Florida Friebus (October 10, 1909 Her obituary in the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' gives her birth year as 1908. – May 27, 1988) was an American writer and actress of stage, film, and television. Friebus's best-known roles were Winifred "Winnie" Gillis, the sympathetic mother of Dwayne Hickman's character Dobie Gillis on '' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'', and Mrs. Lillian Bakerman on '' The Bob Newhart Show''.

Early years

Florida Friebus was born in

Auburndale, Massachusetts Auburndale is one of the thirteen List of villages in Newton, Massachusetts, villages within the city of Newton, Massachusetts, Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the western end ...

, to Theodore Friebus and Beatrice Flagg Mosier Friebus.Her obituary in the ''

'' gives her place of birth as Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. She was known to make it clear to curious people that she was named after her mother's favorite aunt—not after the state of Florida. Her paternal grandmother was named Florida as well.

Personal life

Friebus married actor Richard Waring, in 1934. They had one child who died in infancy. The couple divorced in 1952. Friebus never remarried.Florida Friebus papers, 1926-1988
Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts; accessed July 9, 2015.

Career

Friebus first acted professionally in 1929 in New York City, appearing in ''The Cradle Song'' with the Civic Repertory Theater. She appeared on television in such programs as '' The Ford Theatre Hour'', '' Perry Mason'', '' Bachelor Father'', ''

Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young (actor), Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray (actor), Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six ...

'', '' The Rookies'', '' Peyton Place'', '' Ironside'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', '' Sanford and Son'', '' Ben Casey'', '' The Doris Day Show'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Room 222 ''Room 222'' is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC for 112 episodes, from September 17, 1969, until January 11, 1974. The show was broadcast on 1969 ...

'', ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom created by Bernard Slade, which was broadcast in the United States from September 1970 to March 1974 on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. After the final first-run telecast on ABC in March ...

'', '' Chico and the Man'', '' Barnaby Jones'', ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'', and '' Rhoda''. She also read stories to children on ''Look and Listen'' on KNXT in Los Angeles, California. As a writer, Friebus collaborated with Eva Le Gallienne to dramatize '' Alice in Wonderland''. The play was presented on Broadway and later on the ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

'' on television.

Actors' Equity

Friebus spent more than 16 years on the board of

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American trade union, labor union representing those who work in Theatre, live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions w ...

. She was presented the Phil Loeb Award "for extraordinary service to her profession."

Papers

Friebus's papers are housed at the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

Filmography

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Friebus, Florida 1909 births 1988 deaths Actresses from Newton, Massachusetts 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Boston Writers from Newton, Massachusetts American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Screenwriters from Massachusetts 20th-century American singers 20th-century American screenwriters