Thanks for the Memories, Carol

The quality of the Carol Burnett show was such that it routinely brought families together for a shared belly-laugh.  One of the things viewers eagerly anticipated was the almost inevitable crack up of Harvey Korman (usually due to the antics of Tim Conway) during a skit.  On rare occasions, Carol herself would be unable to contain her reaction to their antics.  The PBS show, Pioneers of Television, gives insight into the show and the many talents of its cast.  Of all of the Funny Ladies listed, Carol continues to be an all-time favorite.
As was often seen on the show, Carol is an incredibly generous person.  She never demanded nor received all of the funniest lines.  She often played the "straight man" to the other talents on the show.  She built a lasting rapport with her audience due to the unique format of her show.  She could be funny, she could be dramatic, and she could sing with the best of them.
Carol has never been secretive about her childhood or family background.  In her memoir One More Time, she simply tells the facts as she remembers them.  It is important to her that people understand that despite the poverty and lengthy absences of her parents, she always felt loved.  This is a tribute to her grandmother "Nanny" (the person for whom her end of show ear tug was meant) and her great-grandmother "Goggy".  Eventually, Carol and her beloved "Nanny" moved from San Antonio, TX out to Hollywood, CA to be with Carol's mother.  Carol lived with her grandmother in a one bedroom apartment while her mother lived in another one in the same building.  This living situation caused Carol's bond with "Nanny" to become even stronger.  Her memoir goes on to chronicle her adolescence, college years, and breaking into show business.  The purpose of her writing about her life was not to boast about her rags to riches story.  It was a gift to her daughters.  This gift became a joint mother-daughter project when Carol and her daughter Carrie collaborated on the play Hollywood Arms which is based on the memoir.
Carol's generosity continues to shines brightly in This Time Together.  Here Carol reflects on her life in show business, the variety show and the multitude of talented people that she worked with through the years.  Carol remembers the years of breaking into the business and the people who helped her with fondness.  Her self-deprecating humor shines through as she describes the many talented people who worked with her on her variety show.  She even manages to make her firing (and rehiring) of Harvey Korman into a humorous vignette.
In Carol's latest book she highlights the relationship that she enjoyed with her oldest daughter, Carrie.  She fondly recalls Carrie's childhood then moves on to the terrible years when her daughter was entangled in drugs.  Here again, her focus is not on the tragedy but on Carrie's triumph as she struggles with her addiction and then moves on to attend college and forge a life for herself.  This life included success on the stage, television, and movies.  Carrie and Carol's relationship developed into a strong, loving, collaborative bond which is clearly seen in the joint emails and reflections that Carol shares with the reader.
Carrie requested that her mother finish the story that she was working on at the time of her cancer diagnosis.  Here again, Carol's generous spirit pulls through.  Though it took her several years to finish the project, she did indeed fulfill Carrie's wishes.  The story at the end of Carrie and Me becomes the epilogue of a full, rich life that ended too quickly.  Reading this book, the reader reflects that the precious relationship of Carol and Carrie is the very relationship that every parent and child would wish to have.
Don't remember the show?  Visit WENT WITH THE WIND PART 2 for a refresher of Carol's comedic genius.  It's not just the dress, everyone gets in on the fun.