Editing Nancy Walker

{{short description|American actress (1922–1992)}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Nancy Walker
| image        = Nancy Walker in Best Foot Forward trailer.jpg
| caption      = [[Trailer (promotion)|Trailer]] for ''[[Best Foot Forward (film)|Best Foot Forward]]'' (1943)
| birth_name   = Anna Myrtle Swoyer
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1922|5|10|mf=yes}}
| birth_place  = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1992|03|25|1922|5|10|mf=yes}}
| death_place  = [[Studio City, Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| occupation   = Actress, director
| other_names  = Nan Barto
| years active = 1937–1992
| spouse       = {{plainlist|
* {{Marriage|Gar Moore|1948|1949|end=div}}
* {{Marriage|David Craig|1951<!--Year omitted per Template:Marriage instructions-->}}
}}
| children     = 1
| father       = [[Dewey Barto]]
}}
'''Nancy Walker''' (born '''Anna Myrtle Swoyer''';<ref group=note>Often mistranscribed as "Smoyer"</ref>{{Citation needed |date=March 2023}} May 10, 1922 – March 25, 1992)<ref name=encyclo>{{cite web| url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/walker-nancy-1922-1992| title=Walker, Nancy (1922–1992)| website=[[Encyclopedia.com]]| access-date=June 5, 2024}}</ref> was an American actress and comedian of stage, screen, and television. She was also a [[film director|film]] and [[television director]] (lending her talents to ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'', on which she also made several guest appearances). During her five-decade-long career, she had long-running roles as Mildred on ''[[McMillan & Wife]]'' and as Ida Morgenstern on several episodes of ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' and on the spinoff series ''[[Rhoda]]'' as a prominent recurring character.

==Early life==
She was born Anna Myrtle Swoyer in [[Philadelphia]] to vaudevillian parents, the elder of two daughters. When she was 10 months old, she made her debut in [[vaudeville]] alongside her parents. She decided to become an actress at the age of 10.<ref name=encyclo/> 

==Acting career==
[[File:Sebastian Cabot, Nancy Walker, Brian Keith (Family Affair - 1970, CBS Television) (1).jpg|thumb|right|Nancy Walker, [[Sebastian Cabot (actor)|Sebastian Cabot]], and [[Brian Keith]] on ''[[Family Affair]]'' (1970)]]
In 1937, as "Nan Barto", Walker appeared on the [[NBC]] radio programs ''Coast to Coast on a Bus'' and ''Our Barn.''<ref>{{cite web| url=http://washingtondc.showbizradio.com/2013/06/review-lta-twentieth-century| title=Little Theatre of Alexandria Twentieth Century| last1=Delaney| first1=Betsy Marks|date=June 25, 2013| website=ShowBizRadio| access-date=February 2, 2014}}</ref> She made her [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut in 1941 in ''[[Best Foot Forward (musical)|Best Foot Forward]].'' The role provided Walker with her film debut, when she signed a contract with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] to appear in  the 1943 [[Best Foot Forward (1943 film)|film version]], starring [[Lucille Ball]]. She also appeared with [[Mickey Rooney]] and [[Judy Garland]] in the second film version of ''[[Girl Crazy]]'' (1943). Her next film, ''[[Broadway Rhythm]]'', in which she had a featured musical number backed by [[Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra]], "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet", ended Walker's contract with MGM.{{Citation needed |date=March 2024}}

She continued acting throughout the 1940s and 1950s, originating the roles of Hildy Eszterhazy ("I Can Cook, Too!") in ''[[On the Town (musical)|On the Town]]'' (1944), Yetta Samovar in ''[[Barefoot Boy with Cheek]]'' (1947), and Lily Malloy in ''[[Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'!]]'' (1948) on Broadway. She was nominated for a [[Tony Award]] in 1956 for her work in the musical revue ''Phoenix '55'', and again in 1960 for her performance in ''[[Do Re Mi (musical)|Do Re Mi]]'', opposite [[Phil Silvers]].<ref>{{cite web| title=Nominations: 1961| url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1961/category/any/show/any//| website=Tony Awards| access-date=October 2, 2024}}</ref>

Walker also starred in the short-lived Broadway musical comedy ''Copper and Brass'' in 1957, and appeared in the 1958 [[New York City Center]] production of ''[[Wonderful Town]]''. For the early 1970s revival of ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'', she appeared again opposite Silvers, playing the character of Domina. Owing to her television contractual responsibilities, she was unable to transfer with the show to Broadway. Her musical appearances led to record releases, including ''I Hate Men'' (1959; with [[Sid Bass (songwriter)|Sid Bass]] and his orchestra, featuring such show tunes as "[[I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair]]", and "You Irritate Me So"); the cover featured Walker humorously sticking male dolls with pins.<ref>{{cite book| first=Nick| last=DiFonzo| title=The WORST album covers in the world... EVER!| location=London| publisher=New Holland Publishers| year=2004| page=85| isbn=978-1-8433-0888-1}}. The album cover and a discussion of the album can be seen [http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/12/365-days-338--.html '''here'''] and [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/pictures/image/0,8543,-10605055279,00.html '''here'''].</ref>
[[File:Nancy Walker Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore Show 1970.JPG|thumb|Walker's first appearance as Ida Morgenstern on ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'', 1970]]
Dozens of television guest appearances and recurring roles followed, providing her with steady work. Her career spanned five decades and included comedies, dramas, and television variety shows such as ''[[Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town]]'', ''[[The Garry Moore Show]]'', and ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]''.

In the 1960–61 television season, she appeared in two episodes of [[NBC]]'s ''[[The Tab Hunter Show]]''. In 1970, she secured a recurring role as Emily, the housekeeper, on the television series ''[[Family Affair]]'', which starred [[Brian Keith]]. After five seasons, though, the ratings of ''Family Affair'' had plummeted opposite NBC's popular ''[[The Flip Wilson Show]]''. The series was canceled at the end of that season.<ref>{{cite book| last=Brooks| first=Tim| author-link=Tim Brooks (television historian)| author2=Earle Marsh| title=[[The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present]]| edition=Sixth| publisher=[[Ballantine Books]]| year=1995| page=[https://archive.org/details/completedirector0006broo/page/336 336]| isbn=978-0-3453-9736-2}}</ref>

In 1970, she also made her first appearance playing Ida Morgenstern, the mother of [[Valerie Harper]]'s character [[Rhoda Morgenstern]] on the first season of ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show''. The role proved to be ideal for her. The episode that introduced her character, "Support Your Local Mother", was so well received that it won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing Achievement in a Comedy Series for [[James L. Brooks]] and [[Allan Burns]]. Walker thereafter became an annual guest star on the show for the next three years. When the MTM spinoff series ''[[Rhoda]]'' premiered in 1974, Walker was a regular cast member in 41 episodes.{{Citation needed |date=March 2023}}

From 1971 to 1976, she was a regular on the successful [[Rock Hudson]] detective series ''McMillan & Wife'', playing the McMillans' housekeeper, Mildred. During the first two years of ''Rhoda'', Walker was not featured every week, so she was able to shuttle back and forth between the CBS sitcom and the NBC detective series. These two roles brought her seven [[Emmy Award]] nominations. In 1976, ABC-TV offered Walker a contract to headline her own series, ''[[The Nancy Walker Show]]'', which was produced by [[Norman Lear]]'s production company, in which she starred as Nancy Kittredge, a talent agent. Walker appeared on a second-season episode of ''[[The Muppet Show]]''.<ref>{{cite book| last1=Garlen| first1=Jennifer C.| last2=Graham| first2=Anissa M.| title=Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rac9xis0BIgC&q=walker| date=October 26, 2009| publisher=McFarland & Company| isbn=978-0-7864-5375-7| page=218}}</ref>

Before she filmed the first episode of the series, Walker made her only appearance on ''Rhoda'' for the 1976–77 season. In the season premiere, "The Separation", Rhoda (Valerie Harper) and her husband Joe ([[David Groh]]) decide to separate. Rhoda tries to keep the news from her mother Ida (Walker), since Ida is about to embark on a year-long trip across America with Rhoda's father ([[Harold Gould]]). Ida learns the truth from Rhoda prior to Ida's departure.
[[File:Nancy Walker Rosie Bounty ad 1977.JPG|thumb|180px|Walker as Rosie in a 1977 magazine ad with [[Vito Scotti]]]]
One of Walker's last major film roles was in the 1976 all-star comedy spoof ''[[Murder by Death]]''. She continued to remain active in show business until her death, playing Rosie, a [[New Jersey]] diner waitress, appearing in ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' as Sophia's sister Angela, in a series of commercials for [[Bounty (paper towel)|Bounty]] [[paper towel]]s from 1970 to 1990. She helped make the product's [[slogan]], "the quicker picker-upper", a common [[catchphrase]].<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZyUwNAs43LcC&q=william+a+procter+president&pg=PA280-IA6| title=Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter and Gamble| publisher=Harvard Business Press| date=May 1, 2004| access-date=2013-05-07| last=Davis| first=Dyer| page=280| isbn=978-1-5913-9147-0}}</ref> She credited the towel commercials with landing her the role of Ida Morgenstern.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/26/arts/nancy-walker-69-of-rhoda-and-paper-towel-commercials.html| title=Nancy Walker, 69, of 'Rhoda' And Paper-Towel Commercials| date=March 26, 1992| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| access-date=July 27, 2012}}</ref>

In 1990, Walker began starring on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] sitcom ''[[True Colors (TV series)|True Colors]]'' as Sara Bower, the outspoken mother of Ellen Davis Freeman ([[Stephanie Faracy]]), who moves into Ellen's household despite having objections to her daughter's interracial marriage. In 1990, Walker appeared as herself in the ''[[Columbo]]'' episode "Uneasy Lies the Crown".{{Citation needed |date=May 2021}}

==Directing career==
Walker had guest starred as Rhoda's mother [[List of other characters on The Mary Tyler Moore Show|Ida Morgenstern]] in several episodes of ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', and continued that role in its [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] ''Rhoda''. After establishing the character, Walker directed some episodes of both series, along with episodes of other [[situation comedy]] series.<ref name=TVGuide/>

In 1980, Walker made her feature-film directorial debut, directing [[disco]] group [[Village People|The Village People]] and [[Olympic Games|Olympian]] [[Bruce Jenner]] in the pseudo-biographical musical ''[[Can't Stop the Music]]''. The film was a box-office failure, and Walker's sole feature-film directorial credit. After the film, she did some stage and television directing, including three episodes of the situation comedy ''Alice''.<ref name=TVGuide>{{cite journal| title=Nancy Walker: Credits| url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nancy-walker/credits/187361/| journal=[[TV Guide]]| access-date=October 2, 2018}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Walker was married twice. Her first husband was [[Gar Moore]], whom she wed on August 1, 1948. They divorced within 10 months. She remarried, to musical theater teacher David Craig on January 29, 1951. Craig died in 1998 at the age of 75 from lung cancer.<ref name="nytobit">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/05/arts/david-craig-75-singing-instructor.html| title=David Craig, 75, Singing Instructor| newspaper=The New York Times| date=September 5, 1998| access-date=October 2, 2018| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Walker was also a close friend of actor [[Montgomery Clift]]. Biographer [[Patricia Bosworth]] stated the two first met in 1948, but did not become good friends until 10 years later, after Clift's disfiguring car accident. Bosworth adds that Walker would sustain him as his dearest friend for the rest of his life; their relationship was one of mutual support – whereas most of Clift's friends assumed he needed to be looked after, or else left alone, Walker stated, "he needed to be needed", adding "I liked his face better after the accident; his strength ''shone'' through." Clift nicknamed friends for whom he felt particular affection, and he called Walker "Nanny".<ref>{{cite book| last=Bosworth| first=Patricia| title=Montgomery Clift: A Biography| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mEWJpRZju4YC&q=Nanny| date=June 5, 2012| publisher=Open Road Media| pages=322–323| isbn=978-1-4532-4501-9}}</ref>

Walker was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] who supported [[Adlai Stevenson II|Adlai Stevenson]]'s campaign during the [[1952 United States presidential election|1952 presidential election]].<ref>''[[Motion Picture Magazine|Motion Picture and Television Magazine]]''. November 1952. page 33.</ref>

==Death==
Walker died of lung cancer on March 25, 1992, at age 69, in [[Studio City, California]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Feisty Nancy Walker loses long battle with cancer |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/03/25/Feisty-Nancy-Walker-loses-long-battle-with-cancer/7331701499600/ |work=UPI |date=25 March 1992|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213023720/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/03/25/Feisty-Nancy-Walker-loses-long-battle-with-cancer/7331701499600/ |archive-date=December 13, 2021}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Film
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1943 || ''[[Best Foot Forward (1943 film)|Best Foot Forward]]'' || Nancy – Blind Date ||
|-
| 1943 || ''[[Girl Crazy (1943 film)|Girl Crazy]]'' || Polly Williams ||
|-
| 1944 || ''[[Broadway Rhythm]]'' || Trixie Simpson ||
|-
| 1954 || ''[[Lucky Me (film)|Lucky Me]]'' || Flo Neely ||
|-
| 1972 || ''[[Stand Up and Be Counted]]'' || Agnes ||
|-
| 1973 || ''[[The World's Greatest Athlete]]'' || Mrs. Petersen ||
|-
| 1973 || ''[[40 Carats (film)|40 Carats]]'' || Mrs. Margie Margolin ||
|-
| 1975 || ''[[Death Scream]]'' || Mrs. Jacobs ||
|-
| 1976 || ''[[Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]'' || Mrs. Fromberg ||
|-
| 1976 || ''[[Murder by Death]]'' || Maid ||
|-
|-
! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;" | Television
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1959 || ''The World of Sholom Aleichem'' || Wife || Play of the Week "Tale of Chelm"
|-
| 1959–1964 || ''[[The Garry Moore Show]]'' || Herself || Regular guest star (13 episodes)
|-
| 1960 || ''[[The Tab Hunter Show]]'' || Buddy Parker || Episode: "I Love a Marine"
|-
| 1970–1971 || ''[[Family Affair]]'' || Emily Turner || Recurring role (6 episodes)
|-
| 1971–1974 || ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]'' || Ida Morgenstern || Recurring role (4 episodes)
|-
| 1971–1976 || ''[[McMillan & Wife]]'' || Mildred || Main cast (32 episodes)
|-
| 1972 || ''[[Bridget Loves Bernie]]'' || Aunt Ruthie || Episode: "The Little White Lie That Grew"
|-
| 1973 || ''[[The Partridge Family]]'' || Mrs. Applebaum || Episode: "Aspirin at 7, dinner at 8"
|-
| 1974 || ''[[Thursday's Game]]'' || Mrs. Bender || Television film
|-
| 1974–1978 || ''[[Rhoda]]'' || Ida Morgenstern || Main cast (42 episodes)
|-
| 1976–1977 || ''[[The Nancy Walker Show]]'' || Nancy Kitteridge || Main role (13 episodes)
|-
| 1977 || ''[[Blansky's Beauties]]'' || Nancy Blansky || Main role (13 episodes)
|-
| 1978 || ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' || Mumsy || Episode: "The Common Man"
|-
| 1982 || ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' || Harriett Krieger || Episode: "42"
|-
| 1987 || ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' || Angela || Recurring role (2 episodes)
|-
| 1987–1988 || ''[[Mama's Boy (TV series)|Mama's Boy]]'' || Molly McCaskey || Main role (6 episodes)
|-
| 1989 || ''[[Newhart]]'' || Aunt Louise || Episode: "Attack of the Killer Aunt"
|-
| 1990 || ''[[Columbo]]'' || Herself || Episode: "[[Columbo (season 9)|Uneasy Lies the Crown]]"
|-
| 1990–1992 || ''[[True Colors (TV series)|True Colors]]'' || Sara Bower || Main cast (46 episodes)
|}

==Stage/musical theatre work==
* ''[[Best Foot Forward (musical)|Best Foot Forward]]'' (1941)
* ''[[On the Town (musical)|On the Town]]'' (1944–1946)
* ''[[Barefoot Boy with Cheek]]'' (1947)
* ''[[Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'!]]'' (1948)
* ''Along Fifth Avenue'' (1949)
* ''[[The Roaring Girl]]'' (1951)
* ''[[Pal Joey (musical)|Pal Joey]]'' (1952; succeeding [[Helen Gallagher]])
* ''Phoenix '55'' (1955)
* ''[[Fallen Angels (play)|Fallen Angels]]'' (1956; 1966)
* ''[[Desk Set]]'' (1957)
* ''Copper and Brass'' (1957)
* ''[[Wonderful Town]]'' (1958)
* ''The Girls Against the Boys'' (1959)
* ''[[Do Re Mi (musical)|Do Re Mi]]'' (1960–1962)
* ''Everybody Loves Opal'' (1962)
* ''[[Folies Bergère]]'' (1964)
* ''UTBU'' (1966) (as director)
* ''[[Luv (play)|Luv]]'' (1967)
* ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'' (1968)
* ''[[The Cocktail Party]]'' (1968)
* ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' (1971)
* ''Sondheim: A Musical Tribute'' (1973)

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==

{{reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
Thomas S. Hischak. ''The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: theatre, film, and television'' (June 2008), Oxford University Press, USA ({{ISBN|0195335333}})

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{Commons}}
* {{IMDb name|908055}}
* {{IBDB name}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Nancy}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:Actresses from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American musical theatre actresses]]
[[Category:American stage actresses]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American television directors]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in California]]
[[Category:American women television directors]]
[[Category:American vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:American women film directors]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American women singers]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Democrats]]
[[Category:California Democrats]]
[[Category:American women comedians]]