The Decorator

Great fun, superbly written and rich with comic character acting at the highest level.

"The Decorator" is an unsold television pilot. And, after watching it, I can clearly understand why it was not approved by any of the networks.

The show stars Bette Davis as the title character. She's okay in the story but practically everything she says is punctuated by a very intrusive laugh track...which is odd since almost nothing she says is funny. But this isn't THE problem with the show. Ed Begley Sr. plays 'the Judge' and he is basically Yosemite Sam--a Southern caricature who mostly yells his lines and is completely annoying...as well as stupid. It's a shame, as he was a good actor...but here he is at his very worst.

Perhaps without Begley and if it had not been a comedy it might have worked. As it is, however, it's a half hour of your life you'll beg to get back!!

The Decorator was an unsold pilot that Aaron Spelling produced for Bette Davis in the title role and Mary Wickes as her girl Friday. Davis is an interior decorator who has a policy of moving into he lives of her clients and does some rearranging of their lives as well as their homes.

Davis and Wickes worked fine together but the real treat in this pilot was bellowing Ed Begley, a blowhard Texas oil millionaire whom he hires to redo his house. Davis gives him more than he bargained for.

Too bad Spelling didn't have a pilot going in regard to Begley and his family. He would have been one unforgettable TV dad.

I just found this on YouTube, in it's entirety. Actually, I don't think it's so bad? I read the two other reviews, and I get-it about over-the- top acts, and this wasn't some Lucy Show, agree. But personally? I think the concept was a good one for 1965 and could've worked! I think if they used the approach of the Davis/Liz character being a Margo Channing who'd recently retired from a long NY stage/theater career some 15 years later, moved out West to her nice little beach cottage with her good old' pal and biz mgr; who was the Ritter/Birdie in 1950's "Eve" and now the Wickes/Viola character in this ... to pursue her hidden flair of interior decorating her wealthy client's homes! (??) This would have been the PERFECT vehicle for that and would have made it with some various (obvious) tweaks here and there. Because I'm sure audiences (fans) were "still" wanting to see 1950 Margo Channing in 1965. It looks they were on the right track with this one, it just had not proper marketing, if any. I agree Begley could have toned down. I agree about those old laugh tracks too. Although Davis may not have been hilarious, I think she held her own - as usual. And simply viewing the legendary Drama-Queen, Ms Davis, do a comedic sitcom? Well, that's comedy in itself right there! And aside all else? She was Bette 'Friggin' Davis! The audience wouldn't have expected her to act like a screwball "Lucy Ricardo" character! Mary Wickes? What another awesome legend as well. Maybe it should've been a Comedy/Drama? And, in technicolor too? Show off that gold/red hair, and clothes. I say, it had potential to grow-up, given the chance. But in 1965, Bette probably could have taken or leaven it, either way.