What's my Line? Ethel Merman

[km2711]

I recall her stomping around Washington Heights when John Lindsay was running for Mayor in NYC. Apart from her work in the theater, she really did NOT know how to pick 'em politically--GOD--was he awful.

You should read some of Earnest Borgnine's (married to her for about a whole 50 days!!!!) thought sare on Ethel--WOW!!

[observer9670]

Today, the term "actor" can be a man or woman, but at this time, "actor" meant male only. females were supposed t be called "actresses".

[iamintheburg]

This is another CLASSIC CLIP of a wonderfully classic series. Merman has never looked so feminine and pretty as this vid. And no one ever, ever has been as charming and complimentary and suave as John Charles Daly. Thanks for the post, NorbertR33!!!!!!! I praise your efforts.........

[ajlposh]

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World is one of the greatest movies of all time

[ajb1776]

Ethel Merman's cameo in Airplane is as legendary in her ouvre as anything she did on stage.

[62easthar62]

Did you notice that at 1:58 Ethel Merman put her hand in John Daly's lap ... and he began to smile broadly. Details at 11.

[MegaObserver1]

Dorothy should have asked "Do you have the whole world on a plate?" Or "Is there no business like show business?" ;-)

[twiwonder]

She had the loudest, most spectacular stage voice. Miss her so much.

[stematfisnyc]

My fathers mother (Martha Zimmerman) had a strikingly similar voice to Ethel.(Zimmerman, but was shortened to Merman) We had a vacation compound at Sound Beach on Long Island and when Grams cousin would show up it sounded like someone was blasting a stereo. These two were hilarious together and they both had a bawdy sense of humor. Nothing was sacred and it went on for hours. They both mellowed a bit late in life but not by much.

[laughert9]

Imagine what it must have been like to go to the Persian room at the plaza hotel and hear Ethel merman!

WOW.

[TheBlueyedblond]

Her performance in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World was absolutely hilarious!

[KasparHauser4]

I'm gunna watch her next week on the Red Skeleton show!

[MegaObserver1]

Everything's Coming Up Roses is one of the greatest, if not the greatest song performance by a female in the movies.

[htuomnom]

Do you sing (BOY DID SHE) and none on Broadway have ever come close to her.

[the1musiclad]

@htuomnom - none except Mary Martin.

[MPL029]

@the1musiclad Never quite understood Mary Martins fame...she, to me..was a very mediocre talent.

[the1musiclad]

@MPL029 - Ethel could only do so much. She was limited. Mary could do far more but both were of equal fame in their own time.

Don't take this the wrong way but Mary (to me) seems like the Broadway star for the staright guy whereas Ethel camped things up alot more. Mary could have been (and was to an extent) a serious recording artist. She had the versatility in her voice. Ethel was simply made for Broadway.

[MPL029]

@the1musiclad I agree..Ethel was a creature of the theatre and her style didnt really transfer too well to the screen. But to me MArtin was just such a bland, pedestrian performer..nothing unique to her style. Alot today are like that...very few musical theater performers have a special "thats so and so" when you hear them sing voice.

[htuomnom]

@the1musiclad She was not made for Broadway,Broadway was made for Merman

[lttguys]

@htuomnom Love what you wrote!!!

[Robert4770]

@htuomnom The greatest star to ever stand on a Broadway stage

[panhead1219]

Heh, I loved her best on :" Airplain!"

[13loomisst]

Thanks very much.

[DorisDayFanatic]

"Are you Buddy Hackett?"

LOL!!!

[soulierinvestments]

1:04 -- if starring for long runs in Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, and Gypsy! are not athletic achievements, then what is? She had to stay incredibly fit for that sort of daily schedule.

4:00 She plugs her upcoming appearance in a videotaped Red Skelton Hour. In YouTubia, we can find a clip of Merman, Striesand, and Garland belting "spontaneously" on The Judy Garland Show, videotaped at Television City, Hollywood. Merman noted then she was working across the hall on Skelton's show.

[soulierinvestments]

Thank heaven, they have restored "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World? to most of its original 200 minute length. It loses a lot on the small screen, though; Stanley Kramer originally filmed it in Cinerama. The film is too much of a good thing, really, but Merman got a great finale exit in that film.

The combination of lousy acoustics and Merman's vocal disguise does the trick. Classic stuff. Hackett!  Berle! Y A Tittle! of all people (who did appear on WML within a couple of weeks).

[LazlosPlane]

Oh, what a time to have been alive and living in New York..

Wait! I was alive and living in NY! But I was only 8. Damn.

[chucknyc123]

The character of Helen Lawson in 'Valley of the Dolls' was supposedly based on her nasty stage antics on Broadway. Stephen Songheim has been quoted as saying she could upstage everyone in any of her casts. She was a huge star on Broadway and never could understand why it couldn't translate into the big money from Hollywood. I think it made her bitter over the years. She and Ernest Borgnine were married for about ten minutes. Now THAT is probably a play in itself.

[44032]

The Giant's had that day, whipped the previously undefeated Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, 33-6, two weeks after losing to them 35-27 in New York. I was a devout Browns fan and remember both games well. The Giants went on to win the division and appear in their 6th NFL championship game in 8 years, losing their fifth such game to the bears, 14-10.

[LazlosPlane]

Like a said above, what a time to have been alive, eh?

I don't care what anyone says about the superiority of today's athletes, but the guys who played back then were much, much, tougher, maybe not better "athletes" but way tougher.

Like Merman. (bringing back on point)

[gmlch]

i have no clue why this comment was given thumbs down (i just gave it a thumbs up). you needn't necessarily agree, but the comment is not offensive and is interesting to ponder

[waynebrasler]

Well, I have to chime in here. Ethel did not get nervous about anything, nor did she publicly get angry ever (that was saved for behind the scenes when every lady in show biz had to fight tooth and nail to be heard and taken seriously). What you are seeing here is bemusement. She's just enjoying herself. She was indeed a quiet lady off stage, very family and friend oriented. She kept her friends from before she became famous all her life. She was later a dedicated hospital volunteer, too.

[MerleOberon]

Ethel in the back seat of the Imperial with pearlescent leather interior.....

[waynebrasler]

Merman aged very well and later in life had a great figure (catch her on the Judy Garland Show with Barbra Streisand) and was still working hard. She had a great concert and club act and did a fabulous show with the Boston Pops.  She really got around and really enjoyed herself. Unlike many performers who were terrorized to be on stage she reveled in it. She did have a mouth on her and could have a temper but all in all she was a great gal and very very kind and appreciative with her fans.

[hebneh]

This was not long before President Kennedy was shot, in November 1963. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" opened just around that time; here they mention a special upcoming premiere showing on the 17th, and JFK was killed on Nov. 22, 1963.

[evfich]

i love dorothy's hair

[Marckymarc71]

Kudos of the highest order for Miss Merman: With a cast of all casts in IAMMMMW, she absolutely steals the entire movie.

[rexthebarker]

Was that John Lund on the panel?

[OlgaWarner]

That's Allen Ludden, who hosted GE College Bowl and Password and probably several others.

[cornermoose]

And let's not forget Allen Ludden was Betty White's husband forever, until the day he died.

[MattTheSaiyan]

"There was a terrible moment when I thought she was Milton Berle" LOL!

[YesItsAmethyst]

I love the way people looked back then.

[Muffy2314]

Me too.

[Muffy2314]

Arlene looks beautiful in this.

[nicksacop]

Agree... her look is classic and timeless, if such actors could take the hint today

[26mae1987]

yer i think she was beautiful x love the look back then..

[TaylorAmelia]

I think she was offended when dude said he'd have liked to have Y.A Tittle

[soulierinvestments]

Tittle did appear on WML a few weeks later.

[TaylorAmelia]

HaHAaHAa I love Ethel too!!!

so cute!!! :D

[sno85]

was this before she did gypsy? i'm so bad about dates :D

[flagler88]

If mad, mad, mad , mad world was about to come out it must be 1963. So yes after Gypsy which opened in 1959.

[sno85]

Okay, thanks! This video is adorable :D

[Muffy2314]

you should read her book

[bigred997]

i was never much of a fan of hers. she slugged it out with Ernie Borgnine in their brief marriage and I'll take his side.

[meanwiddlekid]

I have no idea where that Mad Mad Mad Mad World question came from. Besides, half of Hollywood was in it. It's tough to disguise that voice.

[pasfresh123]

it's sooo much fun to see people on TV, the way they dressed etc., at the same time as they did a famous movie that I've seen. It makes me feel like I was there. Travelling through time.

[catholicpriest1]

If an actress was asked today if she was an "actor", she would say "yes".

[ragtime1925]

She looks fantastic, although she seams quite vague and quite when they ask her about her upcoming dates. But I wonder why she seams sad or pissed about something, I can see it in her face.

[catholicpriest1]

Maybe she was really a quiet kind of person.

[cacho20]

no she did not look pissed. I think that she looks rather nervous