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. 

Great Entertainer - RICH LITTLE

During the 1960s and into the 1980s, impersonators were very high on the list of entertainers. A combination of comedian and actor, they portrayed the unique aspects of well-loved celebrities. Among the popular impersonators of that time, there were two considered to be the best: Frank Gorshin and Rich Little.

Rich Little with Judy Garland

In 1964, Rich Little’s career took a new turn after his friend, singer-songwriter, Mel Torme got him an audition for The Judy Garland Show. Torme was writing special musical material for the show and asked Rich to make a recording of some of his work. Rich impersonated a number of people that few portrayed, including actors James Mason and Van Heflin, two of Judy Garland’s film co-stars.  Judy loved his work and he was hired. As a result of his work on the show, he received a great deal of attention.

In 1972 The Julie Andrews Hour boasted quite a few veterans from The Judy Garland Show, including musical director, Nelson Riddle, and writers, John Aylesworth and Frank Peppiatt. Although, it is not known how Little came to work on The Julie Andrews Hour, it is possible that the writers, Aylesworth and Peppiatt suggested him as a guest star for the show. It is also possible that Nick Vanoff , who was certainly aware of his work, brought him on board. Rich was one of quite a few Canadians working on the show. Others included the director, Bill Davis, and writers John Aylesworth and Frank  Peppiatt.

***

Born Richard Caruthers Little in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on November 18^th, 1938. Rich first discovered his ability to imitate others when he was in school; when the teachers called him, he answered using their voices. Later, while working as an usher at the Eglin Movie Theatre in Ottawa, Rich stood at the back of the theatre during the films and worked on his impressions of the various movie actors on the screen. Because of his continuous work and his amazing ability, in time Rich Little would come to be known as “the Man of a 1000 Voices.”

In his early twenties, Little became a successful disc jockey. While on the job, he found time to incorporate his impressions into his work. After he began working on The Judy Garland Show, his popularity grew quickly.

Being able to impersonate Johnny Carson’s voice and mannerisms made him a popular guest on The Tonight Show. Over the years, Little hosted the show twelve times. Rich Little’s impression of Richard Nixon was also a favorite with audiences. His ability to capture the voice and personality of so many well-loved personalities made him popular with the performers and audience members alike. As a result, he was frequently asked to appear on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, The Ed Sullivan Show and at other public events. During the 1980s, Little became well-known for his starring part in the continuing series on The ABC Comedy Hour segment, The Kopycats which began in 1972.

***

Rich Little was a great addition to The Julie Andrews Hour. He could play any celebrity in any situation, and he did. He could also play any character. Take Julie’s middle-eastern date, Rasshmiss (sp).  Little is unrecognizable in the role and his take on the foreign language, as well as his interaction with Julie and Alice Ghostley is hysterically funny.

In many segments of the series, Rich plays from 8 – 15 different parts: Jack Benny, W.C. Fields, George Burns, James Mason, Truman Capote, John Wayne, Rod Steiger and Richard Nixon, among others. Amazingly, he is also able to hold his own as imitates some of the most famous performers singing. In one segment, he plays Bing Crosby singing with Julie Andrews; in another he plays Johnny Cash.

Another unique aspect of Rich Little’s work on the show, is watching him play a particular celebrity with that celebrity in the scene. On Episode 13, (guest starring Harry Belafonte) Little enters the stage wearing an open shirt in the style of Belafonte, and imitates him singing about a commercial break. In the Christmas episode, he plays a scene with Jimmy Stewart as Rich Stewart, Jimmy Stewart’s nephew, while he imitates the star’s mannerisms and voice to a ‘T.’

One of Rich Little’s most amazing feats occurred when he impersonated Robert Goulet’s singing, while singing with him! That had to take some nerve. If there is one question that might be asked of Little, it would be how he felt impersonating a celebrity, while working with them.

Rich Little is a brilliant actor. During the run of The Julie Andrews Hour, he often appeared in scenes with Alice Ghostley and other stars, like Phyllis Diller. In one sketch on the episode with Diller, he played Cary Grant to her Bette Davis. But of all the scenes performed on the show by Mr. Little, perhaps none was more brilliant than his portrayal of Humphrey Bogart in a scene from The Caine Mutiny Court Marshall. His portrayal of Bogie in that role is so true, so emotionally raw, one forgets that he is impersonating Bogart, or even that he is acting. It is a riveting moment and Rich Little’s performance here is pure genius.  

Three years after The Julie Andrews Hour, Rich Little had his own television variety show, The Rich Little Show. Today, Mr. Little continues to entertain the public at events all over the country. In October of 2012, he performed his tribute show to Jimmy Stewart in Stewart’s hometown, Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Rich Little’s work on The Julie Andrews Hour added a great deal to the show. But along with his impersonations, there was something else he did that made the show wonderful - he made Julie laugh.

Rich Little today

Note – All photos shown on this blog are for entertainment purposes only.

For more information on Rich Little, please visit:

http://www.richlittle.com

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

Coming next: Alice Ghostley

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. 

Memories - Closing Out 1972

***

On Episode 15, Julie
presented Keith Michell
with his Emmy Award

In the days following the taping of Episode 15, little memories that I had not written down in my diary kept popping into my head. One memory was of Julie coming to producer, Nick Vanoff, at two in the morning and asking,

“Is the air conditioning on?”

I wrote in quotes: “At two in the morning, in winter?”

I don’t know if Nick said that, but I tend to doubt it. It may have been my thought because we were already freezing in the studio.

“Yes, Julie,” said Nick.

“Well, can you turn it up?”

Nobody complained. She was the star. We just pulled our coats over us and put our hats on.

Then, Julie got her hair dryer out and started blow drying herself.

“Isn’t she going to catch cold?” someone asked.

I imagine she was very hot under the lights in her wig and Shakespearean costume. Plus the scene from Taming of the Shrew involved a lot of physical work.

In another note, I described Julie and Keith discussing what kind of kiss the king in The King’s Breakfast would give the queen. Keith said,

“How shall we kiss?”

Julie wanted to do one kind of kiss and Keith another, so they tried a lot of different kisses. Keith kept kissing Julie over and over again. Although getting this little detail just right shows the seriousness of these two actors about their craft, in my eighteen year old vision of things, I couldn’t help noting, “It seemed as if Keith liked kissing Julie!”

When the Christmas show was finally aired on December 20^th, I wrote in my diary:

“Julie proved herself to be a warm and beautiful Christmas companion, even on television. Merry Christmas always, Julie, wherever you are.”

Meanwhile, life went on. 

December 19^th:  My mother and I drove over to visit my Grandfather, who is finally out of the hospital after having had a kidney removed. He looked very thin and tired and, suddenly, very old. It seemed so strange that Nana wasn’t there. Grandpa had us look through her clothes; many were brand new. I took some beaded sweaters, a turquoise silk Chinese jacket and a beautiful silk embroidered robe, along with some 1950s sling backs.

                                         ***

Around 1973, Hollywood

December 21^{st -} Second Singing Lesson

I was up at 5:30 am and at 6:00 am my step dad took me to catch the bus for Los Angeles where I caught another bus to Hollywood. Everything was dark as night when I left the house.

Despite California’s bad public transportation, I arrived for my lesson at ten to nine. That was the only time Mr. Loring had for me and I wasn’t going to turn it down. He told me he doesn’t want any more pupils and said he wouldn’t have taken me if I didn’t have talent.  (See Blog 35 - First Singing Lesson)

Mr. Loring said that for the first two lessons, we would spend most of the time talking. He wants me to forget about listening to my voice. He explained that expression, concentration and emotion are the most important things.

When he asked me who my favorite singer was, I said, “Judy Garland.” I could have brought Julie up too, but I didn’t.

Mr. Loring told me I had picked a "good one" with Judy—"no, a great one." He said he had worked at the Palace when Judy did, and told me a story. 

One night--the night his parents came to the show--he was backstage afterwards and introduced them to Judy.  Then two of his friends, who were also working on the bill, said,

“It would be fun to have breakfast together in our hotel room tomorrow.”

Just then they heard this little voice say, “Well, am I invited too?”

It was Judy and they were all so surprised that Judy Garland wanted to have breakfast with them, but they told her, “Yes, of course.” So she came to breakfast and they had a wonderful time.

Backstage, his mother asked Judy, “How do you know you are going to cry every night on that certain line of “Over the Rainbow?”

“But I don’t know I’m going to cry,” said Judy, “until I do.”

Then, Mr. Loring asked me to sing, “You Made Me Love You.”

When the lesson was over, he told me he thought in some ways I sounded a like Judy. When he played back the tape of my singing, I was surprised at how much I did sound like her. Not that much, but I never thought our voices would have anything in common.

Today, I also found that I am broken... When listening to the recording Mr. Loring made of me at my lesson, I could hear all the failings that my teachers at school have said I have. I could actually see how I act in class just by listening to myself.

In the afternoon, I had to usher at Los Angeles City College. I got back to West Covina after dark, and tried to get a lot of homework done that night.

                                                      ****

As the year wound down to a close, I spent my spare time studying music and being inspired by my wonderful Christmas present, “Judy at Carnegie Hall,” which I listened to in the family room after every one had gone to bed. I wanted to listen quietly in the dark with my eyes closed, so I could pretend I was really there; I wanted the experience of being at one of her live performances.

****

From the concert style show with Robert Goulet
when Julie lost her earring.
Courtesy Ruth and Vannie Schaufelberger

December 27^th - ABC repeated the concert style show with Julie and Robert Goulet. I was delighted to see it again but, in doing so, I realized how much had changed for me in the last months. I was in love with the theater and considered anyone who inspired me to be my friend. And while I was not in any way fooling myself that Julie Andrews was a personal friend or ever would be, the inspiration I received from her had not come to me off a movie screen or even a theater show. It came from being present for hours and hours of work, breaks, discussions about the work - it was real. 

As I watched Julie at work, I never thought I was seeing "Maria" or someone famous; she was just Julie, the person I came to watch on Friday afternoons. Over time, I had grown rather fond of her; I grew to like her from being around her, more than any image I had prior to that time. I suppose that is why I noted in my diary while watching the re-run of the Goulet show, “It is a shock to see her on television.” There were movie stars and there were the persons in my life. It was difficult to put the two together in my mind. 

Now, as the year drew to a close, with all the sad and difficult things that had occurred, I had to count the happy things and look to them as a sign that the future was indeed going to be bright. I was looking forward to 1973!

You can find a list of all blogs on this site and links to them at:

http://www.JulieAndrewsHour1972.com

Coming in the next few weeks: Articles on Rich Little, Alice Ghostley, some of the behind the scene talents.... and more!

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. 

Episode 14 - The Christmas Show with Jimmy Stewart

The Julie Andrews Hour Christmas Show is a work of art. It also has as a very special guest, Jimmy Stewart. Stewart is perhaps best known for his work in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a film, which over time, became a beloved Christmas classic. Each year, it inspires people to remember what truly matters. In light of these facts, it is rather amazing that this beautiful episode of The Julie Andrews Hour, which first aired December 20th, 1972, has not become a seasonal tradition, but remains hidden in a vault somewhere.

The Christmas show opens with Julie Andrews standing on a bare stage. Dressed for winter in an elegant fur hat and long, white coat, she begins singing “We Need A Little Christmas.” Dancers appear, carrying and pushing large and small evergreen trees onto the stage. A gentle snow begins to fall and soon the stage is transformed to a winter wonderland.

With Christmas in the air, Julie’s numerous guest stars ‘Wish us a Merry Christmas.” Rich Little and Alice Ghostley also appear. Then, Julie announces her very special guest, Jimmy Stewart, and the pair reveal their plan. Julie is going to take us back to Jolly Old England for “an old fashioned English Christmas” with all the fixings we Americans know nothing of. After that, Jimmy is going to take us to small town America for an old fashioned American Christmas.

In the next scene, two finely dressed gentlemen open a set of doors and we enter another world –Dickens’ England. There, ladies and gentlemen wander the streets of an old English town singing carols, and old friends appear as well. Sergio Franchi sings “O Come All Ye Faithful” with a glorious voice. Carl Reiner sings “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” with a vibrato and vocal quality that reminiscent of the past. Dan Daily renders his solo, “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” with fine feeling.

Julie with Jimmy Stewart and Cass Elliot

The beautiful music and enchanting sets make us feel that we have stepped into an old painting or old film. The set is the work of award winning designer, Brian Bartholomew. Praise is due director Bill Davis as well for the fine staging and camera work. The cast move through the scenes beautifully; no one seems out of place on this period set.

As the scene progresses, we follow Julie Andrews and Jimmy Stewart around the square with a sense of wonder. Carolers are singing, and the atmosphere—the holiness of Christ’s birth bringing love to the world-- pervades the set. Some of the loveliest tones ever sung by Miss Andrews live in these sweet moments. One special moment is the one in which she and Jimmy look through a window at the statue of Baby Jesus lying in the manger. Here, Julie sings a song called “Rocking.” (This song may be found on the album, Christmas with Julie Andrews). Even Stewart, who is not much of a singer (and at this age has lost much of his ability to sustain a note), sings a touching version of “Away in the Manger.”

From the square, Julie takes Jimmy into an old English home where the room filled with friends and long table filled with food await. The room is list by candlelight, a fireplace and Christmas tree. The guests include Alice Ghostley, Rich Little, Dan Daily, Sergio Franchi, Carl Reiner, Steve Lawrence, Cass Elliott and Joel Grey. Joel has a lovely little solo, but for some reason (perhaps editing) Cass Elliot is never introduced and does not sing a solo.

After a very lively scene where everyone skips around the table singing “Consider Yourself” from Oliver, Julie stands at the head of the table and, lit only by candle light, gives a short speech about love and peace.

Of course, along with these sacred and sentimental moments, there are comic moments. One of these is when Julie tries to explain to Jimmy what they are going to have for their English Christmas dinner. Their conversation is really quite funny. Another is comic segment occurs when Rich Little, as Jack Benny, plays Scrooge, and Alice Ghostley, ably plays Bob Crachitt.

Later, during the American Christmas segment, Jimmy Stewart introduces Julie to his nephew, Rich Stewart, played, of course, by Rich Little. It’s an interesting site to watch Stewart watching Little playing him. One gets the sense he wants to laugh but is not quite sure how to react. At one point, Rich says that he’s always wanted to go to England but he just doesn’t speak the language. Jimmy tells him,

“Rich, they speak the same way we do.”

Rich turns to him and says,

“Uncle Jimmy, nobody speaks the way we do.”

In a fun interim break between the old English Christmas and the American one, Julie takes a flying sleigh ride and sings “Jingle Bells.” It’s lovely. There’s also a fun dance with Julie and eight Santas, choreographed by Tony Charmoli. It’s such a delightful piece; you can’t help but laugh for the joy of it.

In small town America, many of the 20^th century Christmas songs, with which we celebrate the season every year, are sung: “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “The Christmas Song,” “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Chistmas.” This time the pair visit an American home and Stewart says a beautiful prayer for peace over the meal. It should not be forgotten that at the time this program was taped, America was in the midst of the Viet Nam War, which did not end until April of 1975.

Also of note on this program is a poem written by Julie’s daughter, ten year old Emma Walton. In 1972, one might assume that Ms. Andrews was merely a proud mother wishing to share her daughter’s work. In 2012, we can see that this poem by a ten year-old school girl is quite a remarkable work. Of course, Julie reads it beautifully.

For the final segment of the show, Julie Andrews, standing before three large stained glass windows, sings traditional carols, both English and American. Her beaded maroon gown matches the set and adds to the sense of quiet celebration. “Silent Night” concludes this lovely show which seems to embody a feeling of the true meaning of Christmas.

On the break and final screen, we see written,

Merry Christmas,

    With love,

              Julie

That is the final statement. The credits follow over Ms. Andrews and chorus rendition of “Sing a Christmas Carol.”

For questions and comments, please e-mail catsong2@netzero.net

A list of blogs and links may be found at http://www.JulieAndrewsHour1972.com

Merry Christmas!

Jimmy Stewart was born May 20, 1908 in Indiana, Pennsylvania. He enrolled in Princeton University in 1928, where he became interested in the school’s drama club. He was invited to join the University Players, an intercollegiate theater company. While working with the University Players of Cape Cod, Jimmy became friends with another young actor, Henry Fonda. Eventually, the pair decided to move to Hollywood. He began his film career in 1934 and, as they said, the rest is history.

Jimmy Stewart was 64 when he appeared on The Julie Andrews Hour. He passed away in 1997 at the age of 89.

For further information, please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Stewart

If you would like to see The Julie Andrews Hour back on television and released 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. 

Episode 13 – Tributes to Noel Coward, English Music Hall & Broadway

Although many rough copies of The Julie Andrews Hour are floating around--most all taped or filmed off a television set back in the early 1970s--this show seems to be missing.

On December 13, 1972, Episode 13, with guest stars Tony Randall and Keith Michell aired. It had actually been taped a week prior to Episode 12 , the show with guest stars Tom and Dick Smothers and Jack Cassidy, but perhaps it needed more editing.

The Salute to Noel Coward was set in an elegant salon with grand piano. In addition to male and female dancers who served as extras, (and, of course, Julie and guest stars), Alice Ghostley and Rich Little had good sized parts to perform. Like Noel Coward himself, this portion of the show was elegant, witty, sentimental and lovely. In it, Alice Ghostley sang “Mad About the Boy” and Julie sang “I’ll See You Again.” Other songs performed were: “Poor Little Rich Girl,” “I Went to a Marvelous Party” and “Has Anybody Seen Our Ship?”

Having been present for some of the taping, I also recall Julie and Tony Randall singing “Wunderbar” together. It sounded quite lovely.

The old English Music Hall portion of the show was great fun, with cream pies being thrown, Julie and Alice playing vaudeville sisters and Julie singing an old 1895 song about a girl being left at the altar (Waitin’ at the Church.)

Hopefully, this show will either be released or someone will come up with a copy soon. It was a marvelous show!

For more information on the show, please see my November 17^th blog in three parts.

Coming Next – Eighteen Hours with Julie Andrews and Keith Michell

December 8th - Christmas with Julie

I couldn’t wait to get to the studio. After speech class I rushed over to ABC. I had no problem at the gate, but when I reached Studio C, there was a big sign on the door that said, “No visitors, please!”

A page stopped me inside the door.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “

After I explained, he said, “Okay, but don’t get into trouble!”

This was among my favorite experience on the set of The Julie Andrews Hour, not only because of the stars, including Jimmy Steward and Joel Grey, but because of the beautiful old English Christmas spirit  Julie insisted upon with great enthusiasm. I didn't want to leave....

"They rehearsed the scene, and all the dancers skipped in. Cass Elliott came in with two men. They trimmed the tree and sang, “The Christmas Tree,” after which the dancers sang a song. Then, Julie, who had rehearsed coming in over and over and over again, stood on the side with Jimmy Stewart. Each time during rehearsal, as her cue came up, she grabbed Jimmy’s hand and, together, they ran -with her skirts billowing and he trying to keep up – to the entrance of the room. It was so funny; she was like a child playing, and it seemed he enjoyed the happiness and ease of the set and the beautiful singing...

 It was so much fun! ... Joel did his part and then stood in another spot to sing his verses of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” “Thank you for coming, Joel! Have a Merry Christmas!" Julie said.

...