Girls, let me tell you, as one who has trod the boards, when it comes right down to it, actors want to do two things--act and eat!!!!!!!! They will come crawling out of the woodwork to do, either. You wouldn't believe some of the places I have crawled to, loves!!!!!!!!! One of these actors, a name to known to those of a Certain Age, is Eve Plumb, who, first and foremost, will always be Jan on "The Brady Bunch." I mean, her mantra, "Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!" became the anthem of Middle Children all across America. Now, Eve is in New York, appearing in something called "Miss Abagail's Guide To Dating, Mating And Marriage," which was not anywhere on my theatrical radar, darlings, but with Eve, I may just have to pay a visit.
But I want to talk here about Eve in a rather different way. I certainly saw every episode of "The Brady Bunch" filmed, and bemoaned the absence of Eve on subsequent reunion and follow up shows; make no mistakes, there is no other Jan.
However, before there was a "Brady Bunch," before anyone ever heard of Jan, Eve did something which traumatized the children of my generation!!!!!!!!!!!!
On the evening of November 11, 1968, which, interestingly enough, was exactly one week before my 14th birthday, the TV program "Family Affair" did something which broke the mold. It went from comedic to serious for an episode few of us, again of a Certain Age, will ever forget, called "Christmas Came A Little Early." I can feel myself tearing up, just starting to write about it, darlings!!!!!!!!!
In the story, Buffy is the conduit between home and school for a very ill little girl named Eve. Eve is continuously bedridden, indicative of an illness of great severity, but she still receives assignments, and can participate in class discussions via an intercom system linked between home and school.
Over the course of time, Buffy becomes friends with, and quite fond of Eve, and naturally wants to help her. With the perception that only a child can have, she tells the girl about her Uncle Bill, stating that he will be able to make her well, because he, as she says "can do anything."
As it turns out, of course, he can't, since Eve, we come to understand, is terminally ill. Her mother, played by Ann McCrea, who was Midge, Bob Crane's wife on the old "Donna Reed Show" speaks to Uncle Bill (Brian Keith) about this, and he speaks delicately about the matter to the children, while still hiding the actual truth. Eventually things come to a head; the mother informs Uncle Bill that Eve is getting worse, and that, basically, it looks like she will not be around to celebrate the upcoming Christmas. So Uncle Bill, and Mr. French (the wonderful Sebastian Cabot) concoct a scheme whereby, due to an incipient business assignment, he will be away for the Holidays, and, so that everyone, even Eve, can celebrate, they have Christmas, months early, at Eve's house. Buffy and Jody, not knowing what is going on, go through with it. I remember so well the look of joy on Eve's face, when Santa Claus (a disguised Mr. French) appears and gives her a doll. Everyone is happy, and the Holiday has been celebrated.
Back home, with the children asleep, Uncle Bill and Mr. French, peeling off the Santa make-up discuss the success of the evening--Eve's happiness, and Buffy and Jody's unknowings. Uncle Bill (Brian Keith) remarks that if the children had known what was really going on, he does not think they could have gone through with it. With that, he leaves to go to bed, pausing outside his bedroom, because he hears a noise, coming from Buffy's room. He walks into her room, to find her sobbing violently. She falls into his arms. She knew all the time.
I am telling you, I am getting tears in my eyes just writing this, girls!!!!!!!! To a still very young self, this brought home, in a vivid and painful way, the idea that even though one is young, Death can be present. The next morning, in eighth grade homeroom, no one talked of anything else; we were traumatized, and the teacher devoted the period to moderating a discussion about the episode with us.
Years later, I viewed it on YouTube; it still packs a wallop. It also has an aching poignancy in that Eve was played by our own Jan, Eve Plumb, and how wonderful Anissa Jones' performance as Buffy was here--this was truly HER moment--and how suddenly and sadly she left us behind.
I promise more fun stuff, girls, in the posts ahead. But whenever I hear the name Eve Plumb, or see her, I don't think of Jan first. I think of the girl she played here. I am told in an interview given as an adult, Eve revealed that the dying girl she played was supposed to have leukemia, even though the name of the illness was never mentioned.
So it looks like I may have to see this stage show. Eve Plumb was an indelible part of my childhood in more ways than one!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And yours, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And doesn't Eve look fabulous now???????? Just like all my girls!!!!!!!!!!!
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