Kim Fields' Many Credit Takes

['80sSitcoms]

Jeez, how many credit takes do you need for someone? lol...it's always bugged me they did so many for Kim. It's even one thing to switch Lisa's during season 4, but they used 2 different ones for Kim in the 16-episode season 2, and then upped it to 3 for season 3!

What's really baffling is when they use a take of her just smiling directly into the camera, as if she's being told they need a shot of her for the opening credits, so "just smile real big for 5 or 6 seconds!". That's so ridiculous, why not just find an actual clip of her?? And I wish they'd used a clip of her with her topknot style she had in the first half of season 3, as I think she looked best with that (why on earth they gave her that bowl cut, I'll never know---they must have hired Jenny O'Hara's hair stylist, lol).

Finally they do use some clips (I don't even remember the short-lived lounge credit), and my favorite they did is the last one, in her track suit. But boy, what a road it was to get there! lol

And now..."Too Many Tooties"! lol

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[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Jeez, how many credit takes do you need for someone? lol...it's always bugged me they did so many for Kim. It's even one thing to switch Lisa's during season 4, but they used 2 different ones for Kim in the 16-episode season 2, and then upped it to 3 for season 3!

What's really baffling is when they use a take of her just smiling directly into the camera, as if she's being told they need a shot of her for the opening credits, so "just smile real big for 5 or 6 seconds!". That's so ridiculous, why not just find an actual clip of her?? And I wish they'd used a clip of her with her topknot style she had in the first half of season 3, as I think she looked best with that (why on earth they gave her that bowl cut, I'll never know---they must have hired Jenny O'Hara's hair stylist, lol).

In Kim's new book, she talks about the fact that the producers specifically hired a hair stylist (JoAnn Stafford-Chaney) who knew black girls' hair. I don't know if that means there were two hair stylists (one for Kim (and occasionally Sheryl Epps) and one for everyone else), or if the stylist knew how to style black people's hair, and did everyone's hair, but IMDB indicates there was only one hairdresser: JSC. She was there all nine seasons.

The bowl cut was bad, but the later seasons of the show were far, far worse. Jo and Blair got these late 80s perms, see, and... oh the humanity!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

The bowl cut was bad, but the later seasons of the show were far, far worse. Jo and Blair got these late 80s perms, see, and... oh the humanity!

Haha, they could be pretty bad too; I know Blair had one really horrendous 'do---but not a consistent one for a year-and-a-half! lol

And with Kim's face at that stage in her early teenage years, the bowl cut just really did not do her any favors; in the track suit screenshot it's actually not that bad, looks kinda good on her, but too often it's like the lounge shot, and much too "heavy" up front, throwing it all out the window! lol

I still find it so odd to get a "4th wall smile" take for her first credit! (the 2nd one looks like one too, but she's actually saying "Yeeaah...I know!" during the first scene in "Growing Pains"---but in the show, the angle is from another camera a bit to the side)

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Haha, they could be pretty bad too; I know Blair had one really horrendous 'do---but not a consistent one for a year-and-a-half! lol

And with Kim's face at that stage in her early teenage years, the bowl cut just really did not do her any favors; in the track suit screenshot it's actually not that bad, looks kinda good on her, but too often it's like the lounge shot, and much too "heavy" up front, throwing it all out the window! lol

While the bowl cut was bad, I still feel many of the late '80s dos were far worse.

I still find it so odd to get a "4th wall smile" take for her first credit!

I know what you mean.

Tootie's "fourth wall" credit take is weird, and reminds me of how often cheesy 80s sitcoms would have the characters turn to the camera and smile as their credit appeared, like in the opening credits of The Star Wars Holiday Special, or The Love Boat.

[Lorimar Television]

I always thought Tootie's hair style was best in seasons 1-2 with the classic pig tails. Season 3 it was good too before the bowl cut.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

I always thought Tootie's hair style was best in seasons 1-2 with the classic pig tails. Season 3 it was good too before the bowl cut.

Those pig tails sure were cute!

In Kim's book, she talks about how the part in her hair that was needed for the pigtails caused some issues with (I think) thinning hair. She says the hairstylist, JoAnn Stafford-Chaney, had some innovative solutions. Kim really liked her hairdresser! Out of all the people she speaks about her blessed life, JAS is among those people.

(To be fair, she also calls out Mindy, Lisa, Nancy, Felice, and Julie, as well as Al Burton, Janet Jackson, Todd Bridges, and of course, her mom, Chip Fields. But I thought it was so cool that she gave such credit to someone behind the scenes that we never heard of.)

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

I always thought Tootie's hair style was best in seasons 1-2 with the classic pig tails. Season 3 it was good too before the bowl cut.

Yup, the first half or so of season 3, that "top knot" style, is my favorite Tootie style.