January 13th - 18th - Life

Those of you who have read the six January 12^th blogs on The Julie Andrews Hour may find this account interesting. In the week following January 12^th, I tried to make sense of all that had occurred.  This account is a mingling of my 1973 diary notes and additional information.

January 13, 1973

Saturday morning I woke up still having trouble believing all happened the day before. My roommate, Lynn, was still not there. Anne, my scene partner for the final, came over to practice. We were to perform a scene from The Importance of Be Ernest, but I was in such a state, even commenting in my diary that ‘I didn’t feel like acting in an English play.’

I told Anne a small part of what happened, but I doubt she believed me. When she saw my postcard from Liza on the wall, she said, “Liza is so sweet and real…” She made me feel better about Liza, but right now Julie is here.

Lynn finally returned this afternoon. When I told her the story of what had happened, she got very excited. Like me, Lynn could barely believe it. Then, I called Mommy. She took it all very calmly saying that Julie was right. Having been in show business, she’s always saying, “Famous people are just like everyone else.” Now she told me, “See. 

What have I been telling you…” It didn’t bring me much comfort.

Tonight, I went to see Marlene Dietrich at the Los Angeles Music Center and was inspired again. At first, I thought, “She’s old; she has no energy. She’s just beautiful and has a name,” But a quarter of the way through her show something happened. I wanted to cry. Though she really doesn’t carry a note, her voice warmed. When she sang, suddenly, she was young again.

At first she had only pulled her white fur coat around her like a train, and moved slow like an old movie. I thought her hand movements so slow, but then, as she went on, I found there was glamour and romance in what she did. She entranced you. That smile held a sorrow and loneliness, and that voice made you get a lump in your throat.  As she gazed at you, her audience, you knew that she loved you. She was alone, but with you, she was not, so she gave you her love…

What is it – star quality? Talented, perfect people don’t matter; but let a star come full of faults and we don’t even see their faults…

Sunday, Jan 14

Today, after church, I decided to go to Beverly Hills. It was a hot day, and as I waited in the shade for the bus at the corner of Sunset and Vine, a man passed me, then turned and said, “Hi!” I recognized him. He works under The Julie Andrew Hour producer, Nick Vanoff. I said, “Hi.” Then, he continued down the street. The fact that he knew me, made me cry.

It was a beautiful ride from Vine down to Wilshire. Arriving in Beverly Hills, I walked around for about an hour and a half. The streets are beautiful; they remind me a bit of my hometown, Pasadena. It’s also the place where so many of my favorite stars from the 1930s and 40s live.

While I was walking, I thought I saw Tony Charmoli, but wasn’t sure. He tried to talk to me, but since I wasn’t sure, I didn’t answer. (Reading this now, I can only think, “what a shame.” Sometimes I trusted people I shouldn’t, and then I’d run away from people I should trust.)

Later, I went to see “Travels with my Aunt” starring Maggie Smith. I enjoyed the film, but as much as I wanted to be distracted, continued to feel shaken by Friday’s events.

Tuesday, Jan 16

I had the last of my semester classes today. Then, my scene partner, Anne, and I worked and worked on our scene. “I despise Cecily,” I wrote in my diary.

In this midst of all this, I decided that I should get a job and start earning some money. I suppose the events of Friday had given me some push toward my career or some reason to need money. My mother gave me an allowance of something like $15-20 a week. Since I got two meals a day, it was more than sufficient for school. Anyway, the place the school sent me was “horrid” and I was glad they no longer needed anyone. Meanwhile, it was raining hard and I was soaked to the skin.

Wednesday, January 17^th

I went to my singing lesson today. Mr. Loring was late because he was talking to someone on the phone about a movie that he’s going to be working on.

He had me sing “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” three times. I also sang “Put on a Happy Face.” I thought I sounded better in some ways and worse in others.

Mr. Lorning told me I breathe the wrong way and gave me some exercises to do. Then, he drove me to school. In the car, he asked me what I want to do. I told him I wanted to work in theater. He said he would like me to aim for auditioning for The Los Angeles Music Center next September. They have a theater training scholarship. He said he would sponsor me. Me??? That was all I could think.  Life seems impossible. These days, I love singing more ever.

January 18^th

With finals coming, Lynn and I are practically at each other’s throats. The heads of the theater department all came today to watch our acting finals. I guess mine was okay. Yesterday, Anne and I decided to switch parts. One of the teachers in the department said it was good but unfortunately during the final, I messed up my part, so I’m sure I’ve failed.

Today I went from feeling angry and distrustful of Julie to thinking about sending her a note with flowers. I went to shop for roses and see how much they cost. They are a dollar each (a lot at the time) but I think I better get roses. Julie had to eat a carnation once on the show, so I don’t think she likes carnations.

Tonight, I called Mrs. Priest. She told me to call her “Claire” from now on. She said the executives on the show had a discussion with the ABC heads. Claire and the Assistant director were also there. She told me emphatically, NO ONE is allowed in this week. Everyone had decided this, saying… “The script is too difficult.” She told me need to “concentrate hard” on it. I didn’t quite understand what this had to do with the ABC rule, but I let it go. This week Robert Goulet will be one of the guests. (I had a feeling they didn’t want us there with him – or at least said so in my diary.) I hope they will have an audience next week so we can come.

Clare Priest gave me Kelly’s telephone number—I guess so I can keep up with what’s going on. Funny, when she told me no one could come to the taping, she said, “That includes Vivian and you.”  Clare also gave me Vivian’s number. I did tell her that I had no connection with the others, except when I was at the studio, just knew them in passing.

Friday, January 18^th

When Friday came I decided to skip my 3 pm class. I got on the bus and went home to West Covina. Some girls on the bus were chatting in such high voices they drove me nearly insane, especially when I thought about missing the taping that day with Julie, Robert Goulet and Peggy Lee. Nevertheless, I couldn’t wait to get home. I surprised my mother arriving so early.

© Michelle Russell 1973, 2013

You can find a list of all blog subjects with links back to this site at:

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Coming Next: January 20th - A Commentary on Episode 16 with guest stars Eydie Gorme, Jim Nabors and special guest Maria von Trapp

January 12 - Julie's Special Guest - Maria von Trapp!

…continued from the “Intermission” blog…

Inside the studio, they had set up for the “Getting to Know You” segment with the wicker furniture, yellow cushions and silver tea set.  Julie came out in a pale green, tailored dress. Maria was wearing a dark blue Austrian costume, and a veil that looked like a modern nun (actually Austrian scarf). The hairdresser came out and tried to fix her hair. 

At this point, Julie introduced Maria von Trapp to the audience and Maria smiled. Maria’s speech was not written, but Julie’s lines were. They were questions, asking about what had happened after the end of the movie. Maria began to tell the story and we all listened very intently. 

This was the real Maria von Trapp! I tried to picture her as a young woman coming from the convent to take care of all those children. Maria was so real and much more beautiful in-person than on the TV monitor. At one point the director said over the loudspeaker, “Wait! Let’s begin again.”

“What happened,” asked Maria.

“I dropped some papers,” said director Bill Davis.

“Well, stop that!” she scolded. “Who are you anyway?”

Then, she looked up and said, “Where are you? Where is that voice coming from?”

She was very good humored and loved to joke. She and Julie whispered and made motions with their hands as they talked between takes. Maria was always smiling. I could tell she thought Julie a lovely woman. Looking at her one did not have to know her story; it showed through. She told of how, after climbing over the alps and leaving Austria, they had nothing. They had been very wealthy; now they were refugees with nothing, no rights and no money. There were not seven children as in the film, there were ten, plus Maria was pregnant at the time. To survive, they turned their hobby, singing, into a way to make money. The von Trapp family sang their way through Europe and eventually came to America.

Off camera, Julie stood up and poured a cup of tea for Maria. She put cream in it and then poured a cup with cream for herself, and stirred it.

“Okay,” said the director.

“Everything stops for tea!” said Julie.

They showed seven clips from The Sound of Music, which was going to be re-released in a few months, just before Easter. When they played the opening of the film (which Maria said she could watch ever day for breakfast), it was so strange watching it with both Maria and Julie there. Julie and Maria talked through practically all of the film clips. Maria would point out something and then talk. Julie pointed at the part that shows the stream.

Maria von Trapp and Julie Andrews
singing Edelweiss

Then, they showed the scene with Julie and the children singing “Do Re Me.” I thought she would enjoy seeing that and remembering the children, but seeing that clip she had the same expression on her face that she had when she watched her acting in the scene from The Taming of the Shrew. Once during the bike sequence, she did smile and point.

After that, Julie and Maria sang “Edelweiss” together.  I shall never forget that became I knew these would be my last moments in the studio; and because it was so special to see the real Maria von Trapp and Julie Andrews singing together. I believe they did a couple of takes for “Edelweiss.” Maria sang harmony with Julie, and one time her voice went too high, almost off-key. She smiled as though she would laugh or stop, but Julie reached out to her and then she to Julie. It was such a moment of rapport, so moving.

During their talk before the song, Maria said that before this she had only written good things about herself. Now, she had written a new book, where she told of her mistakes in hope that these mistakes could be avoided by others. She had brought a book for Julie and signed it, “From one Maria to another, with love.”

When Maria said that and handed the book to Julie, Julie's eyes filled with tears, almost to overflowing, and her voice sounded as if she would cry. Later, I heard Maria say, 

“You will read it,” and Julie said, “Oh yes, right away,” and opened the book to look the pages. She stopped around the center of the book and was reading something with an intent look on her face. This, of course, was on a short break between takes.

The audience was intense. It was wonderful. Then, it was over. I wiped my tears away.

Kelly and Patty got up and started up the aisle, running. “Are you going somewhere?” I asked. “Yes,” was all they said. I think they were going to see Julie. 

Outside, I started to ask Mrs. Priest if she would drive me home, but she just said, “Goodnight.” So I walked home in my sorrow. I was sad to leave ABC.

Next: The days following …. January 13 – 16

A list of The Julie Andrews Hour blogs with links to this page can always be found on:    http://www.JulieAndrewsHour1972.com

Note: All photos here 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

http://thejulieandrewshour.blogspot.com/2013/01/january-12-intermission-rich-little.html

January 12 - Julie with Eydie Gorme and Jim Nabors

Here is a short section about this episode

Julie with Jim Nabors

Julie seemed to be in a very good mood. I think she enjoyed working with Eydie Gorme and Jim Nabors. She was also dressed beautifully in a cream-colored hooped skirt with pink camilias all over. She looked adorable with a wiglet of curls on her head.

Julie and Eydie kidded each other along onstage. Then, Julie sat on the lounge seat in her hooped skirt with stage manager, Woody. They were both their feet back and forth like a couple of kids.

I have to admit that our seats were excellent. While we were sitting stage right, no cameras ever got in our way. In fact, I had never watched Julie from a better spot. 

The studio audience on this night was the best audience I had seen during the time I attended the show and the performers received a warm response to everything they did. There was a lot of dancing onstage too. Jim Nabors, who was courting Julie in this Southern scene, sang a song to her and danced around so funny we all laughed. That is, all but Patty and the fan club president.

Then, in the midst of it all, Eydie Gorme sang her hit song, “Didn’t We.” It was great! And she did it in one take. The audience roared! After she finished, the producers and all of the crew came out on stage to shake hands with her. She’s a great professional; just natural, friendly and so funny. She constantly broke down laughing during the scene with Julie, Jim and Rich. She’s the sort of lady you’d like to be your neighbor.

When Julie and Jim Nabors sang “Only Make Believe” from Show Boat, it was so beautiful, I cried. Because of Jim Nabor’s appearance and sort of gawky Southern manners when he speaks, people don’t expect the beautiful singing voice that comes out of him. I wrote in my diary that night: “Romance lived in the sound of Jim and Julie’s voices.”

When Rich Little came onstage made-up dressed to look like Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, he said, “I’ve been waiting to play this role all week!”

Julie was supposed to play a harp with Jim Nabors standing so close, his nose was practically through the strings. In the end of the scene, Eydie was to marry Jim Nabors, and Julie was to marry Rich Little as Clark Gable. When it came time for Eydie to say her line, “She’s in love with Rhett the Butler,” she broke up. She laughed so hard, the tears rolled down her cheeks. In fact, she was laughing so hard, she could hardly stand up. Then, she ran to get a Kleenex to keep her mascara from running. She was hilarious. The director didn’t call “cut” when this happened, so, we, the audience, laughed with her..."

A list of The Julie Andrews Hour blogs with links to this page can always be found on:    http://www.JulieAndrewsHour1972.com

Note: All photos here are for entertainment purposes only

Episode 15 - "Two on the Aisle" with Keith Michell

On January 6^th, 1973, ABC aired what was intended to be one of The Julie Andrews Hour’s most ambitious shows. Julie’s only guest was multi-talented Keith Michell, who had recently won an Emmy for his unforgettable portrayal of King Henry VIII on the PBS series, The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth. In addition, Michell had recently appeared in the London production of Man of La Mancha.

Episode 14 would be Julie Andrew’s first show of 1973. Appearing shortly after New Years, it was no doubt meant to be a kind of holiday celebration. In addition, it would be the last show to appear in the old timeslot, Wednesday at 10pm. At the end of the show, Julie announced that beginning next week The Julie Andrews Hour would be shown on Saturdays at 9:00pm, 8:00 Central. By now, it was no secret that the ratings were not as hoped and both ABC and the producer were scrambling to improve them.

***

For the opening, Julie appeared in a long blue and white satin coat. After introducing Mr. Michell, she presented him with his Emmy. Then the pair were off, literally, to the show. The theme, “Two on the Aisle,” took the couple to the theater where they would view a series of scenes from various plays, in which they had the starring roles. The only other persons on this show were a few of the male dancers, who during the first scene, served as ushers and seated them in the theater. The other audience members on this rather mod set were mannequins.

Keith Michell as the King

Over the next hour, Julie and Keith ran the gamut of theatrical productions. The first scene was a portrayal of The King’s Breakfast by A.A. Milne, a poem that Julie said was one of her favorite when she was a child. Shot against an illustrated background, the pair, who portrayed king and queen, dairymaid and cow, appeared to have come alive in an illustrated children’s book. Their portrayals are wonderful. Julie is especially wonderful as the queen, when she speaks in a rather deep, haughty voice.

The second scene, a theatrical music piece, “Mack the Knife” finds Julie and Keith on rather modern set with steps and scaffolding. The pair are dressed in proper English men’s attire that includes bowler hats. Julie often plays Keith’s shadow, creeping behind him and then disappearing. The director uses a kind of stop action camera work with editing; the pair suddenly disappear and then reappear 4 or 5 feet away. The number is interesting, though not one of the best on the show.

The third scene is from The Applicant, a play by Harold Pinter about the future in a computer-aged society. In the scene, Keith Michell, wearing a fright wig, plays a very gawky physicist applying for a job. Julie Andrews is a sort of Eve Arden/Nancy Kulp character, proper and completely focused on the job at hand – testing the applicant for a job. The scene progresses to a hysterically funny sequence where Julie questions Keith, who is hooked up to electrical wires, about his personal responses and life. By the end, the whole experience has sent him over the edge. The scene defies description.

Keith Michell and Julie Andrews
The Taming of the Shrew

This rather over the top comic scene is followed by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew with Keith Michell playing Petruchio, who is intent on wooing the lovely young Kate, played by Julie Andrews in a long, brown wig. Kate, of course, is a girl who would not be wooed, and this leads to verbal confrontation and then physical confrontation. Both actors are wonderful in this scene, only making us wonder how much more wonderful would they have been if they had the luxury of appearing on stage night after night, working on the rich subtleties that develop with the repetition of a role. As far as we know, this is the only time Julie Andrews ever played Shakespeare and she shows great ability.

This scene from The Taming of the Shrew, although considered a comedy, is a rather intense scene with a lot of physical struggle and fighting. The scene was taped without an audience and had a laugh track added later, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to enhance the scene.  

The fourth scene, from the delicate and witty English comedy, The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde, is a nice break from the intensity of the previous scene. In it, Julie plays Gwendolyn, a young woman who believes that she can only love a man by the name of Ernest. Michell plays Jack, a man only pretending to have the name of Ernest so he can marry Gwendolyn. Julie is very funny as she tells Jack that that the name “Ernest produces vibrations” and “Jack produces no vibrations.” Earlier in the show, the sets had a rather modern, spare appearance but for this scene, the pair appear in a fine drawing room.

The Importance of Being Earnest marks the first half of the show. At Intermission, Keith Michell and Julie Andrews go “outside” to discuss the show and charmingly get into an argument. She thinks the “actor” in the play brilliant and he does as well, but when he says that the “actress” is “stepping on his lines,” Julie becomes incensed and calls him a “male chauvinist.” It’s all very funny, especially in the context of 1973, when women’s liberation was a big deal and caused many an argument.

The second half of the show begins with something we were waiting for – music! Julie appears in the shadows of the stage, wearing a gown that dazzles. The gown is black with patterned bright flowers and gold sequins. The flowers on the gown are also sequined and beaded and, as Julie sings “On A Clear Day,” she literally sparkles.” Begun in close-up, quietly, the song concludes with high energy, showing Julie full-length standing on stage. It is, perhaps, one of the best moments of the show.

The next scene takes us into the future. Julie is a little girl in a completely fabricated garden. She explains that she gathers leaves off the tree in fall and puts them back on in spring. Keith then gives her a real apple to eat, something that is shocking and wonderful to her. This little scene is the lead in for Keith Michell’s solo, “Consider, What Will You Leave.” It’s a song that seems even more poignantly relevant in 2013 than it did in 1973. Michell gives a fine, intense performance.

The ninth segment of this show is a masterpiece beyond anything else in it, and, in this writer’s humble opinion, as grand as anything on the entire series of The Julie Andrews Hour. For this number the pair dance to their pre-recording of “Dancing in the Dark.” The set is glorious, as are the costumes and music. In the middle of the number, Julie appears, dazzling in her gold gown, singing “He dances overhead…” It is sentimental and lovely with a background of stars. In the final segment, as the dancers, Julie and Keith, join together to dance once more, the use of mirrors is stunning. This musical number with choreography by Tony Charmoli is a work of art, simple, glorious, and unforgettable!

For the final segment of the show, Julie and Keith play Edith and Edward, a couple on their honeymoon in 1911. The scene is from Noel Coward’s Cavalcade. The couple’s conversation is sentimental and playful as they speak of love and death while standing on the deck of a ship in the moonlight. The scene is photographed beautifully and we are drawn into the charm and sentimentality of the moment. Then, as they move away from the deck, we see the name on the lifesaver - “Titanic,” and in that second we realize that this is indeed the last night of their lives.

Now the show is over, and from their seats in the audience, Julie and Keith sing “This Was a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening.” The two stars seem happy and relaxed. Julie announces her next show and then sings, “Time Is My Friend,” with Keith holding her hand. These moments seem relaxed and off the cuff, though all was planned and rehearsed. It does seem as if we’ve spent a lovely evening with them.

So began The Julie Andrews Hour in 1973.

Remember you can find a list of all The Julie Andrews Hour blogs with links back to this page on:    http://www.JulieAndrewsHour1972.com

If you think The Julie Andrews Hour should be released for the public on DVD, along with music releases of Julie and her guests, please e-mail a polite request: dan.gopal@itv.com

If you prefer, you may look up ITV in London or Los Angeles, and send a letter there. 

Coming Up Next: Events Leading Up to the Next Closed Set of the Julie Andrews Hour

Note: All photos here are for entertainment purposes only.

Art Director Brian Bartholomew

One of the things which set The Julie Andrews Hour apart was its beautiful, elegant appearance. In part, this appearance was due to the art work of Brian Bartholomew.

The very elegant "Dancing in the Dark"
set with Julie and Keith Michell

Born in England, Brian Bartholomew became interested in art, both drawing and painting, early in life. He says he was “pretty good at” at both.  Recently, via e-mail, I asked him how he became involved in scenic design.

“…I was introduced early in my teens, by my older two sisters, to the English theatre, mostly the ballet, which at that time, at the end of the Second World War, was becoming very important. I very much wished to design scenery.”

As soon as he was out of school, Mr. Bartholomew went to work, not in theatre as he had been inspired to do, but in television. From 1968-1970, he worked as Production Designer for the television series This Is Tom Jones, a musical variety show starring singer Tom Jones. This show, Brian Bartholomew tells me was a "co-operative series with ABC-TV" which "took the English production crew to Hollywood in 1969 and 1970" for the taping of "a small number of shows." 

Returning to England after This Is Tom Jones, Brian Bartholomew designed a number of variety shows including: television series: The Des O'Connor Show and KopyKats, and a number of Burt Bacharach specials. Both the Burt Bacharach specials and KopyKats were produced and directed by Americans--Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion--who were under contract to Sir Lew Grade. They would continue to work at his company ATV (Associated TeleVision Incorporated Limited) for quite a few years before returning to the United States.

Once Lew Grade confirmed his agreement with ABC to produce The Julie Andrews Hour, he hired Brian Bartholomew as Art Director for the show and sent him over to the United States. Mr. Bartholomew believes he arrived in Hollywood sometime around July or August of 1972.

When asked if there were any guidelines as to the design of the show when he began, he states:

“Guidelines were very much in evidence for the first show because much of this was based on Julie Andrews’ previous work. Later shows permitted a freer hand, but often the scene or scenes required designing to some sort of location or scripted concept.”

The “crystal tree” was an integral part of the show and used quite a few times for Julie’s solos. It has since become somewhat legendary. When I asked Mr. Bartholomew about it, he said that he did not design the tree but had given the makers general size limits for it. Nick Vanoff was the one who put him in touch with the sculptor and the store which supplied the crystals. As far as he knows (agreeing with information given by director Bill Davis), after the series ended the tree was returned to the sculptor and the crystals, which were said to be extremely valuable, were return to the store and sold.

Julie singing "If" on a set with
European atmosphere

Mr. Bartholomew comments that working on The Julie Andrews Hour “provided a considerable contrast with my working practices coming from English television.”  He describes the hours worked as “excessively long” and “very onerous” (burdensome and oppressive). However, when thinking of the show now, he recalls the advantages. He says he earned an Emmy award for his work and gained “very, good friends.”

Because of the intense work involved in creating The Julie Andrews Hour, often there wasn’t much time for anyone to supervise the Art Directors’ work. As listed on the credits, Mr. Bartholomew worked with two other Art Directors:  Keaton S. Walker and James Tompkins. Sandy Vanoff tells me that Brian was the Senior Art Director and the other two men worked under him.  **Note: Brian Bartholomew and Keaton Walker won the Emmy Award for Art Direction on The Julie Andrews Hour. Mr. Tompkins name was not listed on the nomination.

Lovely set of the Christmas Show with Julie in costume
center (Taken from rough DVD copy)

The producer, director and others seem to have assumed that with the Art Directors’ great talent, everyone was on the same page and everyone would be pleased with the work. When I asked Mr. Bartholomew whether, after completing a set design, the producer needed to approve it, or whether he ordered changes, he replied:

Sometimes. Often there was little time for any great scrutiny. But Nick Vanoff was very perceptive, had great taste… Also, the director Bill Davis was consulted, especially regarding the camera shots and positions. Sometimes some designs were in the workshop before the producer had time to examine the drawings.

As Art Director, Brian Bartholomew’s job required him to be involved throughout the process.

I was very much involved with the onstage setting-up, and even, to an extent, the lighting of a scene. I was pretty involved during the shooting of the action too.

When the first season of The Julie Andrews Hour concluded in the spring of 1973, Brian Bartholomew went on to work as Art Director on the special Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments. During the next years, he worked as Art Director on many television shows, including Cher…Special and both The 28^th and 31^st Primetime Emmy Awards. In addition, he was Art Director for the television film: Star Wars Holiday Special, Lost Face and Mitzi… Roarin In the 20s with Mitzi Gaynor and Tony Charmoli.

Mr. Bartholomew is the winner of 3 primetime Emmy Awards for the following shows: The Julie Andrews Hour, Barbara Streisand and Other Musical Instruments and The 28^th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. He was nominated for four additional Emmy’s including: The Magic of David Copperfield VIII: Walking Through the Great Wall of China, Cher…Special and This Is Tom Jones.

Keaton Walker worked on many awards shows, such as The Screen Actors Awards, the Academy Awards and Emmy Awards. He also worked on the television series Big Brother and Ghost Busters, among many others.

Jim Tomkins began his career as a set designer and art director for a theater in Youngstown, Ohio. He moved to California in 1965 in order to take part in the work going on to renovate and revive the Pasadena Playhouse. In 1969, he began to look for work in Hollywood.

Along with The Julie Andrews Hour, Tompkins also worked as art director on The Sonny and Cher Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Dating Game. After Ronald Reagan was elected President, Jim Tompkins moved to Washington, DC where he worked in print design and architecture for the Reagan Administration. Later he worked for Debbie Reynolds, designing her fabulous sets in Las Vegas. Mr. Tomkins passed away in 2002.

Thank you for helping me pay tribute to the Art Direction on The Julie Andrews Hour.

                                               ***

Tomorrow – “Two on the Aisle” – Julie’s Show with Keith Mitchell

 For a list of all the blogs on The Julie Andrews Hour, please visit:

http://www.JulieAndrewsHour1972.com

If you think The Julie Andrews Hour should be released for the public on DVD, along with music releases of Julie and her guests, please e-mail a polite request: dan.gopal@itv.com

If you prefer, you may look up ITV in London or Los Angeles, and send a letter there. 

Please note: All photos used here are for entertainment purposes only!

A Week in the Life of The Julie Andrews Hour

(Or What It Took to Put on a Show)

What did it take to create a weekly episode of The Julie Andrews Hour? In 1972 and 73, viewers may have taken for granted that Julie’s show was fantastic. She was a great star; of course, her show was going to be fantastic. Yet viewing the episodes now, the accomplishments of Julie and the entire creative team working under producer Nick Vanoff are truly amazing.

Each week this team of talented people produced a top drawer show. In fact, they produced quality shows that would have taken months of rehearsal for a Broadway show of the same caliber, and the same for a film. Yet, week after week, they did it again and again.

Talk to anyone who was involved in the show and the first thing they’ll tell you about are the long hours they worked. The second thing they’ll likely tell you is that working on The Julie Andrews Hour was one of the highlights of their career and one of their fondest memories.

For this very reason—and especially for the professionals and aspiring professionals out there— I have created this “chapter.”

Monday

For those involved in the creation of The Julie Andrews Hour, each week there was a big production meeting. John Monarch, the Unit Manager on the show, believes that these meetings took place on Monday mornings.  Each Monday, around 9:00 am, everyone involved in the creation of a show including: producer Nick Vanoff, director Bill Davis, Musical Director Nelson Riddle and, of course, Julie Andrews, along with all the tech people met on the stage of Studio E.

During the meetings they’d discuss the upcoming show, who was going to be on it and what they were going to do. The ABC executives came because they wanted to know what was going on. They also brought people from the publicity department who needed to know this information in order to start planning the promotion for that episode.

Hollywood and Vine in the 1970s

Sandy Vanoff recalls that every Monday there was script reading at Nick Vanoff’s office on Hollywood and Vine. Sandy, Nick’s youngest sister, came on board as Nick’s Production Assistant in January of 1973, after Nancy Heydorn left. The office at Sunset and Vine was on the third floor and had been rented strictly for The Julie Andrews Hour. Nick had a receptionist, Phyllis, a secretary, Carol Warrian, and a bookkeeper, Darla Ramsey to help run things. Along with Nick’s office, there were offices for Al Simon, Bill Davis (Sandy recalls that Bill only visited his office once a week), John Aylesworth and Frank Peppiat. The writers also had offices there, and all but Lila Garratt, who was the only woman writer on the show, paired up:  George Bloom and Jay Burton, Hal Goodman and Larry Klein. Writer Bob Ellison would join the group late in the season.

There was a nice sized conference room in the back of the office which also contained a piano. Sandy recalls that Dick Williams like to come in periodically and play some of the music he was working on. Producer Nick Vanoff was constantly in and out, going back and forth from his office to the rehearsal hall or the recording studio.

After the script reading, Julie Andrews and guests went off to a rehearsal hall in downtown Hollywood. Dancer Jerry Trent remembers: "The rehearsal hall was an old NBC stage on Vine between Hollywood Blvd and Sunset Blvd. The building is still there but is called something else now." 

It would be an intensely busy few days; there were skits to be rehearsed, dances to be learned and music to be practiced, with the immoveable deadline of Friday when it would be taped; the results of which would be viewed by millions all over the globe. The pressure was on.

Tuesday

“Tuesday was the quietest day” for music arranger, Ian Fraser. That was the day he went into the studio to meet with the engineer and see about recording the orchestral tracks. If the Dick Williams Singers were going to sing any background music on the show, they also did their recording on Tuesday.

Of course, Tuesday was a full day rehearsal for Julie Andrews, Rich Little, Alice Ghostley and the guest stars for that week.

Wednesday

Sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 am on Wednesday, the orchestra’s tracks   arrived for the rehearsal with Julie and her guests. This rehearsal began at 9 am and ran until lunch time. 

Meanwhile, Julie usually had costume fittings on Wednesday morning. That way, if there was a problem, there was plenty of time to fix it. In addition, if there was a period gown or something unusual that she needed for a sketch, she’d go to Western Costumes where they had a huge storehouse of costumes for rent. (Apparently, Jack Bear did not make every single dress she wore on the show, only the contemporary clothing.)

Around 11:00 am, there was a “clean-up” rehearsal with Julie, her guests and, possibly, the dancers. This rehearsal was noted on one script as being conducted by Ian Fraser (Music Arranger) and Dick Priborsky (Music Coordinator).

At 12:00 noon, there was a complete run-thru of the show. After that, everyone went to lunch.

Looking down Sunset Boulevard at the RCA building

Late in the afternoon, around 3 or 4 pm the cast met in Studio B of the RCA building on Sunset Boulevard. Although Julie and her guests didn’t pre-record everything, as she once explained to a studio audience, she recorded certain songs which she thought might sound better if done in a recording studio, under greater control. In addition, in order to make the best sound or have the best tone on some songs, as a singer, Julie needed to position her mouth and face in a certain way. These expressions were not necessarily something as attractive on a close-up camera shot as might be, so it was easier to pre-record the vocals, knowing they were perfect, and then look pleasant while she taped the song. Julie’s fellow performers recall that on the set she was very exacting about her lip-syncing, making sure it matched the recording perfectly. As you can see, Julie and everyone involved with the show worked very hard to make it the best.

The pre-recording session took anywhere from six to thirteen hours. Sandy Vanoff recalls that the recording sessions sometimes went as late as 2 or 3 in the morning. Blake Edwards was in attendance for many of these sessions.

Thursday

 Thursday was the day for staging. With everyone involved in production onboard, they met in Studio E, where the show would be taped.

In the morning, from 8:30 – 10:00 am, Bill Davis met with the cameramen and went over all the shots for the show.

At 10:00am, the rehearsal began. While there were some exceptions, most of the show was taped on Friday. Thursday’s rehearsals were scheduled until 6:00pm or so, but like all things with the show, usually went longer.

Friday

Overview of the ABC Prospect Studios
in the 1970s. The helicopter pad
would have been in the back, near
 the parking. Studio E, center right.

From 8:30 –10:00 am, once again Bill Davis went over the camera shots, angles and close-ups. Meanwhile, upstairs on the second floor, the Tony Charmoli Dancers were warming up. When the guys heard the sound of a helicopter overhead, they’d say, “She’s here! Time to get our costumes on!”

On Fridays, Julie often arrived by helicopter. ABC Prospect Studios had its own helicopter pad which was used a lot by the ABC news team. Since Fridays were long and arduous days for Julie, taking the helicopter from Beverly Hills to Hollywood was a much quicker, traffic free, ride. Of course, once Julie arrived, she had to have her hair and makeup done.

Meanwhile, on the stage, the sets were being put up and lighting set and tested. Sometimes, the sets were not completely finished on Friday. I remember arriving outside Studio E to the smell of paint, and on some occasions, someone would be spray painting items and carrying them inside.

While Julie was getting ready or resting in her dressing room, her stand-in, Sharri filled in for her as they tested lighting and camera shots on her. Wearing a “Julie” styled wig, Sharri was very close in height, coloring and weight to Julie. She’d stand patiently in one spot for an hour or more Sharri’s job was really on an “as needed” basis. Often during the taping, if they needed another body in a scene, the producer would call her to fill-in.

***

During the taping of the show, Director Bill Davis spent most of his time upstairs in the control room. Situated on the second floor, just above Julie’s dressing room, the control room was a long (about 15’), narrow room. It contained a bank of monitors and just enough room for a row of chairs. There was also a PA system for the director to communicate with the people in the studio.

Also in this room for the long hours of taping on Fridays were the Assistant Director Lee Bernhardi, the lighting director, script girls and Broadcast Standards and Practices person. In the 1970s, there were much stricter standards for what was broadcast. The Broadcast Standards person watched the costumes on the show; the ladies gowns could not be too low or revealing. They also listened closely to the language; certain words could not be used.

Another person in the control room on Fridays was John Monarch, the Unit Manager. It was his job to keep track of the hours for the ABC crew– which included the technical director, lighting men, camera men, video, makeup person, hairdresser for Julie, stage managers, etc. Since the show was being produced by ABC for Lew Grade, these expenses were billed to Grade, along with anything extra needed for the production. By being in the control booth, John Monarch could also account for any time lost due to a camera being down or audio not working properly. These would be taken off Lew Grade’s bill.

As Mr. Monarch remembers it, Lew Grade owed ABC a licensing fee for airing The Julie Andrews Hour; however, he doesn’t believe any money exchanged hands, at least on a week to week basis. Whatever Lew Grade’s bill for a show was, it was then subtracted from his profit, as was a portion of the licensing fee, and he would receive the balance. John Monarch’s job involved keeping track of all hours and expenses and then turning them over to accounting. The Julie Andrews Hour was a big and complex show, and during the seven months of taping on the studio lot, it was the only show John Monarch took care of. One magazine of the period suggests that each episode of The Julie Andrews Hour cost approximately $220,000. (According to measuringworth.com this figure translates to $1,180,000.00 of purchasing power in 2012.)

***

Choreographer Tony Charmoli remembers that while working with Julie, whether she was rehearsing in  the dance hall or on the set, almost as if by radar, at 4pm sharp Julie would suddenly announce, “Tea time!” and off they would go to her dressing room to have tea.

When there was a studio audience, the audience was let in after dinner (or tea), usually around 5:30 or 6:00 pm. Eventually, live audiences were discontinued completely. With perfection the goal, each musical number and sketch was redone until they were satisfied. Audiences grew bored watching the technical details of taping and the producer soon decided to replace them with laugh tracks and canned applause. This also saved time and took certain pressures off Julie.

On very few occasions, the show rapped by 8 or 9 pm. Usually, however, they did not finished until midnight. Many of the dancers and others recall Friday nights that went far beyond that, as late as 3 or 4 in the morning.

Saturday – wee hours of the morning

As soon as the show was in the can, director Bill Davis and his assistant, Lee Bernhardi, went directly to the editing room. Although this probably meant they were working more than a 24 hour day, it was necessary. As Lee Bernhardi explained, for some reason, Canada got the show a week before the U.S. which usually meant they had only the weekend to get it in the can and get it to Canada by Tuesday for airing on Wednesday. Thus, there was not a spare moment to be had.  

Of course, some shows only required simple editing; others were far more difficult. Take Episode one in which Julie plays herself, Mary Poppins and Eliza Doolittle in the same scene. The editing on this was very tricky. Other shows involved speeding up the action in a scene so it looked like an old slapstick movie, intercuts of outside comments with Julie in the studio, and merging studio footage with vintage Disney film, as they did with the Disney music tribute show.

And so, with another show was completed; they were ready to begin anew! The Julie Andrews Hour taped three weeks in a row and then had a week off. Although Julie may have had something of a break during this time, the creative team was hard at work preparing for the next two shows. This break week was really a necessity for the creative team, allowing them some time to catch up.  

As arranger Ian Fraser told me, “It was an amazing operation.”

For a list of all the blogs on The Julie Andrews Hour, please visit:

http://www.JulieAndrewsHour1972.blogspot.com

Stay Tuned for more about the creative team!

If you think The Julie Andrews Hour should be released for the public on DVD, along with music releases of Julie and her guests, please e-mail a polite request: dan.gopal@itv.com

If you prefer, you may look up ITV in London or Los Angeles, and send a letter there. 

Please note: All photos used here are for entertainment purposes only!

Alice Ghostley

Recording Cinderella l. to r. Alice Ghostley, Kay Ballard
and a very young Julie Andrews

Alice Ghostley first worked with Julie Andrews in 1957 on the television presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Of course, Julie was Cinderella and Alice played, Joy, one of the wicked step-sisters. The other step-sister was played by Kaye Ballard. In any case, Julie and Alice hit it off. Fourteen years later, when looking for a female side-kick on The Julie Andrews Hour, Alice Ghostley seemed the perfect choice.

***

She was born Alice Margaret Ghostley on August 14^th, 1926, in Eve, Missouri, where her father worked as a telegraph operator. Later, the family moved to Henryetta, Oklahoma where Alice graduated from high school and then entered the University of Oklahoma.

Alice Ghostley did not last long in college. She wanted to be in theatre and left school to do so. In 1952, she appeared on Broadway in Leonard Sillman’s New Faces of 1952. In 1954, she appeared in the film version of the show along with Eartha Kitt and Carol Lawrence.

Although Alice Ghostley is mainly known for her work in televison, she continued to work in theatre throughout her career. In 1960, appeared in the revue, A Thurber Carnival, and, in 1962, received a Tony nomination for her role in The Beauty Part. Three years later, she won the Tony Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. In 1978, Ms. Ghostley appeared on Broadway again when she replaced Dorothy Loudon in the role of Miss Hannigan in the musical, Annie.

***

Alice Ghostley began working in television quite early. Perhaps her best known role was that of Esmerelda in Bewitched. On that show, which ran from 1968 – 1972, she played a shy witch who worked as a maid and babysitter. During this same time (1970 - 1971), she also appeared on  Mayberry R.F.D., playing Cousin Alice. Directly after the Bewitched series ended, Alice Ghostley went to work on The Julie Andrews Hour.

Julie and Alice seemed to have a similar sense of humor and played off each other well. In one series of sketches on the show, Alice played the disgruntled roommate, who watched Julie get all the men and achieve everything she tried without effort, including: learning scripts and foreign languages, sewing her own clothes and even making moosemeat dip. The difference between the tall, beautiful Julie and Alice, who was shorter and not the pretty one, made for a good contrast and allowed the audience to laugh at their antics, all in good fun.

Alice Ghostley (l) on The Julie Andrews Hour
with Carl Reiner, Julie and Cass Elliot

Alice Ghostley played a lot of comic scenes on the show, which she did brilliantly. It was difficult not to laugh when she said her lines. But Ms. Ghostley was also a fine dramatic actress with musical comedy ability as well. One of the most surprising scenes she performed on the show was with a completely serious Don Rickles; there was not one laugh in the scene. Together, the pair performed “Do You Love Me,” a song from Fiddler on the Roof in a way that was quite touching.

When Julie Andrews spoke of Alice Ghostley on the show, she often referred to her as “a dear, sweet lady.” Alice was a very nice, friendly person with no airs. She came to the studio, did her work and, during breaks, sat in the audience (when there was no audience) waiting patiently for the next scene.

During the 1980s and 90s, Alice Ghostley continued to work on various television shows. She also appeared in the films, Grease and Adams Family Reunion. In 1992, she received an Emmy nomination for her role in Designing Women.

Sadly, Alice Ghostley passed away on September 21^st, 2007. She is greatly missed.

 More information on Alice Ghostley:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Ghostley

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/22/arts/television/22ghostley.html?_r=0

All photos show here are for entertainment purposes only.

To see a complete listing of Julie Andrews Hour blogs with links back to this site, please visit:

http://www.JulieAndrewsHour1972.com

If you think The Julie Andrews Hour should be released for the public on DVD, along with music releases of Julie and her guests, please e-mail a polite request: dan.gopal@itv.com

If you prefer, you may look up ITV in London or Los Angeles, and send a letter there.