From Ethel Merman's autobiography "Merman - An Autobiography":
Her (Mary Jane Walsh) successor was a tall sexy blonde with a sardonic manner whose playing in revues, straight plays and musicals had won her a cult following. We knew we had an original when one of the first things she did after signing up was to get herself charged with indecent exposure in Central Park. The way she told it, she was out bicycle riding and got too warm. So she casually slipped off her blouse. Since she had a halter under it, she assumed she was properly attired, but a police officer didn't agree and she landed in the newspapers. That's Elaine Stritch's story.
But a few years later she got a lot of coverage by "absentmindedly" writing her grocery list on the back of an invitation to a party for Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden. When the delivery boy returned the invitation, she asked him to escort her to the party and stole the spotlight. She was always been a smart press agent and maybe, just maybe, she realized what would happen when she removed her blouse.
I've always suspected that Stritch's glands work overtime, because she has enormous energy and drive. Now I don't like letting anyone else play my role. A role is a very personal thing to an actress. You don't want someone else fooling around with it any more than you do with your toothbrush. So unless I have laryngitis or something else that totally incapacitates me, I'm there.
(Merman then goes on to tell the story of Elaine going to New Haven to sing "Zip").
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Updated On: 3/29/08 at 09:56 PM
