According to her manager, Teri Garr, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her roles in films such as Young Frankenstein, Tootsie, and Mr. Mom, has died.
She was 79.
Garr died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, more than two decades after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, her manager Marc Gurvitz said.
She initially revealed her condition to the world in 2002, hoping to raise awareness for others suffering from MS.
Garr, the daughter of a Broadway actress and a Rockette, grew up studying dance and began auditioning shortly after graduating from Los Angeles High School. Her early credits included dancing and working as an extra in films such as Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas.”
8. Pajama Party (1964) as Unnamed Dancer
While many sources attribute Teri Garr’s debut cinematic appearance to the 1968 picture Head featuring The Monkees, she does appear in 1964’s Pajama Party. I recently heard TCM host Ben Mankowitz say that Ms. Garr “appears just to the right of Annette Funicello in every major scene,” which I have also seen stated verbatim on other IMDb ratings. Interesting but untrue.
18-year-old Garr appears as the second model in the fashion show scenario (which begins 37 minutes into the film), but Connie does not arrive at the clothing shop until after the fashion show. Teri Garr can be seen dancing to Annette’s right in the concluding musical song.
Gogo, a Martian teenager, is sent to Earth to prepare for an invasion. The first Earthling he meets, Aunt Wendy, is a wealthy widow who owns a fashion business catering to youngsters. Her nephew, Big Lunk, enjoys volleyball but has no interest in romance, which frustrates his girlfriend, Connie. Naturally, Gogo meets Connie, and they fall in love. Meanwhile, Aunt Wendy’s sleazy neighbor and gang devise a strategy to steal her money; the local biker gang also seeks vengeance on the volleyball players for leaving footprints on their beach. All of the subplots come together at the pajama party.
It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it role, but this is just the beginning for Garr.
7. Batman (1966): “Instant Freeze” as Girl Outside the Rink
Garr plays an unnamed girl outside the ice rink at the beginning of the episode. In Gotham City, Mr. Freeze is a notorious criminal who uses instant freeze solutions for criminal purposes. Batman and Robin suspect his motivation is revenge, and he is motivated by money to maintain sub-zero temperatures.
During this time, she frequently appeared on television as a go-go dancer on musical variety shows like Shindig! and Hullabaloo alongside pal Toni Basil. A few years later, she appeared on The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry R.F.D., and two episodes of It Takes a Thief.
Again this role wastes her talent but she’s on her way up.
6. Doctor Franken (1980) as Kelli Fisher
She plays Kelli Fisher, the girlfriend of the Central Park heart attack victim Martin Elson. This adaptation of the Frankenstein legend, set in modern-day Manhattan, stars Robert Vaughn as a determined New York surgeon named Dr. Arno Franken who brings “parts” home from work – the hospital where he conducts experimental research – to painstakingly rebuild the shattered body of an anonymous patient using organs from various donors.
This was a TV pilot that went unsold. The narrative concludes with the monster leaving to seek out the donors – or their families – of the bits and pieces that comprised him. It sounds like it would have gone the Kung Fu / Fugitive path, with the protagonist traversing the world and rescuing people. It was slightly better than I expected, but nothing earthshaking. Yes, the series was dubbed ‘The Franken Project,’ and filming on the pilot began in late 1978. But the movie didn’t air on NBC until January 13, 1980.
She’s underused in the role, but it did raise the 35-year-old’s profile on television. Two years later, In 1982, she starred opposite Dustin Hoffman in the comedy Tootsie. She was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress.
5. Aliens for Breakfast (1995) as Mrs. Bickerstaff
Garr plays Richard’s kind-hearted single mom, Mrs. Bickerstaff.
“Aliens for Breakfast” is an hour-long ABC TV movie starring Ben Savage as Richard and Sinbad as a pink alien named Aric. Aric warns Richard of an invasion of Dranes, who deprive the planets of their identity. Richard must face the Dranes and remain true to himself. The show is based on a book by Stephanie Spinner and Jonathan Etra, with Teri Garr playing Richard’s mother and Alfre Woodard and Shelley Duvall as teachers.
At the time, the 51-year-old actress was doing a lot of television and had just appeared as a best friend in the shortlived series Good Advice. In 1995, she starred with Delta Burke in the short-lived Women of the House sitcom. It’s not a great role, but every scene she’s in is filled with infectious energy.
4. Mom and Dad Save the World (1992) as Marge Nelson
She plays a stereotypical suburban mom named Marge, full of wide-eyed optimism and pop-psych wisdom, who placates Spengo by pretending to be in love with the intergalactic despot.
Mom And Dad Save The World is a loony sci-fi fantasy film that opened after a year in distribution limbo. Written by the same team that brought us Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey, it has the earlier films’ freewheeling energy but lacks wit and charm. The film follows Dick and Marge Nelson, a Middle American couple sucked into outer space to a small planet inhabited by idiots—Tod Spengo’s (Jon Lovitz) attraction to Marge Nelson drives the conflict. She pretends to be in love with Spengo, while Dick must brave a dungeon filled with attack mushrooms and win the confidence of rebels. The film’s jokes are flat, and even sexual innuendos play so mildly that it is rated PG.
The movie had the potential to be a classic like other early 90s comedies. But critics savaged it, and it bombed at the box office. I used to watch it over and over again on home videos. But I’m in the minority. Thankfully, she appeared in Dumb and Dumber a year later.
3. Star Trek: The Original Series (1968): “Assignment: Earth” as Roberta Lincoln (as Terri Garr)
At 23, she played a ditsy secretary in the “Assignment Earth” episode of “Star Trek,” the first of many such roles in her career.
In 1968, the Enterprise intercepted a transporter beam from Earth, bringing aboard humanoid alien agent Gary Seven (Robert Lansing). Initially phaser-struck, Seven beams himself away to save Earth from a nuclear rocket launch. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) investigate, realizing the risk of changing their past.
While Star Trek is one of her more memorable roles, she was reluctant to talk about it. According to Lance Parkin, author of The Impossible Has Happened: The Life and Work of Gene Roddenberry, Teri Garr ended up storming off the set of Star Trek because Gene Roddenberry wanted her skirt to be much shorter than it was already.
When Starlog interviewed her for the magazine, she was apprehensive. Garr was afraid they wanted to talk about Star Trek and had to be persuaded to interview to promote Mom and Dad Save the World. Things went sour quickly. “I have nothing to say about it,” Garr declared of “Assignment: Earth” in Starlog #173. “I did that years ago, and I mostly deny I ever did it.”
She was also glad the Gary Seven show didn’t go into a series. “Thank God,” Garr told the author. “Otherwise, all I would get would be Star Trek questions for the rest of my natural life—and probably my unnatural life. You ever see those people who are Star Trek fans? The same people who go to swap meets.”
While she didn’t think much of the show, it’s a classic episode of the series and one of the most memorable episodes of the original series
2. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1979) as Ronnie Neary
At 34, Garr got her next major science fiction role. Roy Neary, an Indiana power lineman, has his tranquil and typical everyday life turned upside down following a close encounter with a UFO, prompting him on an obsessive cross-country search for answers as a pivotal event approaches. She plays Neary’s desperate wife, Ronnie.
Meryl Streep was considered for the role of Neary’s wife. Still, Spielberg chose Teri Garr instead, owing to her ability to convey a wide variety of emotions in a 30-second coffee advertisement. After sculpting a mountain from mashed potatoes,
His wife, Ronnie (Teri Garr), quickly abandons him with their children. Close Encounters is about Neary’s preoccupation with the UFOs he witnessed and their destructive effect on his family. Garr excels in this role, particularly in scenes where she and the children witness his erratic behavior and shed tears as he appears to be suffering from early dementia.
1. Young Frankenstein (1974) as Inga
Garr began her career as a dancer and rose to prominence as Inga, the sassy assistant in Mel Brooks’ 1974 film “Young Frankenstein,” who welcomed Gene Wilder’s Dr. Frederick Frankenstein with the unforgettable “Vould you like to have a roll in ze hay?”
Respected medical lecturer Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) discovers that he has inherited his infamous grandfather’s estate in Transylvania. When Dr. Frankenstein arrives at the castle, he quickly begins to duplicate his grandfather’s experiments with the help of servants Igor (Marty Feldman), Inga (Teri Garr), and the terrifying Frau Blücher (Cloris Leachman). After creating his monster (Peter Boyle), additional issues arise with the arrival of the doctor’s fiancée, Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn).
The movie launched Garr’s fledgling career as a beautiful woman and comedic genius. It showcased Garr’s talent as a beautiful woman and comedic genius, showcasing her ability to deliver jokes and stay in character. Inga, a terrified blonde, is portrayed as a key character, showcasing her ability to adapt and compete with intense actors, making it her most memorable and greatest science fiction role.
Garr is gone, but her many roles always remind us that blondes have more fun. And we can all laugh with them.
Which is your favorite role that Teri Garr appeared in?
