My inspiration for this post came from my dear, longtime blogging friend, Debbie @ Musings by an ND Domer's Mom, who is not only a gifted...
One of the pluses about staying indoors right now is that I'm watching some of the television shows I used to watch when I was a kid, and having such a good time.
One of those shows was, "That Girl."
True Confession:
When I was growing up in the late 60's, I was insanely fascinated with "That Girl." And not only was I fascinated with it, I actually wanted to be "That Girl." Errrrrrrr... I mean, "That Guy."
In case you've never heard of the show (which I'm sure many of you have not), here is a brief synopsis:
-----------------
Aspiring actress Ann Marie moves to New York and works at a series of temp jobs while waiting for her big break in show business, while her overprotective father, Lew, looks on nervously. Although she is focused on her career, Ann also finds time to fall for magazine executive Donald Hollinger, to whom she eventually becomes engaged. Her friends include two married couples, the Bessemers and the Baumans. Harvey and George are her agents.
-----------------
"That Girl" was a sitcom that was ahead of its time because it was about an independent single girl, who lived alone in New York City pursuing her dream of being an actress. Up until that point, most 1950's television shows depicted women as passive; either living at home with their parents and waiting to get married, or married and dependent on their husbands for pretty much everything. However, the 60's was a decade when females were starting to break away from being stereotyped into a specific role.
One of those shows was, "That Girl."
True Confession:
When I was growing up in the late 60's, I was insanely fascinated with "That Girl." And not only was I fascinated with it, I actually wanted to be "That Girl." Errrrrrrr... I mean, "That Guy."
In case you've never heard of the show (which I'm sure many of you have not), here is a brief synopsis:
-----------------
Aspiring actress Ann Marie moves to New York and works at a series of temp jobs while waiting for her big break in show business, while her overprotective father, Lew, looks on nervously. Although she is focused on her career, Ann also finds time to fall for magazine executive Donald Hollinger, to whom she eventually becomes engaged. Her friends include two married couples, the Bessemers and the Baumans. Harvey and George are her agents.
-----------------
"That Girl" was a sitcom that was ahead of its time because it was about an independent single girl, who lived alone in New York City pursuing her dream of being an actress. Up until that point, most 1950's television shows depicted women as passive; either living at home with their parents and waiting to get married, or married and dependent on their husbands for pretty much everything. However, the 60's was a decade when females were starting to break away from being stereotyped into a specific role.
And Marlo Thomas (who portrayed Ann Marie) had a lot to do with that because she actually thought of the idea for the show and presented it to the producers. They were hesitant at first, but eventually decided to give it a go, which was a very smart move because the show ended up being a hit for five years. And to make the deal even sweeter, the company Clariol, was eager to be their sponsor.
Oh, you should have seen me back then, GLUED to the television set every Friday night on ABC...
Here is a screenshot of a TV Guide (remember TV Guides???) showing the time slot of "That Girl" in its final season...
I think the big attraction for me was that the show took place in New York, which even back then as a little boy, I found myself drawn to that city. And another attraction was that Ann Marie's dream was to be a working actress, which is exactly what I wanted to do:
1) Live in New York City
And 2) be a working actor
Which ironically, I did.
As a kid, I used to get so excited seeing all the New York film locations during the opening theme song...
This is a photograph of Ann Marie's first apartment. She had two during the five-year run, however, I much preferred her second apartment. Here is a scene from the show in which she and her friends are playing Charades...
This is Ann's boyfriend, Donald Hollinger (played by Ted Bessell), who I always thought was so damn cute! You see, only not did my true childhood confession include living in New York City and being a working actor, but it also included having Donald Hollinger as my boyfriend...
...and aren't I oh-so purrrrrty?
Have a super week y'all!
Oh, you should have seen me back then, GLUED to the television set every Friday night on ABC...
I think the big attraction for me was that the show took place in New York, which even back then as a little boy, I found myself drawn to that city. And another attraction was that Ann Marie's dream was to be a working actress, which is exactly what I wanted to do:
1) Live in New York City
And 2) be a working actor
Which ironically, I did.
As a kid, I used to get so excited seeing all the New York film locations during the opening theme song...
Ann had her eyes and goals set on BROADWAY...
Here are some photographs of the fashion in the 1960's.
Notice how BIG her hair was. That 60's flip and bang hairstyle became the iconic logo for the show...
Notice how BIG her hair was. That 60's flip and bang hairstyle became the iconic logo for the show...
I love this next photograph because it shows the traditional color scheme of most American kitchens at that time. Everything was either Hellmann's mustard yellow, harvest gold, or avocado green. Or a combination of all three...
And oh my god, look...a rotary PAYPHONE! Remember those? When I was a kid, payphones were 10 cents for a local call for the first three minutes. After three minutes, the operator would suddenly interrupt your call and asked that you deposit more money or you would be disconnected...
This is a photograph of Ann Marie's first apartment. She had two during the five-year run, however, I much preferred her second apartment. Here is a scene from the show in which she and her friends are playing Charades...
Ann's parents, Lew and Helen Marie (played by Lew Parker and Rosemarie DeCamp), brought so much comedy to the show...
This is Ann's boyfriend, Donald Hollinger (played by Ted Bessell), who I always thought was so damn cute! You see, only not did my true childhood confession include living in New York City and being a working actor, but it also included having Donald Hollinger as my boyfriend...
In the fifth season, Donald proposes to Ann and they get engaged, and that is how ABC concluded the final season. Marlo Thomas decided that she wanted the viewers to be left wondering if Ann and Donald ever got married. Personally, I think they did...
Here is the opening theme song to the TV show in 1970...
Yes, I admit it.
And laugh if you must.
I always wanted to be THAT GUY...
And laugh if you must.
I always wanted to be THAT GUY...
...and aren't I oh-so purrrrrty?
Have a super week y'all!
And stay well...💗
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)