| Selma Hacker | |
|---|---|
 Selma Hacker, played by Selma Diamond | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Gender: | Female |
| Age: | 65 (at the time of death) |
| Born: | possibly 1920 |
| Died | 1985 |
| Occupation/ Career: |
Bailff, Manhattan Municipal Court, NYC |
| Character description: |
Chain-smoking, gritty-voiced, and wisecracking; develops unlikely friendship with fellow bailiff, Bull Shannon |
| Spouse(s): | Had 6 husbands, one of whom she said was a contortionist |
| Appearances/Series information | |
| Appeared on: | Night Court |
| Episode(s) appeared in: |
35 episodes, in Seasons 1-2 |
| Played by: | Selma Diamond |
Selma Hacker was one of the bailiffs at the Manhattan Criminal Court on the series Night Court. Played by Selma Diamond, Selma appeared in the first 2 seasons of the NBC-TV sitcom, appearing in a total of 35 episodes during that time, before the passing of Diamond. Selma was then replaced by the similar feisty, crotchety Florence Kleiner for Season 3, who was played by Florence Halop.
About Selma Hacker[]
A chain smoking, witty, wisecracking (with a voice she once described as sounding like Brillo), elderly bailiff, there was apparently nothing which Selma had not seen. In one episode she admitted to having married up to 6 times, 1 of whom was a contortionist. Diamond died shortly after Season 2. Nothing seemed to shock Selma Hacker, especially sex. "I did it once", as she told a young woman lawyer in an episode, "for a piece of chocolate and a pair of nylons." In the episode "An Old Flame", an old flame named Marty Ratner (Jack Gilford) tries to rekindle their one-time romance though she declines they still remain close friends. Selma was especially close to fellow bailiff Bull Shannon, as she was sort of a mother figure to the outwardly tough-looking, but honestly childlike Shannon. In the Season 3 opening episode "Hello, Goodbye", Bull, after hearing of Selma's death, takes it especially hard, as he goes on an all-night bender with a group of circus performers and shows up the next day drunk-and-disorderly, as it takes some talking to by Harry to get him to come to grips with Selma's passing.