Patricia Joy Harmon or Joy Patricia Harmon (born May 1, 1940) is an American baker and former actress.

Early years

The daughter of Homer Harmon, Joy Patricia Harmon was born in

Jackson Heights, New York Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the Borough (New York City), borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona, Queens, North Corona to the east, Elmhurst, Queens, Elmhurst to the s ...

, or

Flushing, New York Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the ...

. She and her family moved to Connecticut in 1946. She was a

Miss Connecticut The Miss Connecticut competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Connecticut in the Miss America pageant. Connecticut has won the Miss America crown once (Marian Bergeron, 1933), and is the only New England sta ...

, She tied for fourth runner-up in the 1957 competition for Miss Connecticut. When she was three years old, Harmon modeled clothes in

Fox Movietone News Movietone News was a newsreel that ran from December 1927 to 1963 in the United States. Under the name British Movietone News, it also ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986, in France also produced by Fox-Europa, in Spain in the early 1930s a ...

newsreels. She skipped two grades in elementary school and graduated from

Staples High School Staples High School is a public high school in Westport, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Horace Staples, who founded the school on April 26, 1884. Westport is one of eight school districts in District Reference Group A (along with ...

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

Career

Harmon's stage debut came in ''Pajama Tops'' at the Klein Memorial Theatre in

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...

. She toured the United States in stock company productions, including ''

The Marriage-Go-Round ''The Marriage-Go-Round'' is a 1958 play written by Leslie Stevens. The 1961 film adaptation of the same name, written and produced by Stevens, stars Susan Hayward, James Mason and Julie Newmar, who reprised her role from the play. The play ...

'', ''The Solid Gold Cadillac'', '' The Tender Trap'', ''The Importance of Being Ernest'', and ''Susan Slept Here''. On Broadway, Harmon portrayed Betty Phillips in ''Make a Million'' (1958). She also appeared in an off-Broadway production of ''Susan Slept Here'' (1961). Harmon was a contestant during the last season of

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer who performed in films and vaudeville on television, radio, and the stage. He is considered one of America's greatest comed ...

's television program ''

You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radioGidget'', ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

'', and ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

''. She appeared in a cameo role as blonde Ardice in the

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

comedy ''

Under the Yum Yum Tree ''Under the Yum Yum Tree'' is a 1963 American sex comedy film directed by David Swift and starring Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Dean Jones, and Edie Adams, with Imogene Coca, Paul Lynde, and Robert Lansing. The film received two Golden Globe ...

'' in 1963. She had a role as

Tony Dow Anthony Lee Dow (April 13, 1945 – July 27, 2022) was an American actor, film producer, director and sculptor. He portrayed Wally Cleaver in the iconic television sitcom ''Leave It to Beaver'' from 1957 to 1963. From 1983 to 1989, Dow repri ...

's girlfriend in the 1965–66 television soap opera ''

Never Too Young ''Never Too Young'' is an American daytime serial that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from September 27, 1965 to June 24, 1966 and was the first soap opera geared towards a teen audience. The show premiered on ABC on the same day as ' ...

''. Harmon's stand-out acting roles include the 30-foot-tall (9 m) Merrie in ''

Village of the Giants ''Village of the Giants'' is a 1965 American teensploitation comedy science fiction film produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon. Based loosely on H. G. Wells's 1904 book ''The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth'', it contains ...

'' (1965, in which she captures normal-sized

Johnny Crawford John Ernest Crawford (March 26, 1946 – April 29, 2021) was an American actor and singer. He first performed before a national audience as a Mouseketeer. At age 12, Crawford rose to prominence playing Mark McCain in the series ''The Rifleman ...

and suspends him from her bikini top), and the car-washing Lucille in ''

Cool Hand Luke ''Cool Hand Luke'' is a 1967 American Prison film, prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, starring Paul Newman and featuring George Kennedy in an Academy Awards, Oscar-winning performance. Newman stars in the title role as Luke, a pri ...

'' (1967) with her purportedly 41–22–36

measurements Measurement is the quantification of attributes of an object or event, which can be used to compare with other objects or events. In other words, measurement is a process of determining how large or small a physical quantity is as compared to ...

Personal life

Harmon was married to film editor and producer

Jeff Gourson Jeff Gourson (born January 30, 1946) is an American film editor and producer. He has been jointly nominated three times for an Emmy Award for his production work on the television series ''Quantum Leap''. Film editing work Jeff Gourson began hi ...

from 1968 to 2001, raising three children. For a time, a son worked at Walt Disney Studios. She later established a bakery, Aunt Joy's Cakes, in Burbank, California. Despite her surname, Harmon is not related to the popular actor

Mark Harmon Thomas Mark Harmon (born September 2, 1951) is an American actor, writer, producer, television director and former American football, football player. He is best known for playing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on ''NCIS (TV series), NCIS'' ...

, nor to his family, the Harmon–Nelson family (a well-known California show business family).

Filmography

Films roles

*'' The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' (1956) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' Let's Rock'' (1958) - Pickup Girl *''

Mad Dog Coll Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll (born Uinseann Ó Colla, July 20, 1908 – February 8, 1932) was an Irish-American mob hitman in the 1920s and early 1930s in New York City. Coll gained notoriety for the alleged accidental killing of a young child during ...

'' (1961) - Caroline *''

'' (1963) - Ardice (uncredited) *''

Roustabout Roustabout (Australia/New Zealand English: rouseabout) is an occupational term. Traditionally, it referred to a worker with broad-based, non-specific skills. In particular, it was used to describe show or circus workers who put up tents and boo ...

'' (1964) - College Girl (uncredited) *''

Young Dillinger ''Young Dillinger'' is a 1965 gangster film directed by Terry O. Morse. It stars Nick Adams as the notorious criminal John Dillinger, and co-stars Robert Conrad, John Ashley and Mary Ann Mobley. Plot With help from Elaine, his girlfriend, youn ...

'' (1965) - Nelson's Girl *'' One Way Wahine'' (1965) - Kit Williams *''

The Loved One Loved Ones, Loved One, The Loved Ones, or The Loved One may refer to: Films *The Loved One (film), ''The Loved One'' (film), a 1965 American satire based on the Evelyn Waugh novel *The Loved Ones (film), ''The Loved Ones'' (film), a 2009 Australia ...

'' (1965) - Miss Benson (uncredited) *''

'' (1965) - Merrie *'' A Guide for the Married Man'' (1967) - Party Girl in Bar (uncredited) *''

'' (1967) - Lucille, The Girl *'' Angel in My Pocket'' (1969) - Miss Holland

Television roles

*’’ Tell It To Groucho’’ (1961) Co-Host Series *''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor backwoods family ...

'' (1963) - Kitty *''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was filmed in black-and-white and broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seve ...

'' (1964) - Joanne Grant *'' Burke's Law'' (1964-1965) - Barbara Sue / Belle Sue Walsh *'' Gidget'' (1965) - Blonde Girl Dancing / Midge (uncredited) *''

'' (1966) - Julia Davis (uncredited) *'' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' (1966) - Barbara *''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...

'' (1966) - Francie *'' The Rounders'' (1966) - Rosetta *''

Occasional Wife ''Occasional Wife'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 13, 1966 until August 29, 1967. Plot Peter Christopher is a New York bachelor who enjoys the single life but is blocked in his professional advancement without a wife. ...

'' (1967) - Model *''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American television sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966, to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character, Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress who moves from her hometo ...

'' (1967) - Miss Bridges *''

'' (1967) – Cashier in S2:E2, "The Picture Frame" *''

'' (1967) - Zelda in S2:E14, "Monkees on the Wheel" *''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...

'' (1972) - Rosalie (segment "Love and the Secret Habit") *''

The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televis ...

'' (1972) - Waitress *'' Thicker Than Water'' (1973) - (final appearance)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harmon, Joy American film actresses American television actresses 1940 births Living people People from Flushing, Queens American bakers American beauty pageant contestants Actresses from Queens, New York Actresses from Connecticut 21st-century American women American stage actresses Broadway theatre people