Word's gotten out that longtime character actress Julie Adams died. She's best known for playing the damsel in distress in "The Creature From the Black Lagoon."
Everyone's forgotten another role in which she played the object of creepy affection. Of course I'm talking about "The Jimmy Stewart Show" (1971).
This was some vanilla TV. Jimmy's adult son, his wife and grandson are forced to move in with him when a fire destroys the son's house. Its one gimmick: Jimmy's grandson was older than Jimmy's other son. The son's an uncle who is younger than his nephew!
After that the writers called it a day because there was nothing else in this show. No drama, no comedy, the family got along wonderfully. It was one of those shows where I think a very desperate NBC was more interested in having a star than giving him a vehicle.
But that's not the creepy part. The creepy part is in the first episode, Jimmy Stewart is seen riding his bike through town (an oldster on a bike! Can you imagine??!!). He comes home and kisses Julie Adams, who appears to be his adult daughter, on the mouth. Well that's pretty creepy, then as they talk you realize... it's not his daughter, it's his WIFE! This is more horrifying than "Creature From The Black Lagoon."
I know, there are couples out there with 18 year age differences, but good lord, this just did not look right. This is a longtime Hollywood trope: Once a leading man hits 40, the age difference between him and his leading ladies gets bigger and bigger.
Poor Julie, her leading men were from the black lagoon or the nursing home.
