At the beginning when Bea is tap dancing, I can hear a familiar voice in my head saying "Go Dorothy, go!.." and "Gosh, I didn't realize how long Dorothy's solo is..".
I see Bea and Betty as sisters. Sometimes they didn't get along and got on each other's nerves, but at the end of the day there was mutual love and respect for one another.
@@user-ph3ji8gp3p But don't you think that it wasn't necessarily Betty she was annoyed by? I mean they were doing a sitcom and Dorothy always seemed to be pissed off with Rose.. so it may have be part of being prepared... knowing your lines, being on time, being ready to go.. being in character.. ready to beat up on Rose.. you know.. the job..😜. And what got me is that this thing about Bea hating Betty only came out AFTER Bea had passed and Betty just mentioned in passing only as a means to show how different they all were but how how professional and cohesive they were. However, the PRESS picked it up and tried to turn into some feud. And there may or may not have been a VERY SMALL kernel of truth to it. I think on some level they were mad at Bea for leaving the show, but Bea had said it had run its course and they had done all they could with it.. Seven Seasons is a good run in her estimation. Plus, they don't mention how bad Estelle Getty was having it.. towards the end she was having health issues which really affected her ability to remember lines and such. So Bea thought it was time the show ended on a high note.
You can work with someone and not like them, it's called maturity. Betty also didn't even know how sick Bea was towards the end of her life. That shows that they weren't very close. I think people, like me, who love Golden Girls, expect them to like each other but image your co- worker from 30 years ago being called on National television to be asked about your final moments of your life. When they clearly said they haven't spoken to you in a long time!
It seems obvious that Bea loved Betty, she just would get annoyed by her because of her positive and bubbly personality. We all know someone like that, but she still love them. RIP Bea ❤️
Oh, they were playing off each other. Betty would deliberately annoy Bea, Bea would deliberately be annoyed. I’m sure they had their beefs, but hell, what friends don’t?
@@lourie_01 Betty started and enjoyed television! She married a game show host and appeared in his show and enjoyed it. Stop belittling her successful long standing television career.
@@MiaEZ exactly...she played Sue Ann Nivens on Mary Tyler Moore and snooty Ellen on Mama's Family. When you play opposite veteran artists like Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore and Vicki Lawrence you know that's nothing to scoff at.
Bea's own son set the record straight on this supposed feud. It didn't sound like much of a feud. It sounded more like Betty could probably get on Bea's nerves but Bea seemed to respect her and always wanted her included in their lunch plans or dinner plans. It was said that if the ladies were going to have lunch, Bea wouldn't go until Betty was ready to go.
I never really thought they had a feud, either. Of course they got on each other's nerves at times, they worked long hours together for years. When you are around a person that much, they will inevitably piss you off sometimes and some friction is unavoidable. I think that half of the supposed "bad-blood" between co-stars is due to this type of thing. I think the media just hypes it up.
@@metro121482 i was just going to write the same thing. I'm sure they got along great before Golden Girls when they just did a couple of specials together. And for the first season of Golden Girls they got along because it was all new but they did 7 years of over 20 episodes a season together. That's hard to do with 2 polar opposite personalities put together.
Bea's own son would kind of minimalize it, don't you think? There was no feud. Bea just hated Betty for unknown reasons and mistreated her for 7 years. Betty says so. Rue said so. Estelle said so.
Rose: "...ooh! But I did learned that 'Baked Alaska' can actually be cooked locally." Dorothy: "Rose I have an even bigger scoop for you: 'Mars Bars' are made right here on Earth."
Bea was a student of the theatre. Betty was one of the first to ever appear on live television. Representational acting vs presentational. Two icons from different corners.
the whole Bea vs Betty thing was overblown. I think Betty says that now because she is older and older people just kind of talk that way. There was definitely a friendship there, just they were different and clashed sometimes I imagine which is VERY normal. Im so glad we still have Betty but gosh it hurts that the Bea, Rue, and Estelle are no longer here.
@@EmpressLilith222 uhhhhh ok. Fair enough. However we have the insider (Betty White) who confirmed that Bea didnt like her. So? Can she be trusted or are you still wrapped up in wish fulfilment ?
@@MIS315 I'm pretty sure she was being sarcastic. She jokes around, like, all the time during interviews. I'm pretty sure, especially with it being Joy Behar, she felt free to joke as much as she wanted. I think people just blew that way out of proportion, especially the network making it a click bait headline. The friendship they had is obvious and is displayed throughout this video.
The end catches me every time. She was the oldest and has outlived everyone. Not to put it on her but I wonder if she quietly has a hint of survivor's guilt? It's eerily prophetic how Rose was the one to ask "What happens if there's only one of us left?" in "Sophia's Choice" and they're all seated onscreen in order of which actress will be left.
Also that one episode where Rose is praying over dorothy, blanche, and Sophia and says "God please take care of them until I get there". Gives me chills every time.
The Golden Girls was my lighthouse during a dark and turbulent time. The AIDS epidemic was in full swing and there was very little to smile about, during those days. Every other week, another friend or associate died. Some of us used to joke about which Golden Girl we identified with the most. I thought I was most like Dorothy, but my friends said, I reminded them of Blanche. In the end, I was more like Rose... because I am the only one left.
My teacher and mentor Philip Polito Astor was a NY actor who replaced Harvey in Torch Song in the 80's. He worked with Estelle and they maintained their friendship. He later moved to Miami where he taught me and inspired me to be an actor in NY which I have been for 30 years. He was dying back then and he would invite me over to watch his friend who was so funny on GG. It brightened his life. Estelle would call and they would talk about the show and her great success. He died in 1991.
Great comment. Golden Girls was such a part of all of our lives. I can remember going to the outdoor Tiki Bar of the Copa in Fort Lauderdale where they were playing The Golden Girls and everyone was standing around watching.
I find my sister very annoying, she grates on me...has gotten me angry about things...but I still love her because shes my sister and she does have some great qualities. That was Betty and Bea.
Yeah, that's how I feel about my sister, too. So, I can understand the relationship between Betty White and Bea arthur. People like to sensationalize the littlest of things.
I think Bea was a more reserved person and Betty was more outgoing; those personalities clash some times. I don't think Bea disliked Betty, I think Bea just didn't enjoy being around a peppy person all the time.
I like to be a goofball myself, but there is a time and a place. When I am at work especially, it gets annoying when some of my co-workers won't shut up.
The notion that there was some massive feud between Bea and Betty is false. Now, it's no secret that Bea found Betty annoying as many people involved with the show including Rue McClanahan, Betty, writer Christopher Lloyd and Susan Harris have all confirmed this. Bea never confided in anyone why she wasn't overly fond of Betty but despite that it never interfered with their work. Bea's son even stated that for all seven seasons, Bea and Betty would frequently carpool together and Rue stated that on tape night Bea would never go to dinner unless Betty went with her.
I think it's like a family feud is all. You can be annoyed by someone you deeply love and still wanna be around them. It almost mirrored the show, I think.
I read Rues book, and her take on it was that Betty and Bea's backgrounds in entertainment were so different...Bea was more of a theater actress, never very fond of being on TV shows, and tended to keep "the wall" between the audience and the actors, while Betty was a TV actress, and enjoyed interacting with the audience during filming...so that caused a little friction apparently. Their "feud" was definitely overblown
I'm not american (i'm from Brazil) and Betty is my favorite actress in whole world. On and off scream. Her timing is beyond this world. I can't even describe. Just to think of the idea of losing her someday it gets me so sad. After watch The Golden Girls for years, i'm still get shocked with how genius Bea was. (Yas, i watch the Golden Girls almost everyday haha) Not only in the obvious scenes when the script was sarcastic. There some's scenes that she simple make a 'almost sarcastic' face and gets everytime.
I watch recorded reruns all the time too Victor! I agree, Bea's expressions are hilarious. Sometimes she didnt need to say anything and was still hilarious
Bea didn’t hate Betty , she just felt Betty was annoying. Bea was to herself and Betty loved bea and that might of been too much for her . They did care for each other .
@@m.e.d.7997 Betty just had a very upbeat and joyful personality and Bea was a little more reserved and quiet so they clashed for that reason. Also Bea was a more straight-laced stage actress so when Betty would do things like talk to the audience in the breaks or between takes, Bea thought it was a bit unprofessional because she thought that in that time you concentrate about what you need to do next if I remember reading that correctly.
@@m.e.d.7997 Well it was thought by one of the producers (Christopher Lloyd I believe) that Bea did envy Betty’s ease with the audience a little bit since Bea was so shy BUT it was primarily that Bea got annoyed with her for being too happy, certainly not jealous of her abilities as an actress as Bea, Rue and Betty were all top-tier actresses.
I've been watching some old Maude re-runs on RU-vid, and, while I always liked Dorothy the best on GG's, I think Maude was a better person (character). She was upbeat, charismatic and energetic, while Dorothy was a bit more cynical.
Marchant2 I agree with you, I love Maude, the character is so particularly and interested, as well as the serie. In the GG, Dorothy is more balanced and cynical but I still love her 😍
Betty and Bea actually had a lot in common. Bea’s mother died at the age of 90 just a month after The Golden Girls premiered in September of 1985. Betty’s mother died at 86 less than a month after Bea’s. Estelle Getty became a surrogate mother for both. They were buddies at least as far back as 1975 on the Dina Shore show with Robert Goulet. Working six months a year (26 episodes) five days a week with the same actresses rehearsing and filming for seven years was especially hard for an introvert like Bea, but was second nature to an extrovert like Betty.
I’m not doubting you, but I find it odd that two women would find a surrogate mother from a person who was a year younger than both of them. Estelle Getty was the second youngest of the Golden Girls, with Betty White being the oldest.
i met Betty briefly when she came to Philadelphia to speak on animal rights I told her my pal Leah's cat died and she almost broke down in tears she hugged me after and signed my hat hats off to you Betty,eternally
I read an article today that said they were not enemies. They each just had different acting styles. Bea didn’t engage with audiences while filming. Betty did.
Just watched several episodes from season 1. This show kept me sane growing up in the 80's. Thankful for such great writing and acting. A joy to watch over and over again. I can't even bin my old video cassettes I still have from the TV back then even though I've nothing to play them on now 🤣 Love these ladies so much.
I loved and still love this show and this era! I still want to live with 3 awesome bff's that I randomly found in a Want ad and live my days out with them. Golden Girls and Rosanne which was my fam...ppl called us The Conners. I can watch all the reruns over and over. Damn I miss the 80's
That these ladies worked together so well over so many years speaks for itself. That Betty always spoke so graciously about the conflicts and irritation between her and Bea also speaks volumes. They were absolute pros and treasures.
This is a fantastic essay through video of the'r professional relationship, that bled into their personal lives, and into ours. Betty White is such a classy human being. Thank you!
No she wouldn't Giovanni that got way blown out of whack Bea was more serious a method actor and Betty was laid back and yes that annoyed Bea sometimes that she was so cheery all the time but she loved her you can't fake that chemistry
Giovanni Alexander agreed. I don’t know why Betty White says these things now that Bea didn’t like her when they were clearly friends for many many years. It doesn’t make any sense.
Did you know here? What a stupid comment, LOL. Amazing how WE PROJECT OUR OWN SHIT unto things we know nothing of. If BETTY (WHO KNEW HER) say's whatever she says about Bea I an apt to believe her. Bea not being fond of Betty or anyone does not make her a bad person? We don't have to save Bea's image by saying what WE (who never knew her) would say of think. Its the most laughable thing I have read here.
I have no doubt that Betty's personality was grating for Bea - I have some near and dear friends I simply cannot stand at times because they're cheerful. Of course, that's my problem and not theirs, but sometimes happy go lucky people are the worst. Some days I just feel like being a moody SOB with no patience for the gaieties of life. I feel Bea was very much the same. I love my friends dearly and couldn't imagine life without them - but they better not come knocking cheerily on my off days...
Best and most correct observation of Bea and Betty. Good chance they've actually worked on fooling us all about their friendship. Betty respected her departure from GG, doesn't mean she liked it.
Marcus Larinen that is true. A lot of people don’t like me for that reason because I’m too silly and cheerful all the time. I’m so slap happy and say off the wall shit a lot that it does irritate most people. In my own case, I’m that way to avoid being sad or depressed all the time. I never had a childhood and I was abused by a mother who always put herself first. I was sexually molested when I was 6 by my grandmothers boyfriend, My father and step mother abused me a little growing up and I’ve been abused by the community as a whole because I’m gay. Or really transgender and sometimes people think I’m confused on that issue like “that’s a guy but he looks and sounds like a girl” and I’m a little overweight so I get it from the gay community too because I’m not “hot” I’m mocked and ignored. I’ve never had a relationship before and If I wasn’t upbeat and silly, I’d have probably killed myself a long time ago. Or OD on drugs.
Marcus Larinen Totally understand whstmyou mean, times a person justmfeelsmdown in the dumps don't they. There's so resentment in me when I've got the sour face and mothers have smiles from ear to ear lol. As you say,that's the persons fault,not the others. Did any if the people whomcommented in the original comment watch the show on T.V the 1stmtime itmaired? I think indie,I'm a latem70's child,so possibly caughtmit the 1st time.
I know what you mean. Sometimes cheerful people remain cheerful by sorta sweeping reality under the rug and then they end up saying incredibly vapid, sometimes insensitive shit that degrades your pain and it’s too much.
I don’t think they hated each other, they just had different personalities and Bea like other introverts needs to recharge to be around someone like Betty for so long. And that’s not easy after 14 hours on set
Bea was a thespian and had a theater background she was more of a serious actress. She liked to stay in character. Betty was all television where you had to interact with the audience and be more upbeat. They just were just polar opposite personalities.
I don’t think Bea Arthur disliked Betty. I don’t understand why Betty says this today but in past interviews when Bea was still alive, she says the opposite. They definitely had very different personalities but like a lot of times in friendships, sometimes you just get on each others nerves but at the end of the day, you still love one another. Bea and Betty had amazing chemistry on set and you can’t fake that.
Wrong. She's said this all along in interviews. She's not demented or mistaken. Be a thought her cheerfulness snoring and take but respected and loved her, period.
It's funny that people think Betty White and Bea Arthur didn't get along because Betty said Bea wasn't very fond of her. Obviously she is saying that as a joke. The 2 of them looked like they got along great
I really don't think they actually hate each other, it's just their personalities clashed sometimes. Lots of people clash occasionally, even with their closest friends or family. The whole enemy arc was just the media taking two famous women and trying to stir drama.
It reminds me of a sisterly relationship. They weren't afraid to speak their minds to one another. I find those types of relationships to have the tightest bonds.
Wow never really gotten to know betty white. Didn't know she was so funny 🤣. I mean I knew her from golden girls but I hadn't seen her off camera. Didn't know she was so bubbly. Just full of energy. And never knew B was < Shy > never would have guessed it considering the roles that she played.
I love both Bea and Betty. Having said that, I think it’s a shame (not to mention shady and sketchy) that Betty waited until after Bea’s death to denigrate her...convenient in that Bea wouldn’t be able to admit to it or contradict it or defend herself against it. I adore you Betty, but not a very dignified-nor fair-thing to do.
@@krisk3363 Sadly, she did. After Bea died, Betty was interviewed and talked about how Bea didn’t really like her because Betty was so positive all the time and Bea didn’t like that. Had she talked about that before Bea died, it would’ve given Bea an opportunity to confirm/deny it.
It's so frustrating seeing the media's delirious obsession w/pitting women stars against other women. Bea & Betty clashed in personality, but they loved and respected one another greatly. It always irritates me seeing how many journalists tried so hard to "dish the dirt," even to their own face. "Oh, you know, Betty. I hear some of the Golden Girls don't like you very much..."----to which Betty coyly replies, "Oh really? Big or small?" There was not a feud nor a jealous war. They were not sworn enemies. It was simply two polar personalities who might've irritated the other here and there, but still couldn't imagine the other not being in her life. And, do you know what that sounds like to me? Sisters.
After Bea passed, a journalist from The Guardian recalled the time in 2003 when she interviewed Bea. When asked about tensions on set, Bea reportedly replied, "Tabloid nonsense because we're women." What is odd though is that I found the 2003 interview, and that part was left out. Why would a journalist would hold onto that comment for 6 years?
I'm 41 years old now, and I do remember watching the golden girls, possibly not on it's 1st run but 2nd time around I was old enough to catch all the funny moments. I used to look and see how glamouurs all the 'golden girl's were,andmhiw perfect they all looked. With there 'salt n ppepper' hair all at,ed up. Women todaymshkuld look back at the fine ladies and the friends they played on the show, it proved that no matter how old the lady is, she is still a woman and older women like these friends did,they liked men's company. Rip all gone,espmB cancer is a bastard, it took my father in April 2018. Bettie White ROCKS!
I love both of them and it’s sad that people call Bea a bitch for her supposed hate on Betty. Betty is a sweetheart but sometimes someone being so upbeat all the time can start to piss you off at times , I know! I used to be pretty much like Betty when I was younger & people would get pretty annoyed at me.
I'm willing to bet Bea and Betty loved and respected the HELL out of each other but occasionally got on each other's nerves... It happens with FAMILY, FRIENDS, ETC., but no love is lost...😘
I have a Bea personality & a Betty personality would piss me off....because life requires balance, i would need that Betty personality around. Betty might think she wasn't a good enough friend for Bea but I'm sure Bea treasured her
I’m A bit of both now but years ago before life and hardship got it’s claws in, I was a total upbeat Betty type. I’m more Bea sometimes now though. Sometimes I just like peace and no silliness.
The woman gets NO RESPECT. A pioneer and a WICKED WICKED WIT - she is the COMEBACK QUEEN. No one can out deliver a line when she's on stage... RIP My favorite Bea Arthur moment is in History of the World. She looks GREAT in that movie and has a hilarious cameo.
Watch the Golden Girls blooper video. Bea Arthur is a straight-laced professional for the most part, and Betty White liked to clown around for the studio audience. For an introvert (like Bea), that can be annoying. Hell, it annoyed me just watching it. I don't think there was any real ill towards Betty from Bea, or vice versa. They just had two different ways of approaching things, and of course that's going to come off as combative at times. They might not have been buddy-buddy off-screen but there was no feud.
As an introvert, bubbly outgoing people wear us out mentally/emotionally even when we love them dearly. That sounds to me like what the Bea and Betty thing might have been. Plus, I think Betty was overselling the point a little.
The first time I learned Bea Arthur was a Marine, I saw her picture on a wall in the Atlanta VA Hospital honoring her and some other vets (and I tell you, a couple of things clicked) .
You know the golden girls even today doesn’t feel dated , maybe because it is older women and we see our mothers or grandmothers , and we never picture them using all the electronics of today,i don’t know , but i watch other situation comedy’s from the 80’s and 90’s and it feels older to me but the golden girls doesn’t and for that am glad
Shepherd boy Bea played Dorothy as vulnurable many times in the show. Like those episodes when she had an illness and they couldnt figure out what it was? She was amazing in that.
All useless platitudes that mean nothing in the real world. Davis was a vile person who had the ending she deserved... that's what you get from a lifetime of malice.
Bea hated the way Betty would very quickly & easily memorize all of her lines, and she hated the way Betty could talk to the audience before the show, then immediately get into character. Bea couldn't do those things because she was always had to have the script in her hand, struggling to memorize her lines - so Bea found those things very frustrating. After filming, they were good.
Iam so sick of the speculation about a fude. Worst we only hear one funeral. Everyones not always going to get along especially working all day long year after year on a cramped movie set. Until we hear both sides let's bury the rumors.
storm window I never heard that Bea hated the way that Betty could quickly and easily memorize her lines. Nor did I hear that Bea struggled to remember hers. I did read that Bea was nervous before filming because she was a perfectionist (according to Betty), but as far as lines go, it appears that only Estelle had difficulty. That said, Bea and Betty had very different backgrounds. Bea came from the stage where you didn't break the 4th wall and interact with the audience. Betty came from TV and loved interacting with the audience. They had different acting philosophies (and personalities for that matter). It just sounds like Bea was annoyed.
Bea's son has been quoted that his Mom didn't dislike Betty, but she was a shy person who came from the theatre, Betty grew up on hours of daily live television & worked on dozens of shows, Bea had to be convinced by Norman Lear & then her Maude co-star Rue to go to work on the shows that made her best known. Also, didn't Bea drink for years while Betty worked with animals? They worked together for years & when Arthur left GG it wasn't because of White. Certainly they were no Mulgrew & Ryan! History, now & all that matters is we get to enjoy their work together until we're gone.
I respect the fact that Betty never revealed how Bea could feel about her at times till after Bea passed away. And even then Betty would still be sure to add that she adored Bea and never took it personal. I’m sure Bea looked at Betty as that little annoying sibling that you don’t like but you definitely love. May all 4 of the Golden Gils Rest In Peace.
I understand Bea leaving. An interview with her son said Bea was depressed over being called "big and ugly" all the time. I know that has to hurt after so many seasons. But as far as a feud, I don't think anything too bad was really occurring. It's okay to be annoyed with a few costars once in a while.
Not everyone gets along perfectly but they still loved and had respect and care for one another regardless. Bea was straightforward and Betty was a happy-go-lucky gal so them clashing was going to happen 🤣🤣
Bea Arthur was nothing like Dorothy in real life and much more like Maude: she didn't need to be part of a group to have self-worth, Golden Girls or otherwise.
Messylin They didn't need it either. Betty was and has always been a star too, while Estelle was a theater girl and Rue a supporting role actress. They were all and will always be wonderful .💋
if Bea hated Betty there is no way they would have continued to work together over the years for various reunions & interviews. they weren’t contractually obligated to do anything after the original run. Bea even did a guest spot on Golden Palace. Who would keep working with someone they hate? She certainly didn’t need the money! Nobody likes anyone all of the time!
I don't think Bea hated Betty. They had a professional working relationship, with a companionable, pleasant camaraderie. Even the best relationships can have tension, and each person can be annoyed with the other from time to time.
These clips probably prove that, while the two didn't really care for each other, the work always came first. Nothing ever really spilled over into real life enough to mess up production.
Maybe Betty shouldn’t have started saying that Bea wasn’t fond of her after Bea died because she’s not here anymore to respond or deny or explain. Because of that now Bea looks like some kind of difficult woman.
The Golden Girls were all great actresses, and consummate professionals. Bea was more reserved than Betty and I think "Rose" got on "Dorothy's" nerves a little at times, but perhaps just on the set, and what the scrip required. But I think in real life, they were all friends. What amuses me is that "Ma" (Estelle) was only a scant year younger than Bea in real life, yet they played a great mother-daughter role! And I heard that Estelle had terrible pre-show taping nerves, she would nearly get sick thinking about it -- you'd never know, she was also such a professional. They are all gone now (RIP), except Betty White, who is 96 now yet was the oldest on the show; she has longevity! We wish her well! We watch GG every day and love it!
If you find someone occasionally annoying, and you put in the kind of long working days next to them, day after day after day, taping scene after scene after scene, 10 hour day after 13 hour day, after 10 hour day, its going to really rub you... This tells you that these 4 people were not automatons. Yes, Betty was a probably bit too 'Rosie' for Bea to handle all those hours. None of this has squat to do with love, or respect.
It's funny because I'm an interview rue McClanahan gave she said that bea would only go to lunch if Betty was going and that she was so attached to Betty.
They used to drive to the studio together too. I think that after working together day after day, their conflicting personalities and different acting styles caused Bea to drift apart from Betty. I doubt there was any hatred. I just think Bea became annoyed by Betty, and while there were always rumors of a long-standing feud, the media really ran away with it after Bea's death. Rue shared a story at Bea's memorial about a drunk Bea calling Betty a terrible word, and I have no idea why Rue would share that at a memorial of all places or why Bea would call Betty that in the first place, but between that and Betty's "Bea was not fond of me" comment, things took a life of their own. I've seen a couple people insist that Betty may have been trying to sell more books when she said Bea wasn't fond of her, thought she was a pain in the neck, etc. (because people love gossip), but that insinuation itself is just more gossip. I forgot the year, but Rue mentioned that other than a few parties here and there, the cast ran in different social circles. They had their own friends. Also, someone asked Estelle if they hang out together, and she said something like, "Yeah, all day long." 😂 Reminded me of Sophia. The interviewer meant outside of work, of course. Whatever happened (or didn't happen), they were able to maintain professional and star in a fantastic show that remains popular 30+ years after its premiere.