# Teri Garr RIP **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [October 29, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414 "2024-10-29T17:55:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/41 "2024-10-29T23:06:24Z")
I would take Teri over Ann-Margaret any day! ❤ ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/42 "2024-10-29T23:09:48Z")
He was a hound dog, that’s for sure! ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/43 "2024-10-29T23:10:00Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > She deserved more credit than she got for her acting skill: in _Young Frankenstein_ she was completely convincing as the Hot Chick, and in _Tootsie_ she was completely convincing as the hard-luck woman with no confidence. She got an Oscar nomination for her _Tootsie_ performance. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/44 "2024-10-29T23:14:27Z")
Always enjoyed seeing her work. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/45 "2024-10-29T23:16:03Z")
Her small role in _The Conversation_ is also noteworthy in my mind, as well. Also came out in 1974 like _YF_. Both considerable step-ups from _Head_. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/46 "2024-10-29T23:24:05Z")
I always really enjoyed her. She was in so many things when I was growing up. I had no idea she had MS. I will miss her. RIP ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/47 "2024-10-29T23:36:12Z")
For me, it was Young Frankenstein that cemented my crush on her. Nerdy lab assistant, who also happens to be drop-dead gorgeous? Yes please. Plus, just how sincere she was in the role. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/48 "2024-10-30T08:44:39Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I think Mick Jagger said the biggest mistake the Stones ever made was trying to follow James Brown on stage. Side pedantry: Apparently the story that went around that the Stones were upstaged after following James Brown was a bit of a myth. Apparently between every performer they mostly cleared the crowd and brought in a fresh one. So the folks who saw Brown were not the same as saw the Stones. Jagger’s stage presence couldn’t fully compete with Brown (few if any could), but on that actual occasion he never really had to. The videos of them following each is a matter of editing, rather than actual competing performances for the same audience. ETA: As for Terri Garr, she was almost always a reliably interesting supporting actor. The first thing I thought of, oddly maybe, was her bit role in The Conversation. ETA2: Ninja’ed by ftg. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/49 "2024-10-30T09:07:40Z")
I guess we all know Teri Garr in _Tootsie_, _Close Encounters_, and in _Young Frankenstein_. Now, let me introduce her to you in a little-remembered film from 1989, _Let It Ride._ It’s about a horseplayer, Jay Trotter (played by Richard Dreyfuss), who is having the best day of his life at the track. He’s winning every race! Problem is, his wife (played by Teri Garr) is not happy with his horseplaying. She doesn’t know that he’s winning. She goes to the track and asks him to return home, but he won’t. “Can’t you just watch the horses run around the track, without betting?” “There is no horse racing without betting,” Trotter informs her. She leaves, and goes home, only to call him at the track: “Jay, I’ve decided to become an alcoholic. I’m sitting here getting drunk right now. Vodka, gin, whisky, overflowing ashtrays, that’s my life now.” Despite the dark-sounding tone, the film is a comedy, and Teri Garr brings it home. She is perfect. She shows up for the final race, and let’s just say that she forgives Trotter. Fun film, by the way. Look for performances by David Johansen, Jennifer Tilly, Michelle Phillips, Allen Garfield, Robbie Coltrane (yes, Harry Potter’s Hagrid, who does a bang-on American accent), and a very young Cynthia Nixon. But Teri Garr runs the gamut from loving wife to frustrated wife to wannabe-alcoholic to loving wife again. Quite the stretch, but she nailed it, every time. One of her lesser-known films, but when I hear “Teri Garr,” I think, “Let It Ride.” Rest well, Teri. You worked hard, you entertained us, and you earned it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/50 "2024-10-30T09:17:09Z")
I vaguely remember channel surfing once, and coming across a movie with Teri Garr and John Lithgow. According to IMDb, they were together in a film called _Out Cold_ from 1989. The thing is, the part I saw had Garr as a brunette, and Lithgow with a full head of hair, and none of the stills I can find from that movie match that. Reading the plot, it’s possible that they were meeting in disguise, and I just happened to catch that one scene. Has anyone else seen it, and can confirm my dim memory? It sounds good; I may have to seek it out. Maybe TCM will do a Garr tribute night soon. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/51 "2024-10-30T10:53:54Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I guess we all know Teri Garr in _Tootsie_, _Close Encounters_, and in _Young Frankenstein_. Now, let me introduce her to you in a little-remembered film from 1989, _Let It Ride._ I came along to mention this. It is much maligned but is one of my favorites. I can’t think of any other movie that so successfully captures the mindset of gamblers. The 2 Teri Garr scenes that you mention are available on YouTube. The book on which it was it was based was written by Jay Cronley. He also wrote the novels that became _Funny Farm_ and _Quick Change_. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5XIthAkwaw&t=0s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5XIthAkwaw&t=0s) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY7UoEEpsM8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY7UoEEpsM8) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/52 "2024-10-30T19:26:52Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > She got an Oscar nomination for her _Tootsie_ performance. I wish she had won! (The story went at the time that Jessica Lange was the winner, instead of Garr, because the Academy voters felt bad for Lange losing out to Meryl Streep as Best Actress. Sort of a consolation prize for Lange. Lange had been nominated for _Frances_, while Streep won for _Sophie’s Choice._) While we’re mentioning lesser-known films: _Mom and Dad Save the World_ is poorly-rated and lost money. And Teri Garr doesn’t have as much to do as one would wish. But it’s still worth a watch. (I’m a Jon Lovitz fan, so that’s a point in its favor for me.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/53 "2024-10-30T19:35:29Z")
I love that movie, and you are right - she hit every note perfectly. So did everybody else, for that matter. A sadly under-appreciated film. Garr - “Why are they all cheering?” Dreyfuss - “I’m having a **very** good day.” She also starred in the film that destroyed Zoetrope - **One From the Heart.** Great soundtrack and tolerable performances. Coppola was the problem here, not the acting. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/54 "2024-10-30T19:58:19Z")
RIP 😔 Watching the Letterman clips I’m struck by how she always had a mischievous look in her eye like “Okay Dave, how are we going to play it this time?” ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/55 "2024-10-30T20:16:34Z")
She was very good in After Hours. RIP ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2024, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/56 "2024-10-31T00:12:52Z")
She wasn’t just gorgeous, she had a playful little-girl quality that always endeared her to me. She could express more in one glance with raised eyebrows and a grin than other people can no matter how hard they try. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2024, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/57 "2024-10-31T00:46:23Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > She wasn’t just gorgeous, she had a playful little-girl quality that always endeared her to me. She could express more in one glance with raised eyebrows and a grin than other people can no matter how hard they try And then there’s her turn in [The Absent-Minded Waiter](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RRMfXlJMmPU)… ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2024, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/58 "2024-10-31T01:40:04Z")
I saw Steve Martin live around 1977 in a huge stadium, and they played _The Absent-Minded Waiter_ on a big screen before he came out. At that time he was hugely popular as a stand-up comic but hadn’t yet started appearing in movies. I think that short was his first appearance in a scripted film. I remember when he first came on stage, he looked around at the crowd of 15,000 and muttered “When are they going to get me out of these toilets?” ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/59 "2024-10-31T11:58:18Z")
Unless I missed it, I’m surprised there’s been no mention of “Oh God” yet. ---
**Author:** ![TeroSunbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terosunbear/32/14748_2.png) [@TeroSunbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeroSunbear)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2024, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414/60 "2024-10-31T12:23:50Z")
I remeber her mostly from TV. Though I think she never had a show of her own, she was on a lot of shows. I remember all of her hosting SNL events. She was quite likeable. Famous people, actors and so forth, can be really annoying on talk shows etc. Teri was always herself, genuine. I’ll have to look up the films, as I only vividly remember one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teri-garr-rip/1009414.md?page=4)