Bea Arthur
Bea Arthur
Actress-comedienne famous for her acid wit. The majority of her work has been on the stage and in television, but she has made some films. She was a regular on Sid Caesar's show "Caesar's Hour" (1954) for one season in the 1950s. She first gained attention on stage while appearing in the musical play "The Threepenny Opera" with Lotte Lenya. Then, in 1964, she truly became famous when she appeared in the original Broadway production of "Fiddler on the Roof" as Yente the Matchmaker. In this supporting role, she stole the show night after night. In 1966, she went to work on a new Broadway musical, "Mame", directed by her second husband, Gene Saks. For the featured role of Vera Charles in "Mame" she won a Tony. The star of the show, Angela Lansbury, also won a Tony. In 1971, Bea appeared on the hit sitcom "All in the Family" (1971) as Maude Findlay, Edith Bunker's cousin, who was forever driving Archie Bunker crazy with her liberal politics. This guest appearance led to her own series, entitled "Maude" (1972), in 1972. The show was a hit, and ran for six years, during which time many controversial topics, including abortion, were tackled. Bea also won an Emmy for her work on "Maude" (1972). During the show's run, Bea repeated the role of Vera Charles in the film version of Mame (1974), again directed by Gene Saks. She also appeared on none other than The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) (TV).
