MovieChat Forums > Mary Tyler Moore (1970) Discussion > Changing hairstyles; signs of the time o...

Changing hairstyles; signs of the time or something else?

posted 8 years ago by Asteri-Atypical
7 replies | jump to latest

Looking at the contrast in hairstyles from the onset of the show to the end, I couldn't help but notice how the ladies' styles were less interesting, less attractive, as time went on. The most dramatic of these was Phyllis, who went from "wow" to "meh" from 70-77 — as a matter of style far more than age.

I don't recall, from pics and TV, whether there was such a shift from the onset of the 70s to the mid-70s (I was too young to have paid much attention to these things personally). Was it style? Or were the producers trying to give a different "look" to the ladies? For instance, I've had to wonder if they wanted to make MTM look older, more conservative, after the first couple seasons.

______
Hail to the Cheeto!

[–] shango7200 8 years ago

As noted before on here-- the JUMP from 1970 to 1975 was a HUGE one. It seems like EVERYTHING changed. The 1960s were still going in 1970---yet dead by 1975. Fashions when from girly-hippie to liberated . Also the ladies on the show GREW UP a little as well. Mary got promoted and Rhoda lost weight and gained confidence. That would account for some "changes" as well. Gone were groovy mini-skirts and many women wore those God-awful pants suits with a blazer and WIDE lapels . Also colors were toned down- no more pinks , purples and oranges. Navy blue, dark green , dark brown , beige , tan , earth tones were here to stay -- as well as polyester. Big & long hair made way for "short and sassy" (think Dorothy Hamill & Marie Osmond)
I'm pretty sure Mary wore a HUGE wig for season 1.
If anything Phyllis seemed to change the least. Cloris Leachman said she wore her own clothes for MOST of the show's run.
Hope that explains it .

"The ENEMY of my ENEMY is my FRIEND"

[–] Asteri-Atypical 8 years ago

I didn't see that other thread but it might be interesting to know which one.

Interesting to consider, though. I guess I haven't seen too many showed which went clear from 70-75 with consistent, real-life characters. Even All in the Family started a couple years later and didn't reflect the same, even though Gloria did change styles (but not to the detrimental effect of the MTM girls).

Yes, I knew the 60s were still in effect in '70, but never thought of MTM & crew as "60s." Not that I'm any expert 

Also the ladies on the show GREW UP a little as well.

I wondered if there was an effort to "age" them, especially MTM. They could have easily updated and made more sophisticated, their style, without making them look notably more conservative and dowdy.

You might be right about the wig in s1.

If anything Phyllis seemed to change the least.

OK... something seems off in my impressions, in light of that statement. I'm admittedly a bit of an "occasional viewer" as opposed to some of the die-hard fans (I've wanted to see more but always wanted to view them uncut), so I'm wondering if a character I thought was Phyllis at the end was NOT her. Because the woman I thought was Phyllis, in the last show, would have been almost unrecognizable from the attractive woman I recall from early episodes. I was thinking the woman with the Dorothy Hammil-ish haircut was Phyllis. Apparently not?

[–] shango7200 8 years ago

Like I said -- by 1977 even Cloris Leachman got "Dorothy Hamillized" with that ugly hairdo. So yeah- somewhat unrecognizable . But that was her.
But do yourself a favor- DVD sets have come way way down in price from the days of $39.99 and so on. Nab seasons 2, 3 and 4 and you will see what a really funny and endearing show this was.

Watching these in reruns today is miserable with all those medical / lawsuit commercials that run for like 10 minutes! I have NO IDEA how anyone watches TV like that-- not even for FREE. My God.

"The ENEMY of my ENEMY is my FRIEND"

[–] Asteri-Atypical 8 years ago

I didn't understand you were implying Leachman, too, was "Hamill-ized," but I did note the comment about Hamill, and didn't realize you excepted the last episode from the "changed the least" statement. Not to worry, though, I now understand 

It's too bad about styles. I recall the 80s, well, and always scoff at the flack the hairstyles get. Sure, a lot of students went overboard with the hairspray for senior pics, but that wasn't quite the normal daily wear. I think most people look back at yearbooks and think that was the daily norm  But it's especially notable when compared with some of the flat, insipid styles of today (fortunately such are not ubiquitous)

Thanks for the suggestion about box sets. Yes, that has kept me away from many classic series; the hideous cuts and commercials. If I don't find them on Hulu or similar, I often don't watch many of them. Now that MTM has passed, I find myself reminded of the interest in seeing much more of her show.

BTW - why did it end? I was thinking to make a post about it. Did the ratings plunge? Did the writers just feel it had run its course? Did the actors yearn for their starring roles in other shows? I noticed many of them very quickly moved to starring roles in other shows (Gavin in Love Boat, Lou in Lou Grant, Ted in Too Close for Comfort, etc)

______
Hail to the Cheeto!

[–] InherentlyYours 8 years ago

I was around in the 70's: in the mid-late 70's, the semi-pageboy with or without the hair blown-back, was the new trend. (along with long hair) Age 35-40 was older then, also.

Leachman was before-her-time with her very long hair at age 45 (though she looked young for her age), until she shortened it in 1975, so she naturally couldn't wear it up anymore after that.

With Mary, I never understood how it was a wig in season 1, since her natural hair line was very evident. Wigs with bangs usually solve that since the hairline is covered. If it was a "lace" piece, it's applied to bald skin to make it appear that the hair is actually growing out of the scalp (like mens' hairpieces) So, the only thing left is a weave-extension, yet, you didn't see any sign of that when she turned around; it look seamless in the back. Moore used the word "fall" when she described it.

When you look at the credits, her hair is just past shoulder-length and straight, in case that's a factor.

Also, there was that wig Moore wore temporarily is season 5-6 for some reason which covered her forehead more, maybe due to surgery she had, or those lifting-tapes that Lucy used to wear under her wigs.

[–] Asteri-Atypical 8 years ago

Indeed, Leachman was unusual, even for someone who looked unusually good for her age. That was rare even in the 80s and 90s.

I haven't seen many of the s1 MTM episodes, especially recently, so I can't speak to the natural degree of her hair; but I know it never struck me as a wig. It's only by comparison to later I could find myself thinking "hmmm, maybe." I don't understand "fall?"

______
Hail to the Cheeto!

[–] InherentlyYours 8 years ago

'Fall' is an older-term, which I think is an extension (or wiglet) that is attached on the top, and somehow covered by a headband or a braid of hair. I don't if a weave can have that effect in such a seamless way. Her hair in season 1 basically looked like the opening credits, but set with rollers.