Los Angeles Times

Review: With her widower's help, a splendid new documentary explores Mary Tyler Moore's private side

"Who can turn the world on with her smile?" It's Mary Tyler Moore, of course, and you should know it. To be precise, it's Mary Richards, a person Moore played. But the smile was her own, and it worked magic across two situation comedies that described their time in a way that some might have regarded as ahead of their time. Although Moore proved herself as an actress of depth and range and ...
A photograph of Mary Tyler Moore as seen in the documentary“ Being Mary Tyler Moore.”.

"Who can turn the world on with her smile?" It's Mary Tyler Moore, of course, and you should know it.

To be precise, it's Mary Richards, a person Moore played. But the smile was her own, and it worked magic across two situation comedies that described their time in a way that some might have regarded as ahead of their time. Although Moore proved herself as an actress of depth and range and peerless comic timing again and again, on the small and big screen and on the stage, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" made her a star, and incidentally a cultural figurehead, and are the reason we have a splendid new documentary, "Being Mary Tyler Moore," premiering Friday on HBO. Were it titled simply "Being Mary," there'd be little doubt who was meant.

Moore was driven to perform from an early age, which she relates to wanting to impress her father — though

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times4 min read
Review: Elisabeth Moss Stars As A Spy Gone Rogue In FX's Thriller 'The Veil'
Elisabeth Moss has acted in more projects than you can remember for more years than you might guess, but it was "Mad Men" in 2007 that made her the reason to watch a show — an impression cemented by "Top of the Lake" and taken for granted by the time
Los Angeles Times7 min read
In Ukraine's Old Imperial City, Pastel Palaces Are In Jeopardy, But Black Humor Survives
ODESA, Ukraine — On a cool spring morning, as water-washed light bathed pastel palaces in the old imperial city of Odesa, the thunder of yet another Russian missile strike filled the air. That March 6 blast came within a few hundred yards of a convoy
Los Angeles Times3 min readCrime & Violence
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Seeks Dismissal Of Revenge Porn, Human Trafficking Claims In Lawsuit
Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team is pushing back against his accusers in their civil suits as a federal sex-trafficking probe continues. His lawyers are asking a New York court to throw out portions of a sexual assault lawsuit filed by attorneys for Jo

Related Books & Audiobooks