She is the woman “who can turn the world on with her smile”. Mary Tyler Moore is a Hollywood superstar who graced our television screens for over fifty years, not to mention appearing in a number of films on the silver screen. Well known for her roles as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–66), and as Mary Richards (a 30-something single woman who worked as a local news producer in Minneapolis) on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–77). It is the latter that Mary Tyler Moore is best known for.
This statue is located at the intersection of Nicollet Mall and South 7th Street. It is at this site where the iconic hat toss was filmed in the opening sequence of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, which can be seen below.
Many of the outdoor scenes in this opening sequence were filmed along Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis.
On May 8, 2002, cable TV network TV Land dedicated this 8-foot (2.4 m) tall bronze statue of Moore tossing her hat in the air. Moore herself unveiled the statue, where 3,000 tams were distributed to the crowd of onlookers so they could participate in a commemorative hat toss.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is a funny, warmhearted, well written sitcom that is still as humorous today as it was when it originally aired. All in all, during its seven seasons, the program held the record for winning the most Emmys (Outstanding Comedy Series for example) – 29 in total. That record remained unbroken until 2002 when the NBC sitcom Frasier won its 30th Emmy. Not only was the MTM show well written, its cast of characters worked well together. The show skyrocketed its co-stars Valerie Harper (Rhoda), Ed Asner (Lou Grant), Cloris Leachman (Phyllis), Gavin MacLeod (Murray), Ted Knight (Ted Baxter), Georgia Engel (Georgette) and Betty White (Sue Ann Nivens) to fame.
Thank you Mary for not only turning the world on with your smile, but for all the smiles and laughter you have given us over the last five decades. You did indeed “make it after all”.
Thanks for sharing this post. I had no idea there was an MTM statue in Minneapolis.
MTM show remains one of my all-time favorites. Superb writing and character development, great acting, fine story telling. Wish more shows like this were still made.
The characters on MTM were generally functional people, with problems, and with a sense of purpose (even if some had purposes a bit off-kilter). Even Ted was not a total idiot. Think how many shows today rise to that standard…go on, I’m waiting…
I totally agree DrFumblefinger. When you see much of the material that passes for television these days, it makes me appreciate even more how good the Mary Tyler Moore show really is.