Hollywood loves a funeral. In 1969, the industry was already starting to hum the dirge for Mary Tyler Moore’s career. Hard to believe now, but the woman who defined the independent female lead character was considered a one-hit wonder after her post-sitcom film career stalled. Then came the TV specialDick Van Dyke and the Other Woman.
It aired April 13, 1969 and it changed her career.
Moore had spent years as Laura Petrie, the wife in the capri pants who cried 'Oh, Rob!' with a lilt that made it charming. But when the curtains closed on The Dick Van Dyke Show, the magic didn't follow her. She did a musical called Thoroughly Modern Millie and a few dramas. Then the entertainment industry started whispering: maybe Moore was a sidekick. A relic of the early sixties.
But Dick Van Dykeknew better. He invited her onto his musical variety special and ttreated her like an equal, not a guest star.
The two of them stepped onto the stage and moved like they were wired into the same nervous system. They sang and danced through intricate routines that would make modern performers dizzy. Moore wasn't "the wife" anymore. Moore had a stage presence that made viewers remember Laura Petrie while also showcasing her range.
CBS executives were watching from the wings and their offices and saw the performance of a woman who could carry a show without a husband in the frame. Because of that hour of television, an idea grew, later turning into The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
The special proved she had the gravitas for her own show.
“Outside of her family, I don’t think there was anyone more proud of her than I was.” Van Dyke later said about their partnership. That talent was never in question for the fans, but the suits needed a nudge. The Other Woman was that shove. It stripped away the 1950s wife persona and offered a peek at a modern woman ready for the 1970s.
Moore caught her second wind in a pair of dance shoes, proving the suits wrong before the credits even rolled.
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