Long, long before anyone ever thought to coin that phrase, 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl', theater and film actress Barbara Harris created and embodied that template character.......(much in the same way Tuesday Weld made the role of 'Trailer Trash Jailbait Lolita' her very own.....)
In a career filled with unforgettable work in memorable roles, Harris always brought along her pinpoint comedic timing that let her easily steal every scene she was in........(not surprising, since she was one of the co-founders of the famed Second City improvisational comedy troupe. )
Our favorites include........the shy social worker in "A Thousand Clowns", the body-switched mom in Disney's "Freaky Friday".......and naturally, her last starring role in Hitchcock's final film "Family Plot".......(such was her power to make audiences embrace her, that when William Devane's "Family Plot" villain smacks around Harris, we remember the audience letting out a distressed gasp at the sight. How could
anyone dare hurt someone so adorable?)
And we certainly couldn't close out this post without mentioning her work in Robert Altman's 'Nashville'........in a film teeming with improvised performances, she still managed to stop the show in the film's final scenes.
So Rest In Peace, Barbra Harris........a true, beloved cinema treasure.
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