
How does she get by?
Where does her money come from? She left "Alice" 30 years ago and it's not in re-runs or on DVD, so she's not getting residuals from that series, and certainly not from "Flo", which lasted only a season and a half.
She's worked only sporadically since then, and couldn't have banked all that much money.
Poor dear is 73 and I'm worried about her. It'd be horrible if ol' Flo was homeless and eating cat food!
by Anonymous | reply 120 | May 16, 2018 8:58 AM |
Don't worry about Polly, OP, she's rolling in dough.%0D %0D Back in the mid-60s, Polly and her then-husband, Eustace, opened up a chain of "upscale motels." Perhaps you've heard of them?%0D %0D Yep, the middle "l" was dropped from the original (1966-67) spelling, and today, the thriving chain is better known as Holiday Inn.%0D %0D Fun fact!
by Anonymous | reply 1 | August 6, 2010 10:28 PM |
R1's pants are on fire.
Polly left TV after Flo failed because she had been typecast as the character. She returned to her theater roots and had a triumph in 1990 when she was nominated for a Tony playing Big Mama in a revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. She has continued to work in theater and take occasional TV roles. While not rich, she's had many years to adjust her lower income and probably lives a relatively comfortable lifestyle, upper middle class if not rich. And that's good enough for most people.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | August 6, 2010 10:47 PM |
she had a recurring role every season on Home Improvement which was more than enough to cover her SAG insurance and pension She has shown up on many other tv series as well but for the life of me I do not remember her being nominated for a Tony for Cat on a Hot tin roof
by Anonymous | reply 3 | August 6, 2010 11:53 PM |
Polly's IMDb trivia page (which mentions the the Tony nom.)
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 5 | August 7, 2010 12:00 AM |
Polly was offered the chance to come back to "Alice" after "Flo" failed, but she refused. Linda had chased Diane Ladd off the show with her nasty behavior.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | August 7, 2010 12:08 AM |
What are you imagining OP, Sunset Blvd? She works in theater all the time and people can actually make a living doing stage work. Maybe she lives in a modest home.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | August 7, 2010 5:10 AM |
The residuals from Gremlins and her appearances on Match Game '77 keep her stocked in scotch and Camel unfiltereds.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | August 7, 2010 6:00 AM |
have u ppl forgotten that she prob gets 2 pensions
by Anonymous | reply 10 | August 7, 2010 7:09 AM |
well you are right. She was nominated for a 1990 Tony award for playing Big Mama along with Charles Durning who won the Tony for Playing Big Daddy Kathleen Turner was Maggie(also nominated and speaking of fun facts, Debra Jo Rupp(Friends, That 70's Show) played sister woman.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | August 7, 2010 3:49 PM |
Pay absolutely no attention to R1's stupid post. Polly Holliday nor her husband had anything to do with starting the Holiday Inn chain.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | August 7, 2010 3:59 PM |
Polly Holliday was Madonna's favourite actress and the inspiration for her hit "Holiday."
by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 25, 2015 7:15 PM |
The crazy Amy Lee was a fan...
Naming the Progressive Insurance Companies and working on the advertising campaign with the character I named Flo inspired by the character Florence Jean “Flo” Castleberry portrayed by Alabama native Polly Holliday on the 1970’s television show Alice.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 16 | February 25, 2015 7:19 PM |
She made a bundle playing Rose's blind sister who set the house on fire on Golden Girls.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 25, 2015 7:32 PM |
Did you see the sitcom they based around the blind sister from Golden Girls? Each week she goes to a different house and tries to burn the house down. It was great when they did a crossover and Dinah Manoff showed up to try and convince the sister to seek treatment for her pyromania. And then the sister burned Dinah Manoff's car out.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | February 25, 2015 7:40 PM |
r18, you need that level of imagination to enjoy watching ancient GG episodes.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 25, 2015 7:51 PM |
I loved her in "Holiday on Ice".
by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 25, 2015 7:52 PM |
She's so broke she has to kiss her own grits.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 25, 2015 7:55 PM |
She does a little escorting on the side.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 25, 2015 7:56 PM |
Oh, it's a Polly Holliday with MARY!
by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 25, 2015 7:57 PM |
Her sister Judy left her a lot of money.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 25, 2015 7:58 PM |
She was nicknamed "Lady Day" by Count Basie.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 25, 2015 8:04 PM |
Tallulah Bankhead was pissed at her for references made to Bankhead in Holiday's memoirs.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | February 25, 2015 8:11 PM |
I loved the movie they made about her starring Ben Stiller, Jennifer Anniston, Philip Seymour Hoffman and DL Fave Deb Messing
by Anonymous | reply 28 | February 25, 2015 8:15 PM |
I love all the movies They have made. I'm They's biggest fan.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 25, 2015 8:21 PM |
[quote] she was nominated for a Tony playing Big Mama in a revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
This was in 1990. At the stage door, she refused to sign autographs. Charles Durning couldn't have been nicer, he signed Playbills and posed for photos. Likewise Kevin O'Rourke. Kathleen Turner waved to everyone and apologized that she was late for an engagement (knowing what we now know, it was probably an engagement with her bartender).
But Polly Holliday snapped 'No!', and stormed away when someone asked for her autograph.
I fully understand that actors don't owe anybody anything once the curtain comes down, but if you don't want to sign an autograph, at least be polite about it.
I was thrilled when she lost to Margaret Tyzack (LETTICE & LOVAGE)
by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 25, 2015 8:30 PM |
Sorry to hear she was such a jerk at the stage door because she gave a great performance in that play. I thought the only thing worthwhile in it.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | February 25, 2015 8:36 PM |
I loathe autograph hunters. Get a life.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 25, 2015 8:38 PM |
Deagle! Deagle! Deagle! Deagle!
by Anonymous | reply 33 | February 25, 2015 8:43 PM |
You do realize that actors give autographed pictures to each other all the time don't you? That often walls in their homes are covered with signed photos of other luminaries?
What other profession does such a thing? Like maybe only the psychopathic political field.
It might be silly but there are more important things to loathe.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 25, 2015 8:51 PM |
Angela Lansbury never refuses to sign. She will stand there all night and sign anything that is put in front of her, even body parts. She even grabs people from neighboring shows and signs their stuff.
"But Miss Lansbury, I was waiting for Glenn Close."
by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 25, 2015 9:00 PM |
Linda Lavin and Polly Holliday despised one another
by Anonymous | reply 36 | February 25, 2015 9:07 PM |
Polly should of sucked it up and came back to Alice ,for at least a one shot encore guest appearance before the series came to a close.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 25, 2015 9:12 PM |
"Linda Lavin and Polly Holliday despised one another"
That's because Polly got all the laughs even though Linda was the star.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | February 25, 2015 9:12 PM |
More like Holliday in HELL!
by Anonymous | reply 39 | February 25, 2015 9:12 PM |
[quote] It might be silly but there are more important things to loathe.
Is there a limit on things one can loathe?
by Anonymous | reply 40 | February 25, 2015 9:15 PM |
[quote] I loathe autograph hunters. Get a life
So sorry to offend you, Miss Desmond
by Anonymous | reply 41 | February 25, 2015 9:34 PM |
[quote]Linda Lavin and Polly Holliday despised one another
Much as Hitler's refusal to get out of Poland infuriated Stalin, so Holliday's refusal to get out of her co-star's key light angered Lavin.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | February 25, 2015 9:43 PM |
Now lives at the Motion Picture Retirement Home in Woodland Hills California where she sits on the credenza in the Community Room demanding people feed her saltines.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | February 25, 2015 9:44 PM |
It's too bad there's no longer a Love Boat to give old-timey actors a paycheck.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | February 25, 2015 9:57 PM |
I was just thinking that, R44. I'd rather some cheesy ensemble show than Dancing with the "Stars" or whatever reality show falling stars doggedly compete for now.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | February 25, 2015 10:08 PM |
Didn't she play Opal on All My Children or was that someone who sounded like her?
by Anonymous | reply 46 | February 25, 2015 10:13 PM |
Do none of the eldergays remember her terrific, funny performance as Philomena Hopkins in All Over Town, opposite Cleavon Little, and directed by Dustin Hoffman on Broadway?
"Oh dio, mio Rodolfo!"
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 47 | February 25, 2015 11:26 PM |
r46 Dorothy Lyman, also on "Mama's Family," and later a director, was Opal on AMC.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | February 25, 2015 11:33 PM |
I don't remember it. Did she replace Nancy Walker?
by Anonymous | reply 49 | February 25, 2015 11:33 PM |
At 77 Polly remains a spinster.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | February 25, 2015 11:33 PM |
Don't forget all the denture money. She helped develop and patent the formula for Poligrip. She just changed the spelling of Polly so her fans wouldn't associate her with being old. I think she still owns 35% of the company.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | February 25, 2015 11:36 PM |
Don't you just love the name Polly Holiday?
by Anonymous | reply 52 | February 25, 2015 11:36 PM |
She also gets a few cents every time someone eats polyunsaturates.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | February 25, 2015 11:38 PM |
I never understood the casting of Polly as Flo. Flo was supposed to be the town pump who all the guys wanted to fuck and here was Flo, a hatchet-faced middle-aged woman whose cunt was probably hanging down to her knees at that point. It made no sense at all that any man would want to hop on and ride her. They should've cast a young, hot actress in the part, but maybe Linda Lavin didn't want that out of jealousy.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | February 25, 2015 11:41 PM |
Don't forget the royalties every time a parrot or someone on TV or in a movie says "Polly want a cracker?" That's enough to keep anyone in furs. Shit this post is going to cost Datalounge 18 cents. Adds up.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | February 25, 2015 11:44 PM |
You mustn't know a lot of straight men. Willing is frequently all a woman has to be.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | February 25, 2015 11:45 PM |
r54 the character of Flo would have appealed to other middle aged, blue collar, working class men who like their women a bit rough, easygoing and ready for a laugh and a beer. You know the types that hang out in diners and bowling alleys and drive trucks?
by Anonymous | reply 57 | February 25, 2015 11:45 PM |
[quote] I never understood the casting of Polly as Flo. Flo was supposed to be the town pump who all the guys wanted to fuck and here was Flo, a hatchet-faced middle-aged woman whose cunt was probably hanging down to her knees at that point. It made no sense at all that any man would want to hop on and ride her. They should've cast a young, hot actress in the part, but maybe Linda Lavin didn't want that out of jealousy.
I used to think the same thing when I was a kid- why did all these men want to fuck such an old, homely woman? When I got older I kind of figured that, had they gotten a younger, more attractive woman, it would have made less sense. look at the men Flo hooked up with- none of them were handsome or rich or successful. It's doubtful they could have gotten with a younger, prettier woman who had options. Flo was a sure thing and not looking for anything but a good time. She didn't want to trap a man into marriage (she may have had romantic notions, but not about any of the locals) and she was probably a good time gal past her prime who knew how to play to her strengths and not expect too much.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | February 25, 2015 11:48 PM |
I'm sorry to hear about her behavior at the stage door of "Cat." I met her about two years before that, when I was in grammar school and she came to my city's Equity theater to perform. She couldn't have been more gracious to me, gave me an autograph and a big smile, and spoke to me for several minutes. That's the Polly Holiday I remember.....
by Anonymous | reply 59 | February 25, 2015 11:54 PM |
Like I loathe the bus, R40.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | February 25, 2015 11:59 PM |
[quote]I never understood the casting of Polly as Flo. Flo was supposed to be the town pump who all the guys wanted to fuck and here was Flo, a hatchet-faced middle-aged woman
Glad to see others understand reality. Beautiful young women do not have to be the town pump. Sadly they often go dateless cause men are scared to death of them or they get snatched up quickly by non-truck drivers.
by Anonymous | reply 61 | February 26, 2015 12:13 AM |
She was going to take the stage name Polly Gamous but Lucy talked her out of it.
by Anonymous | reply 62 | February 26, 2015 12:26 AM |
"It made no sense at all that any man would want to hop on and ride her."
Yes it did. The men who hung out at Mel's Diner were truck drivers and road crew. They were redneck men. They were already over the hill themselves, balding, with a paunch and not wanting to go to too much effort to get a woman. Flo was a guaranteed good time girl.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | February 26, 2015 2:36 AM |
One thing about Alice - it was a collection of some of the homeliest actors around. Linda herself was passable, but Polly, the McKeon kid, Beth Howland and Vic Tayback were really unattractive people. Even the semi-regulars were ugly.
by Anonymous | reply 65 | February 26, 2015 2:59 AM |
At least they were realistic looking back then R65.
by Anonymous | reply 66 | February 26, 2015 3:01 AM |
This is the actress who played Mrs. Deagle in one of my favorite movies Gremlins
I knew the name sounded familiar
But why do people on here always bring up Broadway and shit
No one really cares about that stuff
Sorry
by Anonymous | reply 67 | February 26, 2015 10:51 PM |
Is Polly Holliday where Hyacinth's son went to school vacation?
by Anonymous | reply 68 | February 26, 2015 11:31 PM |
Those FLO DVDs are flying off the shelves! She's doing fine on those royalties alone!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 69 | February 27, 2015 6:39 AM |
OMG -- Joyce DeWitt was in "FLO" Do you think they played Password backstage?
by Anonymous | reply 70 | March 1, 2015 9:06 PM |
[quote]Dorothy Lyman, also on "Mama's Family," and later a director, was Opal on AMC.
Only for a couple of years. Then Lyman left, and Jill Larsen took over the role and played it till the series ended.
by Anonymous | reply 71 | March 1, 2015 11:23 PM |
I remember Diane Ladd saying she really wanted the part of Flo for the series but lost out to Holiday in the end. Usually they only recast the major characters in the tv version if they aren't available due to being film stars, etc.
Diane finally got another shot 5 years later when they created a whole new character for her after Polly left for her own series as theTitle character that Ladd created on screen. Must of been tough to replace an actress when you originated the role that made the 2nd actress famous!
by Anonymous | reply 72 | March 2, 2015 1:25 AM |
Polly Holiday --
isn't that the song in Mary Poppins where Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke dance with the cartoon penguins?
by Anonymous | reply 73 | March 2, 2015 6:07 AM |
Here's someone else with a lovely Polly story.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 75 | March 4, 2015 1:49 AM |
And who knew about this site? I'm sure Polly would be thrilled.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 76 | March 4, 2015 1:51 AM |
I stage doored Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at its pre-Broadway engagement in Boston. Polly ran out with a scarf over her head and sun glasses and was gone before we realized it was her.
Daniel Hugh Kelly who played Brick stood around and chatted and signed autographs. Someone gave him a book version of CONHTR to sign, and Elizabeth Ashley was on the cover. He said "This ain't the version we're doin'!"
We waited for Kathleen Turner. I don't know how she got out but this fat woman came to the stage door and bellowed "LOOOONG GONNNNNE!" and slammed it shut.
by Anonymous | reply 77 | March 4, 2015 2:13 AM |
R54 R58 The whole point of Flo wasn't that she was supposed to be hot, at least in the conventional sense. It was that she was an older woman who didn't let the years slow her down.
by Anonymous | reply 78 | March 4, 2015 2:19 AM |
I think Flo had a lot of middle-aged homos' dream life. She was lived hard and didn't give a shit what anyone thought. She fucked truckers by the dozen.
I'm middle aged now, and I could get used to that life.
I also think Mel was hot as fuck with his hairy Syrian arms and sailor hat.
by Anonymous | reply 79 | March 4, 2015 2:28 AM |
Pattin each other's butts....
by Anonymous | reply 80 | March 4, 2015 2:57 AM |
When Ellen Burstyn was offered Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, she was given the option of an upfront salary or a reduced salary but a piece of the back end which included TV rights. She was going through a messy divorce and needed the money, so she took the salary. She said it was one of the biggest mistakes of her life.
by Anonymous | reply 81 | March 4, 2015 3:35 AM |
82 posts, and 82 years young. Happy Holiday, Poliday!
by Anonymous | reply 82 | March 4, 2015 3:52 AM |
Were we to believe that Flo was some great piece of ass? She'd get all gussied up and go down to the "Shea-Chug-A-Lug" to meet Whizzer for some drinks and then she'd slobber on his trouser trout in the sleeper compartment of his 18 wheeler. UGGGHHH!!! As for very, she was the essence of skank. Remember when Tommy was in love with her? What a looker that offspring would have been if those two adonis's consummated their union of love!
by Anonymous | reply 83 | March 4, 2015 4:08 AM |
[quote]She'd get all gussied up and go down to the "Shea-Chug-A-Lug"
Spoken like a true Mick.
by Anonymous | reply 84 | March 4, 2015 4:20 AM |
Flo's original catchphrase was supposed to be "kiss my cunt!" until Linda Lavin ordered it changed to "kiss my grits."
by Anonymous | reply 85 | March 4, 2015 4:24 AM |
r81, that's a tough decision. I wouldn't have taken the tv deal either because it's difficult to see how that movie could be turned into a sitcom. And there isn't a huge success rate in movie to tv transfers.
by Anonymous | reply 86 | March 4, 2015 3:25 PM |
Polly Holiday got by like everybody else. Early to rise, early to bed. And in between she cooked and cleaned and went out of her head.
by Anonymous | reply 87 | March 4, 2015 4:23 PM |
Flo didn't let her son go on a fishing trip with a gay man.
by Anonymous | reply 88 | March 4, 2015 4:27 PM |
R88 it wasn't Flo it was Alice. And Alice did let him go after some soul searching.
by Anonymous | reply 89 | March 8, 2015 7:32 PM |
Polly was in a production as a Nun. She visited the Catholic school in Manhattan connected with my parish. She stopped by after borrowing a habit from the Convent. Polly was friendly to all the kids. The Sisters and Pastor liked her.
by Anonymous | reply 90 | March 8, 2015 9:32 PM |
R83 Tommy wasn't in love with Flo it was Vera one episode.
by Anonymous | reply 91 | March 8, 2015 9:53 PM |
As a little kid, when I first watched "Alice" I thought that Holiday's wig was her real hair.
by Anonymous | reply 92 | March 8, 2015 9:58 PM |
"it wasn't Flo it was Alice. And Alice did let him go after some soul searching"
Yes, I know. I was being ironic.
by Anonymous | reply 93 | March 8, 2015 10:13 PM |
I can't believe Holiday was only in her 30s when Alice started. She looked 50.
by Anonymous | reply 94 | March 8, 2015 11:52 PM |
"I can't believe Holiday was only in her 30s when Alice started. She looked 50."
Working with Linda Lavin can do that to a person.
by Anonymous | reply 95 | March 9, 2015 3:08 PM |
Beth Howland had to have been one of the most annoying actresses ever.
by Anonymous | reply 96 | March 10, 2015 12:07 AM |
No need to worry about her. Mel Sharples left her a tidy sum in his will.
by Anonymous | reply 97 | March 10, 2015 12:25 AM |
[quote]Is there a limit on things one can loathe?
Not on Datalounge.
by Anonymous | reply 98 | March 10, 2015 12:44 AM |
Unless someone has successfully shaved years off the public info about themselves, Linda and Polly are the same age - born about 3-4 months apart.
by Anonymous | reply 99 | March 10, 2015 1:37 AM |
i heard she was lez for the girl who played veronica.
by Anonymous | reply 100 | October 22, 2015 8:06 PM |
Beth Howland face creeped me out. Her long, "bony" face, obvious nose job, big teeth and big eyes.
by Anonymous | reply 101 | October 22, 2015 9:04 PM |
I used to think Beth Howland was also on ANOTHER WORLD as Rachel.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 102 | October 22, 2015 9:44 PM |
Beth Howland was on MTM and played a girl who Mary stole her husband from.
by Anonymous | reply 103 | October 22, 2015 9:47 PM |
i loved Beth Howland as Vera Louise Gorman. I also loved Celia Weston as Jolene Hunnicutt.
by Anonymous | reply 104 | October 22, 2015 9:59 PM |
Beth Howland was the original "Not Getting Married Today" girl in Company and appears as "Just A Housewife" in the Working video. Beth had more of a musical theater background than Lavin did, but who ended up doing all the singing on the show?
by Anonymous | reply 105 | October 22, 2015 9:59 PM |
I'm sure between her Social Security, Equity pension, SAG pension, and maybe a small AFTRA pension, Holliday scrapes by on 8-10 thousand bucks a month. It's not exactly nothing, even if she never saved anything.
by Anonymous | reply 106 | October 23, 2015 12:22 AM |
And the royalties she gets when they play the song she wrote, "Holiday for Strings." It was in the Christmas music rotation at a store I shopped in yesterday.
by Anonymous | reply 107 | October 27, 2015 3:47 AM |
She is pretty much a whore, she was Strom Thurmonds mistress from the early 90's until the day he died.
by Anonymous | reply 108 | October 27, 2015 4:18 AM |
And then there was her evil twin, Holly Poliday . . .
by Anonymous | reply 109 | October 27, 2015 5:06 AM |
I liked her as Rose's sister on Golden Girls.
by Anonymous | reply 110 | February 7, 2016 1:48 PM |
I remember Polly H in that miniseries about the gay Atlanta serial killer who killed the poor black boys
by Anonymous | reply 111 | February 7, 2016 1:59 PM |
Beth Howland age 74 is another one who hasn't seen the light of day recently. She's married to Charles Kimbrough, who is 79, you'd think they'd at least be out and about in NYC as a couple.
by Anonymous | reply 112 | February 20, 2016 3:30 AM |
R112 She looked like had a lot of face work done the last time I seen a photo of her.
by Anonymous | reply 113 | February 20, 2016 7:13 PM |
BH pic from 5 or so years ago.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 114 | February 20, 2016 7:34 PM |
Word is that Beth carries a box of straws with her in her purse at all times in case a fan requests she do her 'bit'.
by Anonymous | reply 115 | February 20, 2016 7:49 PM |
[quote]Oh dio mio Rudolfo! (in a heavy southern accent).
Can any Broadway theater queen identify the Polly Holliday connection?
by Anonymous | reply 116 | February 20, 2016 8:12 PM |
You're wrong, ALL of you!
Mizz Holliday, along with her partners, established the Polycom telecommunications company. She dropped an "L" from the company's name out of modesty and not wishing to be associated with Ernestine Tomlin. Mme. Holliday does not consume Camel cigarettes, instead, she VoIPs.
by Anonymous | reply 117 | February 20, 2016 8:53 PM |
[quote]she was nominated for a Tony
That's nice, I guess, but then again, if you can't win, why bother, right?
by Anonymous | reply 118 | May 16, 2018 7:57 AM |
She was absolutely brilliant in CATS
by Anonymous | reply 119 | May 16, 2018 8:07 AM |
Maybe her good friend Dustin Hoffman takes care of her financially in her old age.
I love hearing that Charles Durning couldn't have been nicer. Usually I don't care but that's one of the few actors it's just heartening to read that they're really as nice and warm as they seem.
At least the day r30 met him....
by Anonymous | reply 120 | May 16, 2018 8:58 AM |
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3TmqOorZ6csm%2BvzqZmraCimq6le5htcG1uaWl6sbvLpbBmoJ%2BhtqWt2A%3D%3D