Arlene Leanore Golonka (January 23, 1936 – May 31, 2021) was an American actress. She is known for playing Millie Hutchins on the television comedy ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...

'' and Millie Swanson on '' Mayberry R.F.D.'', and often portrayed bubbly, eccentric blondes in supporting character roles on stage, film, and television.

Early years

Golonka was born in Chicago on January 23, 1936, the daughter of Elinor (née Wroblewski) and Frank Golonka, of Polish descent, She worked as a waitress and began her acting career in her early teens, going professional in a summer-stock troupe.

Career

A life member of

The Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining ...

, she appeared in her first major production, ''The Night Circus'', with

Ben Gazzara Biagio Anthony "Ben" Gazzara (August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director of film, stage, and television. He received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award, in addition to nomina ...

, at the Shubert Theater in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

, Connecticut on November 17, 1958. After a week-long trial run, the play moved to Broadway on December 2, 1958, but closed after only seven performances."Arlene Golonka profile"
''IBDb''. accessed April 27, 2014. Despite that setback, she continued working in other plays such as '' Take Me Along'' with

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

Walter Pidgeon Walter Davis Pidgeon (September 23, 1897 – September 25, 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. A major leading man during the Golden Age of Hollywood, known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise," Pidgeon earned two Academy ...

and

Robert Morse Robert Alan Morse (May 18, 1931 – April 20, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his gap-toothed boyishness, he started his career as a star on Broadway acting in musicals and plays before expanding into film and television. He earned numero ...

(448 performances from late 1959 to late 1960),

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

's first Broadway play, '' Come Blow Your Horn'', which ran 677 performances from February 1961 until October 1962, and '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'', starring

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

, from November 1963 until January 1964. Golonka appeared in two other Broadway plays from 1965 to 1966, and took supporting roles in films produced in the New York City area. Golonka also recorded a comedy album, '' You Don't Have to Be Jewish'' on June 14, 1964. When the time came to record its sequel, ''When You're in Love the Whole World Is Jewish'', she was unavailable, but encouraged her roommate, aspiring actress Valerie Harper, to audition to take her place. In 1967, Golonka moved to Los Angeles to try her hand at television. She made numerous TV appearances on such series as ''

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City Po ...

''; ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the Spy fiction, secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Bu ...

''; ''

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''; ''

The Flying Nun ''The Flying Nun'' is an American fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series about a community of nuns, which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for American Broadcasting Comp ...

''; '' I Spy''; '' That Girl''; ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 ...

''; '' M*A*S*H''; ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American sitcoms in the United States, sitcom television series that aired on CBS for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes. It was later produced as ''Archie Bunker's Pla ...

''; ''

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

''; '' Maude''; ''

''; '' Mayberry R.F.D.''; ''

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''; ''

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''; '' The Streets of San Francisco''; '' One Day at a Time''; '' The San Pedro Beach Bums''; ''

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''; '' ''; ''

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''; ''

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''; '' Valerie''; '' Sunset Beat''; and '' Matlock''; among others. In 1992, Golonka appeared as Sally Nash in the 13th episode "Fool for Love" in season 5 of the television series '' In the Heat of the Night'' with Carroll O'Connor. In this episode she played the other woman to a philandering Dr. Vance Talbot (played by actor Robert Ginty) who tries to frame her for the murder of his wife before murdering Nash as well. Golonka was a regular on the animated cartoon '' Speed Buggy'', providing the voice of "Debbie", and had a recurring role on the short-lived TV series '' Joe & Valerie''. She performed voices in other animated series including '' The New Yogi Bear Show'', '' Capitol Critters'', '' Yogi's Treasure Hunt'', and '' The New Scooby-Doo Movies''. Golonka had supporting roles in some 30 films, including '' Harvey Middleman, Fireman'' (1965), ''

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or , ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Homer's Ithaca, Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius (Spartan), Icarius and ...

'' (1966), '' The Busy Body'' (1967), '' Welcome to Hard Times'' (1967), '' Hang 'Em High'' (1968), '' The Elevator'' (1974), ''

Airport '77 ''Airport '77'' is a 1977 American air disaster film, the third installment of the ''Airport'' film series. The film stars an ensemble cast of veteran actors including Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Joseph Cotten, Olivia de Havilland, and Br ...

'' (1977), '' The In-Laws'' (1979), '' Love At First Bite'' (1980), '' The Last Married Couple in America'' (1980), '' My Tutor'' (1983), '' The End of Innocence'' (1990), and '' A Family Affair'' (2001). Golonka performed in a number of productions for the West Coast Jewish Theatre.

Personal life

Golonka was married and divorced three times. Her first husband was Christopher Michael Haenel. In 1962, she married jazz pianist and composer

Mike Longo Michael Josef Longo (March 19, 1937 – March 22, 2020) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and author. Early life Longo was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to parents who had a musical background. His father played bass, his mother played organ at c ...

, and they divorced in 1967. She wed actor Larry Delaney, who appeared with her in one episode of '' Mayberry R.F.D.'', in 1969, and they divorced in 1977.

Death

Golonka died due to complications from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. History Most historical writings about West Hollywood be ...

, California on May 31, 2021, at age 85.

Filmography

*1963: ''

'' as Laverne Montaine *1963: '' Love with the Proper Stranger'' as Marge (uncredited) *1964: '' Diary of a Bachelor'' as Lois *1965: '' Harvey Middleman, Fireman'' as Harriet *1966: ''

'' as Honeysuckle Rose *1967: ''

'' as Zelda *1967: '' The Busy Body'' as Bobbi Brody *1967: '' Welcome to Hard Times'' as Mae *1967: ''

'' as Millie Hutchins (2 episodes) *1967: ''

'' as Dottie, Season 1, Episode 3 *1967–1968: '' That Girl'' (3 episodes) *1968: '' Hang 'Em High'' as Jennifer *1968–1971: '' Mayberry R.F.D.'' as Millie Hutchins-Swanson (49 episodes) *1971: ''

'' as Betty Bowerchuck *1972: '' M*A*S*H'' as Lieutenant Edwina “Eddie” Ferguson *1973: '' Speed Buggy'' as Debbie (voice) *1973: ''Sing a Song of Murder'' ''

'' as Sue Paige *1973: ''

'' as Tina, Season 3, Episode 16 *1973: ''

'' as Melissa "BJ" Franklin, Season 2, Episode 15. *1974: '' The Elevator'' (TV Movie) as Wendy Thompson *1975: '' Maude'' as Maybelle Season 4, Episode 10 *1975: '' The Secret Night Caller'' as Charlotte *1976: '' Streets of San Francisco'' *1977: ''

'' as Mrs. Jane Stern *1977: ''

'' as Shirley Bartlett *1978: ''

'' as Sheila, Season 1, Episode 7 *1979: '' The In-Laws'' as Jean Ricardo *1979: '' Love Boat'' as Suzy Butterfield, Season 3, Episode 3 *1980: '' The Last Married Couple in America'' as Sally Cooper *1981: ''Longshot'' as Evelyn Gripp *1981: ''Separate Ways'' as Annie Donahue *1982: '' Love Boat'' as Doris Weldon Season 5, Episode 14 *1983: “

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who ope ...

” Season 3, Episode 5 *1983: '' Benson'' as Betty Braxton Season 5, Episode 11 *1983: '' My Tutor'' as Mrs. Chrystal *1983: '' Gimme a Break'' as Maxine *1986: ''Fox trap'' as Emily *1986: '' Detective School Dropouts'' (uncredited) *1987: '' The Hogan Family'' as Darlene Season 2, Episode 22 *1987: ''Survival Game'' as Barbara Hawkins *1989: '' Dr. Alien'' as Mom *1989: ''Trained to Kill'' as Martha Cooper *1990: ''The Gumshoe Kid'' as Gracie Sherman *1990: '' The End of Innocence'' as Claire *1990: ''

'' as Gloria Winslow *1991: '' Matlock'' as Jackie Flemming - Season 5, Episode 22 *1993: '' Amore!'' as Acting Coach *1995: ''Cops n Roberts'' *1997: '' Leather Jacket Love Story'' as Mom *2001: '' A Family Affair'' as Leah Rosen *2005: ''

'' as Annette

References

External links

* * * *
Facebook memorial page (official)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golonka, Arlene 1936 births 2021 deaths Actresses from Chicago American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American people of Polish descent