Actress Mary Grace Canfield Replaced Alice Pearce on TV's 'Bewitched' Before Sandra Gould

Photo byhollywoodlife.com

It's been ten years since veteran actress Mary Grace Canfield died tragically of lung cancer at 89. The actress was best known for her roles on the classic 1960s TV sitcoms, Green Acres and Bewitched. On the latter she played "Miss" Kravitz (not "Mrs.). This is her story.

A Closer Look

Mary Grace Canfield was born on September 3, 1924 in Rochester, New York. She later traveled 300 miles to pursue acting in New York City. There, she appeared on and off-Broadway before moving to Hollywood.

Once on the West Coast, Canfield made movies like Pollyanna (1960), though had made early TV appearances on shows like The Best of Broadway (1954).

After beloved Bewitched actress Alice "Mrs. Gladys Kravitz" Pearce passed away, Canfield was cast on the show as sister to "Abner Kravitz," played by George Tobias. She stayed with the series for only three episodes as "Miss Harriet Kravitz."

The following season, Sandra Gould formally replaced Alice Pearce as the new "Mrs. Gladys Kravitz."

The Fictional Move to Hooterville

From 1965 to 1971, Mary Grace Canfield portrayed handywoman Ralph Monroe on Green Acres, which was based in the fictional small town of Hooterville. Her wardrobe consisted of bib overalls, as she toiled away for Oliver and Lisa Douglas, as played by Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor.

Canfield would continue to appear on TV shows like The Hathaways, General Hospital, The Love Boat, and Tabitha, the Bewitched spin-off (in which she played a doctor).

Behind the Scenes

In the 1980s, Mary Grace Canfield moved to Sedgwick, Maine, where captured her heart a few years before while performing there in summer stock productions.

Married twice, to Charles Orlebar Carey, Jr. and John Theodore Bischof, Canfield passed away on February 15, 2014 in Santa Barbara, California. She had two daughters, three grandsons, and countless fans, all of whom continue to cherish her memory and talent to this day.