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[Biography &
Filmography is in chronological order]
Birth name -
Bernice Frankel
Sometimes credited as - Bea Arthur and
Jane Ross
Born - May 13, 1923, in New York, New
York
Parents - Philip and Rebecca Frankel
Siblings - three
Height - 5' 9½" by age twelve
High School - graduated Linden Hall High
School in Lititz, Pennsylvania.
College - two years at Blackstone
College, a junior college in Virginia. Earned a
medical laboratory technician degree at Franklin
Institute of Science and Arts.
Acting Workshop - still
ambitious to become an actress, she soon became
bored with routine hospital work so she enrolled
at Erwin Piscator's celebrated Dramatic Workshop,
in New York.
"Caesar's Hour" - a
regular on Sid Caesar's, "Caesar's
Hour" during the 1956-57 television season.
First noticed - onstage playing
Lucy Brown, in the play "The Threepenny
Operas," in which also stared Tallulah
Bankhead.
"Fiddler On The Roof" -
in 1964, performed as supporting role, Yente the
Matchmaker, in the original Broadway production
of "Fiddler On The Roof" (stole the
show every time.)
"Mame" - in 1966,
performed as Vera Charles in a new Broadway
musical, "Mame," in which was directed
by her then husband, Gene Saks. (Beatrice won a
Tony award for her role)
"All In The Family" -
appeared in an episode of "All In The
Family" on December 11, 1971, as Edith
Bunker's blunt, independent, cousin, Maude
Findlay.
"Maude" Pilot - CBS
executives liked the character of Maude Findlay,
so Norman Lear created another episode called
"Maude" in which Maude appeared again
on "All in The Family." The episode
aired on March 11, 1972, being a spin-off, and a
pilot for "Maude."
"Maude" - starred as
Maude Findlay on the television series
"Maude." The series debuted on the CBS
television network on September 12, 1972.
"Mame" 1974 - regained
her role as Vera Charles in the film version of
"Mame" which was directed by her then
husband, Gene Saks.
Emmy Award - in 1977, won an
Emmy award for her role as Maude Findlay.
"Maude" Canceled -
After 141 episodes, the series ended after the
sixth season on April 22, 1978.
"Amanda's" - in 1983
starred in the short-lived series
"Amanda's," which was based on the
English comedy "Fawlty Towers."
"The Golden Girls" -
began starring in another successful series,
"The Golden Girls" as Dorothy Petrillo
Zbornak, which debuted on September 14, 1985. The
series was an instant hit, and ran for seven
seasons
Another Emmy Award - in 1988,
won an Emmy Award, for her role on the "The
Golden Girls," as Dorothy Zbornak.
"The Golden Girls" Canceled -
on May 9, 1992, "The Golden Girls"
canceled after seven successful seasons and 180
episodes, because she wanted to leave the series.
Award Of Achievement - in the
spring of 2000, won an award of achievement from
Emerson College's Musical Theater Society, in
Boston.
After "The Golden Girls" -
has appeared in very few films and now resides on
a ranch in California. |
| Marriages |
| Gene Saks |
May 28, 1950 -
1978 |
Divorced |
Two adopted
sons (Matthew - July 14, 1961) (David - May, 8
1964) |
| Robert Alan
Arthur |
(? - ?) |
Divorced |
|
| Filmography |
| Film or
Television Series |
|
|
| "Caesar's Hour"
(1954) TV Series |
Regular (1956-1957) |
| That Kind of Woman (1959) |
|
| Lovers and Other Strangers
(1970) |
Bea |
| "Maude" (1972) TV
Series |
Maude Findlay |
| Mame (1974) |
Vera Charles |
| The Star Wars Holiday Special
(1978) TV Movie |
Ackmena |
| History of the World: Part 1
(1981) |
Dole office clerk |
| "Amanda's" (1983) TV
Series |
Amanda Cartwright |
| "The Golden Girls"
(1985) TV Series |
Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak
Hollingsworth |
| Circus of the Stars #10 (1985)
TV Special |
Ringmaster |
| The Kennedy Center Honors
(1986) TV Special |
Herself |
| NBC 60th Anniversary
Celebration (1986) TV Special |
Herself |
| Circus of the Stars #13 (1988)
TV Special |
Ringmaster |
| My First Love (1988) TV Movie |
Jean Miller |
| Funny Women of Television
(1991) TV Special |
Herself (archive footage) |
| "Dame Edna's
Hollywood" (1991) TV Series |
Herself |
| "Dave's World"
(1993) TV Series |
Mel (1996-1997) |
| Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl
(1994) TV Special |
Herself |
| Bob Hope: Happy 91st Birthday,
Bob (1994) TV Special |
Herself |
| For Better or Worse (1996) |
Beverly Makeshift |
| Intimate Portrait: Rue
McClanahan (2000) TV Special |
Herself/Interviewed |
| Enemies of Laughter (2000) |
Paul's Mother |
| The Best of So Graham Norton
(2000) |
Herself |
| All in the Family: The E! True
Hollywood Story (2000) TV Special |
Herself (archive footage) |
| TV's Most Censored Moments
(2002) TV Special |
Herself |
| Broadway: The Golden Age, by
the Legends Who Were There (2002) |
Herself |
| Guest Appearances |
|
|
|
|
| "The Seven Lively
Arts" (1957) |
|
"Gold Rush" |
February 9, 1958 |
| "All In The Family"
(1971) |
Cousin Maude |
#25 "Cousin Maude's
Visit" |
December 11, 1971 |
| "All In The Family"
(1971) |
Maude Findlay |
#37 "Maude" |
March 11, 1972 |
| "Laugh-In" (1977) |
|
|
October 25, 1977 |
| "The Mary Tyler Moore
Hour" (1979) |
|
#2 "The Prison
Sketch" |
March 11, 1979 |
| "Saturday Night
Live" (1975) |
Host |
#91 |
November 17, 1979 |
| "Soap" (1977) |
|
|
October 28, 1980 |
| "Omnibus" (1980) |
|
|
April 19, 1981 |
| "a.k.a. Pablo"
(1984) |
|
#6 "My Son, the
Gringo" |
March 20, 1984 |
| "The Golden Girls"
(1985) |
Grandma Petrillo |
#76 "Mother's Day" |
May 7, 1988 |
| "Empty Nest" (1988) |
Dorothy Zbornak |
#17 "Dumped" |
February 18, 1989 |
| "Dame Edna's
Hollywood" (1991) |
Herself |
#1 "Episode 1" |
November 30, 1991 |
| "The Golden Palace"
(1992) |
Dorothy Zbornak -
Hollingsworth |
#7 "Seems Like Old Times
- Part 1" |
October 30, 1992 |
| "The Golden Palace"
(1992) |
Dorothy Zbornak -
Hollingsworth |
#8 "Seems Like Old Times
- Part 2" |
November 6, 1992 |
| "Sean's Show" (1992) |
Herself |
|
1993 |
| "Ellen" (1994) |
Herself |
#106 "Ellen: A Hollywood
Tribute - Part 1" |
May 13, 1998 |
| "Beggars and
Choosers" (1999) |
|
#1 "The Mountainmen -
Part 1" |
June 19, 1999 |
| "Beggars and
Choosers" (1999) |
|
#4 "The Hat Trick" |
July 3, 1999 |
| "Beggars and
Choosers" (1999) |
|
#5 "The Ethel Merman
Story" |
July 10, 1999 |
| "Beggars and
Choosers" (1999) |
|
#7 "Sex, Drugs &
Videotape" |
July 24, 1999 |
| "So Graham Norton"
(1998) |
Herself |
#31 "Episode 31" |
February 25, 2000 |
| "Malcolm in the
Middle" (2000) |
Mrs. White |
#16 "Water Park" |
May 21, 2000 |
| "Futurama" (1999) |
Fem Computer |
#34 "Amazon Women In The
Mood" |
February 4, 2001 |
| "The View" (1997) |
|
#246 "January 23,
2002" |
January 23, 2002 |
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