It’s safe to say that if you’re around my age, your biggest exposure to Mary Martin was the performance, for television, of her starring role as Peter Pan in the 1954 musical adaptation. Martin was a lifelong tomboy, actress, dancer and singer, and though she appeared in nine films during her career, she generally preferred to working before a live audience in the theater, where she originated several classic musical roles for which the movie role went to someone else, namely Nellie Forbrush in South Pacific and Maria of The Sound of Music.
Here, a sketch from the Ford 50th anniversary show where she displays some great comedic timing, a certain amount of subtly biting satire, and a gift for physical humor. The show was hosted by Martin and Ethel Merman, two friends who would briefly share a broadway billing together twenty years later.
I’m sorry if this post inadvertently made you feel old.
(Thanks, tipster Lexie!)
