Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration Page #3

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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

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