Sally, a flight attendant?
She seemed a bit long in the tooth playing a 1970s stewardess. Those were the days of weight checks, appearance checks etc. etc. Her character looked more like she worked at a rental car counter.
shareI think they were going for a quirky character. The writers probably thought that it would be funny by having the contradiction of a sarcastic older woman as a stewardess.
shareShe was supposedly 39...and looked every bit of 45. Lucky for us, she only lasted 7 episodes - by the first ep of 1977 she was dropped...with no explanation.
"I prefer fantasy over reality TV - like Fox News" - B.Streisand
I like Anne Meara, but yes--this character was completely wrong for her.
And I have a feeling she may have been dropped because she was getting a bit too much airtime. There are at least a couple of the 'Sally' episodes I can think of where Rhoda seemed to be about to turn into The Anne Meara Show.
As I said a few weeks ago, it was obvious the writers were trying to give Rhoda (who now became Mary) her own Murray - the side-kick with the ever-ready sarcastic remark. But she and Rhoda never clicked, for Sally came across as too brazen rather than too likable (like Murray). Like Myrna before her, Sally dropped out of the picture with no mention of her ever again - and she was Rhoda's "best friend".
In 'Rhoda's Shower' we were introduced to the wonderful wealthy character Linda Monroe, played by Linda Lavin. As I mentioned in that thread - there was a plan to bring Lavin back in that character on a semi-regular basis, but plans fell through (animosity between Lavin and Harper was the rumor). It's too bad they didn't bring her back for this season (instead of Meara), she would have been a riot. But Lavin had started her own series 'Alice' that September.
"I prefer fantasy over reality TV - like Fox News" - B.Streisand
there was a plan to bring Lavin back in that character on a semi-regular basis, but plans fell through (animosity between Lavin and Harper was the rumor).
Entirely possible. I've read of both actresses that neither is the easiest to work with, and both were something of the prima-donna in their heydays. In Lavin's defense, it may also be that she was gearing up to become a regular on Barney Miller, as Det. Janice Wentworth. However, for whatever reason, that never happened and she only made several appearances, always remaining billed as a guest star. It's likely though, that this might have also been a factor in her failing to join the Rhoda cast on any sort of more fulltime basis. share
I think Anne Meara would have been better utilized as Rhoda's wisecracking neighbor than as a flight attendant that Rhoda met at a singles retreat. I agree with everyone else, Anne was too old, too sarcastic, and too...everything to play the part of a recently divorced flight attendant at a singles event. However, if it had been played by a prettier, younger actress, then that would have completely changed the dynamics of the "Sally" episodes, because the guys (other than Carlton, who didn't count because he was simply a voice and two lines of dialogue in an episode)would have been hitting on her constantly and Rhoda and Brenda would have definitely been pushed to the background.
Yep, I think the wisecracking neighbor would have been a much better fit for Anne and probably led to a recurring role for far more episodes than she ended up in as Sally, but maybe if the writers did consider anything like this they were afraid it would be too much of a copycat of Mary and Rhoda from the MTM Show, which it would have been, since Rhoda was now the skinny, "together" one, and Sally would have been the insecure, self effacing one, a la Mary and Rhoda.
but maybe if the writers did consider anything like this they were afraid it would be too much of a copycat of Mary and Rhoda from the MTM Show, which it would have been, since Rhoda was now the skinny, "together" one, and Sally would have been the insecure, self effacing one, a la Mary and Rhoda.
And that would have left Julie Kavner out in the cold, since Brenda was, of course, already pretty much filling Rhoda's old slot vis-a-vis the MTM Show.
I think it ended up in large measure there simply being no place for Meara. I agree, casting her as a stew just wasn't wise. Making Sally a wisecracking neighbor would have kept her at a bit more of a remove and would have probably prolonged the life of the character on the show. share
Later on, Meara would join Caroll O'Connor on 'Archie Bunker's Place' playing the 'cook' Veronica Rooney. Sadly, she played Veronica as the same harsh, sarcastic Irish New Yawkah as she did Sally Gallagher. She was very hard to like on that show as well - which is why I never watched it (she was in every episode).
I think Meara was funny as a stand-up comedienne with her husband Jerry on variety shows. But as an actress???? I don't know what casting directors found so appealing about her.
"I prefer fantasy over reality TV - like Fox News" - B.Streisand