Billie Bird

{{Infobox person

| image = Billie Bird.jpg

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1908|02|28}}

| birth_place = Pocatello, Idaho, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|11|27|1908|02|28}}

| death_place = Granada Hills, California, U.S.

| resting_place = Forest Lawn Memorial Park

| occupation = Actress, comedian

| yearsactive = 1950–1997

| spouse =

| children =

}}

Billie Bird Sellen (February 28, 1908 – November 27, 2002), better known professionally as Billie Bird, was an American actress and comedian.{{cite web| url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba8773aa9| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717184821/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2ba8773aa9| url-status=dead| archive-date=2012-07-17| title=Billie Bird| website=British Film Institute| access-date=January 15, 2022}} She played Margie in Dear John (1988–1992).

Early life

Born in Pocatello, Idaho, Bird was discovered at the age of eight while living at an orphanage. As a child, she worked in vaudeville, including the act known as the King Sisters,{{cite news| title=Mailbag| newspaper=The Kansas City Star TV & Radio| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78747331/billie-bird-bio-in-1986/| date=July 27, 1986| page=39J| access-date=January 15, 2022| via=Newspapers.com}} and later in theater/cabaret before moving on to television and films.{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-06-me-passings6.2-story.html| title=Billie Bird, 94; Actress Had Character Roles in Movies, on TV| date=December 6, 2002| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| access-date=2009-02-03| url-access=subscription}}

Career

She is credited with an appearance in a 1921 film Grass Widowers, but it is not clear if this is accurate. Otherwise, she broke into films in 1950, later making a brief, uncredited appearance in The Odd Couple as a chambermaid. Her only line was "Goodnight", which was said to Felix Ungar, who responded, "Goodbye." Bird often was cast by director John Hughes and appeared in many of his 1980 and 1990s films, such as Sixteen Candles, Home Alone, and Dennis the Menace, the latter two of which both paired her with veteran Hughes actor Bill Erwin playing her husband. She also starred as Mrs. Lois Feldman in Police Academy 4. Her last film appearance was in 1995's Jury Duty, with Pauly Shore.

In addition to films, Bird made numerous appearances on various television series, including roles on Happy Days, Silver Spoons, Ironside, Eight Is Enough, The Facts of Life, Who's the Boss?, and Knots Landing. She was also a regular cast member on the sitcoms It Takes Two in 1982, Benson from 1984 to 1986, and in 1988 Dear John starring Judd Hirsch. Her last acting role was a brief appearance in 1997 on an episode of the sitcom George and Leo, which starred Bob Newhart and Bird's former co-star, Hirsch.

Bird entertained troops in Vietnam with her own variety act, "Flying High With Billie Bird." For her efforts, she was one of the few women to ever be made an honorary member of the Green Berets.

Death

Bird died on November 27, 2002, in Granada Hills, California, at the age of 94 after several years of Alzheimer's disease.

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ Film
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1950 \| Dallas \| School Teacher \| Uncredited
1951 \| The Mating Season \| Mugsy \|
1951 \| The Lemon Drop Kid \| Racetrack Bettor on Iron Bar \| Uncredited
1951 \| Darling, How Could You! \| Rosie \|
1951 \| Rhubarb \| Mona Lizzie \| Uncredited
1951 \| Journey into Light \| Gertie \|
1952 \| Anything Can Happen \| Bus Passenger \| Uncredited
1952 \| Just Across the Street \| Pearl \|
1952 \| My Man and I \| Waitress \| Uncredited
1952 \| Somebody Loves Me \| Essie \|
1952 \| My Wife's Best Friend \| Katie \| Uncredited
1953 \| Half a Hero \| Ernestine \|
1954 \| Woman's World \| Woman in Bargain Basement \| Uncredited Alternative title: A Woman's World
1957 \| The Joker Is Wild \| Ticket Seller / Cashier \| Uncredited
1957 \| Panama Sal \| Woman Manager \|
1958 \| Unwed Mother \| Gertie \|
1959 \| Born to Be Loved \| Drunk's wife \|
1959 \| Blue Denim \| Woman \| Uncredited
1960 \| Too Soon to Love \| Mrs. Jefferson \| Alternative title: Teenage Lovers
1961 \| The Cat Burglar \| Mrs. Prattle \|
1961 \| Secret of Deep Harbor \| Mama Miller \|
1966 \| The Las Vegas Hillbillys \| Aunt Clem \|
1966 \| This Property Is Condemned \| Party Guest \| Uncredited
1967 \| Barefoot in the Park \| Drunken neighbor \| Uncredited
1968 \| The Odd Couple \| Chambermaid \| Uncredited
1970 \| Getting Straight \| Landlady \|
1972 \| Stand Up and Be Counted \| \| Uncredited
1982 \| Young Doctors in Love \| Mrs. Greschler the Flower Lady \|
1983 \| Max Dugan Returns \| Older Woman \|
1984 \| Sixteen Candles \| Dorothy Baker (Grandmother) \|
1986 \| One Crazy Summer \| Grandma \|
1986 \| Ratboy \| Psychic \|
1987 \| Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol \| Mrs. Lois Feldman \|
1988 \| Ernest Saves Christmas \| Mary Morrissey \|
1989 \| That's Adequate \| Old Lillian Darling \|
1989 \| Police Academy 6: City Under Siege \| Mrs. Stanwyck \|
1990 \| The End of Innocence \| Mrs. Yabledablov \|
1990 \| Home Alone \| Irene (woman in airport) \|
1993 \| Dennis the Menace \| Edith Butterwell \|
1995 \| Jury Duty \| Rose \|

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Film

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1950

| Dallas

| School Teacher

| Uncredited

1951

| The Mating Season

| Mugsy

1951

| The Lemon Drop Kid

| Racetrack Bettor on Iron Bar

| Uncredited

1951

| Darling, How Could You!

| Rosie

1951

| Rhubarb

| Mona Lizzie

| Uncredited

1951

| Journey into Light

| Gertie

1952

| Anything Can Happen

| Bus Passenger

| Uncredited

1952

| Just Across the Street

| Pearl

1952

| My Man and I

| Waitress

| Uncredited

1952

| Somebody Loves Me

| Essie

1952

| My Wife's Best Friend

| Katie

| Uncredited

1953

| Half a Hero

| Ernestine

1954

| Woman's World

| Woman in Bargain Basement

| Uncredited
Alternative title: A Woman's World

1957

| The Joker Is Wild

| Ticket Seller / Cashier

| Uncredited

1957

| Panama Sal

| Woman Manager

1958

| Unwed Mother

| Gertie

1959

| Born to Be Loved

| Drunk's wife

1959

| Blue Denim

| Woman

| Uncredited

1960

| Too Soon to Love

| Mrs. Jefferson

| Alternative title: Teenage Lovers

1961

| The Cat Burglar

| Mrs. Prattle

1961

| Secret of Deep Harbor

| Mama Miller

1966

| The Las Vegas Hillbillys

| Aunt Clem

1966

| This Property Is Condemned

| Party Guest

| Uncredited

1967

| Barefoot in the Park

| Drunken neighbor

| Uncredited

1968

| The Odd Couple

| Chambermaid

| Uncredited

1970

| Getting Straight

| Landlady

1972

| Stand Up and Be Counted

| Uncredited

1982

| Young Doctors in Love

| Mrs. Greschler the Flower Lady

1983

| Max Dugan Returns

| Older Woman

1984

| Sixteen Candles

| Dorothy Baker (Grandmother)

1986

| One Crazy Summer

| Grandma

1986

| Ratboy

| Psychic

1987

| Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol

| Mrs. Lois Feldman

1988

| Ernest Saves Christmas

| Mary Morrissey

1989

| That's Adequate

| Old Lillian Darling

1989

| Police Academy 6: City Under Siege

| Mrs. Stanwyck

1990

| The End of Innocence

| Mrs. Yabledablov

1990

| Home Alone

| Irene (woman in airport)

1993

| Dennis the Menace

| Edith Butterwell

1995

| Jury Duty

| Rose

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ Television
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1958 \| Letter to Loretta \| Mrs. Shubb \| 1 episode
1971 \| Adam-12 \| Winnie Goodrich \| 1 episode
1973 \| Gunsmoke \| Old Woman \| 1 episode
1974 \| Apple's Way \| Lillian \| 1 episode
1976–1977 \| The Waltons \| Mrs. Cox Shirley \| 2 episodes
1982 \| House Calls \| \| 1 episode
1982–1983 \| It Takes Two \| Mama \| 22 episodes
1983 \| Goodnight, Beantown \| \| 1 episode
1984–1986 \| Benson \| Mrs. Endicott / Rose Cassidy \| Series Regular: Season 7
1984 \| Newhart \| Ella \| 1 episode
1984 \| Happy Days \| Mother Kelp (Marion Cunningham's Mother) \| 1 episode
1984 \| Three's a Crowd \|Aunt Mae (Jack Tripper's Aunt) \| 1 episode
1985 \| Remington Steele \| Anna Dix \| 1 episode
1986 \| Hardcastle and McCormick \| Mimi LeGrand \| 1 episode
1986–1987 \|Brothers \| Aunt Wilhelmina (Donald Maltby's aunt) \| 3 episodes
1986–1987 \| Silver Spoons \| Mildred \| 2 episodes
1987 \| Max Headroom \| Florence \| 1 episode
1987 \| Cheers \| Lillian Miller \| 1 episode
1988–1992 \| Dear John \| Margie Philbert \| 90 episodes
1988 \| Hunter \| Marie Watson \| 1 episode
1992 \| Murphy Brown \| Ruthie \| 1 episode
1993 \| The Wonder Years \| Woman \| 2 episodes
1997 \| George and Leo \| \| 1 episode, (final appearance)

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Television

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1958

| Letter to Loretta

| Mrs. Shubb

| 1 episode

1971

| Adam-12