Anissa Jones, "Buffy" on Family Affair

E! did a biography of Anissa Jones on its True Hollywood Stories in April of 1999.
Unfortunately, they got the story wrong. Anissa is best remembered for portraying "Buffy" on Family Affair. Unfortunately, E!'s portrayal was deceitful, duplicitous, and dishonest. To learn the true story of Anissa Jones:
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I say this with regret, but you're right, they weren't. What is worse, Anissa thought that the conversations between "Buffy" and "Jody" on the show were so saccharin that she would complain to director Charles Barton. Anissa and her real brother, Paul, would never have insipid conversations like those in the scripts for the show: no one living in the real world would. Actually, Anissa and her brother Paul were best friends. She shared with him the most beautiful relationship of her life, and her most successful.
Among their real friends that is the most common thing they recall about them. How close, and how much love Anissa and Paul felt for each other. They are practically patron saints for brothers and sisters.

While it might not rise to the level of a Dr. Seuss "rif" from Moonlighting, Anissa had her moments. What the Screwball Comedies strove for in the 1930's, David Addison and Maddie Hayes achieved in the 1980's. Anissa was very clever in her own right.

Anissa and Director Charles Barton had their own moments. Mr. Barton was a Director at Universal during the 1940's, mostly of Abbott and Costello Films, including "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein". Anissa stood 4'11" and Mr. Barton was about 5'5". They developed a very deep and genuine affection for each other. After one occasion of particularly pointed criticism by Anissa of the juvenile nature of the scripts and the insipid portrayal of a brother-sister relationship, Mr. Barton suggested that everyone take a break, while he looked for an application to the UCLA Film School. He told Anissa that he would help her fill out an application to their screenwriting program. He would also write her a letter of reccomendation, himself. They would hold up production until she got her degree; then she could apply for a job as a script writer on Family Affair at Fedderson Productions. Then, and only then, would he listen to her opinions about the script. Respect is something you must earn, it should never be a gift. Remember that the next time someone's nephew gets a job. Until that time came, he suggested it might be just as well for her to perfect her acting talents, since that was what she was paid to do. Everyone broke out laughing, including Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot. And they were laughing with Anissa, not at her.
At that point Anissa, herself, would start to laugh. She knew a good joke when she heard one. Anissa was lucky in some ways, Brian was like a second father to her(her parents divorce meant she hardly ever saw her Dad). Publicity man Les Kaufman, was like a favorite Uncle. Steve Lodge, a member of the crew, was like a favorite younger Uncle. Earl Graham, the Janitor on the set, was a particular favorite. He had been a Juggler earlier in his career. When shooting was slow, he would juggle to keep the kids entertained. When Earl passed away during the third season of the show, Anissa asked her Mom if she could take $400.00 of her own money and buy an ad saying good-bye to her friend. I think she remembered that Desi Arnaz had done the same thing for his "parner" William Frawley when he passed. Her Mother said yes, and to this day calls it one of Anissa'sfinest moments, and one of her proudest moments as a Mom. I agree with her in both assessments.

To too many people the passing of a janitor is not an event to be remembered or remarked upon... Anissa listening to the beat of her own drummer chose to let her heart and soul show people what she believed. And the person she really was. Good for her.

What a Woman...