Morey Amsterdam

Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam both portrayed television writers on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and their hilarious banter would never have happened without Rose Marie.

She was the second cast member hired after Dick Van Dyke and suggested Amsterdam to play the third writer.

Rose Marie knew Amsterdam from a young age, and he often wrote material for her night club acts. He was affectionately known as the “Human Joke Machine”.

When she called Morey to tell him about The Dick Van Dyke Show, he quipped (just as she had), “What’s a Dick Van Dyke?”

Rose Marie and Morey did several projects together through the years including The Hollywood Squares, The Love Boat, Caroline and the City, and a production of Once Upon a Mattress.

Image: Paul Brownstein Productions

Tim Conway

When Rose Marie first met Tim Conway, he was Tom Conway, a station director in Cleveland, Ohio.

She was in town to film a promo for The Dick Van Dyke Show when Tim jokingly interrupted her before she could finish. After listening to a sample of his material, Rose Marie became his manager and helped him negotiate his deals using her expertise.

Conway later named Rose Marie the godmother to his first daughter.

Image: Warner Bros. Television Distribution

Ethel Merman

Ethel Merman wanted to be on The Hollywood Squares, and thankfully, she had a friend already on the show – Rose Marie.

The two had actually roomed together once, and Merman was an influence on Rose Marie’s own work.

So Rose Marie convinced the producers and threw a party for Merman’s Square debut. She even invited Paul Lynde, who was Merman’s favorite.

Image: Wait For Your Laugh

Scruffy

While filming The Doris Day Show, Rose Marie would tease Doris Day for having 26 dogs. But Day’s canine compassion rubbed off, and eventually, Rose Marie adopted a terrier mix named Scruffy.

She, of course, named Doris the godmother and occasionally brought her four-legged friend to the studio.