Saturday, June 01, 2013
HEROINE
At last, someone I knew has achieved hero/ine status
Jean Stapleton Who Played Archie's Better Angel Dies at 90
When I was a kid, I played organ in the Mountainhome Methodist Church. Assistant, usually in the summer.
In the process, I got to accompany various singers who came past the gate and got recruited, I don't think paid, into singing during the service.
One of these was a young actress at the summer theater, The Pocono Playhouse. She was Jean Stapleton.
We got to know each other and were friendly to the point that when she got cast in the musical Damn Yankees, I got in touch with her and we met for dinner and a personal back stage tour when she toured Boston, the tryout.
I was stage struck at the time and not doing very well in school, I don't know what year, and I got the idea that somehow, some way, Jean could help me go to New York and try to break into show business.
Insane.
She was very kind to me. She wrote to say that it was tough there and she suggested waiting the year out to see if I was really serious and not jump ship.
By that time, the ardor for the stage had cooled and, probably, I actually passed my courses that term, so I cooled off, stayed with the MIT plan and forgot the greasepaint.
I am so thankful she was straight with me about this at the time. An example of tough love.
Later on, I was in New York and met her outside her next show which was Funny Girl. No tour. Just a hello, how are you?
She was doing fine.
By that time, I had a job, I was doing OK and she was happy to hear it.
I thought she wouldn't remember me but she did and was very willing to hang out a bit. I did get to tell her I was grateful for her help in stopping me from running away with the "circus".
We laughed.
She had also been in Bells Are Ringing with Judy Holiday.
Next thing I know, she was Edith Bunker and that was that. No more shows. No more paths crossing.
She was older than me, I knew that. But I didn't get that it was 13 years. She had been working all that time in the theater and was just getting her first show at about 30 years old. She was a trouper.
She invented the character that became Edith Bunker for the Damn Yankees show. She played the sister in law (named Sister) to Joe Hardy who runs off to be a baseball star! So much running away.
She sang the signature number or one of them "You Gotta Have Heart". The other number was "Whatever Lola Wants", Gwen Verdon.
It was a great show and they are all in the movie which is very faithful. Only Tab Hunter is the young Joe Hardy. It is very good. One of the few successful screen transfers.
I might rent it again. Just to see Jean playing Sister.
I tired of the Edith Bunker thing but Sister is all Jean all the time.
