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[projector humming]

[Reiner] Everybody who'’s in show business

is somebody who wants to be there.

In her case, she had to be there.

I mean, she didn'’t even have the urge to.

She just did it, and everybody said "Look at that."

♪

She was a star at four

and one of the biggest stars in the country.

[Conway] The minute she was born the doctor slapped her,

and she started singing.

[Shapiro] Believe me when I tell you

she'’s a history of show business.

[Reiner] Every phase of entertainment

for literally 87 years.

[Marshall] The longest career I'’ve ever heard of

in show business.

[Shapiro] Vaudeville, radio.

[Van Dyke] Broadway.

[Conway] The history of television.

[Marshall] She used to entertain Al Capone. He loved her.

[Van Dyke] She was tough.

[Harmon] She was clearly a woman.

[Shapiro] One of the boys.

[Van Dyke] She had colorful language

and didn'’t mind using it.

[Reiner] She was outspoken. There'’s no question about it.

She had a loud voice.

[Shapiro] I think people resent the fact that she knows so much.

[Marshall] You can'’t be in the business

all your life without being tough.

[man] She cut through barriers.

[man 2] Paved her on way.

[Harmon] There was a woman that was a heroic,

bigger than life character.

[Marshall] She'’ll cut your head off

and rightfully so, by the way.

I'’m with her. [laughs]

-[Peterson] Rose Marie. -[Marshall] Rose Marie.

-[Shapiro] Rose Marie. -[Reiner] Rose Marie.

[Shapiro] But she'’s the only one left.

Can I tell you this story?

Are you rolling?

God love you. God love you.

♪

First memory I can recall... I guess was in New York.

[crowd murmurs]

Fourteenth Street in New York at that time

was the 42nd Street of New York today.

All the theatre, all the stage shows, everything.

My mother loved show business.

And so she used to take me. I was three, four years old.

So, the minute I came home from seeing the show

I would sing for my mother'’s friends,

as I called them lovingly the Pollocks,

because my mother was Polish and they were Polish.

One day, the Polish people said,

"We entered her in an amateur contest

"at the Mecca Theatre on 14th Street."

They bought my dress, which I still have.

They bought the brocaded shoes, Mary Jane shoes,

which are at the Smithsonian,

and a four year old kid'’s singing like Sophie Tucker.

♪ I looked around for the longest time ♪

♪ For someone to love

And moving like Sophie Tucker.

And sounding like Sophie Tucker.

She didn'’t sound like a little girl even then.

She sounded like a mature woman.

[Reiner] She never had a child'’s voice.

She had an adult voice.

Somebody put the wrong box in there.

♪ Hey ah I do

Who the hell do you think won the contest?

♪

After that, my mother and father took us to Atlantic City.

At that time, nightclubs were not like today.

Nightclubs had family people. You could bring your children.

They had a line of chorus girls, fully dressed,

a comic, a singer, a dancer.

And so we went to the Little Club

in Atlantic City.

Evelyn Nesbit was starring.

Evelyn Nesbit was a big star at that time

because of the scandal that she was in.

Her husband shot her boyfriend,

and I think he went to jail or the guy was dead.

I don'’t remember. I wasn'’t there.

So we went to see her because she was a big star.

Naturally, I'’m watching her sing,

and what do I do?

I start to sing with her.

She, being smart, instead of stopping

and making a whole big deal,

took me by the arm and brought me onstage,

and I sang with her.

And I heard the crowd saying, "Get the kid back!

"We want the kid! Get the kid back!

"We want '’em to sing!"

Evelyn Nesbit said to my father, "What is her name?"

And he said, "Dainty Rose Marie."

And she said, "She'’s a baby. Call her Baby Rose Marie."

So that'’s how Baby Rose Marie came about.

We went back home,

and NBC had heard about this child wonder.

My father signed the contract with NBC.

NBC arranged for a radio program at five years old

going into six years old coast to coast,

and I sang three or four songs every Sunday morning at 12:15.

♪

[narrator] In 1920, there was just one radio station

attempting a local broadcast,

and that was in Pittsburgh.

By the time Rose Marie signed with NBC,

60% of American homes had a radio,

and NBC was the only network

broadcasting to the entire nation.

[Rose Marie singing]

Rose Marie'’s fame took off.

She became known as the darling of the airwaves,

and this happened before Shirley Temple was even born.

[fast drumming]

[Reiner] And she sang these songs,

and we didn'’t realize

what she looked like until we saw her picture in Variety.

She had a cover of Variety.

And at four or five everybody knew her.

[Rose Marie] I was doing this radio show,

and the mail came in, said "That'’s not a child.

"That'’s a 45 year old midget.

"No child sings like that."

♪ You'’ve got bo bo button ♪

♪ I like your bo bo button

♪ Ah boop boop be doo Oh gee, don'’t be like that ♪

NBC was affiliated with RKO Theaters

all across the country.

So, they booked me in the latter part of Vaudeville

in the RKO houses to prove I was a child.

♪

[narrator] Pre-dating the cinema and radio,

Vaudeville was a massive network of theaters

throughout North America.

Any given night was a mash-up of singers,

dancers, magicians, jugglers, trained animals,

acrobats and really anything else that sold tickets

all sharing the same stage.

[Rose Marie]I played every theater across the country

back and forth.

Now the Gary Society,

which is the children'’s society of New York,

called my mother in

and said "She'’s not allowed to sing in New York"

because of the child labor law.

And they said, "There'’s got to be something we can work out."

So, the plan was I would go out and do my show,

and they would arrest my father for five minutes.

He would come back home, I would do my second show,

they would arrest him again.

I come back and do the third show,

they would arrest him again.

He was arrested 128 times.

When I was about 10 years old,

I'’m working at the Palace Theatre

in Chicago with Milton Berle.

The doorman says to my father,

"There'’s a man wants to see you outside."

He went outside, it was Al Capone.

He said to my father, he said, "Hello, Happy."

I thought that was strange.

Nobody ever called him "Happy." He knew those kind of people.

He lived in that kind of a world.

I found out later that his nickname was "Happy Hank."

My father used to go into these places

and--and burn up the place if you didn'’t join the union,

you know, those kind of guys.

He wasn'’t very important.

He was one of the "Do this and do that guys."

But they knew him as "Happy Hank."

He also ran the Diana Ballroom,

which is where my mother met him.

She loved to dance. She was a wild little girl.

She was crazy.

And that'’s where she met my father.

But anyway I looked at Al Capone.

He was very strange looking. He was heavy.

He wore a dark suit, well-dressed,

very well-dressed.

Hat on the side.

"The boys want to meet the kid."

The doorman is white.

And he says, "You know who that is?"

And we got in the car and went to Cicero,

which is out of Chicago a little bit.

[opera singer singing in Italian]

And we walked into this mansion,

which was--didn'’t belong there, this mansion.

It really didn'’t belong there.

It was out of place.

And the dining room was as long as you could see.

And so all the guys were there,

all the big guys were there.

And they all came over to me and gave me a hug

and said "We think you'’re wonderful, we love you,

"and we'’re glad to meet you."

And I said, "Thank you."

They went back to the table,

and Al gave me a dinner ring with three diamonds in it,

which I still have,

and picked me up in his arms and said,

"You call me Uncle Al from now on. You understand?"

And I said, "Yeah, Uncle Al."

Okay, and he says, "Anything you need,

"anything you want you call me."

Turned to my father, he says,

"We'’ll take care of her from here on in."

And out we went back to the theater.

I think she should'’ve been managed better

when she was young.

[Rose Marie] My mother was the force

of me liking it and doing it.

My father would run the show.

My father was boss, and he was a mean man.

I disliked my father intensely

because my father had another family.

I was born illegitimately.

My father had another family going with two kids,

same names as my brother and I.

He was a rough, gruff man

who was going to take advantage of his property.

And his property was Baby Rose Marie.

[Rose Marie] The minute I won the contest

and we went to Atlantic City

and I started working the different places,

he knew there was a buck there.

And he took charge, he ran everything.

He was my manager, my agent, everything.

And I was making thousands, and my father took it all.

[narrator] At the height of success,

Baby Rose Marie was making

over a thousand dollars a performance.

Her voice landed her big jobs

not just on radio but theatrical cartoons

like Betty Boop.

There'’s no way to know how much money her father made,

but it'’s millions of dollars in today'’s currency.

And Ro, she never saw a penny.

[Rose Marie] I had no idea that my career was building.

I just loved what I did. I did it without question.

I never said, "No, I don'’t want to do that."

I loved every bit of it.

In fact, I still love it today. I really love it today.

[Shapiro] Work meant everything. Work meant everything.

And to do your best meant everything.

To always be at your best.

And she never went onstage without this.

And she had great respect for an audience,

which is something that you don'’t see anymore.

[Rose Marie] Because I loved to work for an audience,

and I loved to hold '’em

in the palm of my hand, which I do.

That'’s the secret.

[clacks]

I was now about 14.

♪ So far above me...

An awkward age, very awkward.

Not a lady, not a grown-up, not a child.

I was an in-between

till I got to be about 15,

and a very wonderful thing happened.

[static]

Now ladies and gentlemen, it'’s time for a song

from Baby Rose Marie.

But first, ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to tell you that she no longer is a baby.

For today she'’s a grown-up lovely young lady,

and we call her Miss Rose Marie.

♪

[Rose Marie] I was only 16, 17 years old.

And I started playing theaters in and around New York.

And I played the Roxy Theater.

I played the Capitol Theater on Broadway.

Till I started doing nightclub work.

[narrator] With Prohibition now over,

when the sun went down Americans flocked

to the nightclubs.

And onstage, the biggest names of the era.

Behind the curtain,

the biggest mobsters of the time.

[Rose Marie] When I played the Copacabana in New York,

I was sitting with some friends,

and the maitre d'’ came over, Lopez, and he said,

"Mr. Fisher wants to see you."

I said, "I don'’t know a Mr. Fisher.

"I'’m with my friends, leave me alone."

"Mr. Fisher wants to see you."

"Oh," I said. "Oh, okay."

And I said, "Excuse me," and I went up to the lounge,

and there was Joe Fischetti.

[narrator] Joe Fischetti, Chicago gangster,

cousin of Al Capone,

the man who would later get Frank Sinatra

investigated by the FBI.

And I said, "Why didn'’t you tell me you changed your name?"

He says, "Never mind, at least you came up.

"I came to see you. How you doing, honey?

"Everything all right? You need anything?"

"No." "Want something to drink?"

"No." "Want something to eat?" "No."

"Everybody treating you all right?"

"Okay." "Where you working next?"

"I really don'’t have anything booked after this."

"Well, you'’re gonna play Tahoe."

"Oh, okay."

And that'’s the way it went.

I was going from one place to another

all because of the boys.

They were absolutely wonderful to me.

[bell clanging]

[Van Dyke] That era was the best era.

You had to work. You just didn'’t go in and do a TV show.

You went from Buffalo to Cleveland.

You really had to work hard.

[narrator] With World II on, Americans needed an escape,

which kept performers like Rose Marie busy as hell.

[brassy horn music]

[Rose Marie] The date is 1944.

I'’m working at the Terrace Room in Newark, New Jersey.

And there was this soldier sitting there.

He says, "You were very good." He says, "I enjoyed it."

I said, "Thank you."

[narrator] That soldier was a trumpet player

named Bobby Guy.

He started like everybody

playing jobs in bars in little bands.

And he gradually worked up

till he played with Kay Kyser,

who had a very popular radio show

called "Kay Kyser'’s College of Musical Knowledge."

And Bobby played first trumpet.

♪

[narrator] Bobby was then drafted,

landing him a gig in the U.S. Army Band

and a transfer to New York City.

[Rose Marie] And I went home, I started thinking about him.

I said, "He'’s weird, you know. He'’s very weird."

The next night I went in, he was sitting there.

So, now I go home the second night,

the next morning I get a telegram saying:

"Caught your act.

"Need new material and can book you four weeks

"on the Gus Sun Time."

Which broke me up

because that was strictly a funny telegram.

And I get into the club that night,

I said, "I got your wire." "Oh, did you know it was me?"

I said, "Yeah, I knew it was you."

One of my best girlfriends, Jerri, came down with me,

and I introduced her to Bobby.

I said, "How do you like him?" She says, "He'’s all right."

I said, "That'’s the man I'’m gonna marry."

She says, "Are you kidding?

"You'’re going to marry that fat sergeant?

"You only knew him three days."

I said, "He'’s not fat." I said, "He'’s just chubby.

"Yes, that'’s the man I'’m gonna marry."

"How do you know?" "I don'’t know, I'’m just telling you.

"That'’s the man I'’m gonna marry."

Bobby was full-bodied.

He was chunky.

He didn'’t look fat,

but he didn'’t look like a muscle builder

with a big smile.

She was crazy in love with him,

and he was crazy in love with her.

And Frank was absolutely panicking

that she was going to get married and go away.

And there was a lot of problems.

[Rose Marie] We get a little more friendly,

then he says to me,

"Gene Krupa opens up after you close here.

"Would you like to come to the opening?"

I said, "I'’d love to."

And on the way over to Gene Krupa'’s,

this is a week and a half, maybe two weeks,

he says "I'’m gonna get out of the army soon."

He says, "I got to go back to California.

"That'’s where my clothes are. That'’s where my horns are.

"I don'’t know what'’s ahead,

"but if you'’re willing I'’d like you to go with me

"and be with me."

I said, "Is that a proposal?"

He says, "Yes."

"You'’re asking me to marry you?" "Yes."

"By telling me you'’re going to California, that'’s it?"

He says, "That'’s it. Do you want to go?"

"You mean do I want to marry you?"

I remember this conversation word for word.

I said, "Fine."

I remember she was working at the Capitol Theater

doing four or five a day.

And Frank had cops outside and in the theater

looking for him to come in and have him arrested.

Arrested for what, I don'’t know.

What are you going to arrest him for?

But he was that vicious about Bobby Guy.

[Rose Marie] Bobby came to pick me up,

and we walked down Madison Avenue

window shopping and stuff but just having a great time.

And I got into NBC,

and Bobby used to wait for me downstairs.

He wouldn'’t come up.

When Bobby was waiting at the corner of 52nd Street,

he was holding onto the lamp post like this.

My father came up to him like this and said,

"You sonofabitch, you stay out of our life.

"I'’m going to kill you, you no good--"

And he called him every name in the book.

By now, a crowd had gotten around.

And everybody kept saying, "Hit him, soldier.

"Hit him, soldier."

And he kept saying, "You no good SB,

"you this and that and this thing."

And Bobby just kept holding back like this and saying,

"He'’s her father, he'’s her father,

"I can'’t do anything, he'’s her father."

"You stay away from my daughter

"or so help me God I'’ll kill the...out of you."

And the only way she got away

was she and Bobby eloped.

Otherwise, he wouldn'’t let her go.

I called my girlfriend Jerri, I said,

"Listen, you got to help me. I'’m eloping tomorrow."

And she said, "Oh my God.

"Come to the house tonight,

"under my window I will throw you out my suitcases

"full of clothes."

Sure enough, she came that night.

I opened my window, I threw my suitcases out the window.

We got married in City Hall, and every time the judge says,

"Is any reason this should not go through?"

I thought my father was going to bust in

and say "Whoa!" you know.

But he didn'’t.

I got married. Wedding night--mm-hmm.

[door clicks shut]

And he went to AAA and got a list of hotels

and how far it was from this hotel

to that hotel to this hotel and that hotel,

which was all news to me.

On the way, I would call up people that I knew.

I remember Scarpelli,

one of the bosses, one of the big mob bosses,

he'’s a big guy like this.

He and his wife Kay had become very friendly with me

and my father, you know.

And she said, "Your father called.

"Stay out of Chicago.

"They'’re looking for you in Chicago."

She says, "Come here to St. Louis."

[horse hoofs clomping]

Because I had worked the Chase Hotel there.

Now I get ready to go to the bathroom with Kay,

and my husband is left alone with Jim.

Jim says, "You know her father called."

He says, "You hurt one hair on her head,"

and he banged the table, the whole table shook.

Bobby was scared, so scared.

We come out of the ladies room, you know,

and I'’m looking at him, and he'’s looking at me,

and he'’s going "Ohhhh..."

And when we got out of there and they said goodnight,

we went up to the room and he says,

"I'’ve never been through anything like that in my life."

He said, "Thought for sure I was gonna get shot."

And we started on our honeymoon.

[man] ♪ If I didn'’t care ♪

♪ More than words can say

♪ If I didn'’t care Would I feel this way? ♪

[Rose Marie] He said, "This is a motel.

"We'’re going to find these all the way to the coast."

Now, I had never been to a motel.

I didn'’t even know what they were.

[man] ♪ Then maybe I'’m wrong ♪

♪ But why do I lie awake all night ♪

♪ And dream all day...

[Rose Marie] It'’s hard to explain.

We didn'’t know what we were gonna do,

how we were going to do, why we were gonna do.

[man] ♪ Would it be the same?

♪ Would my every breath...

We just were very happy

and stopped whenever we wanted to stop,

stay overnight whenever we wanted to stay overnight.

[man] ♪ And would I be sure

♪ That this is love beyond compare ♪

♪ Would all this be true

[Rose Marie] We had no idea what was in store for us.

We just had a fantastic honeymoon.

My father swore up and down

that I was going to support my husband,

which I never did.

Never in a million years.

He wasn'’t that kind of man.

He had his own right, his own position

and his own name.

He was Bing Crosby'’s first trumpet player.

[Peterson] Bing Crosby'’s show was incredibly popular.

Next to Jack Benny, it was probably

the most popular radio show on the air.

And the way they opened that radio show

was Bob--was the trumpet, solo trumpet.

And if you could imagine yourself being

sitting with a cold piece of brass like this,

and you'’re called upon when somebody goes "Now"

coast to coast, nationwide

you played the theme, you started the theme

all by yourself sort of like this.

[brassy trumpet plays]

[Crosby] ♪ Someone waits for me

[applause]

And then the show was on.

[Crosby] Ladies and gentlemen,

our first guest for this evening

is a very charming young lady.

Very talented too, a smash dynamite vocalist.

Started out in show business, this girl,

when she was just a baby.

[trumpet blares]

See apparently Bobby Guy, our trumpet player,

is doing his best to give you

some sort of a big send-off, Rose Marie.

He must be a fan of yours or something.

[Rose Marie] Well, I don'’t know how much of a fan he is,

but he is my husband.

[laughter]

I think anybody that ever put my father on a job

knew that he had a special sound.

And I can still hear it to this day.

I know what records he'’s on.

I know what movies he'’s on.

It was unlike any other trumpet player in this town.

Boy, he was something else.

Jerry Lewis was a very good friend of my father'’s.

Jerry had heard this one song called "Too Late Blues."

My father does a solo on it,

and it is the most exquisite piece of music

you will ever hear a trumpet player play.

Whenever my father was available,

he was on a Jerry Lewis film.

[Peterson] He was liked, and he was respected

for who he was, what he was, and how he played.

And he was...the best.

Just the opposite of Rose Marie.

He was a rock, an awfully sweet, sweet guy.

He never strove to be like a star.

He was quite happy showing up, playing the job,

going home.

[record crackling]

I was out here in California,

and I had done the Rudy Vallée show.

And somebody said, "You'’ve got to work at Slapsy Maxie'’s."

That wastheclub at that time.

My husband says, "You know you'’re going to have to do

"about an hour"

because I used to do about 30 minutes,

35 minutes, three or four songs, that was it.

I said, "Why?"

"Because you'’re gonna be on all alone.

"There'’s gonna be no comic, gonna be no nothing, just you."

No female was doing comedy at that time. Nobody.

And little by little I was doing comedy in my act,

singing and getting more and more into comedy.

My reviews opened up

with "She'’s someone to be reckoned with.

"This young lady with the beautiful gowns

"and the gorgeous hair and all this and that."

"She'’s a hell of a performer."

I couldn'’t write a better review.

I couldn'’t write one.

And now everybody was calling to work and this and that.

One night a guy came in

who owned "The Hollywood Reporter."

He said, "Saw your show, we want you to open in Vegas."

I said, "What'’s Vegas?"

He says, "We want you to open with Xavier Cugat

"and Jimmy Durante."

I said, "Jimmy! To work with Jimmy?!

"Oh my God, that would be wonderful!"

♪

Jimmy Durante was a comedian

who was a big star on television

and made an awful lot of MGM movies.

♪ Now you point your toe up

♪ And then you fix your bow up ♪

I used to do a little piece of Durante in my act.

♪ Then you turn her...

[Peterson] She did the best Durante of all.

♪ You got to go round with a smile ♪

♪ And you'’ll be well-dressed all of the while ♪

♪ The real happy guy is in style ♪

♪ So go round and round and round and round ♪

And wait a minute, wait a minute.

Stop the music. Stop the music!

[whistles]

And now I get ready for Vegas.

Las Vegas as a city was nothing.

It was desert, all desert.

We had one cab driver on the whole strip.

His name was Louie.

And if you drank you didn'’t want to drive.

So you hired Louie.

The strip was just The El Rancho,

The Last Frontier, The Desert Inn,

and The Flamingo, that was it.

[narrator] And Vegas, as it exists today,

is all because of The Flamingo.

Gangster Bugsy Siegel and his partner Billy Wilkerson

set out to build the highest class casino resort

in the U.S.

[Rose Marie] The Flamingo was

an unbelievable thing to everybody.

They were afraid of it.

Neon lights and bright lights and this.

It was like Monte Carlo.

The rest was all sand.

[Marshall] Ro opened The Flamingo.

She opened it with-- for Bugsy Siegel.

Bugsy Siegel was very good to me.

He was very sweet to me.

His girlfriend, Virginia Hill, he called her "The Flamingo."

That'’s why that club was called The Flamingo.

Nobody knew that.

A little secret.

Bugsy thought of The Flamingo as a place in Vegas,

and the mob loaned him two million dollars.

And he kept saying "I need more money"

because the locals took him for every dime he could get.

They did everything wrong

so they could fix it over again

and do this and do that.

So, the mob got mad and said, "No more money."

[narrator] The building costs soared

to over six million dollars,

all borrowed from the East Coast mob.

Now his life literally depended on the success of this building.

And everything depended on opening night.

[Rose Marie] I was supposed to open tomorrow.

It rains.

One plane to Vegas does not take off.

There'’s only one plane to Vegas then.

In the morning, everybody was on that plane.

Xavier Cugat, Abbe Lane, Tommy Wonder, Jimmy Durante.

[narrator] Despite the bad weather,

the Hollywood elite showed up.

[Rose Marie] Opening night, the place is jammed.

[narrator] Lana Turner, Clark Gable, Barbara Stanwyck.

We had a hell of a crowd.

The show was wonderful. It was brilliant.

The next night they were all there again.

The third night, they were gone.

Everybody went back to California,

and we worked to nine people.

And, if you want to see something sad,

you watch Jimmy Durante work to nine people.

First week, I'’m sitting in the coffee shop

with the dancer, Tommy Wonder.

We'’re having a cup of tea,

and this man comes in,

and "Here'’s your check."

I look at my check, and there'’s $11 missing.

I said, "Wait a minute, psst! Come here, please. Sir!

"You took $11 out of my check. Tell me what'’s that for?"

Tommy Wonder, he'’s exhausted.

He goes: "Do you know who that was?"

And I said, "No." He says, "That'’s Bugsy Siegel."

I said, "Oh my God,

"they'’re gonna pick me up in an envelope."

"How dare you talk to him like that."

I didn'’t know who he was.

A few minutes later, he came back.

He says, "Here'’s your $11. I'’m sorry about the mistake."

Sweetest man in the world.

[narrator] $11.

Little did she know that Bugsy lost $3,000 that first week.

[splash]

But he didn'’t give up.

He bet it all on The Flamingo

and was determined to see it succeed

with Rose Marie as his star.

[Rose Marie] One night,

Bugsy Siegel came over to me and said,

"Here'’s $10,000. Go play some baccarat."

I said, "I'’m not a shill. I'’m a performer."

"Yeah, but if you get up there and start playing,

"maybe people will come to the table

"and start playing with you."

"I don'’t do this." He says, "Do it for me."

I said, "Okay."

I go over there, and sure enough

playing with somebody else'’s money I won $25,000.

And now the second show is gonna go,

and I'’ve got to go on.

What do I do with this $25,000?

I can'’t find him. Where the hell is he?

I finally put the $25,000 down here,

I do my second show.

[applause]

I come back, and he'’s sitting in the coffee shop there.

I said, "Where have you been?"

"Mr. Siegel," I said, "I am not a shill.

"Here'’s your damn money. Don'’t ever do this to me again."

And he laughed, he says,

"You'’ll be playing here quite a bit, you'’re all right."

I'’ll never forget that. He says, "You'’re all right."

He says, "And we'’ll be seeing you again."

I said, "Thank you, Mr. Siegel, it'’s been a pleasure."

Got my check, and I left.

And five days later he was killed.

And then Bugsy had the last laugh

because it was--he'’s still turning in his grave

because it turned out to be quite--

look at Vegas today.

Vegas today is unbelievable.

So little by little they were building hotels,

and every time they built a hotel

one of the boys was behind it.

[Marshall] All the guys from Cleveland,

Moe Dalitz and Tucker Brothers and all those guys

came in and took over.

Thank goodness because they were

the most wonderful guys in the world to work for.

I can'’t tell you how terrific they were.

You'’re working for the mob, the so-called mob.

If you were a good kid

and you didn'’t get out of line or drink

or go after their women or gamble,

the world was anything you wanted.

You never paid for anything. Thank God for Vegas.

Without Vegas, I don'’t know how I'’d have raised my family.

[Rose Marie] Each mob had their own area.

And I played them all, and we became very good friends.

They looked after me and thought I was the cat'’s meow.

Once in a while, she would mention

some of the tough guys she knew back then.

[Rose Marie] Moe Sedgway, Doc Mangini,

Jerry Maloney, Blackjack, Willie the Icepick.

That'’s a good one.

Killed with the ice pick like that.

They treated her like a daughter.

They didn'’t treat her like a girlfriend

or somebody they'’re gonna have sex with.

They treated her like somebody they were trying to protect

and take care of and be good to.

[Rose Marie] And I knew all of them

and used to hang out with all of them.

And but I always said I'’m a Flamingo girl.

Bugsy--his girlfriend Virginia Hill

said to me "Your show is wonderful,

your gowns are beautiful."

I said, "I have this very famous designer

"in New York that makes-- he'’s a Frenchman.

"He'’s fantastic." She said, "They'’re gorgeous."

But she says, "I think you should lose a little weight."

I said, "Don'’t tell anybody, but I'’m five months pregnant."

She says, "You'’re kidding." I said, "No."

The gowns still fit, but I'’m a little overweight.

I say, "As soon as I have the baby, I'’ll lose the weight."

[narrator] In 1947, Rose Marie and Bobby welcomed a daughter,

Georgiana Marie Guy,

affectionately nicknamed Noopy.

For a decade, Rose Marie traveled the United States

headlining various nightclubs and theaters.

I think my mother was on the road most of the time

in my early years.

[narrator] Not typical behavior for a '’50s housewife.

So, when they could, her family came along.

[Rodrigues] When I was about four years old,

Sam Levinson called up my mother and said

he would like to have me on the show.

What'’s your mommy'’s name, darling?

Rose Marie.

Ladies and gentlemen, from the movies,

from TV and from "Top Banana," we bring you Rose Marie.

[Rodrigues] So I got on national television,

and I sang "Top Banana."

I had a father that was a musician

and a mother that was a singer, so I better have a good voice.

♪ If you want to be a top banana ♪

♪ You got to start from the bottom of the bunch ♪

♪ You got to know the joke about the farmer'’s daughter ♪

♪ Take it in the kisser with the soda water ♪

♪ If you want to be...

I wasn'’t Baby Rose Marie.

I'’ll talk about "Top Banana" now.

♪

I got a call from Phil Silvers.

[narrator] In the late '’50s, the army sitcom

"The Phil Silvers Show"would make him a household name.

But at this time he was

just a character actor working for MGM.

[Rose Marie] He says, "I want you to do a Broadway show."

"Phil, I live in California.

"I can'’t come here and live in New York

"with my husband and baby in California."

He says, "They can come in and visit you.

"But you need a Broadway show. I want you to do this show.

"I want you to do this show, please."

I said, "All right, send me a script."

I had wonderful numbers.

The duet with Phil and myself, "A Word A Day,"

stopped the show every night.

We did the show. The show was a smash.

The reviews came out, it was all about Phil.

Not one of us got mentioned.

Not one of us.

I'’m sitting at Sardi'’s very depressed.

Marlon Brando comes over to me

and says, "What'’s the matter?"

I said, "It didn'’t even mention me."

He says, "I saw the show tonight.

"You were great.

"You stopped the show four times."

I said, "I know, but they didn'’t even mention me."

He says, "F '’em." He says, "You were great.

"I was there, remember that."

And he walked away.

[narrator] All that "Top Banana" hype earned Phil Silvers

a Tony award for his performance

and solidified the show as a hit.

[Rodrigues] They made it into a movie

when the show was very successful.

[Rose Marie] Phil Silvers kept calling me.

He says, "I want you to do the movie."

What can I say? It was not good, period.

That'’s just about the size of it.

I had a producer that wanted to make fun

and give me an offer, which I tried to refuse.

It was a dirty offer. Want me to tell you?

The producer comes over to me and says,

"I'’ll show you a few positions if you'’re interested."

And I said, "Oh, that'’s funny.

"Oh yeah, you'’re wonderful, that'’s funny."

"I'’m serious, this could be your picture."

And in front of everybody I go,

"You couldn'’t get it up if a flag went by."

Which didn'’t sit too well with him.

All my numbers were cut in the picture.

There isn'’t one number of me in the picture.

[Rodrigues] I think my mother'’s experience of doing the film

of "Top Banana" pushed her away from wanting to do movies.

Finally I decided I got to get into television.

I got to do some television. That'’s the thing to do today.

[narrator] In 1950, only 9% of American households

owned television sets.

But by 1957 that number grew to 78%.

What was first thought of as a novelty

quickly became one of the most influential inventions

in the history of entertainment.

[Rose Marie] And they said, "You'’ve got to get an agent."

Jim Maloney, I go and see him

with my reviews from Slapsy Maxie'’s.

I'’m a good actress, I do comedy.

He says, "Rose Marie Guy?"

And I said, "No, no, just Rose Marie."

He says, "Don'’t you want a last name?"

I said, "Just Rose Marie.

"That'’s what everybody knows me by."

He says, "Nobody knows you out here by that."

I said, "They will. It'’s just Rose Marie."

I was the first one to have a one name thing.

Now there'’s Cher, there'’s Liza, there'’s everything.

I was the first one.

So now he calls me one day,

and he says, "I'’ve got a script for you."

[announcer]"Gunsmoke"starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.

I said, "That'’s a very big show."

"Yeah," he says, "the part is Mrs. Monger."

Okay, I get the script, I read it.

Monger--Mrs. Monger is 60 years old.

I'’m an adorable, white gloved cutie,

and I'’m going to play a 60 year old woman?

Know damn well I'’m not gonna get it.

I know in my heart I'’m not gonna get it.

I figured, "Well, my voice is low, I'’ll make it lower."

And the line in the script was "Poorly, thank you."

I say... Poorly, thank you.

He says, "That'’s enough." He says, "Thank you."

I said, "Okay."

And John Rich the director comes over to me,

he says "Would you mind cutting your nails?"

I say, "What?"

He says, "Would you mind cutting your nails?"

I said, "Why?"

He said, "I don'’t think a woman, a 60 year old woman

"sawing wood would have nails like that."

I said, "You want me for this part?"

He says, "I think you'’ll be great."

I said, "Thank you," and I got the part.

That was my first television show in California

was"Gunsmoke."

[narrator] After"Gunsmoke,"

Rose Marie found herself with a huge break.

She landed the lead role in"Just Off Broadway,"

a pilot produced to replace "I LoveLucy'’s"summer timeslot.

[snoring]

All right, rise and shine, up and at '’em, let'’s go.

There you go, up and at '’em, there you go.

[laughter]

[narrator] But it didn'’t get picked up.

Then she guest starred on"The Jackie Gleason Show,"

"My Sister Eileen" and"The Bob Cummings Show."

♪

[clacking]

[Rose Marie] One day, I get a call

from the casting office

saying "They want you down at Desilu'’s

"to see Danny Thomas."

I say, "Ah, finally got it.

"Finally got the guest shot."

She says, "No, this is for a new show

"called '’The Dick Van Dyke Show.'’"

I say, "What'’s a Dick Van Dyke?"

Nobody ever heard of me. [laughs]

So I went down there,

and that'’s when I met Carl Reiner.

So we'’re looking for a woman writer,

and somebody said there'’s only one person

to play this role, Rose Marie.

[Rose Marie] And Carl said, "I hear you'’re terrific."

I said, "Yeah," I said, "I'’m pretty good, you know."

I said, "May I ask what this is all about?"

Dick Van Dyke is a head writer on a comedy show.

He goes and slaves away on that

while Mary Tyler Moore stays at home

and deals with that creepy kid.

[Rose Marie] And Carl says it'’s about three comedy writers

so forth and so on and so forth and so on.

And I said, "Who plays the third comedy writer?"

And I was thinking of a young guy like Mel Brooks.

And I was thinking we'’ve got to find a Mel Brooks.

And Rosie said, "There'’s only one guy who can play

"this other part,"

and she mentioned Morey Amsterdam.

She cast him like that.

[Rose Marie] I said, "We'’re very friendly."

Morey wrote all the material for my act.

We'’ve been friends since I'’ve been 11 years old.

And I came home, and I called him,

and I said, "They'’re going to call you about a new show,

"new television show called '’The Dick Van Dyke Show.'’"

He says, "What'’s a Dick Van Dyke?"

I said, "Your guess is as good as mine, but get out here."

Well, here comes two people

I know you'’re gonna be crazy about.

But don'’t go by me. I voted for Tom Dewey.

[laughter]

Well, you know them as the co-stars

of"The Dick Van Dyke Show."

Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie, I love you.

[applause]

Look at this sanitarium. Hey, how about that!

Well, is this gorgeous?

I think it was built by Frank Lloyd Wrong.

I went along with her

because Morey Amsterdam was the human joke machine.

We knew about that.

And through the years anytime we needed a one-liner

he gave you 12 possibilities.

This man can make a joke out of any word

in the English language.

Any word at all, come on. Any word, any word.

Horse. I have a lady, she has a word.

Horse. A joke about a horse?

Horse, horse, let me see.

If everybody owned a horse,

the country would be more stabilized.

[laughter]

[Rose Marie] He didn'’t even have to read.

Neither one of us read.

I was amazed at her comedy timing,

she and Morey Amsterdam.

I learned comedy from those two.

When I saw what was happening in the first couple,

I said, "You know something, we'’ve got a classic."

I knew it. It was a classic.

[Van Dyke] Carl'’s writing and the direction,

we just knew we had something that was better than most.

You turned on purposely to see it every week.

[Harmon] You believed those characters were real

in spite of all the blocking and the beautiful lighting

and how hot they were and how funny and charming.

You truly believed that these people were your neighbors.

You suspended that disbelief quite successfully.

And that we'’re still trying to do.

"Big Bang Theory" aspires to that immersion.

When asked what am I most proud of

in the history of my career as a performer, writer,

I said"The Dick Van Dyke Show" hands down.

No question about it.

[Rose Marie] People went crazy that worked with us

because Carl'’s mind, Morey'’s mind, my mind,

we kept finding changes that were better.

[Van Dyke] Our rehearsals all week were really rewrites.

We'’d get on our feet and, of course, Rosie and Morey

brilliant stuff came out of them.

So the show was very different by the time we shot it

than it was on the printed page.

That'’s why people say,

"Was your show that much ad-lib?"

No, it wasn'’t ad-lib, it was scripted.

But we would come up with things in the middle of it

that they would shove in the script.

[Reiner] We knew that as soon as Rosie put her foot down

that we knew that scene was going to work.

She was the flag pole. She was...

She was so steady.

[Van Dyke] She always had a way of saying, "Wait for your laugh,

"wait for your laugh."

She always insisted

that I would jump in too soon.

Had to wait for my laugh.

In all the years,

and there was 158 shows,

everybody blew a line.

Everybody blew a thing, got in the wrong place,

stood in the wrong place, said the wrong--

Not Rose Marie. She never, ever blew a line.

And nobody got mad at anybody.

Nobody yelled at anybody.

She got mad at me a couple of times.

When there was something-- somebody had a beef,

and I was supposed to go up

as the star and talk to the producers about it,

which I never did.

And her nickname for me was the "6 Foot Tower of Jell-O."

Whenever somebody had to, she would say,

"Send the 6 Foot Tower of Jell-O up there,

"he'’ll take care of..." [laughs]

[Rose Marie] I mean, you can sit over there.

How long do you want me to sit there?

"Go over there." I'’m not going over there.

Never heard him say a bad word about anybody.

He was a jellyfish. He could do anything.

And he wouldn'’t say anything about it.

I don'’t think he questioned anything we did.

Even the script, I really don'’t think so.

[Van Dyke] She kind of thought I was a spineless wimp

when it came to that, which is true.

[laughs]

Old blood and guts, there he goes.

Hasn'’t got the guts to tell you.

[Conway] You had a certain amount of sympathy with her,

you know, because she was in with all these guys,

and it was a man'’s show in a sense.

I think it'’s time we appreciated

having a bright, attractive gal around the office.

Yeah, when is she gonna start work here?

[Harmon] How hard do you think it must have been

on a day to day basis

to be that singular performer in that singular role?

It'’s like still hard to be a woman

in a writer'’s room in real life,

let alone playing that character.

[Conway] Here was this woman fighting for her position

in the show and in real life.

And she did it.

She just mowed '’em down,

and said, "Sit over there and shut up."

It was really tough for women back then,

especially for the character that Rosie did,

because she was very masculine.

When you look back on it,

if that character weren'’t in it

would we remember the show, would we study it?

[Shapiro] She didn'’t play the pretty girl, the sexy girl.

Like a non-sex person.

It had nothing to do with sex.

Rose Marie is not sexualized.

On the other hand, she hasn'’t been de-sexualized.

She'’s constantly talking about dating and dating men,

but she'’s not co-dependent.

She'’s constantly talking about how ugly they are

and what losers they are and these dates she'’s going on.

Wait a minute! Wait a minute!

[Van Dyke] We made jokes about the fact

that nobody took into account the fact that she was a lady.

Hey, Mel, how about a little poker game Thursday night?

Oh fine, who are the players gonna be? No women I hope.

Nah!

No, just buddies, me and Sally.

Count on me. [laughter]

Morey Amsterdam won'’t help her lift a heavy typewriter.

She'’s--chivalry is dead

because she'’s one of the guys.

Hey, buddy, give me a hand.

[claps]

[laughter]

Very funny, now will you help me, please?

Come on, you'’re stronger than I am.

Do it yourself, Mack. [laughter]

[Harmon] Rose Marie is the high status character in the room.

You could admire her. You could want to be her.

I would argue probably a lot of dudes

maybe back then watched that show

and were like "I'’m not really the Morey Amsterdam archetype,

"I'’m really kind of the Rose Marie archetype."

I want to be a comedy writer,

and it had nothing to do with gender,

let alone all the women out there,

the little girls watching that show

that were like, "Wait, that'’s a job?

"You can have that? You can be creative?"

After Lucille Ball,

you didn'’t really come up with any women

who were that strong.

And the next niche was Rose Marie.

When I got the show,

I thought it was going to be Dick and me.

I thought Mary was going to be a sideline.

[Van Dyke] She thought the show was about comedy writers

and that the whole show would take place there

in the comedy writing office.

And she didn'’t realize it was going to be

also some home with Mary Tyler Moore and me.

I do remember my mother coming home

from doing the series and being upset

because the show was shifting to Mary Tyler Moore.

She would say, "I have to fight for the office scenes."

When Rose Marie was offered the job,

they said it'’s about writers in a writers'’ room.

That'’s what they told her.

They didn'’t tell her it'’s about a husband and wife

who was also a writer.

And my life, I wrote about my life.

My life was really about my family.

And Carl kept saying, "No, no, it'’s Mary and Dick.

"You'’re the sideline."

I couldn'’t get over that. I didn'’t understand that.

Because I was supposed to be co-starring.

And, if you see the credits,

it says"The Dick Van Dyke Show"

with Rose Marie, I'’m the next one lined up.

It'’s important to note that Mary Tyler Moore,

the reason we all know that name

is because of how incredible she looks,

specifically on that film stock and that lighting.

[Reiner] As soon as people started taking pictures

and covers and cover of "Look" magazine, "Life,"

it was Mary.

Just the way it was in the office and home,

Mary and Rosie hardly ever talked, I don'’t think.

That was a little scary, you know.

But it worked for the show.

[Rodrigues] They weren'’t best buddies, so to speak.

It was professional, how about that?

It was professional.

Rosie was always upset from the first year.

She was always upset that she and Morey

didn'’t have enough to do.

I could hear both her sigh: "Oh gee..."

You know, the mumbling, and wanting more to do.

Only thing I said, "I want more."

[Reiner] It finally got so bad

that I had a talk with Rosie,

and I said, "Rosie," I said,

"you'’re the best one that could ever be doing this job,

"but if you can'’t stand the fact

"that the people, the audiences

"care more about Mary and Dick as I do

"I care more about my family than I do about my workers,

"and I write about that."

I write more deeply more that.

I said, "That'’s what the show is about.

"Unless you can accept that, don'’t come back.

"Please don'’t come back."

And I used real strong language.

I said, "You both have beautiful legs.

"They want to look at her legs."

Anyway, from then on we were fine.

[clacking]

Dick came over to me and said,

"Does Bobby feel all right?"

I say, "Why?" He says, "Because he'’s leaning up against a chair,

"and that'’s not like Bob."

I said, "He'’s got a cold. He can'’t get rid of it."

We go home, it'’s getting worse.

[Reiner] They were very, very close.

He came to every show and watched every show.

They were deeply in love. There was no question about it.

They needed each other, they had each other,

and they gave to each other.

[Rose Marie] We went to this doctor.

So he examines him, and he says,

"I'’d like to examine it a little further,"

and Bobby says, "I got to work."

He says, "You can'’t.

"Call up Bing Crosby, and tell him you can'’t make it."

So I left him there. I went to work.

The doctor called me and said,

"Your husband has hepatitis."

That was the going thing that year.

Everybody got hepatitis.

And Morey came over. Morey says, "What'’s wrong?"

I said, "He'’s sick. They don'’t know what'’s wrong.

"This guy, I don'’t like this doctor."

"Wait a minute, just a minute. I'’ll call Jerry.

"He'’s got to have the best doctor."

He calls Jerry Lewis on the phone.

Jerry says, "Look, in five minutes

"a Dr. Levy is going to call you.

"You tell him what you just told me."

I said, "Okay, thanks, Jerry."

He examined him, he says, "He doesn'’t have hepatitis.

"I don'’t know what he'’s got,"

but he says "It'’s some sort of blood infection."

Jerry called, and he told the doctors

"Do everything you can to help this man.

"He'’s a friend of mine, a very dear friend of mine."

I heard that, and they sent his blood all over the world,

all over the world to find out what was wrong.

[Rodrigues] And he was so thin.

My father was always big.

[Van Dyke] He was a stocky guy.

And he got ill and slowly began to lose weight.

And Bobby just wasted away.

♪

She was going through the worst experience

anyone can go through,

just slowly losing a loved one.

But I was trying to do the show at the same time.

And Rosie being a pro, because she is,

managed to do that show.

And you would never have known the difference.

The minute that camera went on,

she was the old Rosie.

I had to. That was my job.

That was my job.

I couldn'’t let all those other people down.

They would'’ve folded up.

Or would'’ve kicked me off the show, which is worse.

[laughs]

[Van Dyke] But we could see it was just killing her,

especially the frustration,

not even to know what'’s wrong with him.

[Rose Marie] I was supposed to do the Carson show.

I said, "I can'’t do it.

"I'’m in no mood to do another show.

"I'’m lucky I'’m doing this one."

So, word comes back to Carson,

he says, "I can'’t get a replacement.

"She'’s got to do the show."

You can get a replacement for Johnny Carson.

Everybody in the world wanted to do that show.

He says, "I can'’t get a replacement.

"She'’s got to do the show."

Okay, I said, "I'’ll try."

All of you if you watch television at all

know our next guest.

She'’s been on with me several times,

and very big on the-- I can mention the show.

It'’s silly not to mention it, "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

She has a major role, and she is delightful.

Rose Marie. [applause]

♪

I go down there, and we do the show.

Rosie is a fine performer. You break me up every time.

We'’ve done a lot of shows together.

And we'’re a good audience for each other.

Not--you know, we enjoy it when we work together.

-Very much. -It was Pagliacci.

She had to come and make people laugh,

and she was crying all the time,

you know, in the dressing room.

Pagliacci... [sings in Italian]

All about laughing while people

while your insides are crying.

It'’s easier to grin when your ship comes in

and life is a happy lot,

but the man that'’s worthwhile is the man who can smile

when his shorts creep up in a knot.

[laughter]

[applause]

Get through, I kiss Johnny on the cheek.

And he says, "Do you feel any better?"

He says, "I tried to get your mind off of it

"for a little while."

These are angels, these guys.

Jerry Lewis, Dr. Levy, Johnny Carson

they'’re angels to me.

Dr. Levy brought Bobby home at one point,

and Bobby was home for a little while,

and he had to go back into the hospital.

And he died in the hospital in 1964.

He was 48 years old.

The diagnosis was a blood infection.

They don'’t know where it came from or why.

And I miss him.

We were both at our peaks in our careers.

It just fell apart after he left.

I'’m sorry. I didn'’t mean to do this.

Get me on the subject of my husband,

I can'’t help it, sorry.

Oh yeah, that was a great marriage.

It was a great love affair.

Yeah, they really adored each other.

When he passed, she started wearing the bow for Bobby.

[narrator] Two things never happened after Bobby died.

She never married again.

And she never wore a bow in her hair that wasn'’t black.

Two years after Bobby died,

Rose Marie had to say another goodbye.

With 158 shows in the can,

"The Dick Van Dyke Show" came to an end.

I said at the very beginning,

I said, "We'’ll go as far as we go while we

"while it'’s still fresh."

And in the fifth year I kept seeing repetition

in story ideas

and everybody itching to go places.

Dick Van Dyke had already done"Mary Poppins,"

and the movies were running after him.

Mary went off to go to Broadway.

And I said, "We all have some place--"

I was starting to do feature movies.

And I said, "Let'’s go out strong.

"We'’ll just go out with strong shows."

We were all heartbroken. I was just sick.

That combination and the chemistry.

Mary and I almost became mind readers.

And it was such-- it was an improv.

We were an improv group.

And I just hated to see a team like that break up.

It just made me so sad

because I'’ve never had that experience since,

that kind of wonderful tight involvement that we had.

I hated to see it end.

[Rose Marie] We were devastated.

But we finished because Carl was afraid

that we were dried up.

I said, "We haven'’t done one in color."

We could go another two years in color.

And that'’s how the show ended.

We were very sad, all of us.

I always wondered.

She was as good as Lucille Ball or Carol Burnett.

She should'’ve had her own show at one time I think.

My husband had passed away. I didn'’t want to do anything.

I didn'’t want to sing, I didn'’t want to talk.

I wanted to be left alone.

[narrator] Starring in a big television show

is very different today.

Each main cast member generally gets a share of the profits.

[Rodrigues] "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

had a residual schedule then

of after six showings there are no more residuals.

[narrator] Meaning Rose Marie hasn'’t made money

off"The Dick Van Dyke Show" in over 50 years.

She had always worked because she loved it.

But now, as a single mother, Rose Marie needed to work.

Mary Markham who was booking "Hollywood Squares"

called me up and said, "I want you to do this show.

"All you got to do is sit up there and talk."

Well, that didn'’t seem too hard.

[narrator] Rose Marie was no stranger

to the game show genre.

In the late '’50s, she was the first female game show host

in history.

The program was called "Scoop The Writers."

♪

Before have Wendell

to explain how our little game plays,

I should like to introduce you three boys.

Boys! [laughs]

[laughter]

These guys were boys when Madame Butterfly

was a worm.

[narrator] But at the same time the popular quiz"Twenty One"

was discovered to be rigged

and put under Congressional investigation.

Most networks cancelled their game shows.

Our celebrity and comedy-driven "Hollywood Squares"

brought the game show back into the American living room.

[Rose Marie] They got Peter Marshall

who was the best that ever happened.

And he'’s still the best.

He knew when to coach you on, he knew when to stop you.

He knew when to lead you. He was wonderful.

-Listen, Ro. -All right, Peter.

Please, we must move along here.

People have to win cash and prizes.

According to "Dear Abby," is there a law

that can force a man to marry a woman?

Yes, and I think it'’s called a mother-in-law.

[laughter]

I thought it was going to be a 13 week show,

to be frank with you.

Then of course I ran 16 years.

So, you never know what'’s gonna happen

in this business.

[Rose Marie] I was with the show 14 years.

And, for some reason or other, I was just there.

Nobody ever said "Go home."

I was just there.

I never knew any of the jokes.

All I had was the questions.

Important: We were never told

what the questions were going to be.

And nobody was told anything except be funny, do your best.

And we couldn'’t even pass

the people in the hallway of NBC.

We didn'’t--they didn'’t want us to talk to any contestants

because of the scandal that they had.

So they were very careful.

It'’s the easiest thing I ever did.

Oh God, it was fun.

It was just fun. It was like a party.

And you got paid wonderfully well for this.

And it left you open to be able to work Vegas

or whatever you wanted to do.

[clap]

Then I was lucky enough

to go to"The Doris Day Show."

Now Doris had just lost her husband.

And I had just lost mine.

And I thought, "God, we have something in common

"to begin with."

It'’s going to be cry on whose shoulder, you know?

And I went into rehearsal, and she was just unbelievable.

She was--she'’s the greatest lady I'’ve ever known

or worked with.

For some reason or other,

I have never stopped in this business.

After I got through doing a play,

and there were no plays to do

I'’d get into something else.

I would do my concert act, you know, in concert.

If there wasn'’t enough places around to do that,

I would get into television again.

And if there wasn'’t enough television going on

I would make personal appearances.

I always went from one thing to the next.

[narrator] Rose Marie'’s role on"The Doris Day Show"

only lasted three seasons.

[Rodrigues] My mother'’s at home. She'’s not working.

She'’s calling her manager every day

going "Why aren'’t I working?

"I'’m not doing anything. Get me a damn job."

Out of this persistence,

her manager says, "Well, I'’m working on something."

4 Girls 4take one. [slap]

4 Girls 4was a strange combination of people.

Rose Marie, Rosemary Clooney,

Helen O'’Connor, Margaret Whiting.

Four big egos.

They were each stars in their own right,

in their time,

but it had been 15 or 20 years

since anyone had been performing onstage

making that kind of noise again.

I thought, "Who the hell is gonna pay money

"to go see four old broads up there on a stage

"singing with a band?"

Yeah, at their age, but they didn'’t move like their age.

[Sviridoff] Miraculously, it caught on right away.

[Rodrigues] They started to play these theaters

and these venues that were huge.

And they'’re sold out.

They'’re sold out!

[Sviridoff] It was selling out week after week after week.

They were selling to 15,000 people a show.

You know, they were-- they were rock stars.

You'’ve got to be kidding me.

The audiences loved them.

I mean, it was standing ovation time.

And what was going on backstage? Chaos.

Oh, the egos were at it, fighting, fighting, fighting.

Frankie Ortega, my conductor, he goes with the show,

or I don'’t go.

My mother took charge of the show.

I was the one that put the finale together.

She had to have a closing number.

Learn this, we'’re going to do this for the finale.

You do this, you come out here,

you do this, you do that.

♪

Oh, come on, Frank. Hold it, Frank.

Hold it, Frank! [whistles]

Frank! Frank. Hold it.

Hold it, you don'’t seem to understand.

See that part I go, "Smiley face..."

You'’re not supposed to play in there,

see, because I'’m going to the next phrase,

and if you'’re playing that while I'’m singing the next phrase

it'’s not going to sound good,

and they'’re gonna think I can'’t sing, see.

So you don'’t play anything. That'’s all me.

Was she stubborn? Was she sweet all the time?

Was she a pain in the ass? She was all of those things.

She was no pushover, that'’s for sure.

She could be the sweetest, most loving person,

but you don'’t want to cross Rose Marie.

She'’ll cut your head off.

I was the production manager,

and I had to do the lights and the sound

and the touring things.

But I also had to act as the, you know,

as the peacemaker.

[Shapiro] They carried piles of luggage,

and everybody had piles of music and piles of costumes.

-Hold Rose Marie'’s bag. -Sure. Oh, geez!

[laughs]

Rose Marie, is this your bag?

What do you have rocks in here?

That'’s just my hair brushes.

And piles of ego.

Helen wasn'’t that nice.

She was a troublemaker.

I love show business. You love it before?

-Or you go out you love it? -I adore it.

Helen, when you get out there, do you love it?

-No. -When do you love it?

-Never! -[laughs]

I love music. I don'’t like to perform.

[Rose Marie] She thought she owned4 Girls 4.

And she hated me because I was the one

that made all the suggestions,

and they were taken.

I think it'’s safe for me now to say this.

I haven'’t said it to anybody before.

But walking across the street in New York City one day

with Margaret Whiting, Margaret said to me

and this was a woman that always spoke well of people.

I mean, she was a gentle, gentle soul,

a loving soul.

And she said to me,

"I just want to pull all of Helen'’s nails out

"and hold her hands over fire."

There were times we wouldn'’t talk to one another for days.

And one time she got in with me for some reason or another.

And Clooney says, "Well, you know how she is."

Clooney and I got along great.

Rose Marie and Rosemary had a camaraderie

like nobody else.

They spoke the same language.

They both slept till the middle of the afternoon.

They both stayed out late at night.

I mean, they were party girls. They were a lot of fun.

[Rose Marie] We knew what we had.

We knew that something was good happening to us.

And we were very proud of it

because every one of us was good, you know.

Even Helen.

For Rose Marie, it was a wonderful thing

because she hadn'’t been doing that much.

And she needed something like that.

She--there was no place to perform anymore.

Where you gonna perform?

You have understand that on the business end

these women before4 Girls 4

were probably, you know, a thousand dollar act

on their own.

When they did4 Girls 4,

their numbers grew to such a point

where they were making tens of thousands of dollars.

And then tens of thousands of dollars each week

and then times 38 weeks.

So, the income level for women in that situation

was quite extraordinary.

I kept saying to them "You know how lucky we are

"at this stage of our life?"

♪

[applause]

[Shapiro] Rose Marie'’s always anxious about work.

Any performer is as good as their last show.

When you finish one show, you'’ve got to start again.

You'’ve got to go find another show

whether it'’s a show, a recording,

a television thing.

Whatever it is, you have to go find a new one.

Well, that'’s not easy.

[Rodrigues] I mean, work supersedes everything,

always has.

I don'’t want to say it'’s a drug,

but I think in her case it'’s a drug.

It'’s something that she has to do all the time.

She'’s never stopped working, ever, ever.

From the time she was a child, she has never stopped.

I'’ve literally seen her get on the phone

and call Aaron Spelling,

and she says "I'’m not working this week,"

and the following week she has a"Love Boat."

[clacking]

[Rose Marie] My resume reads four pages, you know,

of just episodic guest shots.

I'’ve done all the big shows.

[Rodrigues] She did a couple of"Murphy Browns."

"Caroline in the City," "Suddenly Susan,""Wings."

But it was getting to the parts of playing

pain in the ass mother-in-laws

that were mean or whatever.

She became a "character actress."

This is your woman, huh? Hey!

[laughter] Dainty little miss, ain'’t she?

[laughter]

When Gus van Sant

decided to remake"Psycho,"

he needed somebody to play the mother.

And who did he get?

Don'’t you touch me! Don'’t, Norman!

Put me down!

And I'’ll walk on my own! [laughs]

As her daughter, I thought it was typecasting.

Huh, boy? You have the guts, boy?!

Jesus, scared the hell out of me.

I saw her do some of the character parts

where she played all the people.

She'’d do it wonderful. She was great.

But there weren'’t enough of them.

[Rodrigues] The last thing that she did was a voice

playing a witch in a Garfield cartoon.

I'’m free, free from the prison

of that dusty old book!

And she absolutely loved doing that, loved it.

And she was "working" again, she was working.

And she was a different person when she did that.

Even though she was willing to play character parts

and play old people,

it was hard for her to get work.

The frustration of her not working is--is huge.

Of course, she wants to work.

She really does want to work.

[Rose Marie] I feel strange that I'’m left.

Why am I left?

I don'’t--I can'’t do anymore.

I can'’t do anything.

What can I do? Go out and do a show again?

Ro, you know, physically is not

she can'’t run around the block.

But mentally she'’s as good as ever.

[Rodrigues] She has told me that she'’ll lay in bed,

and she will go over her act in bed just--just doing it.

And that "Is there a way that I can come out

in a wheelchair and do my act?"

And it'’s a horrible feeling when you

when your mind is working

and your body refuses to be with you.

Now we'’re contemporaries. I can still play a little golf.

I can still run, I can walk.

So I work, you know.

I'’ve been on the radio for many, many years.

"Music of Your Life."

I'’ve been doing it for like 25 years.

And I still do a lot of stuff with PBS.

So I'’m busy. I'’m one of the lucky guys.

[Van Dyke] I'’ve had a 70 year career,

and still I just made a movie in February.

So it'’s--and I'’m not about to retire.

[laughs] Too much fun.

Look, I'’m 92, and I'’m writing my fourth

my third, maybe my fifth biography, believe it or not.

I may be the oldest writer ever to have written

novels and, this way, biographies.

[Rose Marie] I miss my career.

I'’d give $1,000 to do my act right now

and show them how it'’s done

because nobody does a good act anymore.

They smell, all of them.

And I want to go out on the stage and show '’em.

That'’s being conceited.

But I'’m good, I know I'’m good.

[Boll] She'’s been overlooked in a lot of areas.

She'’s had multiple Emmy nominations.

She'’s always lost out to someone who passed away

that same year.

Huge joke in the industry.

You don'’t want to be nominated

opposite Rose Marie, or your life may be in peril.

She'’s an aggressive woman,

but she'’s never been aggressive in pursuing awards.

And in this industry you have to because you have to nominate--

you have to put yourself in for an Emmy.

You have to put yourself out there.

And she'’s never been aggressive in pursuing acknowledgement

for her work whereas there are a lot of performers who do.

[clacking, chatter]

[chatter]

[camera shutters clicking]

The last time I saw Ro

I represented her when she won the Shirley Temple Award.

And I said if anybody should win the Shirley Temple Award

it should be Rose Marie

because Ro was to radio and Vaudeville

what Shirley Temple was to motion pictures.

[chatter]

She started out when she was three years of age.

You know, the award tonight is the Shirley Temple Award,

probably the greatest child star of all time in motion pictures.

And Rose Marie was three years old in radio,

probably the greatest child star radio ever had.

She was the biggest singing star in America,

and she introduced hit after hit after hit.

And then she went on to nightclubs,

and her life is--I mean, she worked with people

like Joey Lewis and the Ritz Brothers

and Milton Berle when she was a kid,

when she was a kid with all these people.

She used to work for, seriously, Al Capone.

[laughter] That'’s not a joke.

And I'’m just so proud to have her as my buddy and my friend.

And I'’m very proud to be able to present to her

the Shirley Temple Award.

I have no idea where the award is.

[laughter]

The Shirley Temple Award was created

to acknowledge an individual who was able to make

a transition from child star, in her case Baby Rose Marie,

to adult star with ease and with recognition,

constantly working.

She never stopped.

She'’s one of the very few that continued to work,

didn'’t just stop.

Is this on?

It'’s on, it'’s on. Yeah, it'’s on, it'’s on.

♪ Gotta dance [laughs]

Thank you. Thank you, Peter.

You can sit down now. Thank you.

[laughter]

What a wonderful group you people are

to do this and to give it to me.

I mean, Shirley Temple was something very special.

I was going to tell you all about her,

but somebody else did that.

I was going to tell you about me, but Peter did that.

So I have nothing to say except I hope the salad'’s good.

[laughter]

[laughs] I think--you know, I'’m so used to telling a joke

that I'’ve got to tell you a joke.

[applause]

This guy dies and goes to heaven,

and he goes and he says to St. Peter

"I want to see the Lord."

St. Peter says, "I have to talk to the Lord."

Goes to the Lord, he says, "There'’s a guy out here

"who wants to see you."

He says, "Go back and ask him what he did."

Goes back to the guy, the guy says,

"What did you do out there?"

"Well, I gave an old man a dollar once."

"That'’s good."

Goes back to the Lord, he says,

"Man says he gave him a dollar once."

"Ask him what else he did."

Goes back he says, "Peter, you'’ve got to find out

"from the Lord what else did you do."

"I gave an old lady a dollar once."

Goes back to the Lord, and he says,

"Gave an old lady a dollar once. What will I do?"

Lord looked at him, he said, "Tell you what,

"give him his two bucks back, and tell him to go to hell."

[laughter]

[applause]

I thought I'’d leave '’em laughing.

[applause]

♪

[singing in Italian]

Oh, I love those Irish songs, they'’re so...

[singing in Italian]

You should only know what that means.

[singing in Italian]

Just play the notes. Don'’t dilly dally around.

Just play the notes.

♪ Lazy Mary, will you get up

♪ She answered back that "I'’m not able" ♪

♪ Lazy Mary, you'’ve got to get up ♪

♪ Because we need the sheets for the table ♪

♪ Oh la la ♪ Get up, we need the sheets

♪ Oh la la Get up, we need the sheets ♪

♪ There is a cow down on our farm ♪

♪ She'’s young young and tricky ♪

[trombone blaring]

That'’s a cow?

Lots of luck.

♪ But last night she ran away with a bull ♪

♪ And now she'’s a Bolsheviki ♪

♪ Oh la la

Going to get better as we go along.

♪ Oh la la She is a Bolsheviki ♪

♪ Spaniards have their native wine ♪

♪ And the Germans have their beer ♪

♪ The Irish drink their whiskey straight ♪

♪ Because it brings them cheer

♪ The English drink an awful lot ♪

♪ Because it brings on dizziness ♪

♪ We Americans have no choice at all ♪

♪ We drink that whole darn business ♪

♪ Oh la la [singing in Italian]

[music ends]