MSNBC BREAKING NEWS: 'Golden Girls' star Bea Arthur, has died at 86

[Whoa_Nelly]

Source: MSNBC

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Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30407206/

---

Just breaking now


xo Bea
You were awesome! :hug:

[pepperbear]

1. and then there's Maude. n/t

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. That's how I always remember her, too. nt

[eShirl]

5. .

And Then There's Maude
by Dave Grusin and Andrew Bergman


Lady Godiva was a freedom rider
She didnt' care if the whole world looked.
Joan of Arc with the Lord to guide her
She was a sister who really cooked.

Isadora was the first bra burner
And you're glad she showed up. (Oh yeah)
And when the country was falling apart
Betsy Ross got it all sewed up.

And then there's Maude.
And then there's Maude.
And then there's Maude.
And then there's Maude.
And then there's Maude.
And then there's Maude.
And then there's

That old compromisin', enterprisin', anything but tranquilizing,
Right on Maude.

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. Maude

[DinahMoeHum]

51. "God'll get you for that!!"

:evilgrin:

Bea Arthur was truly an original. I'll miss her, but thankfully, I can always rent the DVD box series of her shows.

:toast::toast::toast:

[ronnykmarshall]

71. WALTER!!!

Walter your breakfest has been on the table so long your Fruit Loops are being attached by ants!

[Liberal Veteran]

24. I like this one from Family Guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-GJ64tXzao

[ejbr]

56. THAT was funny!!

Lady Godiva baby!

[mr11]

80. RIP Bea

Never seen that episode lol, it was funny. She will be miss.

[Ken Burch]

94. And there was Bea's classic vocal turn as the "Femputer" on FUTURAMA

n/t.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

123. Here ya go:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4476/futurama-death-by-snoo-snoo

[whopis01]

111. And of course the really long version...

Lady Godiva was a freedom rider
She didn't care if the whole world looked
Joan of Arc with the Lord to guide her
She was a sister who really cooked
Madame Curie was a strong woman character
Workin' all day in a science lab, yeah
Clara Barton was a famous nurse
Who was rapping with the soldiers and bandages too
Susan B. Anthony, always out doin' stuff
Marchin' around and holdin' up signs...
Pocahontas had it all goin' on...
an Indian guide with lots of Indian pride
Indira Gandhi ran a whole big country
That isn't easy even if you're a guy...
Babe Zaharias was a really good athelete...
Good at track and field and professional golf, too
Amelia Earhart flew a lot of airplanes
Except for that one time when she didn't come back
Cleopatra lived way out in the desert...
But still found a way to keep herself looking fine
And then there's Maude...

[Mabus]

18. "Every moose up in Canada. . . ."

Maude was one of my all-time favorite characters and this is one favorite exchanges between her and Archie:

Maude: Did you hear me? I said breakfast was on the table.
Archie: I heard ya. So did every moose up in Canada!

[dflprincess]

86. I remeber Archie being upset that Maude was in his chair

getting her out of it by saying "This country was ruined by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.." Maude, of course, jumped to her feet to defend FDR.

I wanted to be Maude when I grew up.

[Mabus]

114. You have got to check out this post by trumad

with the clip of Maude and Archie and relive the moment.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x303258

[dflprincess]

118. Great link, thank you!

I'm still laughing.

Whatever happened to T.V. like that?

[Mabus]

122. Like their theme song said,

"I don't know just what went wrong. Those Were The Days." ;)

I'm glad you enjoyed the clip as much as I did. I laughed my head off. So did my husband who was listening from the other room. He asked me to bookmark it so we could watch it together. We ended up going back to part one and watching the whole episode.

[JCMach1]

98. My first introduction to feminism as a child came from her character...

Right on Maude...!

[OhioChick]

3. RIP Bea

Sorry to hear this. :( She gave me years of laughter on "The Golden Girls."

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

4. OMG NO!!

I'm seriously so sad right now! OMG, I loved her on the Golden Girls

[LisaL]

6. Me too.

:(

[glinda]

42. Me too! Sob*

:cry:

[Toucano]

7. A big talent. RIP Bea. n-t

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Safe passage to her...

She wasn't just funny, but also timely, and smart...

RIP, Bea...

:hug:

[Faygo Kid]

10. The liberal counterpart to Archie Bunker. She shall be missed.

And then there's Maude.

RIP.

[DinahMoeHum]

50. dupe

n/t

[Elwood P Dowd]

11. Remember this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyhlnL0AbmI

[gblady]

43. that was hilarious!

laughed 'til I cried...
RIP, Bea.

[ronnykmarshall]

70. I always liked when she would slam the door in Stan's face.

SHADE PINES, MA!

[dflprincess]

88. I've been threatening my mother with Shady Pines since the show was on

of course it's not quite as funny now that we're both about the ages Dorothy and Sophia were suppose to be.

[mr11]

81. LOL ...

when i saw it i couldn't stop laughing. RIP Bea

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. AP Article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jWJzbpz6W3uiITeCx7dd5OlB33DAD97PMHD80

`Golden Girls' star Bea Arthur dies at 86

By LYNN ELBER – 9 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress whose razor-sharp delivery of comedy lines made her a TV star in the hit shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" and who won a Tony Award for the musical "Mame," died Saturday. She was 86.

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.

"She was a brilliant and witty woman," said Watt, who was Arthur's personal assistant for six years. "Bea will always have a special place in my heart."

more at link...and a pic...:cry:

[kiva]

13. R.I.P. to Bea...she gave us some great characters. n/t

[GOPNotForMe]

14. SADNESS.

She was a great and humorous woman who was also a big animal lover.

[islandgirl808]

15. oh no

i luved her in Golden Girls!

best Dorothy moment: Sophia and Dorothy singing I Got You Babe as Sonny and Cher :)

:hug: RIP Bea

[jillan]

16. There was something about her that reminded me of my mom :(

RIP Bea ARthur - and thank you for all the smiles you gave my family over the years.

[totodeinhere]

17. I was a big fan of hers. She will be missed. n/t

[Sultana]

19. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

RIP, Bea :(

[DrZeeLit]

20. We, as a society facing change, owe a great deal of thanks to Maude and Archie B.

Love Bea Arthur -- for breaking ground and standing tall!

[Reterr]

92. Wow..maybe because I am 29, I have never even heard of Maude

Now I wish I could check it out somewhere.

[Norrin Radd]

97. The first season is on DVD.

[DCKit]

21. For anyone who missed her spot on 'Malcom in the Middle'...

it was an episode called "Waterpark" and she was in top, top form.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0640420/

[pansypoo53219]

36. yes.

that episode was awesome.

[Mrs. Overall]

106. I LOVED that episode.

[Political Tiger]

22. Bea Arthur was one of the best!

God bless, Bea!


FILE - This Aug. 29, 1988 file photo shows actress Beatrice Arthur accepting her Emmy award at the 40th annual Emmy Awards ceremony in Pasadena, Ca

[Oceansaway]

23. R.I.P. ..

THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND
Andrew Gold

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down a road and back again
Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant

I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say

Thank you for being a friend

If it's a car you lack
I'd surely buy you a Cadillac
Whatever you need any time of the day or night

I'm not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear even though it's hard to hear
I will stand real close and say

Thank you for being a friend

And when we die
And float away
Into the night
The milky way
You'll hear me call
As we ascend
I'll say your name
Then once again

Thank you for being a friend

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

26. May she rest in peace; she was a trip!

[Mad_Dem_X]

31. Now I'm crying. :(

[FreeStateDemocrat]

53. Youtube has a great clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWuRjBTSGDE

[dixiegrrrrl]

57. Damn...you made me weepy by printing that...

Bea Arthur was a great role model to aspire to.
As Maude, she was my "inner woman" back in the 70's and 80's, and later an even better Dorothy.

Somehow I picture her telling God how to run heaven, so to speak.

[Vektor]

76. RIP, Bea. Thanks for all the love and laughter.

You'll surely be missed...

[Warpy]

25. I will always remember the stomach flu episode

She had a good, long run and I am thankful to her for that.

[pleah]

27. R.I.P.

[myrna minx]

28. RIP Bea.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

29. Fabulous woman. She'll be greatly missed. nt

[Mad_Dem_X]

30. She'll always be Dorothy to me.

My favorite character on The Golden Girls. May she rest in peace. :cry:

[The Wielding Truth]

39. It's strange that Friday I decided to have G.Girls on all day.

I specifically enjoyed Bea Arthur, and wondered if she were still alive and well.

[Vidar]

32. RIP Bea. I'm sad. You brought me much laughter & joy

[donheld]

33. Sophia passed just a few month ago (Estelle Getty) and now Dorothy

So very sorry. :hug:

[BumRushDaShow]

34. Wow. R.I.P.

So sorry to hear this. Remember her in Maude and Golden Girls. Her characters never minced words!

Rest in peace...

[iamthebandfanman]

35. mite wanna change ur link

isnt to the story anymore

[ellie]

37. RIP Bea

[closeupready]

38. Oh no.

That is such a downer. :( I loved her.

[Are_grits_groceries]

40. Ah Bea...

You've always been around to make me laugh. RIP

("shady pines ma, shady pines")

[shadowknows69]

41. Always loved Bea's work

RIP funny lady. Good journey.

[qanda]

44. It's hard to believe that she was 86

What a great actress she was! She will be missed. RIP Bea.

[TBF]

45. I'll always remember Maude - and Bea had a heart for the animals

too (http://blog.peta.org/archives/bea_arthur/). RIP Ms. Arthur, you were one of a kind.

[joeybee12]

46. This is heart-breaking...God, what a talent...

...I wish they'd release more of Maude on dvd...she will be missed...RIP

[KingFlorez]

47. She was talent personified

I have the first season of Maude and all of the Golden Girls seasons on DVD. Maybe she RIP.

[NuttyFluffers]

48. :( she was an inspiration with her timing on wit and her scathing looks.

i'm so sad now! :(

[krispos42]

49. Oh no

:cry:

I loved her in "Golden Girls".


She was my mom, if my mom had a tempter like Dorothy!

[windbreeze]

52. No one quite like Bea Arthur....RIP...sad you are gone....n/t

[ejbr]

54. LOVED her!!!! n/t

[Jack Rabbit]

55. .

Pebbelz.com

[dixiegrrrrl]

61. Nice gesture, thank you.

[PopSixSquish]

58. Awww....I'm Going to Miss Her

She was hilarious.

I'm sure Carroll O'Connor and Estelle Getty were waiting for her...

[rpannier]

59. She was great as Maude. I will never forget when she said to Archie

You gonna get up, or are you gonna lay there and feed off your own fat?

[lisa58]

60. my favorite golden girl

[SeattleGirl]

62. RIP, Bea

You gave me countless laughs over the years.

[emilyg]

63. RIP. Thanks for the memories.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

64. She made a difference -

No one but Bea Arthur could have played "Maude."

And that show helped change things here in the United States, and, consequently, for women everywhere.

She was a true revolutionary.

Bless her spirit, and thank you for all that you did, Bea Arthur. Say hi to Archie and Ma ...................

[tabasco]

65. A great actress.

I really liked her on All In The Family.

She and Carroll O'Connor were both superb in that show.

RIP.

[Pacifist Patriot]

66. And not to overlook her stage work...

Ulysses In Nighttown with Zero Mostel

[Ken Burch]

93. And of course, the original "Yenta" in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

n/t.

[Stinky The Clown]

67. She was iconic

Can there be a higher compliment?

[xchrom]

68. we are poorer for your going Bea --

may God's Peace be with your family and friends at this time.

they really broke the mold this time -- i'm so very sad to hear this.

[Lisa0825]

69. I spent so many weekend afternoons watching Golden Girls marathons with my mom....

those are some of my favorite memories... just hanging out and laughing together.

miss you both...

[ronnykmarshall]

72. Now listen to me you old Sicilian Monkey!

Dorothy and Ma were the best!

[ronnykmarshall]

73. Sing it MAUDE!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tTWjg74dis

[defendandprotect]

74. Always miss Bea Arthur's Maude . . . loved it . .. was just reading her bio . . .

She was born in 1922 -- and was married at some point to someone
named Robert Alan Aurthur ... no dates on that --
he was a writer, producer, director.

She married Gene Saks in 1950 and after 30 years of marriage they
divorced in 1980 -- (tho another report says '78)/?
Bea had two sons with Gene Saks --
Matthew born in '61 and Daniel in '64

She would have been 28 when she married Saks --
39 when she had Matthew and 42 when she had Daniel

At the point when she died, she had been divorced from Gene Saks
29 years --

Her son Matthew would now be 48 - Daniel 51

She started out as a singer --

and she also served in the US Marine Corps!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0037735/bio

[tishaLA]

75. RIP Ms Arthur

[Cresent City Kid]

77. Me and my mother used to watch Maude together

As I was a trouble making brat for most of the day, we did most of our bonding watching M*A*S*H, Maude, or All in the Family. My older siblings grew up in the '60's in TV's "innocence", but my earliest TV memories came from the time when shows like Maude pushed the envelope. These shows may have been considered controversial at the time, by my mother didn't have a problem letting me watch shows that showed racism and sexism as wrong.

Thanks, Bea.

[shellgame26]

78. The Golden Girls

is still one of my favorite shows. Even my 10 year old neice loves it. Goes to show that a classic can transcend generations.
She was one of the best. Bye Dorothy.

[Name removed]

124. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dem2theMax]

79. Heart is broken.

Loved her. Loved her work and what she did, especially in Maude.


RIP Bea.


This hurts. :cry:

[tomm2thumbs]

82. someone who made it thru talent and stayed there by hard work! - and vice versa

RIP

[Dappleganger]

83. NOBODY could rip you a new one like Bea Arthur...

she was one in a million, the strong woman with the quick wit.
RIP

[caseymoz]

84. RIP-- Maude, a breakthrough in Network Televison.

I remember when Bea Arthur played the title role in Maude. I watched a show on first run where Maude found, to her horror, that she was pregnant and, at the urging of her daughter, got an abortion. No other TV show at the time ever dealt with that. Then there was a show about alcoholism, where her husband Walter had to face the fact that his drinking was going to destroy his life.

Then the Christian Crusaders came in and swept it all away, and Maude, along with the more controversial "All in the Family" episodes were swept under the rug. I know the Crusaders would have burned them if they could, and would have probably put Bea Arthur on a stake in the middle of it.

I never saw the Golden Girls, but I know that her performance and comedy timing in that had to be as sharp and intelligent as her portrayal of Maude.

Goodbye Bea, and thank you for talent, your intelligence, and all the laughs.

[liberaltrucker]

85. RIP, Madame Bea

Your life's work made untold millions lives a little happier.

I can hear St Peter say: "Well done, My good and faithful servant".
Say hi to Carlin.

:hug:

:cry:

[Ken Burch]

87. She'll get God for that!

n/t.

[tainted_chimp]

89. Gonna miss you Bea!

So brilliant.

Here's a fun silly take-off on 'Sex and the City' that she did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMLITlAA0QM


Thanks for all of the laughs....

:cry:

[BuelahWitch]

90. I'm watching The Golden Girls Reunion on Youtube and crying

Estelle was not there. Betty White explained that she had "retired from show business," but apparently her illness (Alzheimer's?) was too advanced for her to appear.
Anyway, in part 5 or 6, they're talking about shows they did that hit serious notes. Bea introduces one about "lonliness" and you can see she's choking back tears. The scene is Sophia and an elderly male friend, who clearly has some sort of dementia, sitting on a bench by the seaside. I can imagine it was difficult for Bea to talk about that segment knowing of Estelle's illness.
I miss them both :cry:

[Reterr]

91. :(

Loved the GGs. RIP Bea-she was my favorite character on the show.

[No Elephants]

95. Her best role, IMO? Lovers and Other Strangers. If you can find it or Netflix it, you'll love it.

[UTUSN]

119. She was in "Lovers & Other Strangers"?!1 That movie struck me BACK THEN!1 n/t

[Norrin Radd]

96. Loved her. She fuckin' rocked. Grew up in the late 70's early 80's

watching Maude reruns. That show and M.A.S.H. taught me humor. Peace to Bea and condolences to her family and friends.

[Meldread]

99. Thank you for being a friend, Bea.

I grew up watching the Golden Girls, and a few years ago, when I was in the hospital for almost a month, I watched it every day. There was something about the Golden Girls that is eternal, and still relevant and funny - even today. I loved that show, and I loved all the women on it.

Thanks for being a friend, Bea.

"Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true your a pal and a confidant.

And if you through a party
Invited everyone you ever knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend."

[SeattleGirl]

100. Aw, damn. Now you're making me cry.

:cry:

Bea was great!

[xloadiex]

101. One of her last performances

Was at a roast for Pam Anderson. I never knew she did "blue" comedy. It was hilarious. Her delivery was spot on.

(Not suitable for kids)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHd3MrMbnzY

[Jennicut]

102. I used to watch Golden Girls all the time when I was a kid

For some reason I really liked that show though I sure most of the jokes were over my head. RIP Bea.

[swag]

103. Love John Currin's painting of her

[Bluenorthwest]

104. Bea, of the perfect comic timing.

You will be missed like mad.
Peace like a river, Bea....

[SharonRB]

105. I loved her

RIP, Bea. :(

[Bryn]

107. Loved her, loved Golden Girls

You will be missed, Bea

[virgdem]

108. Her comic timing was perfection...

she was like no other comedic actress of our time. Both Maude and the Golden Girls are timeless classics. Bea, you will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.

[ShortnFiery]

109. I loved MAUDE! :-)

RIP dear Bea Arthur :loveya:

[bamacrat]

110. The link is wrong.

Takes you to a Ga. professor shooting. Sad though, loved Bea.

[tofurkey]

112. She was a great voice for animals

Thank you on their behalf, Bea.

[SlingBlade]

113. RIP Maude, You made us laugh, Thank You

[pink-o]

115. Oh, Bernice Frankel, from one too-tall Jewish broad to another..

I wish you safe passage. Your height stopped you from being in the mainstream, from being a petite, fragile leading lady, so you did what all of us have: you became funny.

But you did it better than any of us ever could! Thank you for being a friend, and a presence when a gawky adolescent needed to see herself represented! (Talking "Maude" here--I was 30 when the Golden Girls premiered!)

[UTUSN]

120. Was that her real name, Bernice FRANKEL?1 n/t

[pink-o]

121. Yup. She was the original "Yente" in Fiddler.

Not a huge acting stretch--but she totally proved her chops in all her roles!!

[AnnieBW]

116. Maude was one of the greatest progressive characters in TV history

Like all Norman Lear comedies of the day, it dealt with hot-button issues with humor. Bea, you will be missed. :cry:

[webDude]

117. Episode of "Malcom in the Middle", she played baby-sitter...

to the youngest one. THEY danced to "Fernando" by ABBA. EXCELLENT part!!! Unfortunately, It ended with an ambulance taking the baby-sitter away. It was a dark comedy episode.