Blansky’s Beauties

Synopsis Garry Marshall may not be a familiar name to every television viewer, but it’s highly likely that most viewers have seen one of his creations at least once. He had massive success in the late 70’s with many of the sitcoms he developed, including Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, and Mork and Mindy. The short-lived Blansky’s Beauties was one of his lesser-known creations.

Nancy Walker, who most viewers remember as Rhoda Morgenstern’s mother, starred as Nancy Blansky, manager and mother hen to a group of showgirls. The troupe consisted of Sunshine, Bambi, Arkansas, Hillary, Lovely, Jackie, Bridget, Misty, Cochise and Sylvia. Joey DeLuca was Nancy’s nephew and the choreographer to the girls, and little brother Anthony was always trying to make time with the beauties, despite the fact that he was only 12.

Arnold ran the coffee shop at the Oasis, the casino where the girls performed, and Horace ‘Stubs’ Wilmington managed the place. The show had several casting connections to other Garry Marshall shows: Eddie Mekka (Joey) played Carmine on Laverne and Shirley, Scott Baio (Anthony) played Chachi on Happy Days, and Pat Morita played the identically-named Arnold on Happy Days (both characters were restaurateurs, as well!).

Walker starred in this show immediately after her previous vehicle, The Nancy Walker Show, was cancelled in December of 1976. Blansky’s Beauties was canceled in June of 1977, thus gave her the unusual distinction of two canceled shows within one season. Even more strange is the fact that same thing happened with her co-star Morita: he had starred in Mr. T and Tina, a sitcom that was cancelled in late 1976 after one month on the air. Apparently, beauty isn't everything.

Release History 2/12/77 - 6/27/77 ABC

Sub Categories comedy

Network ABC

Cast

Nancy Blansky		Nancy Walker
Bambi Benton		.Caren Kaye
Ethel "Sunshine" Akalino		Lynda Goodfriend
Emilio		Johnny Desmond
Joey DeLuca		Eddie Mekka
Anthony DeLuca		Scott Baio
Horace "Stubbs" Wilmington		George Pentecost
Hillary S. Prentiss		Taaffe O'Connell
Arkansas		Rhonda Bates
Lovely Carson		Bond Gideon
Jackie Outlaw		Gerri Reddick
Gladys "Cochise" Littlefeather		Shirley Kirkes
Sylvia Silver		Antoinette Yuskis
Misty Karamazov		Jill Owens
Bridget Muldoon		Elaine Bolton
Arnold		Pat Morita