Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett performing “The Scarecrow Song" on THE GARRY MOORE SHOW, aired 26 September 1961 on CBS
As a nod to their show-stopping performance of “Big D” five months earlier, Julie and Carol essayed another musical comic duet when Julie made her second guest appearance on THE GARRY MOORE SHOW. This time they opted for a routine based around “The Scarecrow Song” from THE WIZARD OF OZ. As Moore explains in his introduction, an eleventh hour spanner was thrown in the works when the producers were informed they couldn’t use the scarecrow costumes as originally planned due to copyright issues, so Julie and Carol had to perform in 'rehearsal clothes'.
“Whoever prevented Moore from getting permission should have had his head examined,” wrote one reviewer. “Not that it mattered,” he added, “The girls did a top-flight job”(Messina, 80). Most others agreed. “[T[here’s no substitute for talent,” asserted syndicated UPI critic, Fred Danzig, “Miss Andrews and Carol Burnett...were outstanding”(Danzig: 14).
Staged by many of the same creative personnel who would go on to produce JULIE AND CAROL AT CARNEGIE HALL the following year, this early performance contains several elements that would find their way into that later landmark special: the comic refrain of “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”, Carol’s gentle take-off of Julie’s accent, even some of the steps from Ernest Flatt’s remarkably athletic choreography. And this second duet teaming on THE GARRY MOORE SHOW certainly confirmed the infectious chemistry between these two disparate but wonderfully complementary performers, heralding a long and splendid association.
REFERENCES
Danzig, Fred. “Television in Review: Dialing and Filing.” THE DAILY REPUBLICAN. 27 September1961: 14.
Messina, Matt. “Moore is Back.” DAILY NEWS. 28 September 1961: 80.
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