Talk:Valerie Harper

Biography assessment rating comment

WikiProject Biography Assessment

The article may be improved by following the WikiProject Biography 11 easy steps to producing at least a B article. -- Yamara 03:58, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

Discussion

Taking out the link for "made-for-television movies" is fine, but if we're to use American English in entries about American subjects, I have to object to the phrase "TV-films" (unless it's the main entry for the topic, which it isn't as far as I can tell, since there's no entry I can find either way). That term is never used in American English - it should be either "made-for-televison movies" or "TV movies."

Is there some source where Lucille Ball is quoted as blaming Harper for the failure of "Wildcat", and subsequently "harrassed" her? I've never heard this before, and in fact, during an early 1970s Emmy Awards show (where Ball appeared as a presenter, presenting an award that ended up going to Harper -- the best supporting actress award for Harper's role on the MTM show -- a starstruck Harper said, "Remember me, Lucy? We worked together once," and Ball could barely even remember who she was or that they had indeed worked together. I propose these references be deleted unless someone can provide documentation. At the very least, the comment, "...it was [Ball's] lackluster performace that bombed the show..." should be removed, as it seems extremely POV on the part of whomever wrote it. 134.174.110.5 18:35, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

Birth Year

Val was born in 1939, not 1940. Occasionally people change it to 1940, because they read that incorrect year somewhere else. --MrEguy | ♠♥♣♦ 02:01, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

Are you able to provide verification? As per WP:Verifiability, we need to have something to support that, especially as IMDb and TV.com both say 1940 (and of course they could be wrong). Her official site does not give her date of birth as far as I can see. Rossrs 08:01, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

This was sent to my talk page: I serve on the Hollywood Board of Directors of Screen Actors Guild with Valerie and have known her for almost a decade. Someone noted her birth year in print as 1940 years ago and she just took it as a fortunate mistake It's 1939. That's as much "verification" as you're gonna get.MrEguy | ♠♥♣♦ 02:01, 14 May 2007 (UTC).

This does not satisfy Wikipedia's policy of Verifiability and is what is broadly referred to as "original research". Although you seem to be dismissing the concept of "verifiability" by placing the word within quotation marks, it is one of Wikipedia's most fundamental policies, so a reliable published source, even if it's incorrect, takes precedence over an unsupported statement, even if it's correct. There are 2 sources provided giving 1940 as the birth year and I fully appreciate that they may be wrong, but if you are changing something supported by external sources, it is your responsibility to substantiate the change in a manner that is verifiable. If it's not verifiable it should not be changed. I've tried to find just one external source that gives 1939 as the birth year and could not find a single one. Rossrs 08:41, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

Harper herself says she was born in 1939 in her interview for the Archive of American Television (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF6EUMXtOZY&feature=sub) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.128.67.40 (talk) 22:55, 11 September 2009 (UTC)

Finally, you get it right. Never mind hearing the truth from someone who has known her for many years. I didn't have the patience or desire to argue minutiae with some keyboard warrior halfway across the planet who feels an odd sense of power, control and connection with celebrity. I wasn't about to ask Val for a copy of her driver's license to show you here on W-i-k-i-p-e-d-i-a. Ridiculous. There's your citation external source verification proof bla bla bla. MrEguy | ♠♥♣♦ 23:07, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

Oddments

This is the most interesting case I've yet seen of the Wiki Jewish Question: the contretemps one sees often over the mere mention of someone's being Jewish. In this case, an apparently non-Jewish person famous for playing a character said by the current version to be "uber Jewish". Further she went on to be type-cast as same, later portraying Golda Meir. But nowhere is this addressed! Also it says that she was fired but gives no details. 32.139.225.223 (talk) 04:11, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

FYI: Val was not "type cast" as Golda Meir. Rather, she secured the rights to the play Golda's Balcony herself because she wanted to bring it to the stage. Val has an affinity for Jewish culture as well as many historical figures who happen to be Jewish people. She eventually filmed Golda's Balcony at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, NY. I attended the private screening at the Harmony Gold theater here in Los Angeles. It was very well done. --MrEguy | ♠♥♣♦ 20:55, 9 March 2010 (UTC)

This article is linked to "American Agnostics" at the bottom, even though the article contains no explanation of Valerie Harper's religious views. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.131.142.97 (talk) 05:25, 12 August 2010 (UTC)