Mary Martin & Ethel Merman (vaimusic.com)

[neilnsue]

I was very pleased to see these videos posted-I remember seeing this show live so many years ago. So thank you!

[kylemcgrath14]

What was the song that Ethel opened with?

[MickeyLovesJudy]

amazing!

[boyinlalaland]

I love them both, but I love love love Mary Martin!!!!!!

[drsunshine1959]

Wow - real singers, singing live and without mics, each with a thoroughly unique and distinctive voice, not resorting to profanity or mean spirited humor, and who didn't call in sick at least once a week. Take a good look and weep, because this Broadway is as dead as the dinosaurs...and it's a damn tragedy.

[chattymagpie1210]

These two ladies were legends! I find that when they sing together, it's quite harmonious and pleasant. One's an alto and the other a "belting" soprano. These two were stars in their day.

I would like to say that I definitely think that Ethel should've gotten and deserved a Kennedy Honors - it was her that brought a lot of musicals into popularity and basically contributed almost all her life to musical theater.

[davedave9103]

@chattymagpie1210 I agree that Merman should have gotten a Kennedy Center Honor---she would have no doubt if she hadn't gotten ill in 1982 and died in 1984. The Kennedy Center Awards began in 1978--she would have received one most likely around the time she took ill.

[chattymagpie1210]

@davedave9103 Such a pity. The irony of it is that Mary Martin got a Kennedy Center Honor. Not saying that she didn't deserve it. She was quite the performer herself.

[hsdscsds]

great

[zypp33]

Poor Mary, it must have been like singing against a circular saw cutting metal.

[Jayee123]

Mary turns and looks at Ethel while singing fairly often; Ethel rarely turns to look at Mary; an occaisonal fifteen degree angle is about all she'll give.

[SFHndymn]

@Jayee123 Ethel started before theaters all had audio amplification. Singers were trained to always keep their face turned straight forward so their voice would carry to all parts of the theater.

[fromthesidelines]

This is Mary and Ethel's legendary quarter-hour duet from "THE FORD 50th ANNIVERSARY SHOW", simulcast on NBC AND CBS, and originally telecast live on June 15, 1953.

[primogennaio]

Does anyone know when or where this was taped?

[filmmekker]

@primogennaio It's right above you. It'sfrom a TV special from 1953 for Ford Motor company's 50th anniversary.

[dereknatl]

Fantastic :)

[neilnsue]

I can't believe that I was a child of ten or eleven, and saw this on tv. It was a bit of history-and I was so excited to see it again! Thank you for posting.

[JRyanReichel]

GLORY!

[24kevinB]

This is real entertainment, no controversial things in it like we see on tv now. People need to take a lesson from the people like these. Five Stars*****

[alishadoll1]

@24kevinB So true

[beboos1]

I have the 45rpm of this thing.

[defundthewar]

Whoever did the arranging, that is, putting two very opposite songs against each other, was awfully clever. Anyone know who did it? That said, anyone who compares Ethel to Mary or Mary to Ethel and wonders who was better doesn't get it... it's major apples vs. oranges. Both were fantastic, huge Broadway stars, but quite different.

[straightarrow372]

Notice how singing seemed to be more fun back then. It seems much more serious now.

[grenadian11]

Great voices but mary martin looked a little mature for someone who was only 42 during that taping.

[madamerotten]

@grenadian11 Well, SHAME on her for looking "a little mature!"

[jmuslvr]

Both of them were considered too "oversize" for movies. Which I don't agree with.But between them, they both owned Broadway. Two legendary talents. Ethel in Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy. Mary in South Pacific and The Sound of Music. Plus a lot of other shows they both did in their long careers.

[pudgeuncle]

@jmuslvr Have you ever seen Call Me Madam..the movie? Merman is hammier than a pig farm and she could not act. And Hollywood did give Martin a spin and she was considered a total snore.

[ferrierepc]

I don't think it is fair to put Mary Martin down, as she had der hits, and sang more, shall I say, soothingly than Ehtel, who was great! Mary did 'South Pacific, Peter Pan, Sound of Music, plus so many more. Look it up on WIKI. She did not, as someone below said, end up in South America as a bore doing 'philosophical' work, and I think you meant, 'philanthropic', work, which, unless one is a part of the GOP, is usually applauded.

[badmck]

much as I love them both Ethel has the voice

[ipmoic]

Two great ladies who made it on talent and guts.

Neither a looker, but they made you feel that they were the woman you'd want to be--or, be around.

Ethel was a classy dame until the end.

Ms. Martin turned into a philosophical bore living in the South American wilderness.

[ch1aka2]

Isn't Mary Martin the mother of Larry Hagman (aka JR Ewing on Dallas)?

[HHS10hhs]

Yes she is

[Juliaflo]

@ch1aka2 Yes, by her first husband. She has a daughter, Heller, from her marriage to Richard Halliday.

[jenajena]

Absolute perfection...as a young Girl I was mesmerized by Ethel!! check out their eyes tho..funny!! huge while singing like they are on something!

[kevinnlop]

Ethel Merman is just amazing!!!! What a voice. A true American treasure.

[chewbacca1318]

<3 <3 <3 gosh they are perfection.

[elliott021]

@Soloman1001

Thank goodness.

[JubalCalif]

@Soloman1001

That's for sure! Few stage performers have the powerful voice & charismatic presence of that the late great Ethel Merman had. And of course Mary Martin was a powerful performer and singer in her own right.

[timmchap35]

@Soloman1001

should they?

[Juliaflo]

@Soloman1001 You can say that again.

[Soloman1001]

@Juliaflo

LOL!



[GreatSongwriters]

Ethel was just incredible...

One of the truly great voices...

She was a lady no one could ignore!

[Jonboi713]

LOL mary lookes pissed @1:13

[rvcrvc2]

Thanks for the post. I was too young to have seen the show, but it congers memories from a little later of my parents, and aunts & uncles enjoying the two ladies

[hollandofca]

I love musical counterpoint. How these gals could synchronize two entirely different songs at once ... wow, incredible talents.

[stevevandien]

What a heck of a lot of FUN! GREAT stuff!

[AJ198540]

I will always feel short-changed that I was born too late to see these two great stars in their prime!

[LazlosPlane]

Amen. Ditto.

[chocolatesouljah]

Same here! This clip is revelatory! I live in San Francisco bay area and they both toured here at one point in their careers.

[haranoe]

Mary Martin is wonderful, but in that duet with Ethel Merman she was forced to become an old parrot... and I don't mean just the looks.

[waynebrasler]

Live on all the networks at the same time! Merman and Martin had a ball putting this together. They were never rivals, though people tried their best to make it so.  Two totally different personalities and talents. No competition.

[bgmchs7]

Wasnt that Dorothy Dandridge's song? Not sure but thats where I first heard it

[rockgor]

Two great legends of Broadway. From the days when singers weren't miked and shows had hit tunes in them.

I'm so old I remember seeing the show when it first aired.

Thanks for posting.

[fabrizzzio48]

: )

[cleanears]

Smiling, though I am low... Magnificant!

[colodude3]

Let's face it. The greatest achievement in television was this show, which is now itself over 50 years old.

[JTPolo101]

I have seen so many clips from this show . It must have been some event back in '55

When was the last time there was a show or special that generated that kind of excitemebnt in recent years?

[ragtime1925]

Actually June 1st 1953.

[katiemc66]

My mother said this was one of Broadway's greatest all time rivalries. They were friends I believe but were ultra competetive with each other.

[fromthesidelines]

You forgot to mention, 'vaimusic', that "The Ford 50th Anniversary Show", one of the most influential specials on network TV, was simulcast on two networks- CBS and NBC.

[poissonnoir]

I think it's where Madonna got her idea for the metal pointed bra.

[joeyjojo4]

Like looking at the great ruins of some ancient highly superior civilization.

[firestartertwistedfi]

what gloomy spectacles you must be wearing

[LazlosPlane]

You have no idea.

[fontenayperi]

I love this duet!

Believe me or not, but 6 months ago I didn't know any of these 2 legends. And now I've turned into a total Merman fan!

That's the great thing about youtube.

At 0:23-0:28 Merman looks a bit scary though!!

[katiemc66]

LOL I thought the same thing. Rather scary!

[sorcerersinger24601]

mary looks a little freaky at :49 also.

[spongebobmusicals]

Legends.

[motorcitymiguel]

Wow... Great....

[cowboytony55]

That's a strong possibility about Martin and Gaynor. Martin had an apartment in NYC, but spent a large amount of time in LA and Palm Springs (where Gaynor also had homes). Martin's husband, Richard Holliday (an architect) was rumored gay in the 1960s. Martin was in such despair after his death she didn't know the address of the theater when asked by the taxi driver. It's a shame they all lived in a time of fear and repression. It's not great for lots of gays today, but it is an improvement.

[dannybex]

I read somewhere that they were lovers in real life...don't know if it's true or not but there were certainly rumors about Martin.

[ragtime1925]

Mary Martin and Janet Gaynor. No, Ethel Merman had a rummored Affair with Jackie Susann. NOT TRUE by the way. Janet and Mary however, they were definitley reported lovers for sometime, but Mary never stepped up and hushed the press up like Merman did with Susann.

[joyridel3]

If they were the final two in American Idol, Mary would've won, but Ethel would have been more successful. Shows how Idol has corrupted my ability to judge talent.

[stanmugs]

what the hell kind of dress was merman wearing???--ugh!--

[damone77]

Well,

You're right, Ethel didn't need a microphone and she detested the transition in the 60's to body mikes. She did you use a mike in Annie in 66 because everyone else was.

[ItalianDivo101]

Are you sure about that? Because she refused to wear a mic in "Hello, Dolly!" in '69...

[artman1989]

I am not so sure they were the best of friends. they were in compition most of the time and you can tell they try to one up one another.

[CriticalListener]

Stylistically, I agree. But my mother saw Merman live in the 1930's or '40's, reminding me that this was in the days before amplification. "Man, she was able to reach the last row, with her voice!"

[artman1989]

yeah she was and it is sad that singers today are sooo dependant on there mic. I saw some show and the mic blew and you cold barly hear her and i was in the 5th row!

[Xtine282]

Both ladies are so matched in talent, but I much prefer Mary Martin's soft approach to Ethel Martin's brassiness.

[marymadelynn]

breath-taking

[ronleon62]

Wow! Merman really had a set of pipes on her!

[cleanears]

a REAL duet...

[erzbet07]

Now THAT'S entertainment! Oh, for the good ole days..when singers could really SING!! Thanx for the clip.

[CriticalListener]

You're right, they didn't. I was observing how tightly corseted they are; that was the 50's fashion under womens' formalwear. In fairness to Merman, it's the style of the gown she's wearing here that determines how her bustline looks.  If satisfaction2000 were to look at some of her other clips, he'd see her bustline looks different: it's the style of the gown (& corset beneath) that determines how her silhouette looks.

[rockanoarkennels]

thank you that is excactly how it was and that is very right. Her bustline is different in many of the dresses she has worn. It is between either the corset/girtle, strapless bra, or other that determines how you look on the outside of the dress.

[rockanoarkennels]

I just bought this whole 27 minute dvd of them together! it was so good! they sang like 60 songs that night!!! they also changed costumes 2 or 3 times and it would be a great example, so he could see the different bust lines to their outfits!

[CriticalListener]

satisfaction2000 and rockanoarkennels must both be men, to be more concentrated on these stars' breasts instead of their voices.

[BellaDementia]

Really?

[rockanoarkennels]

actually i am a girl and I am the one who is in modeling so appearence is important to me and I was just saying that Ethel and Mary looked very nice and I dont think they had any problems with 'dressing' that night!

[katiemc66]

Oooooooooh, you're a model! Well, smell you.

[rockanoarkennels]

I heard something about Mary freaking out backstage because there producers couldn't do the show because of a contract and they were bieng directed by the Tv show director. I guess it turned out good though!

[CriticalListener]

Sloppy breasts--are you kidding? Both women are so tightly corseted, it's a wonder they can sing properly.

[rockanoarkennels]

are you saying that is good and they look nice or are you agreeing with the Sloppy Boobs?

[satisfaction2000]

sloppy boobs!

[satisfaction2000]

Favorite WHAT? Get a load of The Merm's sloppy boobs!

[rockanoarkennels]

Dumbass that is how it was back in the 40s 50s duh think before you speak.

[Junkai78]

amazing! thank you!

[EmoKid21Canada]

my two favourites! I can't believe it!

[9aspengold5]

Ditto!!!