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Beatrice Arthur, 'Golden Girls' star, dies at 86
Entertainment Weekly ^ | April 25, 2009 | Steve Korn

Posted on 04/25/2009 5:10:06 PM PDT by EdnaMode

Beatrice Arthur, an icon of '70s TV as the star of Maude, and then one of the staples of '80s TV as one of the leads in The Golden Girls, has died at age 86, according to an Associated Press report. A family spokesman told AP the Emmy and Tony Award winner had cancer, and died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles.

Arthur's best-known roles came in popular sitcoms that didn't shy away from the serious issues of the day. On Maude, which aired from 1972-1978, Arthur's pantsuit-wearing, feminist title character had an abortion, which resulted in a flurry of viewer protests. Arthur scored five Emmy nominations and one win for the role. The ribald, hilarious Golden Girls -- which over seven seasons tackled hot-button issues such as menopause, homophobia, suicide, and racism -- found Arthur playing gruff, wisecrack-spewing divorcée Dorothy Zbornak, who shared a Miami home with her mother and two loopy friends. Arthur picked up four more Emmy nods and one win as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the role.

(Excerpt) Read more at news-briefs.ew.com ...


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: beaarthur; goldegirls; hollywood; maude
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To: EdnaMode
One of the funniest moments in History of the World Part 1 was when she was disbursing the weekly $$ to the Romans ... and says to Mel Brooks, "Oh, a bulls**t artist ..." I thought I was going to ROFL.
21 posted on 04/25/2009 6:09:17 PM PDT by Fast Moving Angel (There are no points for second place.)
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To: EdnaMode
It is a gift from God to make people laugh and bring joy to so many.

God bless you Bea, rest in peace.

22 posted on 04/25/2009 6:19:30 PM PDT by pray4liberty (Always vote for life!)
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To: Man50D

And a great Broadway star.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilV5K8tw_6o


23 posted on 04/25/2009 6:30:50 PM PDT by CaptainK (...please make it stop. Shake a can of pennies at it.)
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To: EdnaMode

Didn’t really dig The Golden Girls.. but she was so great the in the Star Wars Holiday Special.


24 posted on 04/25/2009 6:58:13 PM PDT by dr_who
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To: EdnaMode

She was about as sweet and inviting as a burning tire.


25 posted on 04/25/2009 7:22:52 PM PDT by WorkingClassFilth (Actually, it all started back in Mayberry. Helen Crump was a traveler and Floyd, well, you know...)
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To: EdnaMode

Archie: “This country was ruined by Franklin Delano Roosevelt!”

Maude: (slowly turning her head to address Archie) “You’re fat!”

Archie: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but Franklin Delano Roosevelt!”

Edith: (from her chair) “Archie, you promised never to say that name again in front of Maude!”

Archie: (to Edith) “Franklin Delano Roosevelt!”

Edith: (to Maude) “He doesn’t, don’t mean nothing. His whole family was for Roosevelt.”

Archie: “That was for two terms but that was it! We didn’t know the guy was going to hang onto the job like a pope!”

Maude: (Furiously standing up) “He hung on to save the country! The people adored him, he was a saint. (Points finger up at the ceiling) That man had charisma!”

Archie: “I don’t care if he was sick! He always had his big mouth open at them fireside chats!”


26 posted on 04/25/2009 7:25:42 PM PDT by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: llmc1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzXKySxPFCI


27 posted on 04/25/2009 7:26:04 PM PDT by akorahil (Thank You and God bless all Veterans. Truly, the real heroes.)
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To: Yaelle
She wasn't 86 according to The World Almanac, which says she was born 5/13/23. She would have celebrated her 86th birthday next month.
28 posted on 04/25/2009 7:26:43 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: akorahil

Thanks. ; )


29 posted on 04/25/2009 8:07:06 PM PDT by llmc1
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To: EdnaMode

Semper Fi Miss Bea.

You made us laugh, you made us cry.

Didn’t agree with her on alot of things, but a great actress.

Prayers for your friends and family who are gonna miss you much.


30 posted on 04/25/2009 8:07:47 PM PDT by Shadowstrike (Be polite, Be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.)
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To: EdnaMode
On Maude, which aired from 1972-1978, Arthur's pantsuit-wearing, feminist title character had an abortion, which resulted in a flurry of viewer protests.

They were trying to soften folks up for the decision they knew was coming. Kind of like the way they pushed homosexuality on the public in sitcoms, got people used to the idea, then pushed for homosexual marriage and special rights.

31 posted on 04/25/2009 8:12:50 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: EdnaMode

She was quite a lady. I remember the one eposode of MAUDE where it was just her on the tv. It was a one woman dialoge. Don’t agree with her feminists views but hats off to her she was quite a lady.


32 posted on 04/25/2009 8:17:10 PM PDT by fkabuckeyesrule
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To: dfwgator

Lear apparently didn’t do much of the writing on any of his shows. Carol Occonor said the cast never liked Lear’s scripts and that he (Oconnor) completely rewrote most of them.


33 posted on 04/25/2009 10:14:27 PM PDT by Borges
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To: Verginius Rufus
She was within a few days of being exactly the same age as my dad but we lost him in 1979.

I never really liked her characters but then again, that was the point I think. She was funny and I laughed everytime.

34 posted on 04/25/2009 10:20:56 PM PDT by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken!)
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To: higgmeister
According to Wikipedia, which cites her birth certificate, Bea Arthur was born in 1922, so the World Almanac information was wrong--maybe she lied about her age. The TV news item about her death also had 1922 as her year of birth.

According to Wikipedia, her first theatrical experience was in Lysistrata. Maybe that explains some of her later attitudes--Aristophanes corrupted her.

35 posted on 04/26/2009 5:05:57 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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