I Am What I Am by John Barrowman

John Barrowmn with Carole E. Barrowman. I Am What I Am. London: Michael O’Mara Books, Ltd., 2010.

John Barrowman was in the TV series “Torchwood” which first aired in England in 2006. Prior he was worked on numerous shows. His first TV appearance was as a backing dancer and singer on “Opryland Special” with Barbara Mandrell. When he first filmed a speaking part, he was given lines to say by a man with a thick Scottish accent, which resulted in him repeating them in a thick Scottish accent.

The show was successful. It was moved to BBC1 in its third series. Yet the third series had 5 episodes rather than the usual 13

When Barrowman and fellow “Torchwood” actor Burn Gorman rehearsed weapons scenes, they did so between their trailers, This helped them know where to be for the “crew rehearsal” (a.k.a. “camera rehearsal”) so the crew knew where to be so they can perform their duties without getting in each others’ ways, Barrownman notes that on another show he was o there were up to 60 people on the set.

Once during taping, Barrowman forgot he was not supposed to make verbal sound effects of gunfire when he was shooting a weapon, Sound effects are used and both sounds would be on the tape, A re-take was required

Actors must have patience, Barrowman advises. Scenes are re-filmed at different angles. Something as a glare fro a light can cause a scene to be re-shot, Oe scene took three hours to film.

A scene involving a lie detector flashing different colored lights required a woman operating the machine sitting off-screen between Barrowman’s legs. Barrowman, who is gay boes states that was “a place where no woman has gone before.”
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Barrowman admits to stealing a prop. He took a prop paperback that he began reading in-between takes.

Barrowman was a judge on a TV talent show. He drafted possible responses to contestant successes and failures so he would have some lines ready. He advises that staring blankly after a contestant’s performance on live TV doesn’t work.

A young boy once asked Barrowman why his character, Captain Jack, was oing in a Costco store. Barrowman replied he was undercover and asked the boy if the boy had seen a Cyberman, The boy replied he didn’t and they shook hands.

One boy once told Barrowman “I don’t care if Jack likes a man or likes a woman, he’s still my favorite hero.” He gave the boy a hug.

Barrowman observes that “gaffer tapes holds up (and keeps down) anything.”

Barrowman was a childhood fan of Lindsay Wagner. He once stopped his limo when he saw her so he could run up to her and meet her, His husband later told him “I dont think you’re ever cut through traffic that fast for a woman in all the years I’ve known you.”

In a scene where Barrowman’s character had to walk barefoot on top of rubble, sanitary towels were placed on the bottom of his feet.

Barrowman read and loved the script for a BBC Radio 4 “Torchwood Special” He agreed to do it It was the most listened to show in BBC Radio 4 history as well as the most downloaded program on iPlayer. He agreed to record three more shows.

Barrowman recommends that actors treat their dressers and make-up artists with the same respect as they do their co-stars.

Barrowman was in the TV show “Desperate Housewives”. Most interior shots shots were filmed in a stage. The exterior shots of Wisteria Lane are houses on the Universal lot that are not facades but have rooms inside for filming, The show had one of the largest and extensive make-up trailers.

When Barrowman first met co-star Drea de Matteo, she greeted him with a smart comment containing cuss words. This helped cut the ice and they got along.

Balancing It All by Candace Cameron Bure

Candace Cameron Bure with Dana Wilkerson: Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose. Nashville, Tn: B&H Publishing Group, 2014.

Candace Cameron Bure grew up in Hollywood. Her mother showed some photographs of her who showed them to an agent. The agent asked to see her and her siblings. He agreed to represent her brother Kirk and sister Melissa for a year. Candace was too young at age four and her sister Bridgette had braces, so he turned down representing them. He did ask Candace to return in a year. Candace began acting in commercials at age five. This led to some appearance on TV shows and then TV movies.

Her mother sought to keep the children focused and away from the chaos of the entertainment world. Her mother served as their managers.

Her brother Kirk was hired for a role in the TV series “Growing Pains”.

Candace got a role in the movie “Punchlline”. While filming, she also won a role on the pilot for the TV series “Full House”. Yet the filming schedules conflicted. The “Full House” producers agreed to film her around his movie commitment schedule.

Candace was tutored on the set, beginning at 8 am. It was required she be tutored an average of three hours daily. She was tutored for five hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The adults rehearsed during this time. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, she began rehearsing at 1 pm.

Candace would leave the studio between 5 pm ad 6 pm on Mondays through Wednesdays. The show would tape on Fridays before a live audience beginning at 5 pm. It usually took 4 to 5 hours to tape.

Candace found it helpful that her mother had gone through similar situations with her brother Kirk. She was more experience in managing Candace.

Candace learned to have a balanced life. She was involved with her religion and spirituality. Her parents did not let her attend parties where other child stars would get into trouble. She believes this all helped her have a more normal childhood.

Candace went to public junior high school yet found she was bullied and teased for being on television. This drove her to leave public school to studying with a tutor. She realized her mother recognized what she was going through and tried to have her meet as many school friends as she could despite her working schedule that took away many afternoons and evenings.

Candace “had a blast” filming a TV movie “Finding Normal” for the Up Network. People on the set had fun and laughed a lot. She advises people find enjoyment in what they do.

She enjoyed filming “Full House”. She mentions that co-stars Bob Saget and Dave Coulier were often joking, often with jokes that were not appropriate for children, “although not direct” as their mothers were there.

The family involvement increased when Candace’s sister Bridgett was hired as Candace’s stand-in.

Candace loved meeting fans. At one mall in Canada about 20,000 fans appeared for autographs. She regrets that there was not enough time or security to sign for so many people.

Candace’s mother became an agent. Candace then hired a new manager to replace her mother.

She and most others who were on “Full House” were stunned when they learn the show was cancelled.. The show had started the season with strong ratings.

Man Up! by Ross Mathews

Ross Mathews. Man Up! Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2013.

Ross Mathews began his TV career as an unpaid internship, while in college, on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno/” He arrived dress in a used suit (crossing his legs to hide a hold in the crotch) to discover he was interviewed by a woman wearing sweat pants. When she explained the internship would not be glamorous work, he replied it was better then cleaning the inside of trash cans at McDonald’s. He was hired on the spot.

The internship consisted of making copies, getting lunches (even though food was provided by caterers throughout the day), and delivering mail and messages

While the internship was unpaid, Mathews learned how to “accidentally” on purpose take extra food from the NBC cafeteria and to hide it to eat later. When he was called in to see the head writer, he feared he had been caught and feared getting arrested. Instead, they asked if he wanted to be on the show during interviews at a movie premiere. He accepted.

The eccentric Ross Mathews was a hit. “Ross the Intern” was given additional on the air assignments.

He met Gwyneth Paltrow while interviewing her. He asked to be friends with her. He was surprised to learn she watched him on “The Tonight Show” and agreed to be friends. They really did become friends.

Chelsea Handler asked Ross Mathews to open for her during some of her comedy shows. She was impressed She now produces an interview show Ross Mathews has on the E! network.

Ross writes about his life long interest in entertaining. He also writes about his youthful realization that there are people who bully people who they think are gay. He also writes how he realized he is gay and how he embraces who he is. 

Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Hollywood by Michael B. Druxman

Michael B. Druxman. Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Hollywood: More of My Wacky Adventures in Tinseltown. Albany, Ga.: Bear Manor Media, 2013.

Druxman advises that the most important quality required in the film industry is tenacity. It took him ten years before he sold his first screenplay. Once that happened, more offers were extended.

Druxman was an agent. Druxman collected movie press kits. He discovered a bookstore that was selling press kits that had been stolen from the Warner Brothers library. Warner Brothers got their press kits back. From then on, Warner Brothers was more apt to listen to Druxman when representing his clients.

Druxman began as a Drama major (he lated switched to Sociology) at the University of Washington. He learned, when wondering why a humorous line was not getting a laugh, was that an actor should never anticipate the laugh. Stating it naturally allowed the humor to come forth.

Druxman went into stage directing in Seattle theater. Druxman observed Seattle did not present edgier plays. He successfully challenged their perceptions and fought over censorship with the theater board. He then cast and directed the plays that he wanted to present.

Druxman found there was not much money to be made in community theater. He moved to Los Angeles. He opened a low cost publicity service for the film industry. It was called Michael B. Druxman and Associates, although there were’t really associates. The standard deal was Druxman received 5% of an actor’s income during the time he handled publicity.

Druxman had three clients who stayed with him when they receive larger incomes. He considers them “men of principles”. THey are Steve Kanaly, Michael Ansara and Henry Darrow.

One client whose career he tried to resurrect was Reed Hadley. Yet there was a demand for new talet at a time when Hadley was a familiar face yet lacked a memorable name as a box office draw.

Druxman was hired to add dialogue to the movie “She Freak”. His name does not appear in the credits. He earned not to let that happen again.

Druxman observed that, in a comedy duo, the straight person’s reaction to a comic’s joke is what causes laughter.

Druxman can confrim from steam club membership that on of the most endowed actors was Rock Hudson. As several frustrated actresses stated, “what a waste.”

Druxman handled publicity for several composers including John Williams and Johnny Mandel.

Gale Gordon was a Druxman client. A published once asked Druxman to write a biography of Gordon as none existed. Druxman explain there was no book, as he did his work, went home to his wife, and was never involved in any scandals.

Edward Dmyrtryk, a director, was a client. Drmtryk once told an actor, who questioned his motive for a scene walking through a door, that “your motivation for walking through the goddman door is that’s the only way you can get into the goddamn roo Now, shut up and let’s shoot the scene.”

Druxman similarly recalls when he was directing and a addressing an actor on his motivation, telling him “Your motivation is that that’s where I want you to be.”

A director Gerald Mayr once told Druxman that, when directing animals, there is “nothing to it. I just tell the trained that I want the chimpanzee to do this or that, and the trainer makes the chimp do this or that.”

Druxma did publicity for Stanley Myron Handleman. He became popular and did several TV appearances as a comic. Handleman fired Druxman. Handleman found peopel began to ire of him and his career dwindled to a few appearances.

Druxman represented Jack Carter. They had a falling out yet ears later had friendly reunions.

Druxman represented Nicholas Hammond, the actor who was the first life action Spiderman on the 1977 TV series “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Hammond though, ever wore the Spider-man costume as that was a stuntman.

Druxman notes it is not just talent that gets parts. Often an actor fits a conception that the director has for how the character should be. More talented people are often rejected in favor of an actor who fits the part.

Richard Castallano was one of the most difficult clients Druxman represented. He was demanding. He threatened creative people with threats suggesting he had mob connections.

Charles Nelson Reilly was a client. Druxman found him as “scatterbrained” in real life as his acting persona. Reilly was on “The Dean Martin Show” where Marin and guests read their lines from cue cards with little or no rehearsals. Reilly learned his lines until once his script blew out of his convertible car. He decided from then on to also read cue cards as the others did.

George Raft was actor Druxman knew although they didn’t work together. Druxman observe how Raft, a big star, turned down roles in what became big hit movies such as “The Maltese Falcon” and “High Sierra”. Raft [aod $10,000 to get out of his contract. Raft ended up hosting at a restaurant in return for meals and little pay.

Druxman had a client who wanted an expensive trade ad celebrating that the actor had one line on a TV show.

When an actor has a poor performance, the truth can hurt and lying may be bad. Keenan Wynn once advised, when seeing an actor after a bad performance, to smile, shake the actor’s hand, punch the actor on the shoulder, and say “son of a bitch.”

Barbara Hershey, a Druxman client, changed her name to Barbara Seagull. She then changed it back.

A writer once wanted to create a TV series based on a character he wrote for a “Get Smart” episode. The writer later realized the “Get Smart” owners had the rights to his character.

Druxman writers how powerful the film industry is. A major star, unnamed, once killed a woman in a drunken hit and run. The studio was able to keep the story from the press.

Druxman doubts author’s Charles Higham’s ethics in printing gossip without finding facts. Highman wrote Errol Flynn was a Nazi spy while those who knew Flynn find without any merit. The Flynn estate sued yet couldn’t since the law states a deceased person can’t be libeled.

Watch Movies Learn Screenwriting by Joan Erskine

Joan Erskine. Watch Movies Lean Screenwriting. New York: Everybody’s Write, LLC., 2012.

Screenplays should tell good stories. A good story often comes from within the writer’s passion

A screenplay must engage an audience into desiring to watch a film. The screenplay present the film’s sound and describes the sights.

Most screenplays have a three act structure about a major character. facing challenges throughout a story presented within a theme. Plot points move the story towards dnew directions.

The first plot point often has the main character doing something different from what the character usually does. This new behavior creates the story. The second plot point creates conflict of some kind. The story turns towards a new direction just before Act II is over, This new directions usually leads to the end.

There are many themes, from love, fear, etc. The theme creates emotions through the story. The theme and story are intertwined. By making this interesting, an audience is entertained.

The main character should have a goal established in the first act.

A story’s true meaning is demonstrated through its genre. This creates a film that is of a genre such as biography, black comedy, buddy film, comedy crime drama, drama, documentary, fantasy, film noir, farce, historical, horror, musical, romantic comedy, satire, thriller, true crime, western supernatural, science fiction, etc. or some combination of these.

Character development is shown through providing the character with empathy and for the audience to development empathy for the character. The character may do something that makes the character sympathetic he protagonist should go through a character arc that changes the protagonist.

Character arcs can be seen as psychological changes where th character learns to cope or overcome a fear.

A character arc may change a character’s needs goals point of view, and/or attitude It is important there be high stakes for the protagonist to undergo this process.

An antagonist exists in a story to try and prevent the protagonist from reaching the protagonist’s goals.

Supporting characters provide the protagonist with a means of reflection and creating a voice, Often they question the views of the protagonist.

Characters require contrasting voices. These voices may still agree with others,

Showing something through action is often far better than presenting it in dialogue.

“Direct dialogue” is that which is obvious or “on the nose” dialogue. “Subtext” conveys through messages with underlying, different meanings.

Exposition is often used to show emotions and personality during conflicts. Actions though are often better to use than exposition.

Dialogue should consider characters’ personalities and emotions.

When writing a screenplay, find a theme find an idea; create a story; create characters; give characters arcs, goals, and needs;  create views, attitudes, values, feelings positive qualifies flaws, fears and beliefs for characters; know the life events that impact the characters; and write dialogue.

Scene development often is improved with interesting locations. The screenwriting should consider the important of timing. The mood or tone need to be shown. The protagonist is present along with showing the protagonists’s current state. Important other characters are introduced. There often is a bookend presentation of the first scene. The plot point sets events in an exciting new direction. There usually is reflection. In the second acts, events often take a “minor detour”. The protagonist finds some success, gains confidence. and takes the lead. The second plot point makes a final decision definitive. The Third Act presents final hurdles the protagonist must overcome. These are resolved.

The Technique of Film Editing by Karl Resiz

Karl Reisz, The Technique of Film Editing. 8th Ed., New York: Focal Press, 1960.

This book claims to be the first film editing published in England when it was first published in 1953.

V.I. Pudovkin declared that film editing is a form of creativity. How a film is edited can help express emotions and ideas. Even the early Lumiere Brothers films of the 1890s realized that editing was a form of expression.George Melies used camera trick shots in his eiditng. Edward S. Porter, a camera operator for Eison, used shots from different shoots to place together into displaying an intended idea in a film. Porter’s editing were revolutionary then in film. Porter demonstrated that editing can display a sense of time or could display a continuity in parallel actions. D.W. Griffith shows how editing can increase dramatic tension. Griffin woud show increased details in showing larger schenes for heightened drama. The editing of various degrees of close shots and long shots can heighten audience reactions. The correct rhythm of presenting scenes in editing impacts the visual presentation.

Sergei Eisenstein observed that the use of cross cuts, close shots, flash backs, etc. has similarities to literary techniques. The book notes that Soviet filmmakers then were taught how to create film for achieving political objectives.

Pudovkin wrote of the principle of constructive editing. Editing consider the celluloid film  and the composition of its appearance. A film narrative is displayed.

Griffith often favored long shots continaing close shots that crease dramatic effects. Pudovkin preferred continuity with details exposed in sequence. .Pudovkin did not like shots that lasted too long or using close shots more to break up a too lengthy scene.

Pudovkin experimented to demonstrate how shots are edited could change a viewer’s emotions. He saw film editing could be a mens for composing art.

Griffin’s films usually featured human conflict. Pudovkin’s films often concentrated ore on sidelights and story overtones. The editing reflecting their needs.

Eisenstein’s silent films were aimed more towards commentary over plot and the editing presents ideas leading to an ideological point. Eisentein saw his movies montages as intellectual movies where each picture in the moive has a single meaning that presented together create an intellectual context. The author finds the main difficulty with Eisentein’s style of movies is that viewers often find the point of the movie as obscure. It requires many viewers to further study an Eisetein silent film to understand what Esenstein intended to present.

The introduction of sound to film complicated film editing as sound and sight both needed to be edited. It became more important to pre-determined the order of shots in a film, how cameras should be set to film, and the timing of cuts when editing. A film had to have editing that was smooth in appearance. By contrast, many silent films including ones by Eisenstein and Griffin often had abrupt editing.

The director is usually responsible for a film’s continuity. Thus the director is often in charge of the editing.

Filmmakers ofen used symbolism in films. Often these are skillfully edited into films.

Documentary films often reuqire editing that focus on the film’s plot.

Edwin Porter had a rudimentary editing style. Conflict was timed in order to uplift the hero. Reaction shots contributed to visual contrasts.Cross cuts showed physical conflicts.

The author advises presenting an audience the physical details on a scene before moving to an action scene. Otherwise the viewer may be confused. Action scenes need to be carefully edited so the emphasis of the action is properly placed.

The placing of actors and their movements are important in scenes and how the scenes are edited.Sometimes editing focuses on a particular character, or sometimes a particular star actor that is the draw in attracting people to see the movie.

Serious films usually avoid jerky cuts that detract from its serious nature. Comedies are more apt to use jerky cuts or similar cuts that create discontinuity or anything that increases comedic distortions.

Russian montage sequences often use contrasting images that contribute towards an intended cumulative effect.In most American and British films, montages are generally rapid shots that convey a specific story.

Whatever a film has a plot or a theme often determines how it is edited. Documentary films are often theme oriented. Documentaries often have much raw film that needs to be edited into a documentary report. The presentation often has to appear life-like.

A film editor has to select which filmed material to use What is chosen should represent the desired mood. The sequence chosen should bolster that desired mood.There often should be a smooth continuity.

An educational film must b edited to avoid confusing the viewer. The changes presented must be deliberate.

The timing of shots is important. If the timing is too quick it may be confusing. If it is too long it may be boring.

Editing newsreels often requires keeping a “human angle” to the film.

Ernest Lindgren sees editing as “a filmic representation of reality through abrupt changes of view as a proper rendering of observed experience.” It is noted that most views occur from a stationary camera position and editing alters the directions of view or makes shots closer or further away. A lucid, smooth edting is usally required. The editing needs to be properly timed with a proper pace and rhythm.

Cuts can occur through dissolves or cuts. Some comedies use dissolves to allow time for laughter while moving to the next scene.

Sound editing can involve different levels and quality of sounds

Editin (circa 1960) involved numbering wih a wooden clapper the scenes that are shot. A sharp modulation appears on the sound track associated with the clapping sound These points are notd on the celluloid. The celluloid is placed into a synchroniser. A synchronized reel of sound and another of picture are created.  The reels are shown to check that they were properly synchronized. The same numbers are printed on the edges of both reels. Editing is done with either a Movioa, Acmioar, or an Editola. The film is placed into one of these achines and film viewed at a speed, up to three times normal, which is controlled by a foot pedal. A switch determines whether the film is viewed forward or in reverse. Most machines have a flywheel that slow the film viewing speed. The flywheel can be used manually to view frames one or a few at a time. When it is determined where to cut a film, that point is marked by pencil. Scissors are used to cut the film. Films are joined together on a splicer.

Editors usualy are who decides to lengthen or shorten a scene. Sometimes a sound editor or a composer may make a similar decision although usually the director makes the final decision.

While editing, the film editor must decide whether to use dissolves, fades, wipes, or some other optical effect. These decisions are on a form used by the laboratory developer.

After the visual is edited, a sound editor often works on a film. The dialogue is checked. If there are problems with the dialogue, actors may return to re-record the dialogue in what is knon as post-synchronising.

The music is usually added by the sound editor after this point. The sound editor then re-checks the sound. Some sound effects may be added. Some sound effects use as much as 12 tracks.

Sound dubbing occurs at this stage. The sound volume is set according to what is desired. Sound mixers may change the volumes of different tracks. The approved final sound is recorded onto one final version track.

A picture negative is then created in a laboratory. A married print is made from the negative for projection to viewers.

I, Rhoda by Valerie Harper

Valerie Harper. I, Rhoda. New York: Gallery Books, 2013.

The author had the role of Rhoda Morgenstein from 1970 to 1987, first on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” as Mary’s sidekick and then as the lead on the spin-off series “Rhoda”.

Harper knew from age six she wanted to be a performer. She took dance classes, including ballet, tap, and tumbling. She attended the Quintanos School for Young Professionals, which was a school aimed at entertainment families, even though her family was not in the entertainment business, with classmates such as Sal Mineo, Carol Lynley, and Tuesday Weld. At the same time, she studied at the Ballet Arts.

Harper began studying acting under John Cassavetes yet found it confused and left after two weeks.

Harper’s first paid job was for six weeks at Radio City Music Hall with the 36 member Cores de Ballet. She performed four times a day. The position required learning new dance numbers whenever the accompanying movie being shown changed. She found Radio CIty Music Hall backstage had dormitories with beds, showers, and a large cafeteria. She enjoyed the experience.

Her first film was dancing in “Rock, Rock, Rock”  which starred her classmate Tuesday Weld.

Her first regular job dancing was in the Michael Kidd Broadway production of “Li’l Abner”. She found the cast friendly and not backstabbing, which was the opposite of a common myth about fellow actors. She received $75 a week for eight shows per week. The show laster six months. After that, Harper went with the show where it played in Las Vegas for two months.

Harper gained weight and took diet shots to lose the weight. She got hepatitis from the shot. She had to leave as a cast member on Michael Kidd’s next play “Destiny Rides Again”.

Harper was cast in the movie “Li’l Abner”. Doing this caused he to gain weight again.

Harper than was in the Broadway play “Take Me Along” with Jackie Gleason. Gleason at times drank a lot, het his performances were always strong. Once, a man in the audience threatened to jump from an opera box seat in mid-performance. Jackie Gleason stopped him by yelling to him “Hold it right there” and then spoke to him long enough for security to reach him and pull him to safety. Gleason then resume acting with “sorry, folks, everyone wants to get into the act.”

Harper participated in her first strike when Actors’ Equity struck for a high minim pay plus better conditions, including no concrete floor rehearsal studios. She watched Celeste Holme at a Guild meeting proclaim “We must calm down. We are not a union. We are a Guild” to which Shelley Winters responded “Celeste, sit down! You don’t know your ass from your elbow. These kids are dancing for eight hours a day and destroying their legs.”

One of her fellow actors in “Take Me Along”, Jim Cresson, recommended Harper consider acting. Harper decided to take acting lessons from Mary Tarcai. Tarcai had been blacklisted for refusing to name Communists. Harper found herself failing at her acting studies, to which Tarcai replied Good Fail here in the studio, not out there when you’re working on a role.”

Tarcai taught Harper that “Acting is not about you self-expressed. Its about you creating other people.”

Harper earned a living by also appearing at industrial/trade shows.

Harper appeared in the play Wildcat” with Lucille Ball.

Harper was in the play “Subways are for Sleeping” produced by David Merrick. Merrick realized that critical reviews were going poorly so he found seven people with the same names as critics and had them watch the play for free and then used their names and photographs in ads praising the show.

Harper next acted in summer stock in “Come Blow Your Horn”. Harper was then offered to dance in the next Michael Kidd show. She turned it down to pursue acting.

Harper worked in sketch comedy clubs such as the Bitter End with performers such as Linda Ronstadt and Jerry Jeff Walker.

Harper became active with the Committee for the Employment of Negro Performers. The group picketed the show “Subways are for Sleeping” that Harper was in. They were upset that Blacks were not cast in the roles of Grand Central Station porters, positions that in real life were held by Blacks. Harper joined in picketing her own show until it was time to report to prepare for the show,

Harper joined Seven Arts CORE which fought to integrate the mostly white entertainment industry. She volunteered in their office. General Motors agreed to hire Blacks in their industrial shows.

Haper was convinced to move to California. He got a role in the TV series “Mayberry R.F.D.”

Paul Sills, who created Second City, convinced Harper and her husband Dick Schaal to join in forming a group called Story Theater that included Mary Frann and Peter Bonerz.

Harper worked in a small Los Angeles theater. A casting agent tracked her down requesting she audition for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. She was hard to find as she did not have an agent. Harper viewed the callback as an experience to work on her nervousness while reading with an established star as Mary Tyler Moore. She did not think she had a chance at getting the role. She looked at Mary Tyler Moore and told her “Look at you, white pants without a long jacked to cover your behind.” The producers laughed as she had become the role of Rhoda. She got the part She received $700 a week. She continued working with the Story Theater.

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” production team was “lighthearted yet professional”. There was lots of laughter as people set out to do serious comedy. This was the first TV show to focus on a woman’s career.

There was table reads and first blocking on Mondays. There were blockings on Tuesday while the writers, while watching the blockings, determined how the material was working. Some times an entire script would be rewritten for Wednesday.

Harper learned to hit her marks for camera shoots, which she had not done in theater. She learned that script revisions were not a sign she was doing bad work but that the writers were improving the script.

Thursdays were rehearsals.

The first pilot of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was redone and the redone pilot was bought by CBS.

Harper was often nervous before tapings, Mary Tyler Moore advised her to think of one scene at a time instead of fretting over the whole show.

Viewers identified with Rhoda’s issues of weight struggles and dieting. Rhoda was a foil to the eloquent Phyllis, portrayed by Cloris Leachman. The relationship between Rhoda and Phyllis was made complicated by having Phyllis’s daughter liking Rhoda.

Jay Sandrich observed that Harper increased awareness of feminism in America with her portrayal of Rhoda. The show present real adult characters in adult issues without resorting to caricatures. The show relied on intelligent humor.

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” had seven female writers such as Linda Bloodworth-Thompson.

Harper won for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Rhoda. She began being recognized in public. She continued appearing on stage with “Story Theater” and went with the show when it went to Broadway. Linda Lavin replaced her when she returned to her TV work and then Harper resumed her role when her TV filming ended.

“The Mary  Tyler Moore Show” continued being successful by allowing the characters to change and grow. It was not the same type of jokes rehashed each week yet new issues and stories that were presented. New characters were introduced, as played by Betty White, John Amos, and Georgia Engel.

The show touched on issues yet only where relevant to the characters. As Harper put it, “The writers didn’t want to make statements. They wanted to reflect life.”

The woman who owned the house in Minneapolis used as the exterior where Mary’s character lived was upset with the notoriety and people disturbing her privacy. When the crew returned to film the outside of her house again, the woman covered her house in giant sheets reading “Impeach Nixon” so the house could not be filmed again.

Harper won for Best Supporting Actress a second time in a rare tie with Sally Struthers.

Harper received other work, appearing in several TV movies and then her first movie “Freebie and the Bean”.

Fred Silverman of CBS discussed spinning off Rhoda’s character onto her own show from the first season. After the fourth season, it was decided it should be done. Harper was uncertain about leaving a successful show. Mary Tyler Moore encouraged her to take her own show. Harper agreed to do it but only if she could return to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” if her show, “Rhoda” did not succeed.

The same writers on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” developed “Rhoda”. Julie Kavner,who lost an earlier audition to play Rhoda’s sister on an episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was cast as Rhoda’s sister, While filming “Rhoda”, Harper realized how much about acting she had learned from Mary Tyler Moore.

On the eight episode, Rhoda’s character got married. It was viewed by 51 million, or half of all TV viewers.

Harper won the Best Actress Award.

During the second season, the writers began hitting writing blocks. Much of the past humor about Rhoda had centered around her being unlucky in love. Now that Rhoda was happily married, her past charm about unlucky was gone.It was hard for the writers to develop conflicts for Rhoda. The show began focusing more on the other characters. It was decide Rhoda and her husband would separate in the third season.New characters were introduced. Viewers seemed upset at the inability of the characters to reconcile. It was decided they should divorce. This was the first time network TV characters divorced. CBS supported the decision.

“Rhoda” had good producers. Charlotte Brown, who had been a writer on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, became the first female producer on a multi-camera TV series. Producers Dave Davis and Jim Brooks left “Rhoda” to create the successful TV series “Taxi.

During the fifth season of “Rhoda”, it changes it time slow six times. It lost viewers during these moves. The show was cancelled without airing four already shot episodes.

Harper remained politically active. She worked in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, which fell two states short from being enacted. She worked with the Hunger Project.

Harper switched to movie work.She appeared in the film “The Last Married Couple in America”, which was a personal irony as she had divorced before then. She then was in “Chapter Two” followed by “Blame It On Rio”..

Harper next was in a TV series “Valerie”. This was her first series working with different writers and producers. She did not feel her character was funny enough. She observed the live audience did not laugh as much and that the show relied on caned laughter. Her previous shows relied on connecting with live audiences, which they would translated well with the viewing audience.

Harper was on “Valerie” for two seasons. She had a difficult negotiation for the third season but reached an agreement. Then Lorimar, the production company, backed out of the deal, effectively firing Harper from her own show. Harper sued that she had been wrongly fired. She also sued that the name of the show not be kept “Valerie” without her.

While Lorimar proclaimed Harper was unprofessional, her network NBC hired her for a TV movie. Harper dropped her suit against NBC as NBC found her employable.

Harper won her lawsuit against Lorimar. The court decided she had been wrongly terminated. She won a “substantial” settlement and was to receive participation in future syndication.

Harper next starred in the CBS series “City”. It began in the top ten in ratings yet slipped and was not renewed after 13 episodes.

Harper and Mary Tyler Moore filmed a TV movie “Mary and Rhoda” which reunited the two characters. It was meant to also serve as a pilot in hopes of becoming a series. It was not picked up as a series.

Harper learned she has incurable cancer.She writes “I am happy. I am at peace. I am filled with love.”