Carol Burnett, the legendary 93-year-old entertainer, recently revealed that her role in the 1974 film “The Front Page” stands as her most embarrassing Hollywood moment. In an appearance on The Patrick Labyorteaux Show, Burnett was asked about the project she found most difficult to look back on, and her answer was unequivocal: “Oh, The Front Page. When I did that, I was terrible.”
Directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, the film followed the story of a Chicago newspaperman planning to leave journalism after deciding to get married, only to have his editor attempt to convince him to stay. Burnett played Mollie Malloy, a supporting role that she believed would be right for her at the time.
However, nervousness during filming undermined her confidence in the part. “I thought it was the right part … but I was nervous,” Burnett recalled, according to People magazine. The discomfort did not fade after production wrapped; instead, her dissatisfaction with her own performance and the critical response to her work led her to avoid the film entirely after its release. “After it was released, I never wanted to see it because I knew how awful I was and I certainly did not get good reviews and so forth,” she said.
Years later, Burnett found herself in an awkward situation when the film unexpectedly surfaced during one of her flights to New York. The in-flight entertainment system was showing “The Front Page,” and the flight attendant made an announcement that left her mortified. “Oh, and we’re going to have the movie and one of the stars is with us today on the flight,” the attendant said, prompting the other passengers to turn around and smile. Burnett’s discomfort only intensified as the film began. “Now the movie starts and everybody pulls down their shades and I just couldn’t watch. It was terrible,” she recalled. The moment of relief came only when the credits rolled: “The movie ends, everybody puts the shades up and nobody turns around to smile.”
Burnett’s candid reflection on her performance in “The Front Page” reflects a broader pattern in Hollywood, where accomplished actors occasionally find themselves dissatisfied with their own work. Despite her criticism of this particular film, Burnett remains one of television’s most celebrated performers, best known for “The Carol Burnett Show,” which ran for 11 seasons and earned 25 Primetime Emmy Awards during its run. The variety series, which she ended in 1978 at its creative peak, cemented her legacy as a comedy icon.
Sources
- ANI — Carol Burnett’s recent interview on The Patrick Labyorteaux Show, her regrets about “The Front Page,” and background on the 1974 film
- People Magazine — Direct quotes from Burnett about her performance, nervousness during filming, and the in-flight experience
- PBS American Masters — Timeline confirming Burnett’s appearance in “The Front Page” in 1974
- Wikipedia — Film details including director Billy Wilder, cast (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Carol Burnett), and release date
