In the 1970s, there was a hugely popular TV sitcom called “I Dream of Jeannie.” In the show, a young astronaut falls to earth in his spaceship and lands on a deserted island. He finds a bottle there and rubs it, and out pops a 2,000-year-old genie in the form of a young Barbara Eden, who was young, blonde, and gorgeous. The premise of the show involves her being devoted to her new “master” and trying to get him to fall in love with her, which he eventually does. Along the way, there are plenty of comedic moments, and “master” is played by legendary actor Larry Hagman, later of “Dallas” fame.
The popular sitcom ran for 139 episodes, which ended up being five seasons. Although she’s best known for her role as Jeannie, Eden has had a long career in film, stage, and TV. Born in Tuscon, Arizona on August 23, 1931, Barbara later moved to San Francisco with her mom when her parents divorced. In San Francisco, Barbara went to school and eventually graduated from high school. To keep her children entertained in the Great Depression, Eden’s mom, Alice, sang to the children frequently, and it was her love of singing that got young Barbara into show business.
"I Dream of Jeannie" stars Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, 1968. 📺 pic.twitter.com/wVVChSw2vk
— Groovy History (@GroovyHistory) September 7, 2020
Her first performances were at a church in the choir, and later, she sang for $10 a night at local night clubs, as well as singing with various area bands. When she was only 16 years old, Eden became a member of Actor’s Equity and later studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to become a better singer. Following this, she also studied at the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre after graduating from high school in 1949, and later, she studied theater at the City College of San Francisco.
My love to EVERYONE. -B #COVID19 #coronavirus #FlattenTheCurve #StayStrong #WashYourHands #love #strength pic.twitter.com/4HaNQdXIXy
— Barbara Eden (@Barbara_Eden) March 24, 2020
Believe it or not, Barbara Eden (her last name was Huffman at the time, her mother’s former husband’s last name) won the Miss San Francisco pageant and competed at the Miss California pageant.
Barbara Eden in (absolutely adorable!) I Dream of Jeannie Promotional pictures. pic.twitter.com/QxLSOjb9LD
— ✨Hollywood Yesterday✨ (@HollywoodYeste1) September 10, 2020
It’s hard to believe this talented lady is 89 years old, and we wish her many more!
Awesome. I always had a love for NASA and Arabian Nights. So I Dream of Jeannie had the best of both worlds in it. That's why I loved it so much. pic.twitter.com/D85lkyt8Q4
— VinVincentPrice🇺🇸🇮🇹🇩🇪🇮🇪📼🎃🍁 (@DreamfinderWDW) November 12, 2020
