Paula Giese Thwarts Mary Tyler Moore, 1973

The news that the South Minneapolis home featured prominently in The Mary Tyler Moore Show is back on the market (asking price: nearly $3 million) reminded me of one of my favorite 1970s stories. In 1973, a CBS film crew ran into a problem when it showed up at the house, hoping to grab some new footage for the show. The owner, Paula Giese, had festooned her home with “Impeach Nixon” banners. Giese was angry that the show had turned her property into a tourist attraction. (“The last straw came when this old couple from Michigan rang our doorbell at 9 o'clock in the morning and wanted us to show them around the house,” she said.) The “Impeach Nixon” signs did the trick. The film crew left town without its footage.

Image via Minneapolis Tribune, May 26, 1973