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Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
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Television has lost a trailblazer, a performer whose career stretches back 90 years, through ’70s game shows, classic ’60s sitcoms, and the heyday of radio all the way to vaudeville. That performer was Rose Marie, who passed away on December 28 at the age of 94.
A threat in pretty much every way imaginable; she slayed audiences with her beautiful, lived-in voice and her ferociously quick wit, and she was also protected by the literal mob for a while in her youth (her dad had, uh, connections). Born in 1923, Baby Rose Marie was a radio superstar by the age of 5. Yeah, she was the Shirley Temple before Shirley Temple was even born. She grew up alongside the 20th century, transitioning from radio to performing during the birth of the glitzy Las Vegas we know today in the 40s, and eventually made her way to television where she razzled and dazzled audiences coast to coast as part of The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Hollywood Squares.
Rose Marie wasn’t just an entertainer, though; she was a fighter, the embodiment of “brassy” that refused to be disrespected (like this story of her telling off a pervy director on a movie set). But most importantly, Rose Marie fought decades of sexism by not just being funny, but by being the funniest person in the room/theater/state. The lady did it all, inspiring generations of women and performers to follow in her footsteps.
When it comes to Rose Marie’s accomplishments, there are too many to list (track down a screening of the fantastic documentary about her life, Wait For Your Laugh). But if you want to see what Rose Marie could do when put in front of a camera and an audience, here are five primo examples.
'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' "The Secret Life of Buddy and Sally"
While The Dick Van Dyke Show was obviously Dick Van Dyke’s show, show runner Carl Reiner made sure to round out the cast with knockout talent. That’s why the show’s second-billed star was Rose Marie, a performer who already had 30 years of experience under her hair bow by the time the show started. As comedy writer Sally Rogers, Rose Marie played something pretty much unheard of in the early ’60s: a career woman. Not only that, she more than held her own with fictional co-writers Rob (Van Dyke) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam), proving to be an unstoppable joke machine both on and off set.
This episode from Season 2 sees Rob convinced that his co-workers are having an affair, thus leading him on a mission that drops him into the audience of–surprise!–his co-workers’ hotel show! This is a fantastic showcase of the entire DVD Show’s ridiculous talent (Mary Tyler Moore is a marvel), but Rose Marie really gets to cut loose and go back to her roots. She slings jokes and then turns on a dime to belt out her take on “Come Rain or Come Shine,” a raw but classy performance that is unlike anything you see on TV today.
'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' "Romance, Roses and Rye Bread"
The Dick Van Dyke Show split its time between Rob Petrie’s home life and work life, with his home life taking up way more than half of the attention. But every now and then, Sally Rogers would get the spotlight and Rose Marie would relish the attention. Sally’s episodes almost always focused on her hunt for a husband, and this one in particular took it to a new level. Sally meets a fawning admirer who bends over backwards to impress her, but she just ain’t feeling him no matter how many roses he gives her.
The special thing about this one is what it says about Sally Rogers as a character; this sweet, schlubby suitor says he’s waiting for Sally to stumble so he can catch her and they’ll fall in love like in the movies. The thing about Sally is, though, she doesn’t stumble. She’s strong, and her hunt for a husband is always on her terms. Basically, she’s looking to fall in love, and not just with any old guy that likes her. That was a powerful statement in 1964.
'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' "Dear Sally Rogers"
This Season 5 episode is another chapter in Sally’s never-ending manhunt, but the context it takes place in is fascinating. Sally Rogers might be one of the few sitcom characters to hunt for a man and retain her high status. She’s not a ditz, she’s not looking for a sugar daddy, she’s looking for legit love–but it’s not like she’s waiting for a man to complete her life, because she’s also a dedicated career woman. In this episode, Sally advertises for a fella while appearing as a guest on basically-The-Tonight-Show–where she is a regular guest! Sally is so successful as a comedy writer that she appears regularly on a nationally broadcast TV show! All the manhunt stuff aside, that’s a super progressive thing to see in the early ’60s, and it’s one reason why Sally and Rose Marie are true icons.
'Caroline in the City,' "Caroline and the Watch"
To really understand just how amazing Rose Marie was as a comedy performer, you have to jump decades past her Dick Van Dyke heyday and see her knock it out of the park as a 70+ year old performer on ’90s sitcoms. In this Caroline in the City episode, Caroline (Lea Thompson) tracks down the owners of an antique desk she purchased in order to return an old watch she found in one of the drawers. The search leads her to an elderly couple played by Rose Marie and her Dick Van Dyke co-star Morey Amsterdam, where they proceed to show the young’uns how you sell big jokes to the camera.
'Wings,' "Heartache Tonight"
Rose Marie returned to the Must See TV lineup with this guest spot on the final season of Wings wherein she played blowhard Roy’s no-nonsense mom. Even more so than the Caroline in the City episode, this one shows just how advanced Rose Marie’s comedic timing was. She fills this bit role with an intimidating swagger, something she pulls off while seated in a recliner! Watching Rose Marie take a bite out of this show right in front of series regulars half her age is a true joy, and a testament to her gutsy talent.
