Carol Burnett is speaking out to reveal the Hollywood legend that simply could not stop burping.
Burnett Recalls Hollywood Legend
Burnett, 92, recently was interviewed by Amy Poehler on her hugely popular Good Hang podcast. There, she opened up about her bond with the late Hollywood icon Betty Grable.
“I feel I did have a fairy godmother — Betty Grable was one of my first guests on my show,” Burnett said. She added that Grable was every bit as “adorable” and “very funny” as she might have hoped. However, she also admitted that Grable had one nasty habit.
“Betty was on the show as a guest. And so was Martha Raye, who was one of the funniest women ever, and she was very [physical] and loud, and she and Betty had worked together and they were good friends,” Burnett recounted. “So it was for me, my God, I’d grown up watching Betty Grable, watching Martha Raye. I was all [thrilled]. So now we’re rehearsing. Now, Betty had a thing about Coca-Cola. She had to drink Coca-Cola all the time. So what would happen was, she would be [burping] constantly.”
Burnett proceeded to imitate the burps, which she described as being “really, really loud.” According to Burnett, Grable “just loved Coca-Cola. So, we’re in the wings ready and we’re doing the show, and Betty and Martha and I are ready for our queue to go out, and Betty took [another sip] and [burped] again and Martha Raye said, ‘Oh, for God’s sakes, Betty, why don’t you just fart and save your teeth?'”
This caused Poehler to burst out laughing. Burnett proceeded to say that she had that same reaction at the time.
“I thought I was going to die,” Burnett said as she laughed at the memory. “And then we had to go out and do the finale. I was just hysterical.”
Burnett’s Sentimental Grable Story
Getting serious again, Burnett recalled a more sentimental memory of Grable.
“I remember we would go to the Grauman’s Chinese [Theatre] where they have the courtyard with everybody’s handprints and footprints and so forth, and I remember putting my handprints into Betty Grable’s handprints,” she said. “And just a few months ago, I got my handprints after all these years. And I remember putting my hand in, and I’m wondering will somebody someday put their handprints on mine, you know? Wouldn’t that be kind of wild?”
The Carol Burnett Show ran from 1967 until 1978. Sadly, Grable died mid-way through its run. Indeed, she tragically passed away in 1973 at the age of 56 following a battle with lung cancer.
Over half a century later, Grable remains one of the biggest stars from the golden era of Hollywood. As for Burnett, she’s a true living legend who is still widely beloved to this day.
Burnett’s story about Grable serves as a reminder that she’s been around a long time and met quite a few famous faces. In the end, we’re lucky to still have Burnett with us, and we hope she stays happy and healthy for many years to come.
God bless you, Carol Burnett!