Jean Stapleton Dies at 90

[Will42]

The actress didn’t attain stardom until she was nearly 50 years old, when the Norman Lear CBS sitcom became a hit.

Jean Stapleton, known to millions of viewers as the lovable Edith Bunker on the classic CBS sitcom All in the Family, died Saturday of natural causes at her home in New York, her family announced. She was 90.

Stapleton won three Emmys out of four nominations for her role as the lovable "dingbat" wife of blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor). She received Emmy nominations for two other performances: as Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1982 CBS telefilm Eleanor, First Lady of the World and as Aunt Vivian on the ABC series Grace Under Fire.

Despite a lifetime career in acting, Stapleton didn’t attain stardom until she was nearly 50 years old, when All in the Family became a hit. Along with O’Connor, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers, she starred on the groundbreaking show that aired from 1971 through 1979.

Following the departure of Struthers and Reiner, she remained, appearing regularly but not weekly, on the spinoff Archie Bunker's Place. After one season, however, she became tired of the role. The 1980 season began on a bittersweet note, with Archie mourning the death of Edith a few months before.

It was writer/producer Norman Lear who lifted her to stardom. Lear remembered her from her role in the 1958 film Damn Yankees -- where she sang singing the hit tune “You've Gotta Have Heart” -- and cast her opposite O’Connor in Those Were the Days, a 1968 TV pilot for ABC that was based on a hit BBC series. The network didn’t pick it up.

Lear and partner Bud Yorkin remade it once more for ABC, with different castmembers for the Mike and Gloria parts – Reiner and Struthers. The network still passed. Eventually, Lear and Yorkin sold it to CBS, whose new president Robert D. Wood, took it on as a midseason replacement and retitled it All in the Family.

The show debuted in January 1971 but was no instant smash. It inched up during the summer, and CBS switched it to the fall lineup in the 8 p.m. Saturday slot, where it attracted a wide audience.

The Edith character was meant to be the naive voice of truth to husband Archie, the bigoted loading-dock worker who railed against the political and social upheavals of the 1960s and ‘70s. With her high-pitched voice, addled enthusiasm and big heart, Edith became a more important character than Lear had imagined. She brought lovability to the role, and audiences embraced Edith for her well-meaning, decent ways.

In 1984, Stapleton was offered the lead role in a proposed CBS series about a teacher turned mystery writer, but despite announcements in both Hollywood trade papers, she turned down the part in the series that would become Murder, She Wrote, starring Angela Lansbury.

Jeanne Murray was born Jan. 19, 1923, in New York City and graduated from Wadleigh High school. She received her dramatic training in off-Broadway productions at the American Theater Wing, and her first Broadway appearance came as a a wisecracking waitressin 1953's In the Summer House.

She garnered TV roles in the 1960s on such hits shows as Route 66, Dr. Kildare, Studio One and Philco Playhouse. She also won a few supporting parts in feature films, including Bells Are Ringing (1960) -- she played Sue, the proprietor of Susanswerphone Service and sang "The Bells Are Ringing -- Something Wild (1961), Up the Down Staircase (1967), Cold Turkey (1971) and Klute (1971).

In 1974, Stapleton made her Los Angeles stage debut in The Time of the Cuckoo at the Music Center.

After All in the Family, Stapleton starred in several telefilms, including CBS’ Aunt Mary (1979), where she played an embittered old woman who becomes coach of a Little League team.

Eleanor: Woman of the World (1982) looked at the immortal first lady in the years after her husband Franklin Roosevelt's death.

In the 1990s, Stapleton continued a healthy acting career, with parts on stage, TV movies and features. She appeared in the sitcom Caroline in the City and in the 1996 feature Michael, starring John Travolta.

A gifted singer, she performed on such variety shows as The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Carol Burnett Show. Of course, she sang "Those Were the Days" with O'Connor beneath the opening credits of each episode of All in the Family.

Other leading roles came in such TV productions as You Can’t Take It With You (1979), Angel Dusted (1981) and Isabel’s Choice (1981).

Her appearances became less frequent in the late 1980s, but she continued to appear on stage. She starred on Broadway in a 1986 revival of Arsenic and Old Lace and in Juno, Rhinoceros and Funny Girl. Off-Broadway, she toplined The Birthday Party and won an Obie Award.

Stapleton returned to sitcoms in 1990, co-starring with Whoopi Goldberg in CBS' Bagdad Cafe. She also starred in the TV movie Ghost Mom for Fox in 1993 and played the title role in the 1994 Showtime series Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. She also turned in a memorable appearance as Miles Silverberg's (Grant Shaud) aunt in a 1996 Murphy Brown episode titled "All in the Family."

Stapleton was married to William Putch, a producer/director of the Totem Pole Playhouse in Fayetteville, Pa., where she appeared regularly for many seasons. He died in 1993.

Putch, her husband of 25 years, suffered a fatal heart attack in Syracuse, N.Y,, where he was directing his wife on stage in the comedy The Showoff. The couple met in 1956 while Stapleton was in a production of Harvey in Washington.

Survivors include their two children, producer Pamela Putch and director John Putch.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/all-in-the-family-jean-stapleton-dies-561468

Even though she lived a long life it's always sad when a beloved performer passes away.
Thank you Ms. Stapleton and goodbye... R.I.P.

[sephyr]

May she rest in peace!! I always thought she was an exceptional talent.

[Gothampc]

A great talent.

If you watch the very first episode of All in the Family, you'll see that she hadn't yet developed the Edith we all know. She was using her regular voice and she was more sarcastic and not ding-y.

[Will42]

Jean Stapleton, Tony Randall and Jason Robards perform Husbands and Wives from They Said It with Music: Yankee Doodle to Ragtime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlAr-WM2hqw

[lovebwy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcTVvK3_jB4

A genius actress who created the best character in the history of television. Rest well.

[mc1227]

Those were most definitely the days!! RIP to a wonderful talent and classy lady.

[hairspraydude1962]

I was just watching All in the Family yesterday; one of my favorites. Rest in peace, Jean.

[Dollypop]

I had the pleasure of seeing her in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE.

As Shakespeare wrote: "May flights of angels sing her to her rest"

[ThisOrThat]

Aww. Well, 90 is a long life.

As I always say when the older celebrities transition, at least they were able to see their dreams come true and leave a legacy on video for their families and loved ones to forever cherish.

[jamessherman]

i loved her thx u for posting that!!!

[canmark]

So sad, but so many great memories.

One of my favorite episodes of All in the Family, where Edith goes through 'the change'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_-nOW88YhI

[NoName3]

You can hear her on the OBC recording of Damn Yankees, leading the reprise of Heart. She later recreated her role in the film version, as mentioned in the obit. She was also in the original casts of Bells Are Ringing, Funny Girl and many other shows. I read she was quite good in a summer stock production of Dolly.

[best12bars]

I first became aware of her when I was a kid, watching All in the Family. A few years later, when I started listening to cast recordings and discovering old movies like Damn Yankees on TV, I suddenly realized "Edith" had had a whole career before she became a household name.

The same thing with Carol O'Conner, when he turned up in old movies. I was astounded and fascinated that these two actors were clearly not the people I knew so well on that hit TV show. They were so versatile and capable of a wide range as performers. They weren't "types," but they created "types." They created "icons" on television that stand to this day.

RIP, Jean.

A wonderful talent. Those were the days.

[nmartin]

Watching the rape episode of All in the Family when it originally aired is one of my most unforgettable tv moments. When Edith hit David Dukes with a scalding hot cake pan...

[strummergirl]

Too me she was the best foil for Archie on the show (Reiner's Mike would often just be running in circles of the same conflict). But it was definitely the dark moments that really had me taken with the character from the rape (and when the audience bursts into applause when she is able to escape after sitting in minutes of shocked silence) to her death and complicated disclosure about her illness to Archie.

RIP

[LuminousBeing]

My family still uses, "I think we should eat" during awkward moments to diffuse tension and change the subject.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Loved her and was fortunate enough to see her in the original Damn Yankees and the revival of Arsenic and Old Lace -- will never forget her singing Sweethearts in the latter. God Bless, Jean, you made a lot of us very happy.

[darreyl102]

Sooo sorry to hear of her passing, she was an incredible actress who will be greatly missed!

[KathyNYC2]

I will miss her..she created Edith Bunker and made her so much more than was originally envisioned. Too many favorite Edith scenes to name them all....but after all these years, I still can't look at a can of "cling peaches - with heavy syrup" without a big smile on my face.

A great talent and a great lady. I hope her family knows how much she was loved.

[Wicked Fanatic]

I also saw her with fond memories in the touring version of Arsenic and Old Lace in 1987 in San Diego, but the best memory for me was that I got to see her as a member of the audience in the pilot for "All In the Family". Every year I tried to get tickets to see the Carol Burnett Show but never succeeded. One time instead of tickets for TCBS CBS sent me tickets to see a new show for CBS, "AITF". Had no idea what I was seeing and when I heard what came out of their mouths especially Archie's I was shocked. Figured this pilot would never be seen on network TV;imagine my surprise when it was aired and the unexpected response that it receved. One thing I remember was that Jean Stapleton had not perfected her voice for the Dingbat.

I feel so fortunate to have seen this GR8 actress live not once but twice. R.I.P.

[GlindatheGood22]

Rest, Eedit.

[Playbilly]

The rape episode was quite shocking when it first aired. I was too young to really know what they were talking about, but Jean's performance was Aamazing for a sitcom. Still is.

[Gothampc]

She will be greeted in Heaven by Louise Jefferson, Irene Lorenzo, Rev. Feltcher and Sybil Gooley.

[Playbilly]

Archie is first in line.

[beautywickedlover]

I enjoyed her appearances on 'Faerie Tale Theatre'. RIP