The Truth About Ann B. Davis and ‘The Brady Bunch’ Kids
Whenever I see a picture of Ann B. Davis in character as Alice from The Brady Bunch, I am immediately taken back to watching the show in reruns during the ’70s. While Alice was without doubt the funniest character on the show, she always seemed to me like she was one of the kindest, as well.
So why am I writing about Ann B. Davis today? That’s because I recently finished listening to an episode of The Real Brady Bros podcast, which is hosted by Barry Williams and Christopher Knight. In this particular podcast, they discussed a Season 3 episode of The Brady Bunch, titled “Sergeant Emma,” where Ann played the role of Alice’s identical cousin Emma, who visits the Brady household to assist the family while Alice goes on vacation.
“Sergeant Emma” is a really fun episode that allows Ann to shine — but that was never hard for her to do in the first place. As both Christopher and Barry pointed out in the podcast, Ann was already an award-winning actress who was well-known to television audiences due to her costarring role as Schultzy on The Bob Cummings Show.
Everett Collection
During the course of this podcast episode, both Barry and Christopher take time to share their memories of Ann while they worked with her on The Brady Bunch. Barry recalled that he got along well with Ann, perhaps because he was a bit older than the rest of the kids in the cast, making him able to relate to her differently. He recalled watching Ann on The Bob Cummings Show as a child and, as such, he knew that Ann was coming to The Brady Bunch as one of the most respected members of the cast. He also said that while on set, Ann was very much a professional and tended to minimize her interactions with the kids.
Christopher’s experiences with Ann were a little different; he remembered that Ann could be demanding. Each cast member, including the kids, knowing their lines and their marks was important to her. It wasn’t that she was mean, cantankerous, or difficult to work with in any way. It’s just that she had high expectations of her work colleagues. She held herself to the same high expectations, as well.
Everett Collection
In the end, I think it’s fair to say that Ann did like the kids in the cast. However, that doesn’t mean that they were all that familial with her. During the podcast, both Christopher and Barry acknowledged the same thing that was written in an article on the online website Outsider a few years back: while Ann was a very nice woman, she struggled to relate to children because she didn’t have any of her own.
Closer Magazine shared something similar, citing Lloyd J. Schwartz, the son of Brady Bunch creator Sherwood Schwartz, who said: “She was a very nice woman, but had nothing to do with children, so the idea of Alice being so beloved by the characters of the ‘Brady Bunch’ was not reflective of her as a person.”
Everett Collection
Ted Nichelson, one of the authors of Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, also told Closer: “Although she did not like children, and never had any of her own, she grew to love the Brady Bunch kids and enjoyed friendships with all of them for many years after the show ended.”
Those findings, perhaps more than anything else, just goes to demonstrate how talented Ann was as an actress on The Brady Bunch. She made her affinity for the Brady children seem so real, so genuine. It was hard for me not to believe that when the cameras weren’t rolling, she wasn’t exactly the same way.
Everett Collection
Sadly, Ann left us on June 1, 2014. She was 88 when she took a fall in her home and never regained consciousness. Upon hearing news of her passing, many of the Brady cast members took the time to acknowledge the tremendous influence that this woman had, both directly and indirectly, on their lives.
Among those sharing memories was Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia. She told The Hollywood Reporter, “I admired Ann B. so much as an actor. Most of all, I admired her heart. She was a dear friend. She made me a better person. How blessed I am to have had her in my life. She will be forever missed.”
For someone who never truly felt comfortable around kids, Ann B. Davis sure was loved by them.
Remind 
Favorite TV Families
December 2020
Who was your favorite TV family? We cover the decades, from the Cleavers, Waltons and Brady Bunch, to the Ewings and much more!
Buy This Issue