Maureen Louise Arthur (born April 15, 1934) is an American film, television, and stage actress born in San Jose, California, USA who played Orkan Schoolgirl Zelka in Season 4
Biography[]
Maureen Arthur was born on April 15, 1934 in San Jose, California, USA as Maureen Louise Arthur but grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where her father worked as a theater operator running one the Midwest's largest movie chains, Arthur Enterprises. Maureen attended and graduated from University City (Missouri) High School in 1952 where she was an honor student, athlete, and singer.. It was the vaudeville nights introduced at her father's theatres that afforded the teenage Maureen her first shot at the stage, which led to work as a radio DJ and local TV appearances. Her first break came when she was spotted by a talent scout on TV in St. Louis.
Studying Theatre Arts at Northwestern University and won a National talent contest on the The Garry Moore Show, winning a week long spot at the Palace Theatre and a shot at competing on Chance of a Lifetime, which she won 6 weeks in a row. Her vivacious personality saw her become a favorite guest on NY chat shows The Tonight Show and The Ernie Kovacs Show, often doing a spot on impersonation of Marilyn Monroe, before she headed to Hollywood in 1958. [1]
Arthur was married to musician George William Weidler from December 5th 1959 to 1970 when they divorced. She then was married to producer Aaron Ruben from October 30, 1971 until his death on January 30, 2010
She performed at the Variety of Iowa Telethons yearly for over 25 years and was a member of the Iowa Chapter of Variety. Her longtime association with Variety earned her the title of "First Lady of Variety Clubs Telethons", and then she earned the official title of International Ambassador. She was a longtime president of Variety, the Children's Charity of Southern California, Tent 25 [2]
Filmography[]
Maureen Arthur began her filmed career in 1958 in the movie The Hot Rod Gang and the TV show Flight.
On television, she appeared in Bourbon Street Beat, The Red Skelton Hour, Perry Mason, Branded, I Spy, The Monkees, Get Smart, The Flying Nun, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Love, American Style, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Sanford and Son, Alice, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Murder, She Wrote, Matlock her last televised appearances (to date) were in episodes of Golden Girls spin off Empty Nest.
While in Los Angeles, in 1962 she auditioned for the national cast of the Tony Award winning How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and landed the scene stealing part of Hedy La Rue. She toured across the U.S. for two years and was in the Broadway production for one year before returning to Los Angeles and TV and this time to audition, for the movie version of the show. In 1967, in arguably her most memorable and affectionately remembered single movie role, she portrayed Hedy La Rue in the film version of the Broadway hit How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Her success in the role unfortunately further cemented her as a 'sexpot' type reflected in the movies made between 1967 to 1971's Love Machine.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Hot Rod Gang | Marley | |
| 1967 | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | Hedy LaRue | |
| 1967 | Thunder Alley | Babe | |
| 1968 | A Man Called Dagger | Joy | (also sang title song) |
| 1968 | The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz | Barbara Sweeney | |
| 1968 | Killers Three | Elvira Sweeney | |
| 1969 | How to Commit Marriage | Lois Grey | |
| 1969 | The Love God? | Evelyn Tremaine | |
| 1971 | The Love Machine | Ethel Evans | |
| 1976 | Harry and Walter Go to New York | Mrs. Hawthorne |
In the midst of these movies, she headed back to Broadway for Something Different, a play written and directed by Carl Reiner, and starring Bob Dishy and Linda Lavin. When that play closed, she returned to Los Angeles to marry producer/creator Aaron Ruben in 1971. Her performance as Miss Adelaide in the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera revival of Guys and Dolls brought her a Drama Critics' Best Performance Award.
References[]
- ↑ Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood - Seventy Five Profiles - by Tom Lisanti
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maureen_Arthur#Personal_life