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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJean Stapleton has passed away :(
'All in the Family' star Jean Stapleton dies at 90By Claudia Luther
June 1, 2013
Jean Stapleton, who played Archie Bunkers long-suffering wife Edith in the long-running 1970s television series All in the Family, died Friday at her New York City home. She was 90.
Stapleton died of natural causes, her family announced Saturday.
She had been a veteran of stage, film and television when she was cast in the CBS sitcom opposite Carroll OConnors loud-mouthed, bigoted Archie Bunker, who often addressed her as "dingbat." She won three Emmys for the role.
The benign, compassionate presence she developed made my egregious churl bearable, O'Connor wrote of Stapleton in his 1998 autobiography. He died in 2001.
Born in New York City on Jan. 19, 1923, Stapleton was the daughter of a billboard advertising salesman and an opera singer.
continued: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-et-st-jean-stapleton-dies-at-90-20130601,0,5429067.story
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)RIP.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)1968 Pilot
1969 Pilot
1971 Pilot
ABC passed on the show twice. Finally CBS gave it a shot in 1971.
ABC really BLEW IT!
BeyondGeography
(39,393 posts)http://m.deseretnews.com/article/865579715/Saturday-has-gone-from-TV-paradise-to-rerun-wasteland.html
Elwood P Dowd
(11,443 posts)television on Saturday Night. It was hard not to watch with that line-up.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)nobody can top these four for best shows of the seventies, or early seventies.
I also liked Hill Street Blues, but that came later.
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)Remains one of my favorites.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)napkinz
(17,199 posts)The late '70s not so much: The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Charlie's Angels, Happy Days (after jumping the shark), Laverne & Shirley, The Facts Of Life, Three's Company to name a few.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)I'd even include The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family. And of course, Eight is Enough.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)I never liked that shows.
But yes, loved The Brady Bunch & Partridge Family!
And the first four seasons of Happy Days.
And Good Times and Maude ... two more classics from Norman Lear.
niyad
(113,776 posts)dhill926
(16,380 posts)in college then. Always had a crowd, some weed, some beer and just laughed and laughed. If I remember correctly (obviously in doubt), didn't The Carol Burnett show follow?
napkinz
(17,199 posts)nt
BeyondGeography
(39,393 posts)napkinz
(17,199 posts)I loved watching how Tim would make Harvey crack up!
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)DebJ
(7,699 posts)So that is our reading time.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)I know everyone compares every cast with the original "Not Ready For Prime-Time Players."
But still, it's nice to have a LIVE comedy/variety show on. (Sure beats all those inane "reality" shows.)
DebJ
(7,699 posts)the comedy they have anymore.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, Jason Sudeikis and Seth Meyers won't be back next season.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler left a couple of years ago.
Next season doesn't look very promising.
hfojvt
(37,573 posts)I was 11-12.
Baitball Blogger
(46,775 posts)napkinz
(17,199 posts)Complete list at
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0822958/
choie
(4,111 posts)was the best show ever on tv - and no one else could have played Edith. Bless you, Jean...
Absolute classic.
....and Edith
xchrom
(108,903 posts)Summer Hathaway
(2,770 posts)many, many years ago, where he talked about each of the characters in All In The Family.
He said that Edith represented the Christ-like figure in the show, a woman who actually lived the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount every day of her life.
A brilliant actress, Jean Stapleton captured that essence perfectly in her portrayal of Edith Bunker - a woman who was often cowed by her overbearing husband, often manipulated by her daughter and son-in-law, often challenged by a changing world in which long-held attitudes needed to be re-evaluated. And in the end, Edith always saw the truth of things, and those Sermon on the Mount principles were invariably applied to whatever situation she was met with.
While Ms. Stapleton consistently brought her many, many on-stage and on-screen characters to life with incredible perfection, her portrayal of Edith will always remain the crowning achievement in a long and successful career as an actress.
Godspeed, Jean - and thank you for making Edith a part of all of our families.
monmouth3
(3,871 posts)reformist2
(9,841 posts)And it wasn't just good for the entertainment value - the way they would argue things, and the way things came to light were just so true to life. That's how families argued back then (maybe even now a little bit, too.) The show was funny, but more important - it was REAL.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)malaise
(269,257 posts)Rest in peace dear sister
niyad
(113,776 posts)DesertFlower
(11,649 posts)Zoeisright
(8,339 posts)Our organs are really only meant to last 70-80 years.
ruffburr
(1,190 posts)All the laughs i got out of all in the family, Thank you Jean R.I.P.
chuckstevens
(1,201 posts)One of her best performances. She play the true life story of a Baltimore women who coach little league in the 1950's and fought for integration. It really is a cute movie for your kids! Anyone remember it?
TNNurse
(6,931 posts)She was 90. You do not need to be sick to die at 90. You can just wear out. I am always apppalled (the three Ps are for emphasis) when an obituary for an elderly person (in my book 80 or greater) says cause of death unknown or not released. I know that they died because we all die and that should not be a surprise or a secret. I think it is wonderful if someone who has lived a long life can just die....no need for long drawn out illness or suffering.
life long demo
(1,113 posts)Rest in peace Jean.
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)I'll always remember her for her off-key rendition of "Those were the days."
William769
(55,148 posts)Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)I always have remembered this line when Edith tried to give props to a chef.
Stapleton was a classy lady with many talents. She will be missed on many levels. I will miss her personaly. I still smile when I think of her. She leavened All In The Family with her kindness. If she hadn't, the show would have had a very mean edge. She was it's conscience.
RIP Edith.
My compliments to you. Your life was a bravura performance.
I wish there was an encore, but we will have to do with reruns.
Love you!
napkinz
(17,199 posts)-- aired on April 24, 2000