TMS Muse of the Week: Debralee Scott

(ABC Network)

The art of live television has sort of turned into a relic of the past since the advent of virtual live streaming. Live TV was initially a clever way to draw in home viewers during the prime of theatre, radio and film. You can have your favorite stars at home, like radio programs, and on a screen, like movies. But it’s live! Like theatre! Naturally this worked well for all sorts of genres, but showbiz quickly realized it was also a great way to promote comedians. By the 1960s, lots of comedic celebrities were regularly appearing on variety programs as guests, panelists and hosts. For female comics post-“I Love Lucy” and pre-“SNL,” these programs would be how they got a lot of their national exposure. One of these funny ladies who is particularly interesting is Debralee Scott. Originally a cheerleader from New England, the auburn-haired starlet technically broke through as a character actress with bit parts in films like Don Siegel’s Dirty Harry (1971), Michael Ritchie’s The Candidate (1972) and George Lucas’ American Graffiti (1973). But Debralee quickly found her niche on TV with sitcoms and game shows. During her prime in the late 1970s, she was recognized for playing memorable supporting and recurring roles on ABC’s “Welcome Back, Kotter” (1975-78), KTLA’s “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (1976-77) and ABC’s “Angie” (1979-1980); as well as appearing on NBC’s “Hollywood Squares” (1976), CBS’ “The $10,000 Pyramid” (1976-1980), NBC’s “Password Plus” (1979-1981), and most famously as one of the regular panelists on CBS’ “Match Game” (1976-1981).

While popping up on Americans’ TV sets every week, Debralee was known for her great sense of humor and timing, which was also utilized effectively in B-movies like Jeannot Szwarc’s A Summer Without Boys (1973) and J. Lee Thompson’s The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975). When she wasn’t on soundstages and studio lots, DL was living it up in Los Angeles, which included dating Beatle Ringo Starr and Monkee Micky Dolenz during the notorious ‘Hollywood Vampires’ period of the mid-1970s; and later had relationships with Desi Arnaz, Jr. and Neal Schon of Journey.

(American International Pictures)

Debralee supposedly announced she and Ringo parted ways while appearing on “The Merv Griffin Show.” Merv referred to his guest as ‘Ringo’s girlfriend’ during her intro, only for DL to swiftly cut off with, “Not anymore!” Besides the four musicians, the TV star was involved with Richard Dreyfuss after they co-starred in American Graffiti and was with Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes in 1980-85 as well. DL’s brother is film producer Scott Bushnell, while her sister, Jerri Scott, is a successful talent agent, and her best friend was fashion model and fellow rock girlfriend Lorelei Shellist.

Sadly, Debralee’s story is another somber one for this series. She retired from showbusiness after co-starring in Hugh Wilson’s Police Academy (1984) and Jerry Paris’ Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986) for unknown reasons. Maybe she just got tired of fame and the city, as happens occasionally. 15 years later, DL’s fiancé at the time, a PANYNJ officer named John Levi, was a fatal victim of the World Trade Center attacks on September 11th, 2001. Only four years after that, the former actress died in her sleep at age 52 following a battle with cirrhosis and a brief coma less than a week before her death. Debralee had moved into her Jerri’s house in Florida that same year and according to the latter, her sister was devastated by John’s death and her grieving led to her drinking more.

Debralee was never a superstar or a household name. But more one of these people who you would recognize and think, “Oh yeah, I liked her from that show or movie.” Those are my kind of people.