Bea Arthur
Author: Trudy Stroup
The statuesque Bea Arthur is truly iconic. Her comedic timing was flawless. She didn't back away from a controversial topic, nor did she back down when she took a stand. In a way, I identify with her in a sarcastic, strong-woman attitude. I loved watching her on television when I was a child and she was the star of the sitcom “Maude”. As an adult, I loved her as Dorothy in “The Golden Girls”. Let's take a look at her journey.
Bea Arthur was born Bernice (pronounced Burness) Frankel on May 13, 1922, in New York City. Younger sister, Kay, followed a couple of years later. Their parents, Rebecca and Philip, owned a ladies custom dress shop. They wanted to raise their daughters outside of the city, so they moved their family to Cambridge, Maryland. The neighborhood was not a Jewish neighborhood and the girls felt out of place. Bernice remembered herself as a shy, awkward child who didn't like her name; insisting on being called Bea.
When Bea was twelve years old, there was a fashion show and her parents had been hired to make several of the dresses. The 5'9" pre-teen Bea sang Big Band songs "Are You From Dixie?" and "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" during the show. From there, she continued to perform on the stage in high school and college. When the war broke out, Bea was one of the first women to enlist in the United States Marine Corp. She served from March of 1943 for 30 months. During her service, Bea held different jobs. She was a transport specialist (truck driver), an office worker, and a medical technician, just to name a few. I found a review from a superior officer that may explain her frequent job change. "Officious-but probably a good worker-if she gets her own way." Later in life, Bea denied her service in the military, but there are records of her service. I found some information that may explain why she didn't want to remember that part of her life. She met fellow serviceman, Robert Alan Arthur, and the two were soon married. Just a few months later, a trip to the infirmary confirmed that she had contracted an STD. That trip to the infirmary was followed by a trip to a divorce attorney. The only thing she kept from her very short marriage was the name. Bernice Frankel became Bea Arthur.
After her service in the armed forces, Bea moved to New York City and enrolled in The Actor's Studio; an acting school where she studied next to Harry Belafonte, Marlon Brando and James Dean. Bea spent the next two decades on stage. She sang, she danced, she was comedic, she was tragic and she was happy! Seeing her name for the first time on the marquee, she decided to use the name Beatrice Arthur because she thought it would look better. So Bea isn't short for Beatrice, Beatrice is long for Bea. ;) She met Gene Saks in 1950 and the two married that same year. Gene was a stage actor who moved into stage directing. He was an American Theatre Hall of Fame director, winning two Tony awards for directing during his long career. Bea and Gene led a quiet home life; working well together and apart on the stage in New York City. In 1961, they adopted their first son, Matthew. In 1964, a second son named Daniel joined their family. Their boys brought great happiness and completion to Bea and Gene’s lives.
Throughout the 50's, Bea made regular television appearances on several shows such as "Ceasar's Hour", "Studio One" and "Kraft Theatre", all the while continuing to have a modicum of success on stage. To supplement her income, Bea sang in well-known clubs around New York City and drew large crowds to hear her raspy vocals. The '60's, however, saw financial stability when she gained notoriety in the play "Fiddler on the Roof". Then, in 1964, Bea got wind that a revival of the 1956 Broadway play "Auntie Mame" was in the works. Bea went to casting calls and auditioned for the lead part of her dreams. But the part went to Angela Lansbury and Bea was cast as the alcoholic best friend, Vera Charles. "Mame" opened May 24, 1966, to rave reviews; being nominated for 8 Tony awards for the 1965-66 season. They won 3 of the 8 nominations: Angela Lansbury, Best Actress in a Musical; Bea Arthur, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and Frankie Michaels, Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Bea's husband, Gene Saks, was also nominated for Best Director.
A few years later, producer Norman Lear attended an off-Broadway play in which Bea was singing the Sheldon Harnick song "Garbage" in "The Shoestring Revue". The audience was driven to uproarious laughter by Bea's antics and performance. Norman knew he had found the woman to stand up to Carroll O'Connor's character, Archie Bunker, in the television sitcom "All in the Family". Norman called CBS executive Fred Silverman and said "We’ve got to have this woman…there's a show in this woman." There was just one obstacle in the way. Bea was New York based and hated flying. Gene was directing a project in Los Angeles at the time and Bea flew to Los Angeles later that summer to see her husband. While she was there, she agreed to play Edith's cousin, the outspoken, liberal Maude Findlay. The show aired in 1971 and as predicted by Norman, the spinoff "Maude" started in 1972. The family moved to LA and Bea left the stage behind. Norman Lear didn't shy away from the hard topics; he incorporated them into his comedy. Just two months in, "Maude" addressed the topic of abortion. Maude finds out that she is pregnant at the age of 47 and decides to have an abortion. Little did Bea know that she would become the most controversial actress of the '70's. During "Maude’s" six year run, they tackled subjects such as war, women's lib, menopause, marijuana, alcohol abuse, depression, equal rights, gay rights, spousal abuse, pornography, domestic violence, and mental illness. The studio executives and Bea's manager hid the hate mail that came pouring into the studio. But for every bit of hate mail, the ratings climbed and Bea won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1977. Then, in 1978, Bea thought it was time to move on and "Maude" came to an end at the height of popularity. Adrienne Barbeau played Maude's daughter throughout the series. She had this to say about Bea: "Almost everything I know about comedy came from Bea. I loved her dearly. Bea set the tone. She was the first one in the rehearsal hall in the morning and the last to leave."
The end of the '70's not only saw the end of "Maude" but also the end of Bea's marriage. I couldn't find a reason stated by either Gene or Bea about the demise of their relationship, but all indications lead me to believe that their divorce was as calm as their marriage. Maybe it just ran its course and they couldn't find their way forward. Gene remarried a year later, but Bea remained single. Bea didn't take on another full time sitcom until 1985. This show was one of the only sitcoms ever to feature an all woman cast over the age of 40. That show was "The Golden Girls". Once again, magic was made in the combination of actresses and the topics that faced an older generation. Over the seven year run, the issues touched upon included, chronic fatigue syndrome, dating after divorce, medical benefits, adult children, finances, death and elderly parents. All four of the stars won Emmy's for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy at different times during the run of the series. A spin off was tried but it sadly failed. It just wasn't the same without all the girls together. The show still plays in reruns on several stations today. Just a curious note: Bea decided to leave the show at the height of popularity. Sound familiar?
After the end of "The Golden Girls", with help from pianist Billy Goldenberg, Bea wrote and developed her own Broadway one woman show while continuing to pop up as a guest star on various television programs. "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends" opened in 2002. It was a collection of her own life stories and songs from her various performances from the stage and television. And to successfully prove that it's not what you say, but how you say it, she began and ended the show by reading a recipe for lamb, accented by facial twitches and punctuated by voice inflections. They opened to warm reviews from the NY Times and extended the limited performance by two weeks. Each show was hailed with infinite applause. The show earned a Tony nomination for production. In describing her long career, Bea once said, "I've done everything, except stag movies and rodeos".
She continued to make appearances until late in life when she was diagnosed with cancer. Her final appearance was in 2008 with her fellow "Golden Girls" Betty White and Rue McClanahan to accept the Pop Culture Award. She kept her diagnosis from the public and even from those in the industry, so when she passed away on April 25, 2009 of lung cancer, it was a devastating surprise to everyone.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Author: Trudy Stroup
The statuesque Bea Arthur is truly iconic. Her comedic timing was flawless. She didn't back away from a controversial topic, nor did she back down when she took a stand. In a way, I identify with her in a sarcastic, strong-woman attitude. I loved watching her on television when I was a child and she was the star of the sitcom “Maude”. As an adult, I loved her as Dorothy in “The Golden Girls”. Let's take a look at her journey.
Bea Arthur was born Bernice (pronounced Burness) Frankel on May 13, 1922, in New York City. Younger sister, Kay, followed a couple of years later. Their parents, Rebecca and Philip, owned a ladies custom dress shop. They wanted to raise their daughters outside of the city, so they moved their family to Cambridge, Maryland. The neighborhood was not a Jewish neighborhood and the girls felt out of place. Bernice remembered herself as a shy, awkward child who didn't like her name; insisting on being called Bea.
When Bea was twelve years old, there was a fashion show and her parents had been hired to make several of the dresses. The 5'9" pre-teen Bea sang Big Band songs "Are You From Dixie?" and "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket" during the show. From there, she continued to perform on the stage in high school and college. When the war broke out, Bea was one of the first women to enlist in the United States Marine Corp. She served from March of 1943 for 30 months. During her service, Bea held different jobs. She was a transport specialist (truck driver), an office worker, and a medical technician, just to name a few. I found a review from a superior officer that may explain her frequent job change. "Officious-but probably a good worker-if she gets her own way." Later in life, Bea denied her service in the military, but there are records of her service. I found some information that may explain why she didn't want to remember that part of her life. She met fellow serviceman, Robert Alan Arthur, and the two were soon married. Just a few months later, a trip to the infirmary confirmed that she had contracted an STD. That trip to the infirmary was followed by a trip to a divorce attorney. The only thing she kept from her very short marriage was the name. Bernice Frankel became Bea Arthur.
After her service in the armed forces, Bea moved to New York City and enrolled in The Actor's Studio; an acting school where she studied next to Harry Belafonte, Marlon Brando and James Dean. Bea spent the next two decades on stage. She sang, she danced, she was comedic, she was tragic and she was happy! Seeing her name for the first time on the marquee, she decided to use the name Beatrice Arthur because she thought it would look better. So Bea isn't short for Beatrice, Beatrice is long for Bea. ;) She met Gene Saks in 1950 and the two married that same year. Gene was a stage actor who moved into stage directing. He was an American Theatre Hall of Fame director, winning two Tony awards for directing during his long career. Bea and Gene led a quiet home life; working well together and apart on the stage in New York City. In 1961, they adopted their first son, Matthew. In 1964, a second son named Daniel joined their family. Their boys brought great happiness and completion to Bea and Gene’s lives.
Throughout the 50's, Bea made regular television appearances on several shows such as "Ceasar's Hour", "Studio One" and "Kraft Theatre", all the while continuing to have a modicum of success on stage. To supplement her income, Bea sang in well-known clubs around New York City and drew large crowds to hear her raspy vocals. The '60's, however, saw financial stability when she gained notoriety in the play "Fiddler on the Roof". Then, in 1964, Bea got wind that a revival of the 1956 Broadway play "Auntie Mame" was in the works. Bea went to casting calls and auditioned for the lead part of her dreams. But the part went to Angela Lansbury and Bea was cast as the alcoholic best friend, Vera Charles. "Mame" opened May 24, 1966, to rave reviews; being nominated for 8 Tony awards for the 1965-66 season. They won 3 of the 8 nominations: Angela Lansbury, Best Actress in a Musical; Bea Arthur, Best Featured Actress in a Musical, and Frankie Michaels, Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Bea's husband, Gene Saks, was also nominated for Best Director.
A few years later, producer Norman Lear attended an off-Broadway play in which Bea was singing the Sheldon Harnick song "Garbage" in "The Shoestring Revue". The audience was driven to uproarious laughter by Bea's antics and performance. Norman knew he had found the woman to stand up to Carroll O'Connor's character, Archie Bunker, in the television sitcom "All in the Family". Norman called CBS executive Fred Silverman and said "We’ve got to have this woman…there's a show in this woman." There was just one obstacle in the way. Bea was New York based and hated flying. Gene was directing a project in Los Angeles at the time and Bea flew to Los Angeles later that summer to see her husband. While she was there, she agreed to play Edith's cousin, the outspoken, liberal Maude Findlay. The show aired in 1971 and as predicted by Norman, the spinoff "Maude" started in 1972. The family moved to LA and Bea left the stage behind. Norman Lear didn't shy away from the hard topics; he incorporated them into his comedy. Just two months in, "Maude" addressed the topic of abortion. Maude finds out that she is pregnant at the age of 47 and decides to have an abortion. Little did Bea know that she would become the most controversial actress of the '70's. During "Maude’s" six year run, they tackled subjects such as war, women's lib, menopause, marijuana, alcohol abuse, depression, equal rights, gay rights, spousal abuse, pornography, domestic violence, and mental illness. The studio executives and Bea's manager hid the hate mail that came pouring into the studio. But for every bit of hate mail, the ratings climbed and Bea won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1977. Then, in 1978, Bea thought it was time to move on and "Maude" came to an end at the height of popularity. Adrienne Barbeau played Maude's daughter throughout the series. She had this to say about Bea: "Almost everything I know about comedy came from Bea. I loved her dearly. Bea set the tone. She was the first one in the rehearsal hall in the morning and the last to leave."
The end of the '70's not only saw the end of "Maude" but also the end of Bea's marriage. I couldn't find a reason stated by either Gene or Bea about the demise of their relationship, but all indications lead me to believe that their divorce was as calm as their marriage. Maybe it just ran its course and they couldn't find their way forward. Gene remarried a year later, but Bea remained single. Bea didn't take on another full time sitcom until 1985. This show was one of the only sitcoms ever to feature an all woman cast over the age of 40. That show was "The Golden Girls". Once again, magic was made in the combination of actresses and the topics that faced an older generation. Over the seven year run, the issues touched upon included, chronic fatigue syndrome, dating after divorce, medical benefits, adult children, finances, death and elderly parents. All four of the stars won Emmy's for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy at different times during the run of the series. A spin off was tried but it sadly failed. It just wasn't the same without all the girls together. The show still plays in reruns on several stations today. Just a curious note: Bea decided to leave the show at the height of popularity. Sound familiar?
After the end of "The Golden Girls", with help from pianist Billy Goldenberg, Bea wrote and developed her own Broadway one woman show while continuing to pop up as a guest star on various television programs. "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends" opened in 2002. It was a collection of her own life stories and songs from her various performances from the stage and television. And to successfully prove that it's not what you say, but how you say it, she began and ended the show by reading a recipe for lamb, accented by facial twitches and punctuated by voice inflections. They opened to warm reviews from the NY Times and extended the limited performance by two weeks. Each show was hailed with infinite applause. The show earned a Tony nomination for production. In describing her long career, Bea once said, "I've done everything, except stag movies and rodeos".
She continued to make appearances until late in life when she was diagnosed with cancer. Her final appearance was in 2008 with her fellow "Golden Girls" Betty White and Rue McClanahan to accept the Pop Culture Award. She kept her diagnosis from the public and even from those in the industry, so when she passed away on April 25, 2009 of lung cancer, it was a devastating surprise to everyone.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.