Aunt Effie - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Penny Lane · 03-23-2004, 07:58 PM

Was Aunt Effie a Harper or a Crowley? Seems like that I had heard in different episodes that she was both!I thought she was a Harper but on IMBd.com it lists her name as Crowley.

FamilyTiesGOP · 03-23-2004, 10:02 PM

Thank you! I have noticed this a lot in watching Mama over and over. Sometimes it is "Effie Harper" and sometimes it is "Effie Crowley." It just depends on the episode. Was Aunt Effie a cousin of Thelma's and an Aunt to her kids?

For some reason though, I usually think of Effie as a Harper. However, it would make sense for her to be a Crowley since she and Mama are so close?

In the episode that aired just this morning (Vint and Naomi's Anniversary/Honeymoon episode at the Wondering Hearts) Effie referred to herself on the answering machine as "Effie Crowley" So I guess that is the ultimate answer. But I still say in some episodes she is depicted more like a Harper.

When Miss Vicki comes back she can weigh in on this issue for us...

jterry · 03-23-2004, 11:13 PM

Yeah. She'll be back tomorrow I believe. But, sadly, I am leaving you all. I am going to be in Orlando until Monday. YAY!!! ADIOS!

Dr. Jazz · 03-24-2004, 12:41 AM

Seems like I remember them referring to her as Effie Harper in a later episode, but Aunt Effie was definitely a Crowley. She was married to Mama & Fran's brother Clyde, who was already dead. Clyde last name would have been Crowley. I don't remember where I got this info from but I think Mama mentioned this in an episode. I think Dorothy Van (Aunt Effie) commited suicide a few years ago. She helped write many episdoes of Mama.

Penny Lane · 03-24-2004, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Jazz
Seems like I remember them referring to her as Effie Harper in a later episode, but Aunt Effie was definitely a Crowley. She was married to Mama & Fran's brother Clyde, who was already dead. Clyde last name would have been Crowley. I don't remember where I got this info from but I think Mama mentioned this in an episode. I think Dorothy Van (Aunt Effie) commited suicide a few years ago. She helped write many episdoes of Mama.

I had read that she had commited suicide because she had terminal cancer. But IMDb.com says she died of Parkinson's disease. I think in an earlier thread that someone declared that she HADN'T commited suicide.
Back to the original question. I brought this up because in the motel episode.I think she was referred to as a Crowley. But like many of you I always assumed she was a Harper! It HAD to have been mentioned in another episode because so many of us thought that she was a
Harper. But I guess it really doesn't matter!

Dogma66603 · 03-24-2004, 02:38 PM

Looks like they changed it because I checked bfore and it said sucide.

HuntingtonM15 · 03-24-2004, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Penny Lane
I had read that she had commited suicide because she had terminal cancer. But IMDb.com says she died of Parkinson's disease. I think in an earlier thread that someone declared that she HADN'T commited suicide.

I remember that, too. It was a while ago. Someone posted here that they were a friend of her family or something like that, and they were upset to read IMDb listed her death as a suicide.

TALLguyinKY · 03-26-2004, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Jazz
Seems like I remember them referring to her as Effie Harper in a later episode, but Aunt Effie was definitely a Crowley. She was married to Mama & Fran's brother Clyde, who was already dead. Clyde last name would have been Crowley. I don't remember where I got this info from but I think Mama mentioned this in an episode. I think Dorothy Van (Aunt Effie) commited suicide a few years ago. She helped write many episdoes of Mama.

Effie referred to herself as "Effie Crowley" on her answering machine in the honeymoon episode, but ever after she was "Effie Harper" (she was only a Crowley in the honeymoon episode).

And uh, no, Effie was never married to Clyde Crowley. Clyde was only mentioned in one episode, and it was about his graduation. Not sure why ya thought that.

And nope, no suicide, as has been confirmed here---she died within the last few years.

hughpuppies · 03-26-2004, 06:25 AM

Ii remember that episode where Clyde was mentioned. Thelma was talking to Bubba about graduation and she told the Story when Clyde was graduating and wanted a hunting rifle and instead he got a bible, and if he ahd read the bible he would have found inbetween the pages the money for the rifle.

Penny Lane · 03-28-2004, 08:12 PM

On another IMDb.com Mama's Family page(Aunt Fran's funeral) They list Dorothy Van as Effie Harper!

So who was she?

PZelda · 03-28-2004, 08:19 PM

I hadn't seen this thread til now, and I've been home since the evening of the 24th.

I'm assuming Effie was a relative of Mama's on her mom's side of the family...

I'm as confused as you guys are, and about Dorothy Van's death, I'm not even going there! I don't know what to believe. =/

FamilyTiesGOP · 03-28-2004, 09:34 PM

Well, we could gather all of the episodes that had Aunt Effie in them and decide what would make more sense...Effie Harper or Effie Crowley. Just a suggestion.

FamilyTiesGOP · 03-28-2004, 09:44 PM

If in the episode No Room at the Inn, Aunt Effie refers to herself as "Effie Crowley" that means that she has never been married (unless she married a Crowley which has already been denied on this thread). For her to be Vinton's "your Aunt Effie" as Thelma often says, she would have to be either Thelma's sister or Carl's sister. Since the only mention of sisters is between Thelma and Fran, I would have to say that it works best if Effie is on the Harper side of the family.

However, in the episode that Effie falls of the roof and becomes disabled, Thelma tells her how when Thelma's mama was sick, Aunt Effie tried to get her to bring her mother home and how Thelma didn't listen and her mama died. Would Effie Harper have cared about Thelma and her mother? Possibly, especially if Effie was not married and Carl were still alive. Would Thelma care so much about her sister-in-law to take her home to help? Possibly.

I think the best answer is for Effie to be a Harper, but I think the producers just made her whichever was most convenient for the storyline and didn't give it much thought. That is what is making it so hard for us to decide.

hughpuppies · 03-29-2004, 03:13 AM

Well accordin to Imbd.com she is listed as Aunt Effie Crowley.

Dorothy Van .... Aunt Effie Harper (1983-1989)

Vicki Lawrence .... Mrs. Thelma 'Mama' Crowley Harper/Grandma Crowley
Ken Berry .... Vinton Harper/Carl Harper
Dorothy Lyman .... Naomi Oates Harper
Eric Brown .... Vinton 'Buzz' Harper, Jr. (1983-1985)
Karin Argoud .... Sonja Harper (1983-1985)
Rue McClanahan .... Aunt Fran Crowley (1983-1985)
Carol Burnett .... Eunice Higgins (1983-1985)
Harvey Korman .... Ed Higgins (1983, 1985)/Carl Harper/Alistair Quince (1983-1985)
Betty White .... Ellen Jackson (1983-1986)
Beverly Archer .... Iola Lucille Boyland (1986-1990)
Allan Kayser .... Bubba Higgins (1986-1990)
Dorothy Van .... Aunt Effie Harper (1983-1989)
Earl Boen .... Reverend Lloyd Meechum (1983-1987)
Anne Haney .... Alberta Meechum (1986-1989)

TALLguyinKY · 03-29-2004, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FamilyTiesGOP
I think the best answer is for Effie to be a Harper, but I think the producers just made her whichever was most convenient for the storyline and didn't give it much thought. That is what is making it so hard for us to decide.

Not hard...she was a Crowley in NBC, and a Harper in syndication.

03-23-2004, 07:58 PM	#1
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,246	Aunt Effie Was Aunt Effie a Harper or a Crowley? Seems like that I had heard in different episodes that she was both!I thought she was a Harper but on IMBd.com it lists her name as Crowley.
	__________________ Vulgarity is no substitute for wit- Lady Violet Crawley

03-23-2004, 11:13 PM	#3
jterry Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 16, 2003 Location: Raytown, The Jewel of the Tri-State Area Posts: 453	Yeah. She'll be back tomorrow I believe. But, sadly, I am leaving you all. I am going to be in Orlando until Monday. YAY!!! ADIOS!
	__________________ "Life is much too serious to be taken seriously" -Vicki Lawrence "What's Up? My name is Thelma and I'm here to say, that if ya like big booty it's your lucky day. You men stop wonderin', no need to speculate, I measure 44-36-48." -Mama's Rap Song

03-28-2004, 08:19 PM	#11
PZelda Two Valeries! <3 Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 15, 2002 Location: I'm STILL missing NYC. :( Posts: 78,223	I hadn't seen this thread til now, and I've been home since the evening of the 24th. I'm assuming Effie was a relative of Mama's on her mom's side of the family... I'm as confused as you guys are, and about Dorothy Van's death, I'm not even going there! I don't know what to believe. =/
	__________________ Cheers behind the couch!

03-23-2004, 10:02 PM	#2
FamilyTiesGOP _ Senior Member Join Date: Oct 28, 2003 Posts: 1,631	Thank you! I have noticed this a lot in watching Mama over and over. Sometimes it is "Effie Harper" and sometimes it is "Effie Crowley." It just depends on the episode. Was Aunt Effie a cousin of Thelma's and an Aunt to her kids? For some reason though, I usually think of Effie as a Harper. However, it would make sense for her to be a Crowley since she and Mama are so close? In the episode that aired just this morning (Vint and Naomi's Anniversary/Honeymoon episode at the Wondering Hearts) Effie referred to herself on the answering machine as "Effie Crowley" So I guess that is the ultimate answer. But I still say in some episodes she is depicted more like a Harper. When Miss Vicki comes back she can weigh in on this issue for us...

03-24-2004, 12:41 AM	#4
Dr. Jazz The Evil Empire. . . . Forum Star Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Posts: 11,095	Seems like I remember them referring to her as Effie Harper in a later episode, but Aunt Effie was definitely a Crowley. She was married to Mama & Fran's brother Clyde, who was already dead. Clyde last name would have been Crowley. I don't remember where I got this info from but I think Mama mentioned this in an episode. I think Dorothy Van (Aunt Effie) commited suicide a few years ago. She helped write many episdoes of Mama.

03-24-2004, 02:38 PM	#6
Dogma66603 Banned Banned!! Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 24, 2003 Posts: 330	Looks like they changed it because I checked bfore and it said sucide.

03-26-2004, 06:25 AM	#9
hughpuppies Melanie Bernhardt Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 13, 2004 Location: wished I was with the lady in the above picture Posts: 705	Ii remember that episode where Clyde was mentioned. Thelma was talking to Bubba about graduation and she told the Story when Clyde was graduating and wanted a hunting rifle and instead he got a bible, and if he ahd read the bible he would have found inbetween the pages the money for the rifle.

03-28-2004, 08:12 PM	#10
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,246	On another IMDb.com Mama's Family page(Aunt Fran's funeral) They list Dorothy Van as Effie Harper! So who was she?

03-28-2004, 09:34 PM	#12
FamilyTiesGOP _ Senior Member Join Date: Oct 28, 2003 Posts: 1,631	Well, we could gather all of the episodes that had Aunt Effie in them and decide what would make more sense...Effie Harper or Effie Crowley. Just a suggestion.

03-28-2004, 09:44 PM	#13
FamilyTiesGOP _ Senior Member Join Date: Oct 28, 2003 Posts: 1,631	If in the episode No Room at the Inn, Aunt Effie refers to herself as "Effie Crowley" that means that she has never been married (unless she married a Crowley which has already been denied on this thread). For her to be Vinton's "your Aunt Effie" as Thelma often says, she would have to be either Thelma's sister or Carl's sister. Since the only mention of sisters is between Thelma and Fran, I would have to say that it works best if Effie is on the Harper side of the family. However, in the episode that Effie falls of the roof and becomes disabled, Thelma tells her how when Thelma's mama was sick, Aunt Effie tried to get her to bring her mother home and how Thelma didn't listen and her mama died. Would Effie Harper have cared about Thelma and her mother? Possibly, especially if Effie was not married and Carl were still alive. Would Thelma care so much about her sister-in-law to take her home to help? Possibly. I think the best answer is for Effie to be a Harper, but I think the producers just made her whichever was most convenient for the storyline and didn't give it much thought. That is what is making it so hard for us to decide.

03-29-2004, 03:13 AM	#14
hughpuppies Melanie Bernhardt Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 13, 2004 Location: wished I was with the lady in the above picture Posts: 705	Well accordin to Imbd.com she is listed as Aunt Effie Crowley. Dorothy Van .... Aunt Effie Harper (1983-1989) Vicki Lawrence .... Mrs. Thelma 'Mama' Crowley Harper/Grandma Crowley Ken Berry .... Vinton Harper/Carl Harper Dorothy Lyman .... Naomi Oates Harper Eric Brown .... Vinton 'Buzz' Harper, Jr. (1983-1985) Karin Argoud .... Sonja Harper (1983-1985) Rue McClanahan .... Aunt Fran Crowley (1983-1985) Carol Burnett .... Eunice Higgins (1983-1985) Harvey Korman .... Ed Higgins (1983, 1985)/Carl Harper/Alistair Quince (1983-1985) Betty White .... Ellen Jackson (1983-1986) Beverly Archer .... Iola Lucille Boyland (1986-1990) Allan Kayser .... Bubba Higgins (1986-1990) Dorothy Van .... Aunt Effie Harper (1983-1989) Earl Boen .... Reverend Lloyd Meechum (1983-1987) Anne Haney .... Alberta Meechum (1986-1989)