Clio Vanita (Nancy Kovack) is the antagonist in the 1969 two-part episode "Cousin Serena Strikes Again: Part 1 and Part 2" for the TV series "Bewitched".
Clio is the guest of honor at the Stephen's house for an important dinner party. She is a rich wine heiress from Italy, and she is being wooed for an important wine campaign in the McMann & Tate agency. However, she is a pretentious snob, and this comes off at the party. In addition, she is extremely seductive and comes onto Darrin Stephens (Dick York).
Her snobby attitude rubs Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery) the wrong way, and she makes the comment to Darrin, that she should see a plastic surgeon, "to have her nose lowered". After the first couple of minutes, Samantha has already made reference to Clio being an Italian vulture.
When Samantha's cousin Serena (also played by Montgomery) shows up to crash the party, all hell breaks free. Samantha convinces her that if she does want to stay that she remain out of sight. Serena agrees, since she can do more good hidden from view. During the dinner, Serena throws her voice to make it appear that Samantha is making several rude comments toward their guest. However, Clio has brought many of them on her own, in being so snobby.
The party adjourns to the living room, and things continue. Clio asks to have Darrin show him the gazebo located in the back yard, and Serena follows them out there. Clio is more interested in Darrin than in Darrin's campaign ideas. Serena overhears Clio telling Darrin that retaining her account is dependent on him being close to her. Even after Darrin tells her that he is in love with his wife, Clio continues to cozy up to him. When Darrin gets up to get another drink, Clio gets up to follow him. However, this is the last straw for Serena as she at first freezes Clio in her tracks. Then Serena exclaims that "no one is going to make an monkey out of my cousin", and with that she turns Clio into a chimpanzee.
Although Samantha didn't appreciate Clio's behavior, Samantha doesn't condone what Serena did. Samantha tries to explain the chimp as one that just showed up in the backyard. When Darrin finds out the truth, he banishes Serena from their house forever, not realizing that Serena is the only one who can change Clio back into a human.
The next morning Darrin has to get Clio to an eleven o'clock meeting to sign a contract. Serena, after cooling off, eventually does return, but in the meantime the monkey escapes from being tied up on the patio.
While she sends Darrin to the office to prepare for the presentation, Samantha tracks the chimpanzee on what ends up being a figurative maze, which is not easy to follow and has pitfalls along the way. First, it was taken home by a boy. His mother took the chimp to a pet show, who sold it to another man. Clio was not the property of an Organ Grinder who was playing on a busy street. While Samantha tries to convince the Organ Grinder to sell him to her, a police officer comes by and demands the monkeys papers. Just then, the monkey takes off running. Samantha is able to catch up to the monkey and take her into a hotel restroom. When she came out, Clio was changed back into human form, and confused about what had happened.
Samantha then convinces the Organ Grinder to be part of the add campaign meeting set for 11 am in Darrin's office. The new ad slogan is "Don't monkey around with anything but the best, drink Veno Vanita". Clio is charmed with the new slogan, and can't place why she likes it so much. This was the last we see of Clio, as McMann & Tate are able to keep the account. However, Darrin has his nose changed by Serena to three times it's size.
Trivia[]
- Nancy Kovack appeared as the evil nurse Miss Flostone in the 1965 episode "The Brain-Killer Affair" for the TV series "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."
- Nancy Kovack appears as Rita Mitchell, a rich snobby actress in the 1965 episode "The Moving Finger" for the TV series "I Dream of Jeannie".
- Nancy Kovack appeared (with brunette hair) as Sheila Sommers, the ex-girlfriend of Darrin Stephens (Dick York) in two episodes of the TV series "Bewitched" from 1964-1968.
- Nancy Kovack appears as Barbara, a villainess in the 1966 Matt Helm spy spoof film, "The Silencers". In the movie she attempts to seduce Matt Helm (Dean Martin) and then tries to kill him by sticking him with a knife. This attempt is thwarted when Tina (Daliah Lavi) shoots her in the back 2 times.
- Nancy Kovack appeared as Queenie, the Joker's henchwoman in the 1966 episodes "The Joker is Wild" and "Batman is Riled" for the TV series "Batman".
- Nancy Kovack appeared as Bronwyn in the 1967 episode "Apollo" for the TV series "I Spy".
- Nancy Kovack appeared as Nona in the 1969 episode ‘A Private Little War’ for the tv series ‘Star Trek’.
- Nancy Kovack appeared as Sonja, the KAOS agent in the 1969 episode "The Night They Raided Knights" in the TV series "Get Smart".
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