Bea Arthur, the legendary comedienne/actress who passed away this past April, was remembered and memorialized at a tribute event held in her honor at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway here in NYC last night. The raunchy affair paid tribute to Arthur’s ability to make us laugh in a way that would make the common person blush and would’ve made Bea Arthur explode in peals of laughter. Here are some deets from last night’s memorial event for Bea:

Golden, indeed: Heavyweights from the stage and TV gathered at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre Monday to pay tribute to the late Beatrice Arthur, mixing tears with loud laughs – and ribald recollections that would have been bleeped had the 2½ hour ceremony been broadcast on TV. Instead, speaking live before a near-capacity house, Rue McClanahan told of the time her Golden Girls costar opened in her own 2002 one-woman Broadway show and graciously invited McClanahan and her husband, Morrow Wilson, to the opening-night performance and party afterwards. Admitting Arthur – who died of cancer in April, at 86 – often wasn’t at her best when she was drinking, McClanahan said an intoxicated Bea told Wilson when he introduced himself to her, “Rue, I love.” But when McClanahan quoted Arthur’s description of another costar on Golden Girls (”Betty’s a cunt”), an audible gasp ricocheted through the crowd – before it erupted into the longest and heartiest laugh of the afternoon. “I am sure that’s because laughter lingers, and no one made me laugh like Bea Arthur,” said Arthur’s Maude producer, TV titan Norman Lear. “I have spent most of my life in the company of extraordinary laugh-makers, performers and writers, killers of the art, but Bea Arthur had me laughing in nooks and crannies of my body, places I didn’t even know existed.” A rep from PETA, extolling Arthur’s love of animals, affectionately remembered her emotional reaction to being told she would receive the organization’s lifetime achievement award – from no less than Alec Baldwin. After shedding a few tears, Arthur blurted out, “God, I want to fuck him” – a recollection that even had the afternoon’s dignified host, Angela Lansbury, in stitches. “She really taught me and every other woman my age how to be a feminist at a time when that was a dirty word,” said Rosie O’Donnell, whose introduction to Arthur came when O’Donnell assaulted the veteran TV star in an off Broadway theater and sang the entire title song to Maude, after which Arthur embraced her. “Without her,” said O’Donnell, “I think there would not be as many funny women on television today.” Arthur’s grown sons Matt and Daniel Saks painted a portrait of a warm and loving mother, while TV daughter Adrienne Barbeau recalled Arthur as generous enough to hand over punchlines to her Maude costars, yet brash enough not to keep her personal opinions to herself. Telling of the time she and Arthur both attended a small theater production in West Los Angeles, Barbeau said that at intermission Arthur announced in her booming baritone that the show they were witnessing was “the worst piece of shit I’ve ever seen,” but that she couldn’t leave the theater “because everyone in it is a friend of mine.”

It is still so very sad to realize that Bea Arthur is gone from this world. Her comic genius was such a gift, I think it is safe to say that many of us still miss her dearly. There has been so much death this year, so many wonderful people lost, but I still feel the pain of Arthur’s passing away. She was many things to many people but she will always be Dorothy Zbornak to me … that is the way she will stay in my heart forever. It’s wonderful to hear that her family, friends and colleagues had a wonderful time memorializing her on Broadway last night … I have no doubt she was eating up every second of last night’s raunchy affair.

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On Saturday we learned the incredibly sad news that famed actress of the stage and small screen Bea Arthur, prolly most remembered for her role as Dorothy Zbornak on the beloved TV series The Golden Girls but also for her ground-breaking role in the 1970’s as Maude on both All In The Family and her own series Maude, passed away at the age of 86 after losing her battle with cancer. Bea’s surviving co-stars Betty White and Rue McClanahan have since paid tribute to Bea in interviews and official statements. Betty issued a statement, which you can read in full here, and Rue spoke fondly of Bea in an interview with Entertainment Weekly and on The Today Show. Here are a couple photos of Bea, Betty and Rue all together at The TVLand Awards last year where the ladies accepted a pop culture award on behalf of The Golden Girls (Estelle Getty was still alive at this time last year but was too ill to attend the award show):

Here is the full text of Betty White’s statement on Bea’s passing:

“I knew it would hurt, I just didn’t know it would hurt this much.. I’m so happy that she received her Lifetime Achievement Award while she was still with us, so she could appreciate that. She was such a big part of my life.”

Here is a portion of Rue McClanahan’s interview about Bea with Entertainment Weekly:

What did you learn about acting from Bea Arthur?
What I got attached to, as an actress, was her impeccable timing. And I loved playing scenes with her. She taught me, by watching her, even back during Maude, to be outrageously courageous as a comedienne, to go out on a limb, to go farther than I’ve ever dreamed of going. [On The Golden Girls], Blanche had to say and do things that Rue found difficult. And it would always be Bea who said [deepens voice to perfectly imitate Arthur] “Oh say it! It’s funny!”

What was Bea’s lasting contribution to TV history?
What’s any great star’s lasting contribution? What’s Lucille Ball’s? I don’t know how to put answers like that into words. I suppose perhaps the thing she did the best and the most of was make people laugh.

Bea Arthur was truly an amazing woman. It will forever be one of my great regrets to have never met her in person. I remember when she did her one-woman Broadway show back in 2001 … I was not yet able to travel to NYC whenever I liked so I was not able to see her show live. It just pains me know to think that I missed out on a golden opportunity to see this genius comedic actress live on stage. Thankfully, we have reruns of The Golden Girls to remind us for all time what a truly special woman she was. After the jump, check out video of Rue McClanahan being interviewed on The Today Show …

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I’m on a plane bound for Chicago, IL but just learned that Golden Girl Bea Arthur has passed away at the age of 86. Sadly, she is the second GG to pass away after Estelle Getty passed away last year. I am terribly upset at this news, she will be sorely missed. Rest well, Bea. I will update with more info when I can. So sad :(

UPDATE: My plane is wifi-enabled so I am able to update this post with further information, here is the moving obituary/report from the Associated Press:

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.” Arthur first appeared in the landmark comedy series “All in the Family” as Edith Bunker’s loudly outspoken, liberal cousin, Maude Finley. She proved a perfect foil for blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), and their blistering exchanges were so entertaining that producer Norman Lear fashioned Arthur’s own series. In a 2008 interview with The Associated Press, Arthur said she was lucky to be discovered by TV after a long stage career, recalling with bemusement CBS executives asking about the new “girl.” “I was already 50 years old. I had done so much off-Broadway, on Broadway, but they said, `Who is that girl? Let’s give her her own series,’” Arthur said. “Maude” scored with television viewers immediately on its CBS debut in September 1972, and Arthur won an Emmy Award for the role in 1977. The comedy flowed from Maude’s efforts to cast off the traditional restraints that women faced, but the series often had a serious base. Her husband Walter (Bill Macy) became an alcoholic, and she underwent an abortion, which drew a torrent of viewer protests. Maude became a standard bearer for the growing feminist movement in America. The ratings of “Maude” in the early years approached those of its parent, “All in the Family,” but by 1977 the audience started to dwindle. A major format change was planned, but in early 1978 Arthur announced she was quitting the show. “It’s been absolutely glorious; I’ve loved every minute of it,” she said. “But it’s been six years, and I think it’s time to leave.” “Golden Girls” (1985-1992) was another groundbreaking comedy, finding surprising success in a television market increasingly skewed toward a younger, product-buying audience. The series concerned three retirees — Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan — and the mother of Arthur’s character, Estelle Getty, who lived together in a Miami apartment. In contrast to the violent “Miami Vice,” the comedy was nicknamed “Miami Nice.” As Dorothy Zbornak, Arthur seemed as caustic and domineering as Maude. She was unconcerned about the similarity of the two roles. “Look — I’m 5-feet-9, I have a deep voice and I have a way with a line,” she told an interviewer. “What can I do about it? I can’t stay home waiting for something different. I think it’s a total waste of energy worrying about typecasting.” The interplay among the four women and their relations with men fueled the comedy, and the show amassed a big audience and 10 Emmys, including two as best comedy series and individual awards for each of the stars. In 1992, Arthur announced she was leaving “Golden Girls.” The three other stars returned in “The Golden Palace,” but it lasted only one season. Arthur was born Bernice Frankel in New York City in 1922. When she was 11, her family moved to Cambridge, Md., where her father opened a clothing store. At 12 she had grown to full height, and she dreamed of being a petite blond movie star like June Allyson. There was one advantage of being tall and deep-voiced: She was chosen for the male roles in school plays. Bernice — she hated the name and adopted her mother’s nickname of Bea — overcame shyness about her size by winning over her classmates with wisecracks. She was elected the wittiest girl in her class. After two years at a junior college in Virginia, she earned a degree as a medical lab technician, but she “loathed” doing lab work at a hospital. Acting held more appeal, and she enrolled in a drama course at the New School of Social Research in New York City. To support herself, she sang in a night spot that required her to push drinks on customers. During this time she had a brief marriage that provided her stage name of Beatrice Arthur. In 1950, she married again, to Broadway actor and future Tony-winning director Gene Saks. After a few years in off-Broadway and stock company plays and television dramas, Arthur’s career gathered momentum with her role as Lucy Brown in the 1955 production of “The Threepenny Opera.” In 2008, when Arthur was inducted in the TV Academy Hall of Fame, Arthur pointed to the role as the highlight of her long career. “A lot of that had to do with the fact that I felt, `Ah, yes, I belong here,’” Arthur said.

Words cannot express my sadness at hearing this news. Bea Arthur was truly a legendary actress of stage and screen and will forever be remembered as an icon of her time. She was very truly a special woman and she will be sorely missed. May flights of angels wing you on your way, dear Bea — you are loved and will be forever missed.

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Bea Arthur and Betty White issued statements to US Weekly to pay tribute to and mourn the loss of their Golden Girls co-star and friend, Estelle Getty, who passed away at the age of 84 years old earlier this morning:

Bea Arthur has released a statement to Usmagzine.com after the death of her Golden Girls co-star Estelle Getty: “Our mother-daughter relationship was one of the greatest comic duos ever, and I will miss her” … Saddened by the news, Betty White (who played the naïve Rose) told Us, “The only comfort at this moment is that although Estelle has moved on, Sophia will always be with us.”

Again, this is very sad news … I imagine it is very difficult for those people who knew Estelle and were close to her but I know that legions of fans are feeling the loss today as well. It’s hard to imagine the feisty Sophia Petrillo succumbing to death … I think Betty White is absolutely right in her belief that Sophia will always be with us. Her legacy will truly live on … even still, this is just really sad news.

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The 6th Annual TV Land Awards took place at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, CA yesterday and a cavalcade of classic TV stars took to the red carpet for the event. It must be said, tho, that whoever the genius was who decided to make the celebs walk the carpet (and be photographed) in the blinding mid-day SoCal sun should be fired … you could almost see the make-up melting off the faces of some of our most beloved and revered classic TV celebs. Too cruel … too cruel, indeed. Anyways … here are a few photos from the TV Land Awards red carpet and a few golden moments as noted by USA Today:

Photo credit: Wireimage

•Gary Coleman of Diff’rent Strokes. Coleman walked the carpet solo but says that despite reports, he and wife Shannon Price are still together. Their one-year anniversary is Aug. 28, and she is expecting him “to come up with something spectacular,” he says. He wouldn’t comment on reports that he’s still a virgin, but he had plenty to say about Price otherwise: She likes to sell items on eBay, including Coleman autographs. And she wasn’t with him because she was at home, where “she has three dachshunds. She is very much a caregiver to them.”

Um, hello! Clearly the most Golden moment of the whole affair was the arrival of 3 of the Golden Girls on the TV Land red carpet — Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White. Altho all 4 of the Golden Girls are still alive, Estelle Getty suffers from Lewy Body Dementia and is no longer well enough to able to make public appearances (Rue McClanahan revealed in an interview a few years ago that Estelle has deteriorated to the point where she no longer recognizes any of her GG co-stars and, very sadly, has no recollection at all of the show). I know Estelle was there in spirit tho, she is always present in spirit whenever the Golden Girls get together. Despite the fact that we are inundated with a plethora of (oftentimes useless) award shows, I really love the TV Land Awards for the mere fact that all of our favorite classic TV stars have a chance to be featured all together at least once a year. I mean, how else would Barry Williams be able to occupy his days? The TV Land Awards will air on TV Land on June 15th. [Source]