Rest In Peace, Polly Hollilday (1937-2025)

This is an "In Memoriam" post for actress, Polly Holliday, who passed away on September 9, 20025.  Ms. Holliday was probably best known for her portrayal of, "Flo," from the popular television sitcom, "Alice."

I have three issues of TV Guide in my collection, which feature her likeness on the cover.  This first one is from July of 1977.

This issue also included an article about the actress.

The writer mentions her iconic catchphrase, "Kiss mah grits!", and compares it to Fonzie's "Sit on it!" in popularity.  And now I'm wondering, are there any current TV characters (other than Bart Simpson), who have a famous catchphrase?

This next issue is from April of 1978.  The cover story article in this one was about Vic Tayback, one of the co-stars on "Alice," so I did not include it here.  The cover artwork was done by famed artist, Richard Amsel, who created the covers for more than 40 issues of TV Guide, between 1972 and 1985.

Polly Holliday's character on "Alice" was an instant hit with viewers, and after four seasons, her character was "spun off" into her own series titled, "Flo."  This November 1980 issue of TV Guide featured an article about her and the brand new show.

Apparently, Warner Bros. was interested in spinning off "Flo" into her own series, after the very first season of "Alice."  But it took another three years for it to actually happen.

It sounds like the actress was pretty down-to-earth, considering that even after her success on TV, she kept her small apartments, her 1972 Chevy, and continued to shop at Pic 'N' Save!

Of course, "Flo" was not Polly Holliday's only role as an actress.  She also appeared as Betty White's sister on "The Golden Girls," and the antagonist, "Ruby Deagle," in the movie, "Gremlins." She also played the mother-in-law of "Tim "The Toolman" Taylor" on the TV show, "Home Improvement."  For even more of her film and television credits, you can always check out IMDB or Wikipedia.

Rest in peace, Polly Holliday!