I heard that a director told Mary Tyler Moore that they wouldn't be able to show Georgia Engels' full dance performance due to time constraints, but both MTM and Ed Asner told him that they could cut their lines. That was true class and generosity in giving of themselves for Engels!!
Georgia is one of those rare entertainers that could do it all; sing dance, act and and blessed with comedic timing in her delivery. She’s an American treasure.
Of all the performances ever given by Georgia Engel throughout the entire run of this series, this one stands out above all the rest. Miss Engel had been involved in ballet and musical theatre for several years before first appearing on Mary Tyler Moore's program in late 1972. Her singing and dancing skills certainly came in quite handy for this episode. Like the mild-mannered Clark Kent changing into the mighty Superman, Georgette Baxter puts on her costume and is immediately transformed from a meek, mild, ditzy blond into a super-powered high-stepping super song and dance woman. This episode demonstrates how little we know about a television character until we see them doing something we never would expect them to do.
I had watched The MTM show from beginning to end, and I had no idea Georgia Engel could do musical theater until this episode aired. After that, I wished I could have seen her on Broadway, but it never happened.
Georgia Engel had a strong theater background. She was in the original production of Hello, Dolly as Minnie Fay (she was a replacement later in the original run). The role calls foe strong comedic timing and strong dancing. She was an incredible performer.
I had been watching The MTMS from the beginning and saw Georgette’s evolution from Ted’s shy girlfriend to his wife, developing a bit of a spine in the process. I didn’t know about Georgia Engel’s theater background, however, so when I watched the original airing of this episode, my jaw dropped, and my admiration for Georgia Engel’s talents went way up. RIP, Georgia, you made many more fans because of this wonderful scene.
I just started watching mtm in reruns and I just love it. I got alittle teared up watching this,I miss all of them when they were thriving. Im 53 and learned to appreciate the talent of her.
Georgette Engel was quite a talent and I knew there was more to her than just a sweet voice talented actress but an incredible dancer for sure! I sure miss her and the gang from WJM News from back in the 70s. The Best Show around and were other shows started to take bits and pieces from this incredible MTM.
I had the pleasure of seeing her a couple of times on Broadway as the delightful Mrs. Tottendale in "The Drowsy Chaperone". Sweet, charming and funny to the last....
Although this is the only occasion where Miss Engel displayed her singing and dancing abilities in this series, she is to MTM Enterprises what Ginger Rogers was to RKO Pictures, Ruby Keeler was to Warner Brothers, and Eleanor Powell and Ann Miller were to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A true genuine dancing queen. She certainly belongs in the same league with those women.
Georgette Baxter is simply awesome. Absolutely brilliant. Truly amazing. And in the words of Murray's wife Marie, just sensational. This is a very funny and classic episode that just goes to prove what a talented and versatile actress and performer Georgia Engel really is.
This episode is to Georgia Engel what "Chuckles Bites the Dust" was to Mary Tyler Moore and "The Lars Affair" was to Cloris Leachman. Both Mary and Cloris won Emmys for their performances in these episodes. Georgia Engel was nominated for best supporting actress in a comedy series twice for the last two seasons of this show, but she never won. With a performance like the one she gave in this episode, I'm pretty sure she would have got the Emmy also.
Wonder Woman (Mary Richards) and the rest of The Super Six (Lou, Ted, Murray, Sue Ann, and Marie) all watched with excitement, as the mighty Supergirl (Georgette) used her great musical singing and dancing powers to save the awards show from certain disaster.
If the characters from the Mary Tyler Moore show were like superheroes, then Georgette Baxter was truly Supergirl in this episode. Her "Steam Heat" song and dance number she performed on stage at the awards show was a real show-stopper. Or perhaps we should call her Mighty Mouse, because of her distinctive, soft, high-pitched speaking voice.
In the third-season episode "The Georgette Story", Georgette tells Mary and Rhoda that she sells Golden Girl cosmetics, and she calls herself a "Golden Girl". Even though she has since left that job, she is still a Golden Girl, and always will be.
I haven't seen this in a long time. I think the first time I heard this song (by anyone) was during this episode. Soooo many years ago. ;-) Thanks for sharing.
Ted was a total asshole about this. It was great that Georgette put him in his place after the show, telling him he felt threatened by her doing something well without her. You go, girl!
This is a message from me, Murray, and, oh, yeah - her husband, Ted; anyone - and YOU know who I'm talking to … who gave Georgette Baxter (Georgia Engels) a 'thumb's down' … we'll have to meet you out back, after the Teddy Awards, to have a …little talk...
@@mgrella63 Perhaps. I don't know a lot about her, but I looked her up and see she was a Christian Scientist, and I see they believe being gay or lesbian is wrong and can be cured. Georgia died at age 70 in 2019 and not much is known about that, except that Christian Scientists often don't seek medical intervention. They rely more on prayer. So perhaps she could have lived longer. I know there are people who can live a happy life as a single person and never have any desire for children. It is truly possible. If a person does this, it doesn't necessarily follow that they are lesbian. There are people who really value their peace and quiet and only find this in singularity. Think of how many hassles one avoids by not marrying or having children. If some women don't have children when young, they sometimes develop problems such as fibroids that prevent them from conceiving even in their 20's and 30's.
@@JB-3794 - Life is hard and many that are married struggle with decisions that is why "Linda Ronstadt remained single due to not wanting to compromise. It is hard to do. Plus, Diane Keaton never married but eventually adopted kids in her 50s. because she wanted them. So many new actresses feel the same way too not to get married and as they say, "it is a choice."
@@JB-3794 -So true. I believe her interest in being an entertainer was very important to her and most times one has to give 24/7 which is tough enough in the 70s not to mention today. The competition is fierce so "don't judge a book by its cover!"
...I remembered when this aired, EVERYONE in School was talkin' about it! ...Classmates were goin', "...sssssssss- STEEEEAM-HEAT!!" ...The original Roxie Carmichael....
Mighty Mouse, you say? It was he who coined the famous catchphrase, "Here I come to save the day!". I'll bet Georgette Baxter was thinking the same thing when she arrived at the hotel for the awards show that night. Only in her case, it would sound more like "Here I come to save the night!", or "Here I come to save the show!" In this aspect, she was also like Mighty Mouse. And save the show she did! Go, Georgie!
Anyone know who choreographed this? It's not the Fosse original but is so perfectly tailored to her. And I remember watching this episode on its first airing with my family, and the uniform reaction was, "WOW!!"
Great!! I feel her character took a bit of a back burner to the rest in that show, & it shouldn't have. Less Lou, Mary & Ted would've suited me Just fine on that.
Seriously? The whole point of the routine was to show viewers a side of Georgia Engel she had not been able to show in the comedy series. She was a trained dancer, just as Mary was. Mary used to do ballet classes on the set on their breaks.