Whatever Happened To…Alice?

To this day I can never have a bowl of chili or enter a diner without thinking of the old television sitcom Alice, which aired from 1976 to 1985. Give me a bowl of chili while I’m at a diner and I’ll start breaking out with the theme song… ♪ “There’s a new girl in town…” ♫…ummmm… okay so I only remember a few words of it, which is probably a blessing to the other customers at the restaurant because I don’t have much of a singing voice. It’s also pretty weird that I’d be singing about me being a new girl in town, but that’s a whole other issue for another column.

Mel’s Diner was one restaurant where I never got tired of going, not because of their excellent food and there was no real hot waitresses: it was just a fun place to be. I imagine if a modern version of Alice was to air, the staff would have to be all Hooter type girls, but personal character is all it took for the show to attract viewers back then. Let’s reflect on some of those characters and remember who and what they were, and see where they have traveled since…

Alice (Linda Lavin): The sitcom was actually based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and starred Linda Lavin in the title role as a widowed mother who moves to Phoenix, AZ for a fresh start at life and begins working at ‘Mel’s.’ Alice, like many other waitresses dreamed of hitting it big in show business as a singer. In the series finale her wish is realized as she recieves a recording contract from Nashville. Lavin shared in her alter ego’s passion for singing as she did all the vocals for the show’s theme song. During the run of Alice, she was television’s highest paid sitcom star. After hanging up her apron, she appeared in several Broadway plays and the the short lived sitcoms Room for Two (1992) and Conrad Bloom (1998). Lavin operates a program to help young girls between the ages of 12-14 with self esteem issues to overcome their shyness and realize their full potential. After two failed marriages, her third is with actor, artist and musician Steve Bakunas. They reside in Wilmington, North Carolina and are active in the community theater. She has no biological children. 

Mel (Vic Tayback): A grumpy boss who was tight with his wallet, Mel had his hands full trying to keep the female employees straight while not burning the hamburgers. More often than not he failed at both tasks. His tongue as sharp as cheddar cheese, Mel had a comeback for everything, and his specialty was put downs and a heavy peppering of his famously shouted catchphrase: “Stow it.” Before suffering a fatal heart attack in 1990, Tayback appeared in several stage productions and films, such as the animated All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989). He left behind his wife whom he had been married to since 1962 and his one son.

Vera (Beth Howland): Known as ‘Dingbat,’ Vera was the ditzy one, but served up a lot of laughs along with her orders. Another common utterance was “Good, Vera,” from someone after one of her less than intelligent comments. Howland also went on to star in some Broadway shows and made television appearances on sitcoms, such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Tick. Howland is married to actor Charlie Kimbrough and has one daughter.

Flo (Polly Holiday): “Kiss my grits,” is an expression that made Flo, a southern, man-crazed woman full of sass, an icon of the show. She left the series, however, to begin her own spinoff show simply titled Flo. Flo’s show had to go and it only lasted one season.Like the rest of her former co-stars, Holiday also appeared in several Broadway productions, earning a Tony nomination for her role as Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1990. Her film credits include Mrs. Doubtfire, Gremlins and The Client. She also had a recurring role as a grandmother on Home Improvement.

 ’Belle’ (Diane Ladd): When Flo quit, she was replaced by ‘Belle,’ a southern charmer who was portrayed as having previously worked at the diner before and shared a turbulent romantic relationship with Mel. She only lasted one year before moving on to pursue other employment opportunities. Ironically, Ladd earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in the film version of the television show, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore playing Flo, the very character she took over for in the sitcom. Ladd has remained busy over the years, appearing in several films including Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose with her daughter, Laura Dern. Her credits also include Christmas Vacation, 28 Days and The World’s Fastest Indian.

Jolene (Celia Weston): As is the real life case in the restaurant industry, there is a revolving door of helpers and the next waitress to enter through the diner’s doors was Jolene, a fun-loving but temperamental truck driver from Georgia who starts working for Mel after breaking some of the diner’s dishes in an argument with her male driving partner. She ends up turning in her keys to the ignition and becomes a full time waitress. An interesting fact about Jolene is she was a distant relative of ‘Boss’ Hogg from the series Dukes of Hazzard, and he (with Officer Enos) appeared on an episode of Alice. Since she turned in her apron, Watson has continued to play a number of Southern belle roles for the stage, film and television. Her credits include Flirting with Disaster, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Junebug and Desperate Housewives.

Henry (Marvin Kaplan): Before the days of cell phones, its a wonder any calls ever went through as Henry (who worked for the telephone company) always seemed to be at ‘Mel’s’ despite never having anything good to say about the food. During Kaplan’s career, he has appeared in several plays and movies, including One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, and has had recurring roles on E.R. as well as Becker.

Tommy (Philip McKeon): Rounding out the regular characters is Alice’s son, Tommy, whose appearances dwindled as the show went on. Apparently he started having better things to do than hang out at the diner all day. McKeon is the real life brother of actress Nancy McKeon from Facts of Life fame. Philip McKeon has since moved behind the camera and has directed a number of films, such as Murder in the First and The Young Unknowns.