, ▁his ▁lov ing , ▁but ▁tart - t ong ued ▁and ▁opinion ated ▁mother ▁E lo ise ▁" M ama " ▁Curt is , ▁played ▁by ▁Ther esa ▁Mer ritt , ▁wanted ▁him ▁to ▁sett le ▁down ▁and ▁find ▁a ▁nice ▁wife . ▁Add itional ▁characters ▁– ▁such ▁as ▁Cl if ton ' s ▁two ▁best ▁friends — E ar l , ▁played ▁by ▁Ted dy ▁Wilson , ▁an ▁easy - going ▁mail man ▁and ▁Junior , ▁played ▁by ▁Ted ▁L ange , ▁a ▁su ave ▁and ▁good - hum ored ▁ladies ' ▁man — c ame ▁and ▁went ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁a ▁typical ▁day ▁at ▁Oscar ' s ▁Bar ber ▁Sh op . ▁Other ▁characters ▁included ▁T racy , ▁Cl if ton ' s ▁little ▁sister , ▁played ▁by ▁Lyn ne ▁Mo ody ▁and ▁later ▁by ▁Joan ▁Pr ing le ▁and ▁her ▁husband , ▁Leonard , ▁played ▁by ▁Lis le ▁Wilson , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁local ▁sen iors ▁Josh ▁and ▁Wild cat , ▁played ▁by ▁De For est ▁C ovan ▁and ▁J ester ▁Ha irst on . ▁Cl if ton ▁Davis ▁and ▁Ha irst on ▁would ▁work ▁together ▁again ▁years ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁hit ▁sit com , ▁A men . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁name ▁for ▁That ' s ▁My ▁M ama ▁was ▁The ▁Fur st ▁Family ▁of ▁Washington . ▁ ▁One ▁year ▁before ▁the ▁series ▁deb uted , ▁ABC ▁a ired ▁the ▁pilot ▁episode ▁of ▁this ▁version , ▁st arring ▁Mer ritt ▁opposite ▁God f rey ▁Cambridge ▁as ▁her ▁son