Ethel Merman’s Last Role
The military pilot with post-traumatic stress disorder who thinks that he’s Ethel Merman was indeed played by Ethel Merman herself. It actually ended up being the last movie the 72-year-old musical theater legend ever filmed. She passed away on February 15th, 1984, at the age of 76. Jerry Sucker explained how they wrote Ethel Merman’s part, especially for her.
Source: YouTube
In Zucker’s own words: “There’s just something about her. And she was great.” And to give you an idea as to the demands the legend had on set, Ethel Merman told producers that she could only be on the set in the afternoon as it took all morning to set her hair. Not only that, but she also insisted on bringing her own hairdresser to set.