964)

Profiles in Courage

8.1

TV Series

Lady Supporter

1964

1 episode

 

The Great Adventure (1963)

The Great Adventure

8.1

TV Series

Elizabeth Williams

1963

1 episode

 

Dr. Kildare (1961)

Dr. Kildare

7.0

TV Series

Nurse (uncredited)

1963

1 episode

 

Stoney Burke (1962)

Stoney Burke

7.7

TV Series

Nurse

1962

1 episode

 

Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone (1959)

The Twilight Zone

9.0

TV Series

Clerk

1962

1 episode

 

The Law and Mr. Jones (1960)

The Law and Mr. Jones

7.5

TV Series

Eyewitness Alice Bond

1961

1 episode

 

Gardner McKay in Adventures in Paradise (1959)

Adventures in Paradise

8.1

TV Series

Anna

1960

1 episode

 

Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis, John Gavin, Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons, and Peter Ustinov in Spartacus (1960)

Spartacus

7.9

Slave (uncredited)

1960

 

James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, and Dennis Weaver in Gunsmoke (1955)

Gunsmoke

8.1

TV Series

Medora Dodie

1960

1 episode

 

Sandra Dee, Audie Murphy, Joanne Dru, and Gilbert Roland in The Wild and the Innocent (1959)

The Wild and the Innocent

6.4

Mrs. Forbes

1959

 

David Janssen in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1956)

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

7.6

TV Series

Vera

1957

1 episode

 

Alfred Hitchcock in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

8.5

TV Series

WaitressDoris

1955–1957

2 episodes

 

The Gumby Show (1956)

The Gumby Show

7.0

TV Series

Gumba (voice)

1956

8 episodes

 

Leslie Caron and John Kerr in Gaby (1956)

Gaby

6.0

English Girl (uncredited)

1956

 

Lux Video Theatre (1950)

Lux Video Theatre

7.4

TV Series

Mrs. Gilbert

1955

1 episode

 

Fireside Theatre (1949)

Fireside Theatre

7.3

TV Series

1951

1 episode

 

Soundtrack

Natalie Wood in Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

Inside Daisy Clover

6.1

performer: "You Oughta Be in Pictures" (uncredited)

1965

 

Self

The 13th Annual People's Choice Awards (1987)

The 13th Annual People's Choice Awards

4.9

TV Special

Self - Accepting Award for Favourite Television Night Time Dramatic Series

1987