Alice Ghostley
A master of fluttery comic timing, she stole scenes for decades as the quintessential lovable, flustered sidekick on classic TV sitcoms.
1923–2007 (age 84)·American actress and singer·Birthday: August 14·The Greatest Generation
Biography
With a distinctive, wavering voice and an expression of perpetual, good-natured bewilderment, Alice Ghostley carved out a unique niche in American television. She began her career on Broadway, earning a Tony Award nomination for her performance in 'The Beauty Part,' which hinted at the sharp comedic skills beneath her timid persona. Television, however, is where she became a household fixture. Her turn as the accident-prone witch Esmeralda on Bewitched cemented her archetype: the well-meaning friend whose help always caused more chaos. She brought a similar gentle, off-kilter energy to roles on Mayberry R.F.D. and, most memorably, as the delightfully daffy Bernice Clifton on Designing Women. For seven seasons, Bernice's malapropisms and surreal non sequiturs provided the show with its heart and some of its biggest laughs, making Ghostley an indispensable part of the ensemble.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Alice was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alice Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Alice's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2007Died at 84
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Leonard Sillman's 'The Beauty Part' in 1963.
- Played the recurring role of Bernice Clifton, the endearingly eccentric friend, on the hit CBS sitcom Designing Women for seven seasons.
- Portrayed the bumbling witch Esmeralda on Bewitched, becoming one of the show's most beloved recurring characters.
- Appeared as Cousin Alice, a similarly nervous and clumsy character, on the Andy Griffith spin-off Mayberry R.F.D.
Did You Know?
She was a classically trained singer and studied at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York.
She won an Emmy Award in 1965 for a guest appearance on The Julie Harris Show, not for her more famous sitcom roles.
She provided the voice for the character of Grammi Gummi in the Disney animated series Adventures of the Gummi Bears.
Her first major film role was in the 1964 political thriller 'Fail-Safe.'
“I just try to make the character real, even if she's a little confused.”
