Bea Arthur Interview - ROD Show, Season 1 Episode 224, 1997

the author's here how are you I'm terrific I mean who wouldn't be I'm so happy that you showed up after I believe finally got together I know we were at forbidden Broadway and I I accosted you and begged you to come on the show yes and you did thank you yes yes cuz you never know if people will be frightened or somehow appreciative of my enthusiasm oh no I know it was very very enthusiastic yeah I mean you were and your brother did you did you do they know what what transpired that fateful night I didn't tell though no no what had happened I'd been um well I'm a fan of uh fan Broadway I was there for the second time in a couple of weeks and uh we saw the show and it was wonderful I was sitting there with a couple of friends and then the show was over and Rosie who what had been at the next table or two tables away watching you the whole show and her I didn't realize I was and her brother came over and stood next to my table and sang the entire mod theme in harmony yeah but your brother just came in for the oh yeah yeah he came in for the oh yeah you know this is interesting because I was at a place last night down in the village called the universal Grill I know it have you ever heard well you know what they do it's a wild crazy place kind of wonderful where they when people celebrate a birthday there uh they don't sing Happy Birthday to you they all get up and they sing the m theme exactly and not a lot of people know that ending part I know I know would you uh like to hear no please me I couldn't I'll come in for the oh yeah you will if you do the oh yes I'll do it I'll do the oh yeah all right hit it John 2 3 4 lady G was a freedom rider she didn't care if the whole world looked sha B with the Lord to guide her she was a sister who really cooked is a DA was the first you glad she showed up oh yeah and when the country was falling upon got it all up and then there's then's and then there's and then there's and then there's and then there right on compromising enterprising but tranquilizing right on God who would have thought that was wonderful growing up that I would ever get to sing it to your face you know I love you know I was thinking about this Rosie because you know when we started ma was in 1972 yes were how old were you nine you really were I was born in 62 I was 10 ah ah so you do remember I totally I remember the first episode of All in the Family oh my God that was the pilot episode oh my God they spun off yes you know what be we have it here I thought you know might like to see it oh my god with the hair and hair and the things go what Edith wait a minute didn't you get my telegram telling you to stay the hell away from here of course I got your telegram telling me to stay the hell away from here Edith honey now you can rest easy now myy is here and so you are now the history goes I'm I'm not sure that it's true you did that one episode in CVS said give her her own series one episode yeah but they also said where has that girl been yeah you know after many many years on Broadway Off Broadway off off but Norman Le was a friend of yours and he coached you to come out to LA to do one episode yes did you have any idea that they were going to offer you this oh no I mean I all I was worried about was that it would be good the one segment right and Norman promised me that if it wasn't he'd get somebody else to do it I'm glad he didn't yeah it was a lot of fun now M how how long did it run I stayed with it for six years six years yeah they wanted to go on a believe I've forgotten whether I I became a congresswoman or a something in Washington and they wanted to uh you know it was at the height of the the women's movement right and uh then they wanted to continue with Ma and Washington with a different cast but I figured you know it she'd still be the same mod and uh I decided it was enough six years is enough and it was sort of instantly hugely successful was it hard to adjust to that kind of Fame like overnight uh yes because it's totally different being as you congratulations thank you very much very very no you know you can you can spend years and very successfully on the stage but once you hit television it's like I mean people who never even knew you feel that uh you're you know you're a member of the family right and uh it was pretty rough at first I mean because I wasn't used to that kind of agulation or whatever you know you could I remember I remember taking my kids to Disneyland and I um thought oh God how am I going to do this so no one will recognize me and I put on a raincoat and put the collar up and I had big dark glasses and I wore a a scarf around my hair and you know standing in line in that heat for hours waiting and I I mean I nobody paid any attention to me except they all looked at me you know who's that crazy lady who's sweating so hard but uh no and uh you know after that you sort of realize they they really feel you a member of the family and they love you and if they want to if they come up to you it's only because they want to say thank you and I love you you know how much they appreciate you now you did of course MIM with Angela Lansbury here and you guys are remained really good friends oh isn't that lovely you're a big supporter of the theater I know yes have you seen any of the new musicals this year fact I've seen I've seen uh the life Steel Pier uh Titanic have you seen no I haven't I I know you like that very much I tell you and I saw the uh little foxes I saw last night Val and I saw How I Learned to Drive and I really am tired now know I want a couple of theater free days you know but it's exciting isn't it oh it's very exciting is that your first love theater oh of course except that you know doing both TV shows that I did was like doing theater because we did it in front of an audience you know oh I must tell you I just did a very a very fun thing this week uh first of all I just came to New York to see friends and shows didn't plan on working but um uh I did along with couple of other people on tell you who they are a u a children's the recording of a children's book for uh the children's um uh book of the month club wow for a um the proceeds to go to a um a foster children's charity in in LA and Paula Poundstone oh I love is producing it and it's called Uh a mother for choco and uh I recorded part of it and Mary Charla Moore and Lily Tomlin and Ed Asner and Kathy uh uh M MIM Jim Jim very funny from Sister yes Paula Poundstone isn't she great oh yes and she's a foster mom herself as you know yes she's a she's going to be next year a correspondent for us on the show she's going to be on once a month she's going to go all over the country at like Chile festivals and to the mall what she's great at talking to people and she's going to be chil Festival can you imagine her at a chil off that is funny comedy right there well when that when that comes out you send us a copy and we'll hold it up and tell everyone where to get it oh yes yes of course can I say be Arthur it's one of the Thrills of my life getting to meet you and know you and I really may I tell you that it's a joy to be here oh that's I usually don't do but I so appreciate that you did and I'm very testified thank you so much don't go anywhere we'll be right

Channel: Rosie O'Donnell

Views: 54,706

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Id: WJu9CYf85wE

Length: 8min 53sec (533 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 21 2022