Mary Hardy (comedian)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2009) |
Mary Hardy | |
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Born | Mary Veronica Hardy 14 October 1931 Victoria, Australia |
Died | 4–7 January 1985[1] | (aged 53)
Occupations |
|
Relatives | Frank Hardy (brother) Marieke Hardy (grandniece) |
Mary Veronica Hardy (14 October 1931 – 4 to 7 January 1985) was an Australian television and radio presenter, actress, writer and comedian. She was best known for her caustic wit, indifference to authority and tireless ability to
Biography
Mary Hardy was born in
The following year, after Hardy's nomination for "Actress of the Year" for her role as Frankie in A Member of the Wedding, the recently formed
The move from theatre to television came via the late night satirical revues for which Hardy wrote. Initially these were at the
Both these live programs allowed Hardy to ad-lib. She was very successful and won seven
Hardy returned to the theatre and in 1969 was awarded the Rosa Ribush Award for "Best Supporting Actress" for her role as Agnes in Mame.
In 1970 Hardy signed up with
In the 1970s she also worked at radio station 3AW.
The stress of her career in radio and television was considerable and in May 1977, Hardy collapsed on set. She was admitted to a private hospital for two weeks, and later gave several interviews about what the studio called a 'virus' which had officially struck her down. But she made no attempt to hide her perilous state saying "You're just hanging by a bit of a string and sometimes they let go of the string and you fall down".
Over the next two years, the 'rests' between shows, the live 'walkouts' on air and brief stays in hospital became more frequent and she left The Penthouse Club in late 1978. After winning her seventh and final Logie, knowing that her long-running command over variety television was coming to an end, she said "I really have to thank Graham Kennedy for this. If he hadn't got me the sack all those years ago, I would not have gone to Seven".
Death
Hardy committed suicide between 4 and 7 January 1985,[1] and was buried in the Cheltenham Memorial Park.
Family and tributes
In 1987 Hardy's brother Frank wrote a play Mary Lives!, celebrating her life, which was staged in Melbourne at the Malthouse Theatre.
In February 2008 ABC TV broadcast a 30-minute documentary on Hardy's life entitled IOU: Mary Hardy.
Her grandniece is Australian writer and media personality Marieke Hardy.
References
- ^ a b McFarlane, Brian (2007). "Mary Veronica Hardy (1931–1985)". Hardy, Mary Veronica (1931–1985). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
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ignored (help) - ^ McColl Jones, Mike (1999), And Now Here’s..., Aerospace Publications, Canberra, p. 87.
- ^ "TV Week - Section Page". Archived from the original on 7 February 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008. TV Week Logie Awards
- ^ John Pinkney, 'Don't make Mary an unfunny bunny' Melbourne Age 25 september 1970 p. 2
- ^ David Knox 'Mary Hardy, the Tragic Clown' TV Tonight 6 February 2008 https://tvtonight.com.au/2008/02/mary-hardy-the-tragic-clown.html
- ^ 'Talked about' Melbourne Age 1 October 1970 'TV-Radio Guide' section, p. 5
- ^ "The Age - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "The Age - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- Frank Hardy: Politics, Literature, Life, ISBN 0-7344-0836-6)
External links
- Remembering madcap Mary – article in The Age about the 2008 documentary
- "Madcap Mary: A Hardy Life" in Newsletter of Friends of Cheltenham and Regional Cemeteries Inc.