The online column “Piazza Navona” is pleased to host Elva Diane Green and present her book “Maude!” (BearManor Media). An interesting essay devoted to one of the sitcoms that made American television history. And don’t miss the Meeting with the Author!
Synopsis
Elva Diane Green writes the first essay entirely dedicated to Maude, the hit sitcom starring Bea Arthur that aired on CBS for six seasons from 1972 to 1978 (141 episodes). The book traces the birth of this TV project, gives us the opportunity to take a closer look (it really is the case) at the seasons of the sitcom by contextualizing it in time and the society to which it belongs, and to learn more about the various protagonists by tracing their lives and careers. Above all, “Maude!” gives us a crisp, clean and objective portrait of the image this woman (and her wonderful performer) left to her audience even with her contradictions. Liberal, progressive, deeply feminist, ironic, curious, in love and with three marriages behind her, unashamedly outspoken, ready to fight for gender equality, fervent supporter of the gay community and against all forms of racism and violence, pro-abortion. Woman, mother, wife, grandmother, friend — all this is much more was and continues to be Maude. It is no accident that her name of Germanic origin means “strong in battle.” As Donny Hathaway sings in the opening theme song of each episode, there’s Lady Godiva, Joan of Arc, Isadora [Duncan], Betsy Ross…and then there’s Maude!
About the book
All fans of television and sitcoms-especially those of the 1970s and 1980s-will not fail to remember Maude, broadcast in Italy by Canale 5 in 1982 under the title Una signora in gamba.
How can we forget That uncompromisin’, enterprisin’, anything but tranquilizin’ Maude so wonderfully and pointedly described in the sitcom’s opening theme song sung by Donny Hathaway?
Those who have lost a bit of memory or have a desire to discover and learn more about this highly successful American sitcom cannot help but read the interesting essay Maude! written by Elva Diane Green and published in July 2024 by the U.S. publishing house BearManor Media.
As the Author writes at the beginning of her book: Welcome to the world of Maude, the TV Sitcom that ran on CBS from 1972-1978. If you are a returning fan, a new or soon-to-be fan, you are in the right place.
But let’s take a step back. Maude, at the behest of the brilliant television producer and author Norman Lear (“dad” of other iconic and legendary sitcoms such as The Jeffersons, Sanford & Son and Good Times, to name a few), was born as a spin-off of one of his own series, All in the Family. Here, Maude appears in the role of the protagonist’s cousin, Esther Bunker (Archie’s wife played by Jean Stapleton) to whom she comes to her rescue when her entire family falls victim to a terrible flu. In an instant, the legend was born. This brief appearance of Maude -played by a Bea Arthur in a state of grace -is so successful, and Lear is so impressed by the skill of his actress that he decides to dedicate a series of his own to the character she plays. The success is great and Maude, which debuted on CBS on September 12, 1972, would go on for six seasons and a total of 141 episodes until April 22, 1978. There will also be numerous guest stars: from John Wayne to Van Johnson, Henry Fonda to Martin Balsam.
Elva Diane Green in her book tells us about all this with enthusiasm, details and particulars. The Author, has the merit of including and creating a parallel not only between the sitcom and its time but also between the show and our time. There is also no shortage of interesting observations on the artistic and moral legacy Maude left behind. Of course, it is well analyzed how Bea Arthur (whom many of you will remember for her role as Dorothy Zbornak between the 80s and 90s in The Golden Girls, but that is another story) made this p(rep)otent and overflowing character her own while being totally removed from his person and character. Maude is everything and the opposite of everything. And everything happens to her. She is a forty-seven-year-old woman on her fourth marriage, married to Walter Findley who owns an appliance store, the mother of a divorced daughter and grandmother to the witty Philip who live with her. Surrounding her and her family are the hottest and most significant social and political issues of the 1970s (and beyond): from abortion to alcoholism, from racism to politics, from homosexuality to equal rights and equal pay for men and women, from cosmetic surgery to depression. Just to mention a few, and always under the banner of sharp intelligent irony, the kind that can make people think.
Maude becomes a champion, a fighter, an outspoken voice with her own conventions and beliefs, a symbol of freedom, identity, feminism, and courage. Legendary are her quarrels with her husband (and sweet reconciliations) but also with her best friend Vivian (Rue McClanahan), and with successive maids with whom she always tries to establish a familiar and friendly relationship. This will happen especially with Florida (Esthelle Rolle) who will give her a hard time (and for whom Norman Lear creates Good Times).
To conclude, in just under 100 pages Elva Diane Green catapults us into Maude’s life and family making us feel part of them and not mere viewers. Smiling while reflecting. The Author gives us an authentic portrait of a sitcom that made the history of American television (and beyond) and that, even today, is a source of inspiration for many authors, actors and actresses. The writer allows us to reflect on the modernity of this series, on how and how difficult it is still today to deal with certain topics (think “only” of homophobia and abortion). Above all, Elva Diane Green gives a gift to all fans of the show, fans of television history and admirers of the unforgettable Bea Arthur. And.. then there’s Maude!
Meeting with the author
How did the publishing project of “Maude!” come about?
My publisher, Ben Ohmart, is a great admirer of Bea Arthur. For a long time, he had entertained the idea of writing a book in this vein, however he could never find the time. After I became a writer with BearManor Media, Mr. Ohmart asked if I might agree to help him with the project, or, possibly, write the book myself using the many contacts he had acquired over the years.
Why did you decide to dedicate a book to the sitcom “Maude”?
It was Mr. Ohmart’s idea to dedicate the book to the sitcom because the star was Bea Arthur and “Maude” had been a television audience favorite. I was completing a book on the 1970s sitcom “The Jeffersons”, and I had also watched “Maude” so I was happy to be able to participate in sharing about a program that had been quite successful.
What research did you do for the writing of this book?
I began by familiarizing myself with the writers of the sitcom by logging onto the internet and reading bios. I watched all the “Maude” episodes on DVD in order to get a “feel” of each writer, and to refresh my memory of the episodes and also to watch the episodes I had missed in the 70s. I was able to interview a few people via e-mail. I attempted to interview as many writers and guests as I could locate. A writer friend put me in touch with an assistant who had worked for years on the sitcom, and she provided me with further information. Of course, some had left us, and one lady was simply no longer interviewing. During the course of my research, I used social media and was able to connect with the wife of the actor (Bill Macy) who played Maude’s husband. Samantha Harper Macy supplied me with photos from the sitcom that she owned because she had also appeared in a couple of the episodes. Following a suggestion, I interviewed the composer of the theme song, Mr. Alan Bergman, who offered surprising information that I was able to use in the book. Before speaking with Mr. Bergman, I had no idea who the singer of the theme song was until he mentioned that it was Donny Hathaway, a young man who has since passed on. I also used the internet to look back at Bea Arthur’s career as an actor before “Maude”, and to take a look at her early childhood years.
Today, what is the legacy of a sitcom like “Maude!”?
I believe the legacy of “Maude” today is how the sitcom was the first to use controversial subjects, such as abortion and personal problems, alcohol addiction and suicide, and still manage to show the comedic side of life and have it appeal to viewers.
What do you think of the cast of the show? Especially, what do you think of Bea Arthur’s comic and at times dramatic power?
Bill Macy and Conrad Bain worked well for me. I wished that Rue McClanahan hadn’t been given such a ditzy character. Adrienne Barbeau seemed to fit in well. Bea said it herself. She was nothing like the character Maude. But she had learned early what was funny to an audience and she had learned through the years how to become someone that she wasn’t. Her facial expressions and her timing were exact. Her look alone could keep a laugh going. Bea was able to make her audience believe she was the character up on that stage or that screen.
In your opinion, who else do you think could have played the role of Maude in the 1970s?
In my opinion the role of Maude needed a strong woman who had played such roles earlier in her career. Bea got that role because she had appeared in a TV program where the man of the house was a bigot, and she had no problem standing up to him or cutting him down. That was new to the American audience. I do not remember any other actress who could have been as outrageous in that role as Bea Arthur.
Today, especially we women, how much do we owe to the character of “that uncompromisin’, enterprisin’, anything but tranquilizing” Maude?
For those of us who remember the sitcom, we were probably left with an idea that women can succeed at whatever they put their minds to. That women have a right to speak up and voice their opinions. That women are not second-class citizens. That women can hold office. Or run businesses. And be that wife, that mom, that grandma. Hopefully, we have passed that on to those who have come after us, our daughters, our nieces, our students.
How would you introduce Maude to a young girl in 2024?
Probably by telling her how women have had to struggle to be able to vote or to own property in the past. That by the 1970s women had gained strength and were not afraid to assert themselves. Take for instance, Maude from that 1972 TV program. She was a good example of a woman with self-confidence.
Would it be possible to make a show similar to this today?
I suppose it would be possible, but not probable. Today’s world is not yesterday’s world, and today’s people are not about going back. Issues like alcoholism and abortion are still important today, but phrases like “those people” when clearly speaking about people of color, or scenes where the Black guest’s vocabulary is mocked would definitely not work in today’s world.
What do you think has been the secret of the show’s success and the reason for its decline?
Norman Lear’s choice of cast characters, beginning with Bea Arthur. The “Maude” cast were all professionals who loved what they were doing. The writers also had been around for a while and there were no egos when it came to writing the script. The show also featured guests like Esther Rolle who had been on the big screen and wound up getting her own TV sitcom as a spin-off of Maude. There was Hermione Baddeley who had years of acting to her credit. As for “Maude’s” decline, people (including me) had become interested in fun shows like “Laverne & Shirley”, “Three’s Company”, oh yea, and “Starsky & Hutch” (fast cars and good looking men).
What was the greatest emotion you felt while writing this book?
That’s easy. Anxiety. I had a constant uneasiness about whether I could do justice to the “Maude” character while at the same time be able to write coherently about the woman playing the character.
Among the 141 episodes of the six seasons of “Maude”, which is your favorite? And why?
“Maude’s Big Move – Part I – The Chinese Dinner”. Bea Arthur in this episode is acting at its best. The script calls for her to be horrified at the news her daughter and her best friends will be moving away and that while hearing this news she is to bites her fist. I love that scene. It was the serious being funny, which Bea had learned early in her career. She played it perfectly. I cried and laughed at the same time. Also, the ending of this episode absolutely appealed to my strange idea of what is funny. The guest of honor at this party was a Congresswoman who had offered Maude a post which she accepted. The Congresswoman told her: “You will have a job as long as I am alive.” And then the Congresswoman dropped dead.
What are your next publishing projects?
I have begun working on book number 4 which will be on the TV sitcom “Good Times” which ran from 1974-1978. It starred Esther Rolle, John Amos, Ralph Carter, Jimmie Walker and Bern Nadette Stanis. Through social media I have been in contact with people connected with the cast and I am looking forward to beginning my research in earnest. My first book was a biography about my father – Eddie Green (1891-1950). The book published in 2016. Since that time I have continued to research my father’s life due to the fact that people who read the book were in possession of pictures I had never seen, coffee mugs that had been used in 1949 on a radio program Eddie starred in (they sent me the mug) and I was even sent a copy of the sheet music for a song my father wrote. I have so much new information I am considering a second book about Eddie.
