Just reading the all-time favorite episode thread and someone listed "Long Night's Journey Into Day."
I really like that one and it reminded me of something I always
wondered. How did MTM do that with her voice? That cracking voice with a cold was great. I don't think I've ever heard anyone do that before (or since). I seriously doubt she somehow worked up a cold just for that week.
But I have often heard the opposite.
Where an actor clearly has a cold
but it's never mentioned because
they just happened to be sick the week they were filming. Patricia
Heaton recently and Ted Knight on
TMTMS come to mind. Anyway, Mary was great! (And stress made it worse.)
Just very clever and unusual.

Mary Tyler Moore did indeed have a cold in this episode ( I read that somewhere) so her cracking voice was real

Did Laura supposedly have a cold in the episode too? I don't remember that, but then again the beginning of that episode got cut off my tape :( so maybe I just missed that. But yes, I have always thought her voice was hysterical in that episode.