BARBARA EDEN

August 23, 1931

Barbara Eden was born Barbara Jean Morehead in Phoenix Arizona in 1931, although for years her birth year was thought to be 1934. It was fairly common for young actresses to lie about their age in Hollywood. After her parents divorced, her mother married a telephone lineman, the same profession as Lucille Ball’s father. Eden’s first public performance was singing in the church choir. As a teenager, she sang in local bands in night clubs. At age 16, she studied singing and acting. She graduated from High School in San Francisco in the Spring Class of 1949. As Barbara Huffman, she was elected Miss San Francisco in 1951 and she also entered the Miss California pageant. Her name was changed to Eden by her first agent.

“If gentlemen prefer blondes then I’m a blonde that prefers gentlemen.” ~ Barbara Eden

Eden began her television career as a semi-regular on “The Johnny Carson Show” (not to be confused with “The Tonight Show”) in 1955.

Contrary to popular belief, “I Love Lucy” was not Eden’s first small screen  appearance. She had been seen in a November 1956 episode of “West Point.” 

She had also made the RKO film Back from Eternity, a remake of a Lucille Ball film called Five Came Back, which would not be released until later in 1957. It was directed by John Farrow (Mia’s father) and co-starred Keith Andes, who would play Lucy Carmichael’s boyfriend on “The Lucy Show” and co-star with Ball in Wildcat on Broadway in 1960. Eden played a college reporter and was uncredited. Coincidentally, the film also featured Tristram Coffin, who played Diana Jordan’s cousin Harry Munson in “Country Club Dance.” 

In “Country Club Dance” (ILL S6;E25), the male population of Westport is all agog when sexy Diana Jordan (Barbara Eden) visits. Lucy, Ethel and Betty Ramsey decide that getting glamorous is the best revenge. The now-classic episode was filmed on March 21, 1957 and first aired on April 22, 1957.  

Needless to say, that night at the Westport Country Club shapely young Diana’s ‘dance card’ is full!  Pat Boone (not in attendance, but mentioned) was Diana’s favorite singer!

William Asher, the director of this episode, would later direct Barbara Eden in the short-lived sitcom "Harper Valley PTA” (1981-82) and "I Dream of Jeannie… Fifteen Years Later,” a reunion special aired in 1985.

After filming was completed, Desilu gave some of its guest stars small gifts. This 10K gold-filled Zippo lighter was a present for Eden. 

That same year, Eden appeared in an episode of the Desilu sitcom “December Bride” starring Harry Morgan. 

In early 1962, Eden was on the Desilu backlot to play “The Manicurist” on “The Andy Griffith Show.”  At the same time, “The Lucy Show” was filming its first season. 

The next time Lucy and Eden appeared on screen together was at the 1968 Primetime Emmy Awards.  Ball was nominated (and won) for Best Actress in a Comedy for “The Lucy Show”.  “Jeannie” and Eden were then in their third season, but failed to break the top 30 and were not nominated, although Eden, as a recognizable TV figure, was present at the awards. Throughout its long run, the popular sitcom only garnered one Emmy nomination, for Sidney Sheldon’s writing. Barbara and Ball were also presenters (not together) at the 1986 Prime Time Emmy Awards. 

In 1982, Lucy and Eden were among the many women (and one man in drag) assembled for “Bob Hope’s Women I Love: Beautiful and Funny.”  Coincidentally, this special also featured Mary Martin, who was Larry Hagman’s (Major Nelson on “I Dream of Jeannie”) real-life mother. Eden was a favorite of Hope’s, appearing on a dozen Bob Hope specials.   

Eden was present (though she did not speak or get credited) at 1984′s “All-Star Party for Lucille Ball.” Two years later they returned for “All-Star Party for Clint Eastwood.” As a former honoree, Lucy hosted, but Eden was still only an attendee. 

In 1987, Lucy and Barbara joined a myriad of luminaries for “Happy 100th Birthday Hollywood” although they performed in different segments. A year later, Lucy, in one of her final TV appearances, was with Eden in “The Princess Grace Foundation’s Special Gala Tribute to Cary Grant.”  Grant never acted opposite either star. 

OUT OF THE BOTTLE!

In 1965, producer Sidney Sheldon signed Eden to star in his upcoming fantasy sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” that would air on NBC. It was aimed at wooing audiences away from ABC’s fantasy sitcom “Bewitched.” Eden played Jeannie, a beautiful genie from ancient Persia set free from her bottle by astronaut and Air Force Captain (later Major) Anthony "Tony” Nelson, played by Larry Hagman.

Also in the “Jeannie” cast of regulars was Hayden Rorke (as psychiatrist Dr. Alfred Bellows), who first appeared with Lucille Ball on stage in Dream Girl (1947).

Like Eden, Rorke also did a one-off appearance on “I Love Lucy” as new neighbor Mr. O’Brien who Lucy thinks is a spy, but turns out to be just an actor.   

He would later be seen on “Here’s Lucy” as a judge deciding if Lucy Carter has held an illegal raffle or not.  

Lurene Tuttle, who played the President of The Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “The Club Election” (ILL S2;E19) in 1953, played Jeannie’s mother in a 1965 episode. 

Phil Ober, Vivian Vance’s ex-husband and the actor who played Dore Schary in “Don Juan is Shelved” (ILL S4;E21) in 1955, played General Stone in two season one episodes of “Jeannie.” 

Vinton Hayworth, who played General Schaeffer on “Jeannie” did two films with Lucille Ball: That Girl From Paris (1936) and That’s Right – You’re Wrong (1939). 

Like Vance, Eden also was married to one of her co-stars and later divorced him. In 1958, Eden married Michael Ansara, who played many roles on “Jeannie” including the Blue Djinn (above).  

On “Jeannie,” Major Nelson was an astronaut. On “The Lucy Show” Lucy Carmichael was an astronaut (for a day) in a season one episode. Like “Jeannie” this episode was written to capitalize on America’s space race. 

In 1971, “Here’s Lucy” also did an astronaut-themed episode. By that time, American astronauts had landed on the moon!  Coincidentally, actor Robert Hogan (center in both photos) also played an astronaut on “Jeannie” in 1970.

“Jeannie” was produced by Sheldon Leonard, who played himself on a 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show”. 

Like “The Lucy Show”, “Jeannie” premiered in black and white before switching to color for the remainder of its run. 

Other actors who appeared on both “Jeannie” and “Lucy”: George DeNormand, Benny Rubin, Jackie Coogan, J. Pat O’Malley, Reta Shaw, Richard Reeves, Romo Vincent, Jonathan Hole, Kathleen Freeman, Bill Quinn, Herbie Faye, Milton Berle, Jack Carter, Jamie Farr, John McGiver, Richard Deacon, Don Ho, Alan Hewitt, Don Rickles, Alan Oppenheimer, Jack Collins, Parley Baer, Herb Vigran, Ruth McDevitt, Sandra Gould, Foster Brooks, James Hong, William Fawcett, Stafford Repp, and Sid Melton.

Eden played this role for five years and 139 episodes. In eight episodes, Eden donned a brunette wig to portray Jeannie’s evil sister (also named Jeannie) who lusts after Tony Nelson, and in two episodes played Jeannie’s hapless mother.  

AFTER THE BALL & THE BOTTLE….

Barbara Eden later said in interviews that Lucy was a generous performer and caring person, contrasting to another (unnamed) female star she had worked with. Lucille Ball thought that Eden’s costume was not attractive enough, so Lucy and Irma Kusely (Lucy’s hairstylist) spent rehearsal time ‘bedazzling’ the dress. Ball offered to put Eden under contract at her Desilu Workshop, but Eden found out later that day that 20th Century Fox had picked up her option, so Eden graciously declined Lucy’s offer.  

“It was the third job I had in Los Angeles and she was so good to me. I can’t tell you how sweet she was. I had a dress on that she didn’t think was outstanding enough. She asked me to take it off and the next thing I knew, she was sitting there putting sparkling things all over it, just to make it look better.” ~ Barbara Eden, October 2017

In 2005, Barbara Eden traveled to Jamestown to participate in Lucy-Desi Days. 

Eden was married three times and had one child who died in 2001 at the age of 35.  

“I’ve never stopped working. If you’re active, you can appreciate what you did in the past, you don’t feel like it’s gone.” ~ Barbara Eden

AS OF TODAY!

AUGUST 23, 2020 – As of this writing, Barbara Eden is one of the oldest known surviving ADULT cast members of “I Love Lucy.”  She is not, however, the oldest. Mary Ellen Kaye (Mrs. Taylor in “Lucy Hates To Leave”) is a year older than Eden, and Cher’s mother Georgia Holt (Model in “Lucy Gets A Paris Gown”) is 94.   

There is no birth or death information for: Maggie Magennis (Starlet in “Don Juan
and the Starlets”), Helen Silvers (Dancer Rosemary in “Lucy is
Jealous of Girl Singer”), Barbara Logan (Stewardess in “The
Ricardos Visit Cuba"), Milldred Law (Stewardess in “Return Home
from Europe”), and Jody Drew (Miss Ballantine, Mr. Reilly’s Secretary in “Don Juan
is Shelved”).