Beatrice Arthur Biography (1926-)

Born Bernice Frankel, May 13, 1926 (some sources say 1923), in New York, NY;daughter of Philip and Rebecca Frankel; married Gene Saks (an actor and director), May 28, 1950 (divorced, 1978); was also married to Robert Alan Arthur (marriage ended); children: two sons. Education: Attended Blackstone College and Franklin Institute of Science and Arts; trained for the stage at New School for Social Research with Erwin Piscator. Career: Actress. Nightclub performer, beginning in 1948; Tamiment Theatre, PA, resident comedienne, 1953. Member: Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild,American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Awards, Honors: Donaldson Award nomination, best performance, 1955, for Shoestring Revue; Antoinette Perry Award and Outer Critics Circle Award, best supporting actress in a musical, 1966, both for Mame; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding leading actress in a comedy series, 1976, and Emmy Award, outstanding leading actress in a comedy series, 1977, both for Maude; Emmy Award, outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, 1988, for The Golden Girls;Award of Excellence, Banff Television Festival, 1990.

Nationality
American
Gender
Female
Occupation
Actress
Birth Details
May 13, 1926
New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • Regular, Caesar's Hour, NBC, 1956-57
  • Maude Findlay (title role), Maude, CBS, 1972-78
  • Cohost, On the Air, CBS, 1978
  • Amanda Cartwright (title role), Amanda's, ABC, 1983
  • Dorothy Zbornak, The Golden Girls, NBC, 1985-92
  • Episodic
  • The Steve Allen Show, CBS, 1952
  • The George Gobel Show, NBC, 1958
  • "Gold Rush," The Seven Lively Arts,1958
  • The Sid Caesar Show, ABC, 1963
  • Tamoon, "The Gamesters of Triskelion," Star Trek,1968
  • Maude Findlay, "Cousin Maude's Visit," All in the Family, CBS,1971
  • Maude Findlay, "Maude," All in the Family, CBS, 1972
  • Host, Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1979
  • "The Prison Sketch," The Mary Tyler Moore Hour,1979
  • Soap,1980
  • "My Son, the Gringo," a.k.a. Pablo,1984
  • Grandma Petrillo, "Mother's Day," The Golden Girls, NBC, 1988
  • Dorothy Zbornak, "Dumped," Empty Nest, NBC, 1988
  • A Conversation with Dinah, TNN, 1989
  • Herself, Dame Edna's Hollywood,1991
  • Dorothy Zbornak Hollingsworth, The Golden Palace, CBS, 1992
  • Herself, Sean's Show,1993
  • Mel Bloom, Dave's World, CBS, 1996
  • Herself, "Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute (1)," Ellen, ABC, 1998
  • Herself, Beggars and Choosers, Showtime, 1999
  • Herself, So Graham Norton,2000
  • (As Bea Arthur) Mrs. White, Malcolm in the Middle, Fox, 2000
  • Specials
  • Ackmena, Star Wars Holiday Special,1978
  • Host, The Beatrice Arthur Special,1980
  • The Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope--Hope, Women and Song, NBC, 1980
  • The Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's Women I Love--Beautiful but Funny, NBC, 1982
  • Night of 100 Stars,1982
  • The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast,1984
  • Ringmaster, Circus of the Stars #10,1985
  • The All-Star Party for Clint Eastwood,1986
  • Walt Disney World's 15th Birthday Celebration,1986
  • Jay Leno's Family Comedy Hour, NBC, 1987
  • All-Star Party for Joan Collins, CBS, 1987
  • Host, All-Star Gala at Ford's Theatre, ABC, 1987
  • Herself, A Salute to Broadway: Showstoppers(also known as In Performance at the White House), PBS, 1988
  • Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration, CBS, 1988
  • Ringmaster, The 13th Annual Circus of the Stars, CBS, 1988
  • Herself, Ooh-La-La--It's Bob Hope's Fun Birthday Spectacular from Paris's Bicentennial(also known as Bob Hope's 86th Birthday), NBC, 1989
  • Time Warner Presents the Earth Day Special, ABC, 1990
  • Night of 100 Stars III, NBC, 1990
  • Dame Edna's Hollywood, NBC, 1991
  • Out There, Comedy Central, 1993
  • "Jerry Herman's Broadway at the Bowl," Great Performances, PBS, 1994
  • Bob Hope's Birthday Memories, NBC, 1994
  • Intimate Portrait: Rue McClanahan, Lifetime, 2000
  • Awards Presentations
  • The 37th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards,1985
  • The 38th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards,1986
  • The 41st Annual Tony Awards,1987
  • The 39th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards,1987
  • The 1st Annual American Comedy Awards,1987
  • Presenter, The 13th Annual People's Choice Awards,1987
  • The 3rd Annual American Comedy Awards,1989
  • The 4th Annual American Comedy Awards,1990
  • Presenter, The 42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards,1990
  • The 5th Annual American Comedy Awards,1991
  • The 43rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards,1991
  • The 17th Annual People's Choice Awards,1991
  • Presenter, The 48th Annual Golden Globe Awards,1991
  • The 6th Annual American Comedy Awards,1992
  • The 7th Annual American Comedy Awards,1993
  • The 47th Annual Tony Awards,1993
  • Presenter, The 8th Annual American Comedy Awards,1994
  • Presenter, The 9th Annual Genesis Awards,1996
  • The 50th Annual Tony Awards,1996
  • The 10th Annual American Comedy Awards,1996
  • Presenter, The 53rd Annual Tony Awards,1999
  • Movies
  • Jean Miller, My First Love, ABC, 1988
  • Pilot
  • Rosalyn Gordon, P.O.P.,1984
  • Other Television Appearances
  • (Television debut) Once Upon a Time, The DuMont Network, 1951
  • Stage Appearances
  • (Stage debut) Title role, Lysistrata, Dramatic Workshop, New School for Social Research, New York City, 1947
  • Member of chorus, Gas, Cherry Lane Theatre, New York City, 1947
  • Member of chorus, Dog Beneath the Skin, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1947
  • Title role, Yerma, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1947
  • Inez, No Exit, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1948
  • Kate, The Taming of the Shrew, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1948
  • Mother, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1948
  • Mother, The Owl and the Pussycat, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1948
  • Marchioness, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1949
  • Constance, Yes Is for a Very Young Man, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1949
  • Tekla, The Creditors, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1949
  • Hesione Hushabye, Heartbreak House, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1949
  • Jessie, Personal Appearance, Circle Theatre, Atlantic, NJ, 1951
  • Baroness, Candlelight, Circle Theatre, 1951
  • Nita, Love or Money, Circle Theatre, 1951
  • Olive, The Voice of the Turtle, Circle Theatre, 1951
  • Fiddler on the Roof, Circle Theatre, 1951 then Music Circus Theatre, Lambertville, NJ, and State Fair Music Hall, Dallas, TX, 1953
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Music Circus Theatre, 1953
  • Clotilde Lombaste, The New Moon, State Fair Music Hall, 1953
  • Lucy Brown, The Threepenny Opera, Theatre de Lys, New York City, 1954 and 1955
  • Comedienne, The Shoestring Revue, President Theatre, New York City, 1954
  • Madame Suze, Seventh Heaven, American National Theatre and Academy(ANTA) Theatre, New York City, 1955
  • The Ziegfeld Follies, Shubert Theatre, Boston, MA, 1956
  • Queen Gertrude, Hamlet, Theatre de Lys, 1957
  • Nadine Fesser, Nature's Way, Coronet Theatre, New York City, 1957
  • Mirandola, Mistress of the Inn, Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope,PA, 1957
  • Bella-Bello, Ulysses in Nighttown, Rooftop Theatre, New York City,1958
  • Chic, Orpheum Theatre, New York City, 1959
  • Hortense, Gay Divorcee, Cherry Lane Theatre, 1960
  • Mrs. Miller, A Matter of Position, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1962
  • Yente, Fiddler on the Roof, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1964
  • Vera Charles, Mame, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1966
  • Meg, A Mother's Kisses, Shubert Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1968
  • Enid Pollack, The Floating Light Bulb, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York City, 1981
  • Hey, Look Me Over!, Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, 1981
  • Night of 100 Stars, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1982
  • Night of 100 Stars III, Radio City Music Hall, 1990
  • Easter Bonnet Competition: A Salute to 100 Years of Broadway, Minskoff Theatre, New York City, 1994
  • The duchess of Krakenthorp, Fille du Regiment(opera), MetropolitanOpera House, New York City, 1994
  • Bermuda Avenue Triangle,1996
  • Major Tours
  • What's the Rush?, U.S. cities, 1956
  • The Ziegfeld Follies, U.S. cities, 1956
  • Film Appearances
  • (Film debut) That Kind of Woman, Paramount, 1959
  • (As Jane Ross) Rocket Attack, U.S.A.,1961
  • (As Jane Ross) Light Fantastic,1964
  • (As Bea Arthur) Bea Vecchio, Lovers and Other Strangers, Cinerama,1970
  • (As Bea Arthur) Vera Charles, Mame, Warner Bros., 1974
  • (As Bea Arthur) Unemployment clerk, History of the World: Part I,Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
  • This Joint Is Jumpin', MiraCon, 1993
  • Beverly Makeshift, For Better or Worse(also known as Stranger Things), Columbia, 1995
  • Mrs. Halpern, Enemies of Laughter,2000