{{Short description|American actress (1927–1988)}} {{Infobox person | name = Alice Nunn | image = Alice Nunn Camp Runamuck.jpg | caption =Nunn in 1965 | birth_name = Alice Elizabeth Nunn | birth_date = {{Birth date |1927|10|10|mf=y}} | birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1988|7|1|1927|10|10|mf=y}} | death_place = West Hollywood, California, U.S. | resting_place = Old Jacksonville City Cemetery, Florida | othername = | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1956–1988 }}
'''Alice Elizabeth Nunn''' (October 10, 1927 – July 1, 1988) was an American actress.<ref name="Hollywood.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/1454292/Alice_Nunn |title=by Bruce Eder critic of All Movie Guide via Hollywood.com |access-date=2010-04-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222195454/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/1454292/Alice_Nunn |archive-date=2009-12-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and died at her apartment in West Hollywood, California of a heart attack.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/> Although she played many roles across her 31-year career, appearing in more than 50 films and TV series,<ref name="Fleming2015"/> she is primarily remembered for her role as Large Marge,<ref name="Hollywood.com"/><ref name="Fleming2015"/> the ghost of a storied truck driver, in Tim Burton's 1985 film ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure'', which is number 5 on the IFC list of the 25 scariest moments in non-horror film history,<ref name="IFC"/> and earned her a cult following.<ref name="Fleming2015"/>
==Life and career== Nunn was born in Jacksonville in 1927 to N.G. Nunn and Alice Bush. She showed an early interest in the performing arts and took part in a school production of ''My Sister Eileen''.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/> She studied acting at Wesleyan University and took classes with the American Theater Wing.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/> After some radio work, she got an acting part in ''New Faces of 1956''<ref name="Hollywood.com" /> and played in the theatre alongside Shelley Berman and Nancy Walker.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/>
She became a character actress, and appeared on television's ''Petticoat Junction'' in the episodes "Shoplifter at the Shady Rest" (1967, as Mrs. Benson); "Mae's Helping Hand" (1968); and the 1969 episodes "The Other Woman" (as Mrs. Birdwell) and "Kathy Joe's First Birthday Party" (as "Lady with wallet").<ref name="Hollywood.com"/> She also appeared on ''Ironside and'' ''The Wild Wild West''.<ref name="Fleming2015">{{cite book|author=E.J. Fleming|title=Hollywood Death and Scandal Sites: Seventeen Driving Tours with Directions and the Full Story, 2d ed.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hi-SCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA101|date=11 September 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-9644-0|page=101}}</ref>
She appeared in numerous sitcoms, such as ''Camp Runamuck,'' where she played Mahala May Gruenecker, the head counselor of Camp Divine, and the chief opponent of Commander Wivenhoe (played by series star Arch Johnson).<ref name="Hollywood.com"/> In her sitcom appearances in the 1960s, she often played strong-willed, edgy women, but in a humorous vein.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/>
Nunn's first film appearance was in ''Johnny Got His Gun (1971)'' where she played a nurse.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/> She was a regular cast member of the Tony Orlando and Dawn variety show; and has small parts in films such as the "Fat Lady" in ''Mame'' (1974), and in ''Airport 1975''.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/> She appeared as Mrs. Callahan in Brian De Palma's'' The Fury'' (1978).<ref>{{cite news| url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C06E7DB1631E632A25756C1A9659C946990D6CF| title=Film: De Palma Mixes Genres in 'Fury':Psyching a Spy| first=Vincent| last=Canby| date=March 15, 1978| newspaper=The New York Times| accessdate=February 6, 2020}}</ref> She played Duffy the Cook in Alan Beattie's slasher/mystery ''Delusion'' (1980) (also known as ''The House Where Death Lives'') with Patricia Pearcy and Joseph Cotten, and the maid Helga in ''Mommie Dearest'' (1981).<ref name="Hollywood.com"/>
She is most widely known for her role as Large Marge, a ghostly truck driver who frightens Pee-wee Herman in the film ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' (1985)'','' providing what has been called one of the scariest moments in non-horror film history.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/><ref name="IFC">{{cite web| url=https://www.ifc.com/2009/10/25-scariest-nonhorror-movies/5| title=The 25 Scariest Moments in Non-Horror Movies: 5. Large Marge| website=IFC| last=Willmore| first=Alison| date=October 29, 2005| accessdate=February 6, 2020}}</ref> In ''Trick or Treat'' (1986), she played Mrs. Sylvia Cavell, and appeared in ''Who's That Girl'' (1987) with Madonna. Her last role was that of Nurse Palmer in ''Three O'Clock High'' (1987).<ref name="Hollywood.com"/> ==Death== Nunn died in 1988 at her apartment in West Hollywood, California of a heart attack at age 60.<ref name="Hollywood.com"/><ref name="Fleming2015"/><ref>{{cite news| title=Old City Cemetery a history museum| url=https://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/call-box/2017-04-09/old-city-cemetery-history-museum| first=Sandy| last=Strickland| date=April 9, 2017| newspaper=The Florida Times-Union| accessdate=February 6, 2020| quote=There’s actress Alice Nunn, who co-starred in the TV series “Camp Runamuck” and is remembered for her role as Large Marge, the scary truck driver in the 1985 film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” She died in 1988 at age 60.}}</ref>
== Filmography== {{unreferenced|section|date=June 2021}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |rowspan=2|1971|| ''Johnny Got His Gun'' || Third Nurse || |- | ''The Steagle'' || Mrs. Furst || Uncredited |- |rowspan=3|1974|| ''Mame'' || Fat Lady || |- | ''Airport 1975'' || Passenger with Dog || Uncredited |- | ''[https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0130267/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk Fangs]''|| Sis || |- |rowspan=2|1978|| ''The Fury'' || Mrs. Callahan || |- | ''The Fifth Floor'' || Emma || |- |rowspan=2|1981|| ''Delusion'' || Duffy || |- | ''Mommie Dearest'' || Helga || |- |1983|| ''Focus on Fishko'' || Old Mimi || Short |- |1985|| ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' || Large Marge || |- |rowspan=2|1986|| ''Thrashin''' || Truck Driver || Uncredited |- | ''Trick or Treat'' || Mrs. Sylvia Cavell || |- |rowspan=2|1987|| ''Who's That Girl'' || Woman Parole Member || |- | ''Three O'Clock High'' || Nurse Palmer || |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1965|| ''Hazel'' || Hildegarde || Episode: "Hazel's Inquisitive Mind" |- |1965-1966|| ''Camp Runamuck'' || Mahala May Gruenecker / Mahala May || 21 episodes |- |rowspan=2|1967|| ''The Phyllis Diller Show'' || Mrs. Hill || Episode: "Phyllis, the Beauty Queen" |- | ''Judd for the Defense'' || Mrs. Merrell || Episode: "A Civil Case of Murder" |- |1968|| ''The Wild Wild West'' || Hilda || Episode: "The Night of the Big Blackmail" |- |1967-1969|| ''Petticoat Junction'' || Mrs. Benson / Lady With Wallet / Mrs. Birdwell || 4 episodes |- |1970|| ''The Bill Cosby Show'' || Winona Fisk || Episode: "Growing, Growing, Grown" |- |rowspan=2|1971|| ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' || Mrs. Plunkett || Episode: 'Millie's Egg Farm" |- | ''The Jimmy Stewart Show'' || Big Mother || Episode: "Another Day, Another Scholar" |- |rowspan=5|1972|| ''Evil Roy Slade'' || Claire Beckendorf || TV movie |- | ''McMillan & Wife'' || Woman / Mrs. Maxwell || 2 episodes |- | ''Ironside'' || Mrs. Winston || Episode: "Buddy, Can You Spare a Life?" |- | ''Emergency!'' || Mrs. Lucille Rodgers || Episode: "Musical Mania" |- | ''Alias Smith and Jones'' || Hotel Clerk || Episode: "McGuffin" |- |1974|| ''Tony Orlando and Dawn'' || Regular || |- |1975|| ''Love Nest'' || || TV movie |- |1976|| ''ABC Afterschool Special'' || Connie || Episode: "Francesca, Baby" |- |rowspan=2|1977|| ''Great Day'' || Molly || TV movie |- | ''Westside Medical'' || Carrie || 13 episodes |- |1978|| ''Chico and the Man'' || Mrs. Keever || Episode: "Ed Brown's Car Wash" |- |1980|| ''The Love Boat'' || The Harridan || Episode: "Celebration/Captain Papa/Honeymoon Pressure" |- |1974-1981|| ''Happy Days'' || Mama Delvecchio / Mrs. Stewart || 3 episodes |- |rowspan=6|1981|| ''Eight Is Enough'' || Horace's Wife || Episode: "Vows"<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Alice Nunn {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/alice_nunn |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref> |- | ''Checking In'' || Mrs. Sabitino || Episode: "Whose Side Are You On?" |- | ''Stockers'' || || TV movie |- | ''Callie & Son'' || Mrs. Watkins || TV movie |- | ''Dark Night of the Scarecrow'' || Mrs. Bunch || TV movie |- | ''Flamingo Road'' || || Episode: "The Stranger" |- |1980-1982|| ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' || Mrs. Hutchinson / Mrs. Nedelman || 2 episodes |- |rowspan=2|1982|| ''Hart to Hart'' || Bujie || Episode: "The Harts Strike Out" |- | ''Nine to Five'' || Bag Lady || Episode: "Temporarily Disconnected" |- |1984|| ''Knight Rider'' || Nurse Gilmore || Episode: "Lost Knight"<ref name=":0" /> |- |rowspan=3|1985|| ''Crazy Like a Fox'' || Mrs. De Curtis || Episode: "Eye in the Sky" |- | ''Misfits of Science'' || Sailor Sam || Episode: "Sonar... and Yet So Far" |- | ''227'' || Woman || Episode: "Football Widow"<ref name=":0" /> |- |1986|| ''Riptide'' || Nurse Carla Winters || Episode: "A Matter of Policy" |- |1982-1986|| ''Simon & Simon'' || Woman customer at Quickie Mart / Barney - seller of maps to stars' home" || 2 episodes<ref name=":0" /> |- |1987|| ''Murder, She Wrote'' || Henrietta || Episode: "No Laughing Murder" |- |1988|| ''My Sister Sam'' || Lily || Episode: "Walk a While in My Shoes"<ref name=":0" /> |- |}
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Portal|Biography}} * {{IMDb name|id=0638053|name=Alice Nunn}} * {{tcmdb name|id=142652|name=Alice Nunn}} *[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6810081/alice-elizabeth-nunn Alice Nunn at Find A Grave] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nunn, Alice}} Category:1927 births Category:1988 deaths Category:American film actresses Category:American stage actresses Category:American television actresses Category:Actresses from Jacksonville, Florida Category:Actresses from Los Angeles Category:20th-century American actresses