Remember that great episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show?” I know: I have to be more specific than that. Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore) has her portrait painted as a special gift for husband Rob (Dick Van Dyke). She is wearing a smart black blouse and slacks that he particularly favors, but the quirky artist paints her as nude. Of course, we never see the painting, but the fact was made very obvious. Incensed when she finally sees the finished painting, Laura destroys it by smearing it with paint and runs out of the studio in a huff. Except it isn’t destroyed. It’s hard to relate today how avant-garde this script was on network television in the 1960’s. It is what made “The Dick Van Dyke Show” ground-breaking and popular. So what happened next? Well, it’s a long story, but I’ve always thought Rob would have been quite pleased to have the artist’s version. I guess 60’s television wasn’t quite ready for that.
73 responses to “Museum Quality”
As I recall, the artist was the great comedian Carl Reiner, now 96 years old, and father of Rob Reiner. Carl also played Rob Petrie’s boss, Alan Brady, and a few other roles as well. He was the Dick Van Dyke Show’s creator, producer, writer, and actor. Truly a genius.
The episode was titled October Eve, and Carl Reiner did play the artist:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0559790/
And if anyone wants to watch it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ComdWBvE7o
I’m at work, so I’ll have to wait until I get home tonight to watch it myself. 🙁
Thank you, TruckerRon. I appreciate the link — it was a good episode!
My imagination ran wild thinking of Laura with her toe stuck in the faucet in the bathtub
Oh, yes! The episode was Never Bathe on Saturday. The details are at:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0559786/
I was just 11 when it aired, so I was busier laughing at the awkwardness of the situation and marveling at what motivated her to stick her toe into the spigot!
Today, many years later, my thoughts work differently!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUUIdNmUSrA
I hope they checked those plants for hitch-hikers first!
There: young elephant, warm. Here: 1/2″ snow on lawn.
https://explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife/african-animal-lookout-camera
Peace,
Jimmy, for those of us “of a certain age”, your first 10 words were sufficient – no specificity needed.
So, Jimmy, I’ve purchased two additional signed copies (thanks for that) of Beaucoup Arlo & Janis. Please keep up the great work so someday in the future my daughters will have a legacy.
They say investing in art is always worthwhile. For the enjoyment or financial return.
Buy for the enjoyment, then anything else is icing on the cake. After all, those hundred thousand dollar comics of today were yesterday’s 10 cent entertainment for children.
Mature fish scavenger at Great Spirit
https://explore.org/livecams/birds/falcon-nest-cam
Peace
Happy Birthday Ghost even if it is a day late.
We celebrated Ghosts birthday last night, four of our employees birthdays, my completing current cancer radiation round of daily radiation for three weeks and possibly early Thanksgiving with a huge turkey feast at our favorite local restaurant. Plus chocolate birthday cake.
It’s breakfast too. Dickens is eating leftover turkey.
I know you agree with me, Jimmy, that Laura Petrie was hot as can be, while Mary Richards was somehow not.
Just saw this on the weather channel. Peace,
https://weather.com/news/trending/video/rare-sperm-whale-sighting-in-arctic
Ken, do you think that was that the result of the writing or the acting?
I would say the writing. The MTM show did not have weak writing, just a different focus. We enjoy Jimmy’s work with Arlo and Janis because of the wide appeal of showcasing a couple’s personal interactions set against contemporary topics. When the focus shifts to those contemporary topics with less emphasis on two people who love each other, some of the magic is lost.
I think that it was mostly a matter of the writers not wanting the two characters to be too much the same.
BTW, doesn’t anyone else think the Sunday comic up top is hilarious? I don’t remember seeing the original, but I must have. I’ve been reminded of Elaine by one artistic image and another, / anatomy or spirit, but have never made such a public goof.
“Play Days” at the Como Conservatory in St. Paul is obviously in spirit; I didn’t know her when she was that young.
Peace,
emb, were you referring to this one?
https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/harriet-whitney-frishmuth-1880-1980-play-days-5846423-details.aspx
One of the greatest Dick Van Dyke episodes was the one with the Twilo Zone in it. (It May Look Like a Walnut) I gather that the bit about Laura riding the wave of walnuts out of the closet was unrehearsed because it would have taken several hours to set back up.
Another one, of course, is when their son found out that his middle name was Rosebud. I’ve never understood, though, why all of those relatives thought they had the right to dictate what the baby’s name was going to be.
Trucker: Yes, but here she is from five angles. Delightful sculpture in lovely surroundings. And, as Elaine said, “All men are … .”
http://www.comozooconservatory.org/attractions/art/play-days/#/info
Peace,