The Beatrice Arthur Special
| The Beatrice Arthur Special | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Hal Goldman Saul Ilson Jeffrey Barron |
| Directed by | Jeff Margolis Howard Morris |
| Presented by | Beatrice Arthur |
| Starring | Beatrice Arthur Rock Hudson Melba Moore Wayland Flowers & Madame |
| Music by | Bob Rozario |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Saul Ilson |
| Editor | Andy Zall |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | Saul Ilson Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | January 19, 1980 |
The Beatrice Arthur Special is a 1980 American comedy-variety television special hosted by and starring Beatrice Arthur in her first and only prime time special. It was originally broadcast as a "CBS Special Presentation" on January 19, 1980 at 10:00 pm ET/PT.[1]
Overview
Arthur, along with guest stars Rock Hudson, Melba Moore, Wayland Flowers and his puppet character Madame, perform a series of skits and musical numbers, many of which have a distinct Broadway sensibility. The special was recorded using a single-camera setup without a studio audience, with a laugh track added in post-production.[2]
Featured songs and skits
- "If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight)" (Arthur)
- "Hey There, Good Times" (All)
- Arthur, appearing beside herself with chroma key effects, illustrates network efforts to make her dress like Carol Burnett, Dolly Parton or Cher
- A comic dialogue between Beatrice Arthur and Madame, including the song "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
- The Harry Fenwick Funeral—Fenwick's widow Gloria (Arthur) meets two of his three mistresses, Marsha and Ruthie, who are all surprised to find he also had a gay lover (in an afterthought, Arthur notes that this would be the most risqué sketch of the night)
- Arthur goes over frequently asked questions, segueing into "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (Arthur)
- "Everybody Today is Turning On" (Arthur and Hudson)
- A reporter (David Sheehan) visits Steve Martin's parents (Arthur and Conrad Bain)
- A medley from Ain't Misbehavin' (Arthur and Moore)
- "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter"
- "Ain’t Misbehavin'"
- "'T Ain't Nobody's Bizness"
- Edie and Judd's Second Honeymoon, a dramedy sketch in which a burnt-out couple (Arthur and Hudson) celebrates their 30th anniversary
- "Old-Time Religion"/"Saved" – Arthur plays charismatic evangelist Sister Love, with Hudson and Moore as testimonials and Madame as the keyboardist
- Finale: "The Way I See It" – Beatrice Arthur
The Paley Center for Media copy includes Moore singing "Miss Thing" as well; that song is not on bootleg copies of the over-the-air broadcast.
References
- ^ John J. O’Connor (January 18, 1980). "TV Weekend Laughter Is Magic for Beatrice Arthur". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
- ^ Phil Hall (March 26, 2004). "The Bootleg Files: The Beatrice Arthur Special". Film Threat. Retrieved 2009-04-26.