OLDIES GOLDEN
Golden Girl Bea Arthur was born 100 years ago. MARION MCMULLEN looks at the TV hit that brought worldwide fame
BERNICE PHYLLIS FRANKEL was born in New York City on May 13, 1922, but later changed her name to Bea Arthur and found TV fame as a Golden Girl.
She appeared in 177 episodes of the American comedy playing substitute teacher Dorothy Zbornak. Estelle Getty, who played her mother Sophia, was in fact just one year younger than Bea. “Our mother-daughter relationship was one of the greatest comedy duos ever,” Bea said.
The insults would fly between the two characters with Dorothy telling her mother in one episode, “Get back here, you deceitful little Sicilian gecko”.
The Golden Girls was a hit from the start with more than 25 million viewers watching the opening episode in America in 1985, and the show about mature roommates Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia went on to pick up 68 Emmy nominations.
Bea cut a towering figure at 5ft 9ins but said: “All this time I’ve just wanted to be blonde, beautiful and 5ft 2ins tall.”
She had showbusiness dreams from a young age, but joined the Marine Corps and did various jobs including driving a truck before turning to performing.
The Queen Mother was said to be a big fan of The Golden Girls and Bea and the cast performed a special sketch for her at the Royal Variety Performance in 1988.
The Golden Girls eventually ended in 1992 with a two-part special called One
Flew Out Of The Cuckoo’s Nest, which saw Leslie Nielsen, as Blanche’s Uncle Buck, marrying Dorothy and taking her to live with him in Atlanta. Bea made one further appearance as Dorothy in The Golden Girls spin-off The Golden Palace.
Bea, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 86, once joked: “After being in the business for such a long time, I’ve done everything but rodeo and porno.”