Marlo Thomas and Ted Bessell. ABC/Photofest ©ABC
Overview
Mary Tyler Moore is often given credit for her contribution to the burgeoning women’s movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s for playing the first television role of a woman neither tied to or dependent in any way on a man in her personal life. That acclaim is well deserved. But it must be recognized that That Girl star Marlo Thomas blazed a trail for Moore by portraying a single woman in Ann Marie who was motivated equally by her career as she was in maintaining a relationship with a man, in this case boyfriend and then fiancé Donald Hollinger (Ted Bessell). Although her pursuits as an actress were greatly failures, adding to the comic development of her character, that the story line centered on her professional yearnings forever changed the role of women on television. The daughter of entertainment icon Danny Thomas also emerged as one of the most outspoken advocates of women’s rights in the television industry.
Ann arrived in New York City from rural Brewster, New York. She landed bit parts in plays and commercials but spent the entire run of the sitcom seeking her big break in vain with passion and enthusiasm that never waned. She continued her quest with zeal despite losing out on big role after big role in ways that might have led viewers to believe she was destined for failure, for example, the episode in which getting her finger caught in the kitchen sink causes her to miss her Broadway debut. Her inability to strike it rich as an actress forced her to accept far less exciting and satisfying work, but her spirits were always buoyed by Donald, whose encouragement came across as genuine.
The contrasting personalities between the grounded Donald and the flighty Ann, who got herself into predicaments worthy of Lucy Ricardo (for instance, getting swallowed by a rollaway bed, which displayed Thomas’s flair for physical comedy), proved to be one reason for the show’s critical success, which belied its lukewarm ratings. Thomas gained Emmy nominations for her role as a leading actress in four of five years on the show. Yet, like the Ann Marie character who couldn’t land the breakout role, she failed to take home the prize, although she did earn a Golden Globe for Best Female TV Star in 1967.
The only other significant character was Lew Marie (Lew Parker), Ann’s father, whose mistrust of Donald was never explained outside of an overprotective nature. Parker played the part with greater aplomb than did some of the other bit characters, none of whom could match the attractiveness of personality established by Thomas and Bessell.
The banter between Ann and Donald was downright charming, thanks greatly to show creators and writers Sam Denoff and Bill Persky, whose talents and previous success writing episodes for The Dick Van Dyke Show all but ensured success. The show earned a measure of distinctiveness and pulled in viewers by starting before the theme song, which was rare for that era. The story line for each episode was established when someone pointed to Ann and said, with emphasis, “That Girl!” A close-up of Ann Marie then cued the opening credits and theme music. That, too, proved memorable as a wide-eyed and beaming Ann was shown soaking in the excitement of New York, from flying a kite in Central Park to staring at the marquees on the theaters of Broadway.
The importance of That Girl in the social fabric of American entertainment has been underappreciated since it hit the airwaves, overwhelmed by the greatness and significance of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which has also been far more successful in syndication. But the work of Thomas and her show should not be placed in the dustbin of history. It must be remembered that she refused to accept the recommendation of NBC to marry Donald because of the implication that it would be the ultimate goal for a female character. That decision cemented Thomas’s place as a television trailblazer.
Beyond Ann Marie
Marlo Thomas remained active in the women’s liberation movement and acting after That Girl was cancelled in 1971, but it was her work with children that proved most influential. She spearheaded the creation of the record entitled Free to Be . . . You and Me in 1972, which sought to lure kids away from gender and racial stereotyping. Little could Thomas have imagined that the record would immediately go platinum. That inspired Thomas and her friends to follow up with a companion book and television special, both of which were well received. Thomas won an Emmy as producer and star of a TV special in 1974, and ABC, which aired it, earned a Peabody Award the following year.
Did You Know?
Aside from Thomas and Bessell, no actor performed in more than half of the 136 episodes of That Girl. Lew Parker was next with sixty-five, followed by Bernie Kopell as friend Jerry Bauman, with just thirty-one.
They Said It
Ann: [to the head of an acting workshop] Mr. Benedict, I’m a little confused about how my character should be played.
Jules Benedict: [slowly] Much . . . much . . . better.
Ann: That’s what I love about the theater! You know what I mean, Donald? One day you’re nobody, and the next, Ethel Merman is stuffing your cabbage!
Major Awards
Emmy Award Nominations (7)
1967 (1): Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series (Marlo Thomas)
1968 (3): Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series (Marlo Thomas); Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy (Danny Arnold and Ruth Brooks Flippen for “The Mailman Cometh”); Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy (Danny Arnold for “That Girl”)
1970 (1): Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series (Marlo Thomas)
1971 (2): Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series (Marlo Thomas); Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series (Ted Bessell)
Golden Globe Win (1)
1967 (1): Best TV Star, Female (Marlo Thomas)
Golden Globe Nomination, in addition to win (1)
1967 (1): Best TV Show
Further Reading
Douglas, Susan J. Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media. New York: Times Books, 1994.
Thomas, Marlo. Growing Up Laughing: My Story. New York: Hyperion, 2011.
———. The Right Words at the Right Time. New York: Atria Books, 2004.