Costume Designer Jack Bear

The art of theater and performance is a collaborative art. Everyone depends on someone else to complete the work. There’s make-up and hair, costumes and sets, writers, musicans and arrangers. I had hoped to cover more information in this blog, but gathering information forty years after the fact sometimes takes a bit more time than one might think. Today I feel very fortunate to be writing about the man who created the very beautiful, sleek and unique costumes on The Julie Andrews Hour - Jack Bear. 

                                                                ***

Jack Bear, costume designer for The Julie Andrews Hour, was an Academy Award nominated designer. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Later, he would say no one could get his name right, declaring that “Bear” was a name of Danish-German origin.

When he was seven, his parents moved the family to Cleveland, Ohio, where, after graduating from high school, he attended Ohio State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Always interested in the art of painting, initially Bear planned to be an artist, but after graduation, he moved to California, and attended the Chouinard Art Institute where he majored in fashion design.

For a short time, Mr. Bear had a shop on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. He closed the shop, however, after being offered a staff costume design position at NBC. During his ten or more years at NBC, he worked on shows like Hallmark Hall of Fame and Matinee Theater, among others, designing for stars like opera singer Dorothy Kirsten and Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor. Designer Ret Turner, who also worked at NBC during this time, recalls that Bear was “a lovely man and a hard worker."

After his time at NBC, Jack Bear moved to Paramount Pictures, where he worked under costume designer, Walt Hoffman. While working on The Great Race (1965), Jack Bear became acquainted with Blake Edwards. Two years later, Edwards would hire him to design costumes for his film, Gunn, an adaptation of his popular 1950s television series, Peter Gunn.

In 1966, Jack Bear designed costumes for the film, What Did You Do in the War Daddy? Following his work on Gunn, he also created costumes for the films, The Odd Couple and The Party in 1968.

In 1969, Blake Edwards hired Jack Bear to design costumes for Darling Lili. Designer Donald Brooks had already created Julie Andrews’ costumes, and a designer for the balance was needed. In total, Jack Bear designed over 400 costumes for Darling Lili, including those worn by Rock Hudson. Together, he and Donald Brooks received an Academy Award nomination for their costume design work on the film.

As a result of his work in film and television, Jack Bear enjoyed a fine reputation. He designed costumes for the Pasadena Playhouse’s production of Romeo and Juliet. He was also asked to design clothing for Lucille Ball for some of her television specials.

In his spare time, Mr. Bear bought homes, redesigned them and sold them. According to one studio biography of the period, he was also a member of the Board of Directors for the Costume Designer’s Guild from 1967-1968. 

In 1972, Jack Bear happily accepted the job of costume designer for The Julie Andrews Hour. His designs for the show were simple and elegant, with a look that was both modern for the time and classic. Mr. Bear often repeated aspects of the designs he had created which were flattering to Julie, recreating them in new fabrics, patterns and colors. Ret Turner recalls that Bear “liked soft colors—blues and greens.” Some of his loveliest designers for Julie were in various shades of blue.



Lovely blue gown designed
by Jack Bear



Working on The Julie Andrews Hour, Mr. Bear also designed the clothing worn by Rich Little, Alice Ghostley and the dancers. According to director Bill Davis, in addition, he gave approval (if he did not design) for clothing worn by the guest stars.

In the tradition of old Hollywood, Jack Bear's costumes were made to move beautifully for the dance numbers. The number of costumes and the amount of work going into them each week – as with everything else in the show—was phenomenal. The costume room backstage was kept busy with whirring sewing machines and steam pressers. Everything had to be perfect.

When Jack Bear passed away in 2007, he still held in his possession a number of the gowns he had designed for Miss Andrews, as well as fabric swatches from the show. Some of these costumes had been lent to Western Costumes to be rented out. In 2011, Julien’s Auctions sold a number of  gowns and other items from the show.

 For further information, please visit the link below. Catalogs for this auction may still be available.

http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/​catalog/id/36/

 http://www.julienslive.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/36/lot/11434/

Many thanks to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ librarian for her help in finding information on designer Jack Bear’s history. Should anyone have further information or corrections, please contact me.

Coming Next: - In Between - My time between shows and how I came to be on the closed sets. Interestingly, this blog begins with making costumes!

Episode 7 Guests Diahann Carroll and Phyllis Diller

It’s football season and Episode 7 begins with the Julie Andrews team of thirteen players. Rich Little, playing sportscaster Howard Cossell, makes an announcement, introducing No. 16, Diahann Carroll, No. 21, Julie Andrews and No. 31, Phyllis Diller. Phyllis doesn’t do much that isn’t funny. At the closing of the first scene, she ends up onstage alone, hanging from the ceiling in a harness.

This is a diverse show, and guest stars Diahann Carroll and Phyllis Diller were women who broke barriers, each in their own way.

                                                                   ***

Diahann Carroll has always been known for her beauty and elegance. Her career took off during the Civil Rights movement. As a person of color, with great dignity and talent, Ms. Carroll broke stereotypes about her race.

  

She was born July 17, 1935 in the Bronx, New York and grew up in Harlem.  Although she intended to major in sociology, after winning the top prize on the television show, Chance of a Lifetime, her life took a new path. Why Was I Born? was her winning song, followed by four weeks of wins. As a result of her success in the television contests, she received engagements at Manhattan’s Café Society and The Latin Quarter.

Diahann Carroll made her film debut with Carmen Jones in 1954. Following the film, she won a Broadway role in House of Flowers, and in 1959, appeared in the film version of Porgy and Bess as Clara. Around this same time, she made a guest appearance on Blake Edwards’ television series, Peter Gunn. She was the first African-American women to win a Tony Award, when in 1962, she won best actress in a musical for her portrayal of Barbara Woodward in the Samuel A. Taylor and Richard Rodgers musical, No Strings.

Diahann Carroll was also the first African-American woman to have her own television series, Julia. The show was on the air in 1968. During this period, Ms. Carroll kept busy with appearances on all of the major talk shows, as well as an appearance on The Judy Garland Show. Today, Diahann Carroll performs in concert and on USA’s series, “White Collar.” 

                                                   ***

Phyllis Diller was born Phyllis Ada Driver in Lima, Ohio on July 17^th, 1917. During her early adult life, she was a wife, mother and advertising copyrighter. She also studied piano many years, but by the 1950s decided to pursue a career as a comedienne. In 1955, she appeared as a stand-up comic for the first time. Her appearance at The Purple Onion lasted 87 weeks!  From there, her fame and act grew. Bob Hope invited Phyllis to appear with him on a special. Over the years, she appeared in twenty-three Bob Hope specials, and co-starred with him in three films.

At a time when most women were trying to look beautiful, women related to Phyllis with her combination of glamour and reality. Sometimes she appeared wearing finery and jewels along with curlers or messy hair. When she spoke  irreverently of her husband, “Fang,” she sent audiences into gales of laughter. People could not get enough of her.

In 1969, Phyllis Diller appeared in the musical Hello Dolly!--a show which almost every major female star of the time appeared in.  It should also be noted that between 1971 and 1981, Diller appeared playing piano with over 100 symphony orchestras. Of course, her performances were punctuated with humor.

When I began working on this book/blog, I hoped I might be able to get a comment from Phyllis Diller about her appearance on The Julie Andrews Hour. After a long and fruitful career, she passed away on August 20, 2012. She gave the world a lot of wonderful laughs.

                                                 ***

After the opening sequence, all three ladies talk about men and dancing. They agree that the envy of everyone at the dances they attended when young was the girl singer. The scene shifts to memories of the Big Band era. Nelson Riddle’s band is onstage and Julie, Diahann and Phyllis appear, dressed in pale turquoise, ruffles of chiffon.

Diahann Carroll seems to take the lead with many solos during this segment and it’s not to be regretted. She sings “Sunday Kind of Love” with great beauty, and Peggy Lee’s “Why Don’t You Do Right” with just the right touch. Phyllis Diller gets her turn as a band singer, singing “Murder, He Says” and “A Tisket-a-Taket,” the former being her best number. Julie sings “Sentimental Journey” and “Willow Weep for Me.” In-between these solos, the three ladies make a trio and sing some of the best remembered hits, like Bei Mir Bist Due Schoen” and “Dream.” Then, with a bit of technology, the camera suddenly pulls back and we see the three ladies walk onto the stage in their street clothes, while behind them, we see the girls still performing in their gowns.

Since Phyllis Diller is not really a singer, we get the treat of seeing her perform with Rich Little. Although one thinks of Little as solely an impersonator, he is a fine actor, acting, of course, as whatever star he chooses to play. In one scene, he plays Cary Grant, opposite Phyllis as Bette Davis.  

The most enjoyable and lengthy scene between the pair --possibly the high point of the show—is one in which Rich Little plays Jack Benny and Phyllis  plays his long time girlfriend. They have met in a restaurant because they’ve decided to break up and now they are going to settle up. Benny, known for his stinginess, insists that Phyllis return every gift he ever gave her, even if it means removing her dress. Not to be outdone, Phyllis demands the same of him. Little and Diller are at the top of their game in this sketch and it’s a pleasure to watch them.

During this series of sketches, Julie Andrews performs a fine scene as Mata Hari, the famed spy, who has been caught and is about to be shot. Rich Little plays the officer who is in charge of her. Her cool demeanor and style in this scene are excellent.

Perhaps the one flaw of this show, besides the rather odd combination of personalities, is the fact that the creators attempt to pack so much into one show.

Follow Your Sign pays tribute to  persons born under the sign of Taurus. They include Liberace, Orson Welles, Henry Fonda, Shakespeare and Burt Bacharach, which gives the ladies a chance to sing some fine songs: “What the World Needs Now” and “This Girl’s In Love with You.” In a surprise ending, Phyllis, Julie and Diahann pay tribute to Barbra Streisand with a rendition of “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”

Along with the sketches of Rich Little and Phyllis Diller, another fine segment is the one where Julie Andrews and Diahann Carroll pay tribute to women songwriters. These include Dorothy Fields, Carolyn Lee, Betty Comden and Joni Mitchell.

Once again, all too soon, this show, which aired October 25^th, 1972, is over. At the conclusion of Episode 7, the television announcer lets us know that there will be complete Election Coverage next week. Yes, forty years ago was an election year as well!

Coming next: In-Between – What happened between my first visit to Stage E and being allowed to attend a closed set taping. That will be in two parts.

See you soon!

Episode 6 with Guest Star Steve Lawrence

Note: Recently it came to my attention that the air dates found on one site did not match the air dates listed in my diary. In the meantime I discovered a museum listing  which listed dates match my personal dates, so in the future, I wll be using these. Episode 4 on which Don Rickles was the guest was first shown on October 18th.




from the authors 1972 collection

 On Julie Andrews’ next show, Episode 6, she was joined by singer, Steve Lawrence, along with co-stars Alice Ghostley and Rich Little. Lawrence has a fine voice and a sense of humor that easily matches Julie’s, which makes the show a lot of fun. The show aired for the first time on October 11th, 1972.

Episode 5 opens with Julie and Steve singing the title song from the 1970 Broadway musical, Applause. Behind them is a varying backdrop of applauding people. At the end of the song, there are several shots of the audience from various angles, confirming that a good portion of the show was taped before a live audience. For those reading this complete series of blogs on The Julie Andrews Hour, if you are able to see this clip, it should give you a good idea of the space where the show was taped.

Following Applause, Julie Andrews and Steve Lawrence are joined by Alice Ghostley and Rich Little for a rousing verson of “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee An Actor’s Life for Me." The song, set in a costume room, gives the performers a chance to play other roles.   Julie Andrews and Steve Lawrence sing “Indian Love Call.” Wearing a feather in her hair, Indian beads around her neck, and a mini suede dress with moccasin boots, Julie looks quite mod. In fact, wearing this get-up she’d probably have fit in well with some of the hippies on the streets of Hollywood.

While the pair sing beautifully together, Steve Lawrence knows how to add that light touch of humor, making the songs slighty off-center and funny. In another musical number during this portion of the show, Julie is drinking from a big mug while she sings. She and Steve play it for laughs. Looking at the big hooped skirt she is wearing for this number, Steve says, “I think orchestra’s in there.” The audience finds this hilarious. Throughout the show we can see that Julie and Steve understand one another’s style and are comfortable working together.

As Ms. Andrews intimates during some of her later shows, while working on Broadway in the 1950s and 60s, she met many fellow performers. Quite a few of the people who appeared on The Julie Andrews Hour were persons she became friends with during that time.
                                                      ****

Steve Lawrence, born Sidney Liebowitz on July 8, 1935, grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Since his father was a cantor, he was exposed to music and singing from a very early age. In the 1950s, he was drafted into the army and became the official soloist for the United States Army Band. Steve Lawrence had numerous hit recordings during the 1950s and 60s, including “Go Away Little Girl,” “Pretty Blue Eyes” and “Footsteps.” One connection he had to producers Bill Harbach and Nick Vanoff was that he worked on the Steve Allen show before it became the Tonight Show. While working on the show, he met and sang with his future wife, Eydie Gorme. The pair became a singing duo and were married in 1957. 

                                                    **** 

During the Hi-Didddle-Dee-Dee skit, Rich Little plays Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler to Alice Ghostley’s Scarlett O’Hara, and George Burns to Alice’s Gracie. Then, in one of the most charming routines, Rich and Julie impersonate Laurel and Hardy. With make-up and costume, as well as his great talent, Rich Little is transformed into Hardy and Julie is the soft-voiced, gentle Laurel. Her portrayal of Laurel is quite touching and a sharp contrast to all her other work. I



In addition to Laurel and Hardy, Rich and Julie also played
Groucho and Harpo.



Julie in the glamourous halter dress
From the Ruth and Vannie
Shaufelberger Collection.



For the “Follow Your Sign” segment of the show, honoring persons born under the astrological sign Libra, Steve Lawrence joins Julie, who is dressed a glamourous, black, halter gown. Lying on a sofa, Rich Little pays homage to Truman Capote. He plays Capote with great seriousness,  and has the audience laughing. To celebrate John Lennon, Julie and Steve sing two songs in counterpoint – Michelle and Here, There and Everywhere. It is quite lovely.

There’s a fine dance from No, No Nanette with Julie and her eight fellows, followed, at last, by a solo from Julie.  Standing beneath the crystal tree in a lovely gown, she sings, Falling in Love with Love. Recently, when speaking to a man who worked on the show he mused over what had happened to that tree. “It cost a fortune,” he said, “and it was hell to move.”



Julie under the crystal tree. This photo from the
Ruth and Vannie Shaufelberger collection was
taken off the television. It lacks the brilliance of the,
original, but gives you an idea of the scene.





The view of Julie Andrews singing in the darkness beneath this tree is stunning. Bill Davis has varied the shots between total darkness lit only by the tree and a green backlight. As shown in the “Julie” documentary, the creators and music directors of this show seemed intent on having Julie sing in a lower key, perhaps hoping she would sound more pop than concert or Broadway. Of course, with her five octave range, this was not a problem for her, though it her higher notes are the most brilliant. At times, the song does seem low, but in a stunning turn of events, the arrangement has her ascend to a higher  during the last portion of the song. What she does here is not easy and it is a stupendous ending to this beautiful song.

In the second half of Episode Five a duet of songs that did NOT win an Oscar is sung by Julie and Steve. There are some pretty popular songs here, including “Pennies from Heaven,” “The Trolley Song” and “Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe.” During the first part of this sequence, the presentation of some of these songs, which only consists of a phrase, seems a bit pedantic, but that changes with the final song. When Julie and Steve sing “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,” it’s goose bump time. There are some songs on The Julie Andrew Hour series which should be put on a recording for the world to enjoy. This is one of them!



The last section of the show is devoted to a musical sketch which takes place in Europe during WWII. Rich Little plays an English actor (whose name escapes me), as a British officer who is dating Julie. Alice Ghostley is a barmaid who is really a German spy and Julie is that chipper, young singer whom everyone in the pub loves. Steve Lawrence plays an American pilot who is there to help win the war and is much loved by all the girls.

The skit is clever and funny, but the performances put by all four actors, as well as the dancers, who also play bit parts, is brilliant. Director Bill Davis and choreographer Tony Charmoli have arranged a lot of activity in the pub’s small set and it’s something you want to watch again to catch all the bits. At times, one forgets that one is watching a television skit and imagines that it could be a full blown film. Julie Andrews is beautiful and charming, and really throws caution to the wind, playing a role beyond being herself. It’s quite amazing. You can see the force of energy she must have put in her stage roles. She knows what it takes to put a character over on the footlights and make a performance great. Rich Little is so stuffed beneath his clothing and so into his role, that we forget he is Rich. It is the same with everyone. The direction on this skit, the songs, dances… everything makes it shine. You can hear how much the audience loves it when the cast sings “Roll Out the Barrel.” On a special note, I recently found out that  producer Nick Vanoff also appears in this sketch--as the accordion player!



From the author's 1972 collection



The show closes with sincere smiles of joy from Julie and Steve. In a move not repeated by anyone (that I know of), Steve Laurence asks Julie if he can join her in singing her closing theme song, “Time is My Friend.”

It was a lovely night.

Coming soon: More about the cast and crew AND A week in the life of The Julie Andrews Hour - what it took to put on a show!

October 13th - My First Visit to The Julie Andrews Hour

Friday, October 13^th, 1972 changed my mind about Fridays on the 13^th being bad luck; it was one of the luckiest days of my life. Until now, I have been writing about The Julie Andrews Hour from the point of view of an outsider. Forty years ago, however, I was not watching Julie on television; I was watching her  at work in-person. This would be the beginning of many changes in my life.

LACC Theatre Arts Building

Only one month earlier, I had left home for the first time. I was living in a dormitory on Sunset Boulevard and attending Los Angeles City College’s Theatre Arts program.... Sometimes I found the classes at LACC too technical. But hidden away in my bureau drawer was something that would bring me one step closer to fulfilling my dreams. I had a ticket to The Julie Andrews Hour!

                                                         ***

After my classes that morning, I returned to my room and got dressed in my nicest clothes.  I was so nervous all day. Finally, at four o’clock, I went out and caught the bus on Sunset for ABC Studio.

The Julie Andrews Hour was taped at ABC's Prospect Studios in Hollywood. I lived on Sunset about three blocks west of Vermont Avenue. On Vermont, there is (even now) a small strip-mall which runs up to the next street, Hollywood Boulevard. Just across from the strip mall, peeking out onto Vermont is a little street called Prospect Avenue. The bus I caught took me almost all the way to the studio.

                                                          ***

The Prospect Studio has a long and interesting history. It opened in 1915 as The Vitagraph Studio, a silent picture studio where many famous films were made. There were two daylight studios and many film sets. The studio was sold to Warner Brothers in 1925 and continuing on through the 1930s and 40s; Warner Brothers used it as a back lot to shoot scenes in large water tanks and on ships. In 1948, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) bought the lot and held it until 1996 when ABC became part of The Walt Disney Company. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the stages there hosted a number well-known performers and shows, including Tom Jones, Let’s Make a Deal and the KABC Channel 7 News. In 2002, many changes were made to the lot, including the addition of two large buildings.

The ABC Studio on Prospect lies in the Silver Lake District of Los Angeles, a residential area. In 1972, that area seemed a bit uncertain to me as to whether it was a good or not good neighborhood.

                                                           ****



Photo taken Oct 2012. I believe the large building
to the right was not there then. In addition,
as I recall the gate was a little more rustic,
perhaps with some flowers.

My heart pounded as I enter the studio gate for the first time. Passing by the security guard, I was directed to a large group of people who already waiting in line to get into the studio where The Julie Andrews Hour was being taped. It was a little before five when I arrived and the California afternoon sun was very warm.

After what seemed a long wait—a half-an-hour or more-- we were directed to a large patio area, surrounded on two sides by walls and laid with red tiles. There were flowers growing around the edges of the walls, and white stone benches to sit on.  Once again, it seemed we waited a long time here. Meanwhile, we saw a lot of activity going on. There were men coming in and out of a door marked “Do Not Enter.” At one point, costumes were being brought in for the show, which was very exciting. Then, the director or producer came out and apologized, saying it would be a little while longer before the show began, but they had extra rehearsing to do.

A short time later, some people came out and began setting up tables with food and large canisters for tea. I laughed to myself, thinking, “Oh, we’re going to have a party.” A few minutes later, one of the pages announced that the drinks and food were for us, saying, “Compliments of Miss Andrews!” Boy was I surprised.

Finally, when it was getting dark, the pages came out and asked us to get in line....

Dan Dailey around the time
he appeared on the show.



Mama Cass Elliot
She stopped using the "Mama"
around this time.

After everyone was seated, the announcer Dick Tufeld came out to welcome us and speak to us about the show. Then he turned the mic over to Rich Little. After telling some jokes, he in turn turned the mic over to Band Leader Nelson Riddle, who, I might also add, was the Musical Director for The Judy Garland Show and has worked with some of the greatest singers in the business. Riddle talked to the audience for a while, then, Rich introduced the guest stars for the show: Cass Elliot of The Mamas and Papas and musical film actor Dan Dailey.



Dan Dailey in the 1940s

                                                            ***

Dan Dailey was really old Hollywood. Born in New York City on December 14^th, 1915, Dailey would have been fifty-six at the time of his appearance on The Julie Andrews Hour. He had begun his career in vaudeville and made a hit on Broadway in 1937 in the musical Babes in Arms. During the 1940s and  50s, Dan Daily was a huge hit in films starring opposite such stars as Eleanor Powell, Betty Grable and Ethel Merman. In 1948, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in the film When My Baby Smiles at Me. 

                                                          ***

.. I felt the air move above my head and then, there she was, Julie Andrews standing above me. "Hello," she said, looking at me. I could not speak....

I stayed until they finished at 12:30. It was then I realized I had been sitting there for eight hours, and it was heaven!\

This blog has been abbreviated due to re-writing for a new book on this subject.

Note:  All photos are for entertainment purposes only.

If you would like to see The Julie Andrews Hour put out on DVD, along with  a Duets CD of Julie and her guests (and maybe others as well), please send a respectful e-mail to requesting this to:     dan.gopal@itv.com

Episode Five The Grandest Show with Robert Goulet

          Forty years ago tonight, on October 11, 1972, ABC aired what was, in this writer’s humble opinion, the grandest of all The Julie Andrews Hour episodes. It was a very special, yet simple show with only one guest, Robert Goulet.

Of course, Robert Goulet had worked with Julie Andrews in the Broadway musical, Camelot. The show begins with the two singers seated onstage, recalling that twelve years earlier, they appeared in the show at the Majestic Theater (now home of The Phantom of the Opera). Camelot ran for 831 performances. The show became legendary when it was later revealed that President John F. Kennedy loved it and played the recording every night.

In this episode of The Julie Andrews Hour, we see two singers who are perfectly matched in terms of vocal ability and quality. Not only have they played many performances together, but they truly admire and like one another. As a result, the quality of their performance is magical. Julie glows throughout the show and Goulet is in top form. The simplicity and elegance of the show is something to see. It is a show which every aspiring theater performer should watch.

Following their short discussion, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet launch into a series of songs from the shows that played on Broadway during the time they were in Camelot: Bye, Bye Birdie, Gypsy, The Sound of Music and West Side Story. After a lovely duet from Gypsy, the performance moves to the floor with dancers, sets and costumes. Julie, in her lovely, long gown is greeted by The Tony Charmoli Dancers dressed in tramp outfits. One fellow hands her a bouquet of daisies and a sweet dance to “Put on a Happy Face” follows.

from the Ruth and Vannie Schaufelberger
Collection

The show is beautifully filmed and edited. Director Bill Davis is to be commended for his work, and the cameramen as well. It appears to be one of the shows which Director Davis told me was filmed with a live audience present for most of it, i.e. concert style. It also contains one of the most talked about moments of Julie’s show, and the fact that this little event is there captures the “live” effect. During one of the duets, while Julie is singing, one of her earrings suddenly flies off her ear, at which point she lets out a big “whoo!” which makes the audience laugh.  Then, she removes her other earring, and while Goulet was singing, holds it up to his ear. The pair are very loose and at ease and, at the same time, produce the most glorious sounds and performances. Nothing could be better!

The second half of the show is dedicated to “the music men.” Irving Berlin is first. We discover Julie in a Music Hall singing Alexander’s Ragtime Band and dancing with two of her fellows. When Robert Goulet sings “The Girl That I Marry” from Annie Get Your Gun, it’s enough to make any girl’s heart melt. Every lyric matters and is full of tenderness, and you listen to it as if you have never heard it before.

Cole Porter’s songs are introduced in a party scene that has great direction and fun bits of acting. This is followed by a rather sexy number in which Julie, wearing a stretchy gown, moves seductively as she sings “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.”

A dancer would later tell me that during the run of the show Julie got letters from folks in the south and middle America saying the gowns she was wearing were too low cut and too sexy. Later, he said, she felt it was necessary to come out and say that she was not Mary Poppins or Maria von Trapp, but herself, Julie Andrews.

This fifth show in The Julie Andrews Hour series is definitely romantic and seductive. Goulet, with his voice, gorgeous blue eyes and mustache cannot help but enchant you, and he and Julie play well together. Their duet from West Side Story, “Somewhere,” is amazing. As a performer, Goulet clearly uses the physical to play his scenes and bring you into them. His performance of “Soliloquy” from Carousel (just the “My Little Girl” portion) is truly great. Also deserving mention is the wonderful choreography by Tony Charmoli of “Stepping Out with my Baby” for Julie and the eight male dancers. At the end of this segment, which concludes “With a Song in My Heart,” as Goulet takes the hand of fair lady Julie and turns to exit, we hear the audience roar their approval.

The grand finale of the show is dedicated to George Gershwin. For this, the entire Nelson Riddle Orchestra is on stage along with The Dick Williams Singers. But, of course, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet are glorious, and would be with no one else. They conclude with the duet “I Loves You Porgy” from Porgy and Bess. It is a performance that I have held in my memory for forty years.

At the conclusion of this grand concert Julie turns to her guest Robert Goulet and says, “Goodnight Robert. It was heavenly having you on the show.”

Indeed, it was.

                                                      ***

It’s time to write your comments. We need to see these shows preserved and made available for the public!

If you would like to see The Julie Andrews Hour put out on DVD, along with  a Duets CD of Julie and her guests (and maybe others as well), please send a respectful e-mail to requesting this to:     dan.gopal@itv.com

Coming next: My First Visit to The Julie Andrews Hour

Episode 4 - Guest Don Rickles

On October 4th, 1972, ABC aired the 4^th episode of The Julie Andrews Hour. It was an episode mainly dedicated to comedy with guest stars Don Rickles, Alice Ghostley and Rich Little. On the closing, Julie thanked them all as guest, naming Alice Ghostley first, followed by Don Rickles and Rich Little.

The show opened with Julie singing one of the hits of her Broadway show, My Fair Lady. “On the Street Where You Live” was not a song she had sung in the show, but she sang it beautifully, interspersed by comments from “people on the street” (probably actors). After the song, Don Rickles expressed what a lot of the viewers probably felt when he asked how she could have all those people interrupting her song.

This episode of The Julie Andrews Hour seems to move along quickly and has a greater sense of informality than many. After the opening where Julie, Alice, Don and Rich joke and laugh, Rich Little portrays a series of singers with Julie joining in and singing with him. The impressions, each in costume, include Tom Jones, Gene Kelly, Glen Campbell, Perry Como, Johnny Cash, Anthony Newly and Maurice Chevalier.  For the grand finale of this set, Rich appears as Carol Channing, singing “Hello Dolly”. The Tony Charmoli Dancers and Julie join him onstage. As she often does when around Rich, Julie cracks up during this set of songs.

This rather frenetic set of songs is followed by a lovely scene with Julie seated under a crystal tree singing “My Ship.” The scene is simple and elegant.

With Don Rickles onboard for this show, the writers came up with some very unique sketches. The first one is based on Noel Coward’s Private Lives where four people who have each loved one of the others has gone on to be married to someone else, but by chance meet one another. In this case, Julie is married to Don Rickles, who runs a restaurant, but she is simply not able to fulfill his wishes in how she helps to run the business. 

On the other hand, Alice Ghostley is married to Rich Little who portrays an elegant James Mason. She is also not at home in her role as wife to him. Then, in an alley, they meet once again and love is in bloom. In addition a rather heavy-set couple is brought into the mix. This scene was apparently filmed before a live audience because by the end, with Don Rickles’ non-scripted quips, everyone is laughing very hard, including Don Rickles and the cast onstage. It also appears that the audience has witnessed some things not included as some of his lines refer to things that may have happened in a prior take. In any case, it is great fun.

This show contains one very unique piece: Don Rickles and Alice Ghostley in a musical scene taken from Fiddler on the Roof, singing the song, “Do You Love Me?” In the scene, Ghostley wakes her husband, Rickles, to ask him if he loves her. There is not a laugh in this scene. It is wonderfully performed, leading one to think the Rickles could have easily become a Broadway musical comedy star, which is quite a surprise.

In her “Getting to Know You” segment, Julie Andrews has a conversation with Don Rickles which tells a lot about who he really is and his choices for how he portrays himself in the business. It is funny, sincere and revealing.

Another sketch follows with Rickles in which he plays a court jester, telling jokes to and about Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth I, Abraham Lincoln, William Shakespeare, Ben Franklin and others. These persons from the past are played by The Tony Charmoli dancers, as mentioned before, all actors and singers as well as dancers. A few character people are brought in as well.

Episode 4 also introduces a section on astrology for the first time. In the show, Julie makes a little speech about “believers” and “non-believers,” stating that it is all in fun. Although astrology was quite popular during this time, the creators of the show were quite aware that many members of the viewing audience would consider the astrology section rather pagan or against their beliefs. The astrology part of the show, on this particular show it was dedicated to Pisces, gave the creators of the show a chance to have Julie sing a mix of classical, traditional and modern music. On this show, she concluded with George Harrison and “My Sweet Lord,” with segued into Handel’s Messiah and the “Hallelujah" chorus. There were many singers onstage during this part. They form a circle around Julie. This number was also apparently taped with an audience because at the conclusion there is huge applause, which continues for a long time. It is really quite thrilling.

Julie concludes the show with her song, “Time Is My Friend,” promising us she will be back again very soon.

Coming Next: In preparation for my first visit to ABC and The Julie Andrews Hour, I will be writing about my life.  Since I will be your guide into the past, there are a few things I need to tell you!