Beatrice “Bea” Arthur (May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American comedian, actress and singer. In an ongoing career spanning seven decades, Arthur achieved success as the title character, Maude Findlay, on the 1970s sitcom Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls. Arthur won an Emmy for each of those roles.
Death of Bea Arthur
Arthur died peacefully at her Los Angeles home with her family at her side, family spokesman Dan Watt said. She had cancer, Watt said, declining to give further details ccording to
Early life
Arthur was born Bernice Frankel to Philip and Rebecca Frankel in New York City on May 13, 1922. Her family soon moved to Maryland where her parents operated a women’s clothing shop. She attended the now-defunct Blackstone College in Blackstone, Virginia where she was active in drama productions. She became a medical technologist before World War II.
Theater
Arthur began her acting career as a member of an off Broadway theater group at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City in the late 1940s.
Related Links
- Rue McClanahan, ‘Golden Girls’, dies from stroke 76 (2010-06-02)
- Golden Girls’ actress Estelle Getty dies 84 (2010-03-17)
- FYI: Betty White (88) is alive and well.
Dorothy says Whoa! – Golden Girls
Bea Arthur’s filmography & Television credits continues next page
Television credits
Kraft Television Theatre (1951-1958)
Studio One (1951-1953)
Max Liebman Presents: Kaleidoscope (1955)
Caesar’s Hour (regular performer 1954–1956)
The Seven Lively Arts (1958)
Omnibus (1958)
Hallmark Hall of Fame (1958)
The George Gobel Show (1959)
The Perry Como Show (1961)
All in The Family (1971 & 1972)
Maude (1972–1978)
The 45th Annual Academy Awards (1973)
The Mike Douglas Show (1974 & 1980)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1974-1975-1976-1977-1980-1985-1986-1990)
Dinah (1975 & 1976)
Saturday Night Live (1976 & 1979)
Cos (1976)
Laugh-In (1977)
CBS: On the Air (1978)
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
The Mary Tyler Moore Hour (1979)
The Beatrice Arthur Special (1980)
Soap (1980)
History of the World Part I (1981)
Omnibus (1981)
Nights of 100 Stars (1982)
Broadway Plays Washington on Kennedy Center Tonight (1982)
Amanda’s (1983) (canceled after 4 months)
a.k.a. Pablo (1984)
P.O.P. (1984)
The Golden Girls (1985–1992)
Circus of the Stars #10 (1985)
NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration (1986)
Walt Disney World’s 15th Birthday Celebration (1986)
Late Night with David Letterman (1986)
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1986)
The 13th Annual People’s Choice Awards (1987)
This is Your Life" (1987)
The 41st Annual Tony Awards (1987)
Comic Relief ’87 (1987)
Family Comedy Hour (1987)
Irving Berlin’s 100th Birthday Celebration (1988)
Circus of the Stars #13 (1988)
Empty Nest (1989)
Aspel & Company (1990)
Night of 100 Stars III (1990)
The 42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1990)
Dame Edna’s Hollywood (1991)
The Howard Stern Show (1992)
Guest Night (1992)
6th Annual Americam Comedy Awards (1992)
The Golden Palace (1992)
This Joint Is Jumpin’ (1993)
The 47th Annual Tony Awards (1993)
Boulevard Bio (1993)
Sean’s Show (1993)
Jerry Herman’s Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl (1994)
Bob Hope: Happy 91st Birthday, Bob (1994)
50 Years of Funny Females (1995)
The 50th Annual Tony Awards (1996)
Dave’s World (cast member 1996 & 1997)
The Rosie O’Donnell Show (1997)
The RuPaul Show (1998)
Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute Part 1" (1998)
The 53rd Annual Tony Awards (1999)
Beggars and Choosers (1999)
The Martin Short Show (1999)
So Graham Norton (2000)
Intimate Portrait: Rue McClanahan (2000)
Malcolm in the Middle Dewey’s babysitter in the season one finale (2000)
E! True Hollywood Story: All in the Family (2000)
Intimate Portrait: Estelle Getty (2001)
Futurama as "Femputer" in "Amazon Women in the Mood" (2001)
Today (2001)
The View (2002)
CBS News Sunday Morning (2002)
The Rosie O’Donnell Show (2002)
Good Morning America (2002)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (2002)
The Big O! True West Hollywood Story (2002)
TV Most Censored Moments (2002)
TV Tales: The Golden Girls (2002)
Open Mike with Mike Bullard (2002)
Because I Said So (2002)
Inside TV Land: Taboo Tv (2002)
Intimate Portrait: Bea Arthur (2003)
TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV (2003)
Rove Live (2003)
Through The Keyhole (2003)
Broadway: The Golden Age by the Legends Who Were There (2003)
The Golden Girls Their Greatest Moments (2003)
Today with Des and Mel (2003)*Richard and Judy (2003)
The Terry and Gaby Show (2003)
The Second Annual TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV (2004)
The Best of So Graham Norton (2004)
Inside TV Land: Primetime Politics (2004)
TV’s Greatest Sidekicks (2004)
Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson (2005)
TV Land Confidential (2005)
Curb Your Enthusiasm as Larry David’s mother on the season five finale (2005)
Entertainment Tonight (2006)
Biography: Bea Arthur (2006)
The View (2007)
TV Land Confidential (2007)
Entertainment Tonight (2007)
Back to the Grind (2007)
Entertainment Weekly & TV Land Present: The 50 Greatest TV Icons (2007)
Entertainment Tonight (2008)
The 6th Annual TV Land Awards (2008)
Entertainment Tonight (2008)
Theatre performances
Lysistrata (1947)
The Dog Beneath the Skin (1947)
Yerma (1947)
No Exit (1948)
The Taming of the Shrew (1948)
Six Characters in Search of an Author (1948)
The Owl and the Pussycat (1948)
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (1949)
Yes is for a Very Young Man (1949)
The Creditors (1949)
Heartbreak House (1949)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1951)
Personal Appearance (1951)
Candle Light (1951)
Love or Money (1951)
The Voice of the Turtle (1951)
The New Moon (1953)
The Threepenny Opera (1954)
What’s the Rush? (1955)
Shoestring Revue (1955)
Plain and Fancy (1955)
Seventh Heaven (1955)
Mistress of the Inn (1956)
The Ziegfeld Follies (1956)
Nature’s Way (1957)
Ulysses in Nighttown (1958)
The Gay Divorcee at the Cherry Lane (1960)
A Matter of Position (1962)
Fiddler on the Roof (1964)
Mame (1966)
The Floating Lightbulb (1981)
La Fille du Regiment (1994)
Bermuda Avenue Triangle (1995-1996)
Angela Lansbury – A Celebration (November 17, 1996) (benefit concert)
After Play (1997-1998)
Strike Up The Band (2000)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Westport, Connecticut (July 28-30, 2000)
And Then There’s Bea United States Tour (April 24, 2001 – January 13, 2002)
Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends in New York, New York (January 29, 2002 – April 14, 2002)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Santa Fe, New Mexico (September 24, 2002)
And Then There’s Bea in Melbourne, Australia (October 15-27, 2002)
And Then There’s Bea in Sydney, Australia (October 29 – November 10, 2002)
Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends in Toronto, Canada (November 20 – December 8, 2002)
And Then There’s Bea in Johannesburg, South Africa (August 12-24, 2003)
And Then There’s Bea in Cape Town, South Africa (August 26 – September 7, 2003)
Bea Arthur at The Savoy in London, England (September 15 – October 18, 2003)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Los Angeles, California (January 31 – February 1, 2004)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Saugatuck, Michigan (May 22-23, 2004)
A Celebration of Life in Washington, D.C. (May 26, 2004)
Bea Arthur at the El Portal in North Hollywood, California (August 5-8, 2004)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Provincetown, Massachusetts (August 21, 2004)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Columbus, Georgia (October 30, 2004)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Nyack, New York (March 4-6, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Fort Wayne, Indiana (April 17, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Mount Pleasant, Michigan (April 19, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Atlantic City, New Jersey (June 3-4, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Holmdel, New Jersey (June 7, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Las Vegas, Nevada (August 27, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Hampton, Virginia (September 16-17, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Alexandria, Virginia (September 22, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Geneva, New York (September 24, 2005)
Bea Arthur Back on Broadway (at 95th Street) in New York, New York (November 21, 2005)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in San Francisco, California (January 7, 2006)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Salem, Oregon (January 21, 2006)
Bea Arthur Back at the El Portal in North Hollywood, California (February 16-19, 2006)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in Scottsdale, Arizona (February 24-25, 2006)
An Evening with Bea Arthur in University Park, Illinois (March 19, 2006)
Filmography
That Kind of Woman (1959)
Lovers and Other Strangers (1970)
Mame (1974)
History of the World: Part I (1981) (cameo)
My First Love (1988)
For Better or For Worse (1996)
Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997) (cameo)
Enemies of Laughter (2000)
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (2003) (documentary)
Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age (2009) (documentary)
Awards & Nominations
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS
1989 Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical for: "The Golden Girls"
1988 Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical for: "The Golden Girls"
1987 Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical for: "The Golden Girls"
1986 Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical for: "The Golden Girls"
1978 Nominated Best TV Actress – Musical/Comedy for: "Maude"
1976 Nominated Best TV Actress – Musical/Comedy for: "Maude"
1975 Nominated Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for: Mame
1974 Nominated Best TV Actress – Musical/Comedy for: "Maude"
1973 Nominated Best TV Actress – Musical/Comedy for: "Maude"
EMMY AWARDS
2000 Nominated Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for: "Malcolm in the Middle" For playing "Mrs. White".
1989 Nominated Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "The Golden Girls"
1988 Won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "The Golden Girls"
1987 Nominated Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "The Golden Girls"
1986 Nominated Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "The Golden Girls"
1978 Nominated Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music for: "Laugh-In"
1978 Nominated Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "Maude"
1977 Won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "Maude"
1976 Nominated Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "Maude"
1974 Nominated Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for: "Maude"
1973 Nominated Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series for: "Maude"