Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration Page #2

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fast she grew on that show.

-NARRATOR:
A key step came when

Carl Reiner gave Mary a chance

to "cry funny."

Always the student,

Mary went to everyone she could

for advice.

-It's got to be a funny cry.

She said,

"How do you cry funny?"

She said, "I really don't know

how to cry at all," she said.

She said, "Show me."

-Well, yesterday morning...

and I kissed you...

and you said, "Don't do that,"

and you came down

to breakfast...

your yucky shirt!

I got to go to pieces

in front of him

and tell him what madness

drove me to this act

and how sorry I was

and how stupid I was,

but he did seem to not be giving

me very much attention

and so on,

and I got to cry.

-And the gray hair!

And Harpo Marx!

And the general yuckiness!

-Aw, honey.

-I prepared very well

for that crying scene.

I copied everything that

Nanette Fabray ever did

in a crying scene --

and she was the master.

[Wailing]

-Nanette! Nanette,

I'm terribly sorry.

Nannette, I didn't mean

to make you cry.

Really, I'm sorry.

-Take your hands off me,

Phillip Pendleton!

-NARRATOR:
Years later,

Mary and Nanette

would have a chance to shed

some tears together --

a rare moment for television's

two best criers.

-Well, if I knew you felt

so strongly about it,

I wouldn't have brought

the meat loaf.

-Mother, we are not talking

about the meat loaf.

-Well, then,

what are we talking about?

-We're --

Mom, will you stop crying?

That isn't fair.

-I'm not crying.

[Whimpers]

-NARRATOR:

On "The Dick Van Dyke Show,"

Mary's repertoire of

vulnerability grew quickly.

Embarrassment became

her comic trademark.

-What'd you win?

-Oh, I, uh, won a...

A dryer, and a...

rotis -- rotisserie...

and a vacuum.

I'm so unhappy.

-The one where she blabs that

Carl wears a toupee,

just a tour de force.

-Aw, he got you to say something

embarrassing, didn't he?

What was it?"

-That Alan Brady is bald.

-The scene with Carl where he's

got all his toupees up there.

You remember, he calls Mary in

and he says,

"There she is, fellas."

-Fellas...

[Laughter]

There she is.

There's the little lady who put

you out of business.

-As you know, Alan, I...

You see...

When I...

-What, what, what?!

-How's your foot?

-How does it look?"

And I put my leg down, I hit on

the phone accidentally...

-Ooh!

-Aah!

-And I went, I screamed into

the phone.

I loved that when I saw that.

[Growls]

-You can ask anybody --

I've always said

I like you so much better

without your, um --

-It's hair! Hair!

You didn't have any trouble

saying it on television.

-I said to her,

"Boy, that was perfect."

-NARRATOR:
For Mary Tyler Moore,

developing her comedy skills did

not mean losing her femininity.

She was blazing a trail

for a new generation of women

on television.

-That's right, one of the few

who maintained her femininity.

I mean she was gorgeous, and she

had a sensuality about her.

And she always kept it.

-NARRATOR:
Mary's beauty

and comic timing

mixed perfectly with her

self-effacing persona.

The result?

She possessed a unique ability

to connect with viewers.

The whole country wanted to

give her a hug.

-She was their Mary.

And that's a wonderful quality

for any performer

to get from an audience.

Their wanting to take care of

you because they love you.

Wasn't that wonderful?

That's a gift.

That's a gift!

-NARRATOR:
Mary's mannered

persona was in stark contrast

to the outsized antics

of the most popular female

comedian of the 1960s.

-Viv?

-Huh?

-Do you think we can squeeze out

through the top?

-We might --

we might not have to.

In a few minutes we'll be able

to float out.

Ah!

-She is a brilliant clown.

She creates

her own comedy.

I'm an actress

who can perform comedy well,

but I am not a comedian.

They're two

very different things.

-NARRATOR:
Lucille Ball's sitcom

filmed on the stage next door to

"The Dick Van Dyke Show."

Often the veteran would secretly

watch the rookie at work.

-She would apparently come over

to our soundstage

and climb up the ladder

on the wall

and walk her way

over the catwalk.

And one day I guess

we had done something

that really got to her,

and she laughed out loud.

And there was no missing

that laugh.

[Lucille Ball laughing]

And we looked at her,

and she came down,

and she was talking to

all of us.

And as she was leaving,

she turned around to me

and she said,

"You're very good."

Not a lot of flowers,

not a lot of comedy in that,

but it really hit me.

And I knew that I must have

something worth continuing with.

-NARRATOR:
Mary's growing skills

on "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

opened up the opportunity to

guest star on

variety shows of the era --

most notably a special

with Danny Kaye.

[Laughs]

-NARRATOR:
Five years on

"The Dick Van Dyke Show"

meant Mary had the opportunity

to learn from one of

TV's most talented

comedians.

-When I cast Mary, I brought her

in to meet Dick

and Dick took me aside and he

said, "Hey, she's beautiful,"

and all that, but he says,

"She's much too young.

Nobody's going to believe it."

He was 31

and she was, like, 23.

And I said -- I said,

"Believe me,

they'll believe it."

-NARRATOR:
Eleven years

her senior

and vastly more experienced,

Van Dyke took the time to help

Mary learn the ropes.

-MOORE:
He's a great human being

and one of the most

generous performers

that I've ever worked with.

-She was 23

when she came on the show

and had never done

any comedy.

-MOORE:
He was back there

giving me little hints,

little suggestions

and things.

-She did some takes that I said,

"Now you're on the right track."

Why didn't you call me?

-Because I thought you might be

in conference

with Miss Blake.

-Oh, come on now, Laurie.

Since when have I ever been

too busy to talk to you?

-You've been very busy

blake-ly --

[Laughter]

I mean it's wonderful to help

someone else get a laugh,

but it's God's own gift

to get one yourself.

I always wondered if I could get

back into shape enough

so someone would offer me a job

as a professional dancer again.

And now I know.

I did it!

And I wondered if I could take

the strain of the daily classes

and the rehearsals

and the exercise.

And now I know.

I can't!

[Laughter]

-You can't?

-No, Rob, there isn't a bone

in my body

that isn't screaming,

"For heaven's sake,

lie down in a hot tub!"

-NARRATOR:
After

"The Dick Van Dyke Show"

ended in 1966,

Mary was cast alongside

Julie Andrews

in "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

-Oh, but, uh, my bags!

Oh, it's all right.

We can manage.

I live here."

-Oh, thank you.

Ahh.

-NARRATOR:

It was the kind of film

Mary had long dreamed of

performing in --

a chance to sing and dance

in a movie musical.

-She's a girl next door,

and she's also a looker,

and, look, she can dance.

Oh, my God.

This is a great package.

-I must study you if I'm going

to be an actress.

You see, the theater today is

full of ruthless women.

-Art reflects life.

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