Golden Girls Forever by Jim Colucci

Author:Jim Colucci
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2016-02-16T05:00:00+00:00

“No, Dorothy, she plays the flout. It’s a Scandinavian instrument that looks like a tuba except it’s got hair on the bottom.”

—ROSE

COMMENTARY: Nebraska native Inga Swenson is best known to TV audiences for playing the high-strung German cook Gretchen Kraus on Witt/Thomas/Harris’ earlier sitcom hit, Benson. Prolific stage, TV, and film actor Jerry Hardin must have had great chemistry with Rue McClanahan, because this episode marks his second Golden Girls appearance, both times in Blanche storylines. In the show’s first season, in “Adult Education,” he’s the sleazy professor who tries to coerce Blanche into bed; here, he’s the sleazy boyfriend who hits on Blanche’s friend and houseguest.

Finally, after making his first crossover cameo earlier in the season in “Bang the Drum, Stanley,” one of the series’ most beloved recurring characters reappears here. Playing Empty Nest neighbor Dr. Harry Weston’s dog, Dreyfuss, animal actor Bear was, according to his trainer, Joel Silverman, a mix of purebred St. Bernard (mother) and Golden Retriever (father). Ironically, echoing the theme of the episode’s A plot, Bear appears here with his faster, cross-eyed brother Julio, his occasional Empty Nest stand-in with whom he did not get along.

CHRISTOPHER LLOYD: At this point it was already getting harder and harder to find ways to put the Girls in conflict with each other. I’m sure the idea for this episode started with us needing a Rose story, and then saying, “Is there a relative of hers we haven’t seen?” So we came up with her younger sister, and this All About Eve–like situation, where there would be conflict with the sister, but an even greater conflict with her roommates, who won’t believe or trust Rose’s instincts.

INGA SWENSON: As I had learned doing Benson, when you’re a nuclear family on a sitcom like those four ladies were, you have a lot of work to do, learning a new script every week—if not every night, because the writers change it every day. So you don’t have time for socializing or chatting with strangers on the set. Doing The Golden Girls, I had the same expectations—as the guest star, I didn’t expect anyone to hang out with me. In fact, the hair and makeup people were so busy with the four stars that I ended up doing all of that for myself.

But one great thing was that that week, there were the two dogs on the set. With animal actors, you can’t really go up and pet them or interact much, because only the trainer is allowed. But because Betty White is such an animal person, I ended up having a nice conversation with her about dogs.

JERRY HARDIN: Sometimes guest stars can be made to feel like outsiders, but I never felt that on The Golden Girls. Rue was wonderful to work with, and Betty too. Bea was more reserved, and didn’t chitchat a lot. But Estelle did, joking around while we were waiting for setups between scenes. And I found her to be the funniest of the ladies in real life.

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