Brady Twin Brady

November 8th, 2017 by Proprietor

Back to a Brady post.

Several times in the Brady Bunch, an actor played their own twin of sorts. The first time a split screen technique was used was during the Sargent Emma episode. Ann B. Davis played Alice and her look alike cousin Emma. Robert Reed, and Florence Henderson played geriatric versions of themselves as well. In the final season, Christopher Knight playing Peter bumps into a new student at school, Arnold, who looks exactly like him, except for glasses.

Sergeant Emma might have looked like Alice, but there was no attempts to fool the family. Alice was going on vacation, and someone had to take over to help Mrs. Brady with the six children. Emma had retired from the military, a sergeant in charge of a mess hall, so she was used to feeding a lot of hungry mouths. Emma also was far more strict than Alice. She took charge of the children with military precision, and within a week the Brady House became Brady Bootcamp. After suffering through calisthenics and early morning runs, the Brady’s were grateful for Alice. The Brady’s had planned to celebrate Alice’s return with a cake, but like most comedies, a misunderstanding happens, and instead of having a welcome home party for Alice, they throw a goodbye party for Emma.

Florence Henderson played her look alike great aunt, Connie Hutchins, who was a country woman who lived life to it’s fullest. The girls wanting to play match maker, decided to set their great aunt up with Mike’s grandfather, Judge Henry Brady. Like most relatives that show up in the Brady Bunch, they were never at the wedding, and were convenient plot devices. Carol’s aunt and Mike’s grandfather are not immediately taken with each other. The Judge being uptight and serious, the Aunt being loose and not serious. A dinner planned by the children causes a divide between the two oldsters, and the Judge storms off. The children switch to plan B, and have the two youngest, Bobby and Cindy go to the park with their senior relatives. Both realize that they were set up, but see each other in the same way the children see them, and decide to give the relationship a go. Mike and Carol catch Carol’s aunt sneaking out of the house, because she was going to elope to Las Vegas with Mike’s Grandfather.

Arnold looked like Peter, except he had glasses. Peter being mischievous decided to play a trick on his family. Arnold came over, took off his glasses, and went into the Brady House to see if he could fool the bunch. Arnold walked through the family room, past Bobby, Cindy, and Cousin Oliver, who were playing checkers. Though Peter was known to enjoy a good game of checkers, Arnold did not, and passed. Once he was in the kitchen, Alice offered him some pie. Peter was allergic to strawberries, so Alice baked a lemon pie. Instead, Arnold wanted the strawberry, and so Alice complied figuring Peter was going to suffer later. Then Jan walks in needing help with her social studies, Arnold is instantly in love, he had good tastes. After helping Jan, Arnold then promises Mike he would date the bosses niece on Saturday, not knowing that Peter had a date. Arnold then left the house, and told Peter everything went well, not telling Peter he had a date.

Once Peter enters the house, he instantly wants to play checkers but is rebuffed by Cindy, Bobby, and Oliver. He enters the kitchen, and decides he wants lemon pie, but is rebuffed by Alice, and reminded he had eaten Strawberry pie. Peter fakes an itch, and as he is leaving the kitchen, Jan returns asking for help with her math, but Peter is a total jerk. Saturday rolls around, and Peter is ready for his date, except, he is reminded by his father that his bosses niece is coming over. Peter is trapped, so he calls Arnold. Soon hilarity ensues as Peter tries to entertain both girls while Arnold comes over to entertain the bosses niece. The whole thing collapses, when Peter leaving with his date, bumps into Mike and Carol whom were returning because Mike forgot his speech notes.

Oddly enough, Peter played the part of Benedict Arnold in a school play, and hated the razing he got for playing a traitor. Which sort of brought another form of story synergy to the Brady House. Peter played Benedict Arnold and would then Christopher Knight played Peter’s twin, Arnold. When the Brady’s went to Hawaii, Vincent Price talked to a tiki named Oliver, and the Brady’s last season they had a cousin named Oliver. Both Arnold and Oliver were on the last season of the Brady Bunch before the show was cancelled. Make something of the word soup and conspiracy thought.

When actors have to play two rolls in the same episode, does this mean they get double the pay? Or is it split screen time between the two rolls?

Thanks for stopping by.