A couple of months ago, I watched a bizarre and wonderful film, Help Me… I’m Possessed. It was produced in 1971. But it didn’t get a premiere until 25 October 1974 in Orlando, Florida. It isn’t clear it was ever given a general release. I highly recommend watching it. But I’m not here to talk about it. You can read my capsule review if you like. Today, I want to talk about the writers and stars of the film, Deedy and Bill.
Musical-Comedy Duo
Deedy and Bill were a musical-comedy duo that had success during the 1960s on the lounge circuit. Based upon their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (26 November 1961), they were a very silly act with strong music and vocal impersonations. You can watch their performance below.
Newspapers advertised them as early as 1959 as “Nevada’s favorite musical and comedy duo!” They worked throughout the United States through the 1960s and into the 1970s. Local newspapers and Daily Variety provide stories about them and reviews of their act.
During this time, they also released two LPs: Love From Deedy and Bill and Laugh With Deedy and Bill. They weren’t general releases. The duo sold them at their shows. We don’t even know when they were released. But it was probably the mid-1960s.
Help Me… I’m Possessed
So why would this comedy team make a low-budget horror film? I assume that they tired of what must have been a difficult life on the road. Not only were they performing all the time, reviews specifically mention them updating material.
But this takes us to what I find most interesting. On the print of Help Me… I’m Possessed, it says that the story and screenplay was written by Bill Greer. But almost all sources (including Michael J Weldon) also give credit to Deedy Peters. And this is where things get complicated.
Writing and Producing TV
In 1976, Bill Greer was a writer on The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show, a variety show produced in Los Angeles. In 1979, Deedy Peters started a recurring role as Mrs Phipps on the comedy House Calls. At that same time, Bill Greer starts writing for the show. But his writing partner is not Deedy Peters; it is Kathy Greer. Bill and Kathy Greer would continue working as writers and supervising producers through 1990.
The most obvious assumption is that Bill and Deedy got divorced. There is no record of such a divorce in California. They could have gotten divorced in Nevada, but that would require far too much time and expense for me, because the state doesn’t keep these records. Counties handle divorces in Nevada.
I think it is much more likely that Deedy Peters is Kathy Greer. Deedy Peters is only listed for her acting (and the one writing credit on Help Me… I’m Possessed). And Kathy Greer is only credited as a writer and producer. So I figure the musical-comedy duo transitioned to a TV career behind the camera — most notably for Charles in Charge. And if I had to guess, I’d say they were happier.
Help Me… I’m Possessed (1974) poster via Wikipedia.
