I think this is a sole reason as to why Nancy Walker should not be a lead..

[elegant20]

Flop TV Weekend: BLANSKY’S BEAUTIES - TV Guidance - Macleans.ca

Take Blansky's Beauties. I think she was better playing Rhoda's mom and taking on side characters instead of being a lead character. I mean, remember Murder By Death? I think she was much better for being a side character instead of a lead character. I mean, remember the show she had other than Blanksy's Beauties that did feature a gay actor...I think came around the same time as this one, but it lasted only a short while and was quickly canceled. I think Blansky's Beauties was her replacement for the variety show she had. Anybody remember that one?

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

Nancy Walker was a FABULOUSLY talented woman. An actress and a singer and she was probably only 5 feet tall!

Broadway Rhythm

Bluebells of Broadway

Best Foot Forward

Rhoda

I Can Cook Too

Wether it was Broadway, Rhoda, Mary Tyler Moore or old Hollywood musicals she did it all. Shalom Aleichem too. And as the Bounty paper towel woman she got new fame that led to other things. She was just great!

 

[elegant20]

Now she was brilliant on Broadway. I even adored during her short MGM years during the 40s as well. But I just thought that some of the scripts she was offered such as these (Blansky's Beauties) did not showcase her true talents.

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

. But I just thought that some of the scripts she was offered such as these (Blansky's Beauties) did not showcase her true talents.

That is tru...Big TIME! That truly wasted her talents!

 

[nudeyorker]

Now she was brilliant on Broadway. I even adored during her short MGM years during the 40s as well. But I just thought that some of the scripts she was offered such as these (Blansky's Beauties) did not showcase her true talents.

I can't speak for Miss Walker, I feel that she was a talented woman, however in terms of what (work) you are offered; particularly later in life is sometimes very complex. I had this conversation with someone recently about some of the choices we both made in life and our careers and this has stuck in my mind. "I took the best things that were being offered at the time. I did _______ because they were not offering me Shakespeare In The Park."
No one does a sitcom because it releases the artistic ability inspired by the muse, they did it for the money. And if they have the talent to do something more critically acclaimed then they did not have that opportunity at that juncture in their life.

 

[Mickactual]

Nancy Walker was a FABULOUSLY talented woman. An actress and a singer and she was probably only 5 feet tall!

Not to mention a director. How can we possibly forget "Can't Stop The Music"?

 

[nudeyorker]

Not to mention a director. How can we possibly forget "Can't Stop The Music"?

I had a bet with someone on how many posts it would take for that to be brought up!

 

[Mickactual]

▲I'd be thrilled to know I was responsible for putting some tax-free cash in Your pocket.
:biggrin1:

 

[nudeyorker]

▲I'd be thrilled to know I was responsible for putting some tax-free cash in Your pocket.
:biggrin1:

I lost, but thanks anyway!

 

[2322]

I can't speak for Miss Walker, I feel that she was a talented woman, however in terms of what (work) you are offered; particularly later in life is sometimes very complex. I had this conversation with someone recently about some of the choices we both made in life and our careers and this has stuck in my mind. "I took the best things that were being offered at the time. I did _______ because they were not offering me Shakespeare In The Park."
No one does a sitcom because it releases the artistic ability inspired by the muse, they did it for the money. And if they have the talent to do something more critically acclaimed then they did not have that opportunity at that juncture in their life.

OTOH, sometimes it's a sitcom that makes your career.

I know you had some experiences with Nancy Walker and so you likely know her better than anyone here. Would you care to illuminate us?

I think character actors are some of the best, hardest-working, and least appreciated people in acting. It's very easy to take their work for granted because the best of them make it appear so easy.

 

[2322]

Flop TV Weekend: BLANSKY’S BEAUTIES - TV Guidance - Macleans.ca

Take Blansky's Beauties. I think she was better playing Rhoda's mom and taking on side characters instead of being a lead character. I mean, remember Murder By Death? I think she was much better for being a side character instead of a lead character. I mean, remember the show she had other than Blanksy's Beauties that did feature a gay actor...I think came around the same time as this one, but it lasted only a short while and was quickly canceled. I think Blansky's Beauties was her replacement for the variety show she had. Anybody remember that one?

The show flat out stinks. Walker is actually good in it. She can act, unlike the others who are merely spouting lines at the camera. The Bambi character isn't terrible either, but the rest? WOW! They flat out suck. The writing isn't any good and the cast doesn't have the cohesion they need to do comedy. That show number was just horrible despite being the perfect opportunity to showcase the jiggle factor the show hoped to capitalize upon.

What I find really odd were the relatively few half shots. For a show that wanted to trade on comedy and T&A, there weren't nearly enough close-ups, 3/4, or half shots. It's like the director didn't know how to capitalize on the ample physical assets of the stars. Three's Company and CA certainly did this much better though I understand that broad comedy frequently needs to have broad shots because physical interaction is important. Still, compare it to another comedy show like Golden Girls, which had many close shots, and it really fails to deliver on both the T&A and the comedy. Marshall's shows seem to all be filmed like this and I think it was completely unsuited to the material of this particular show even if it worked well in other shows.

 

[elegant20]

It is very true that Nancy Walker was one talented character actor. How she handled it was with class, especially with terrible shows like her Blanksky's Beuties or her own show(forgotten the name, it featured a gay man), is really quite remarkable.

Funny you should mention Can't Stop The Music. Ironically, that was what killed the Village Peoples' career and they never recovered from it. Interesting that see a pre-surgery Bruce Jenner, Valerie Perrine, and a very young Steve Guttenberg added to that cast. Lots of bulge shots in that film though, despite as to how terrible it really was and not to mention it was plotless to begin with. But it was released at a time when Disco was dead: 1980.

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

It is very true that Nancy Walker was one talented character actor. How she handled it was with class, especially with terrible shows like her Blanksky's Beuties or her own show(forgotten the name, it featured a gay man), is really quite remarkable.

Funny you should mention Can't Stop The Music. Ironically, that was what killed the Village Peoples' career and they never recovered from it. Interesting that see a pre-surgery Bruce Jenner, Valerie Perrine, and a very young Steve Guttenberg added to that cast. Lots of bulge shots in that film though, despite as to how terrible it really was and not to mention it was plotless to begin with. But it was released at a time when Disco was dead: 1980.

What killed that movie besides a bad script was the fact that almost no one in the movie could act. I'm sure as a director Nancy Walker went home at night and either laffed her head off or puked all nite in the bathroom. She must have known from day one it was a doomed project and tried to make the best of it. And what resulted was the best she could probably get out of those people. Bruce Jenner..actor? Earth to casting directors.....

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

If nothing else Nancy will always be the woman that sang And I Can Cook Too!

 

[naughty]

If nothing else Nancy will always be the woman that sang And I Can Cook Too!

I love that song. How do you like Patty Austin's version?

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

I love that song. How do you like Patty Austin's version?

Oh my I'd LOVE to hear HER version of it!!!

 

[elegant20]

Bruce Jenner couldn't act out of a wet paper bag, I agree. Though Bruce looked "normal" then compare to now...he looks like a plastic Ken doll now.

 

[CUBE]

For 30 years my mother and I have used the phrase "The Nancy Walker Syndrome" to give example to any actor we love that is best as a side player and not a lead. Better to want more of them instead of too much of them. Glad others noticed the same thing. She was so great though

 

[elegant20]

Such a shame she was shy off her 70th birthday when she died of lung cancer.

 

[elegant20]

Though may I add that liked her role in Murder By Death. What a cast....Truman Copote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Seller, Maggie Smith, James Cromwell, Eileen Brennan, etc.......what a cast! Though my personal favorite cast is the one from Clue.