Lest anyone think that America is not the land of equal opportunity, read how Mary Tyler Moore developed her career in the early days and landed the role of Laura Petrie:
Mary Tyler Moore was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 29, 1937, and grew up in Southern California. While still in high school she started professionally performing, both on stage and in commercials, most notably remembered for her appearances as the Happy Hotpoint girl. After that she had small roles on Bachelor Father and Steve Canyon, both tv shows (1958). Her first regular appearance came on the show Richard Diamond, Private Detective, although the only apperances she had were of her legs. For three months she played the secretary, whose voice you heard and whose legs you saw, but nothing else. Moore soon tired of this, and went on to do more guest spots on shows such as Hawaiian Eye and 77 Sunset Strip. Then in the early sixties Mary Tyler Moore landed the role of Laura on The Dick Van Dyke show, when someone remembered her legs from the Richard Diamond show. Her name wasn't remembered, save for the fact that they new of the show, and that her name had three parts. They soon found out that this was Mary and asked her to read for the part. Out of 60 females, she was chosen. She won two Emmy Awards for this role, followed by some unsuccessful shows, including Breakfast at Tiffany's (Broadway), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Broadway), and the Elvis Presley movie Change of Habit. But in 1969, when Moore reunited with Dick Van Dyke for a variety special entitled "Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman," CBS renewed its interest in her as a television star and gave her unconditional authority to develop any project -which became The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77), for which she received four Emmy Awards.
May God continue to Bless America. <g> |
