Bea Arthur documentary goes beyond Golden Girls’ stardom

    People often associate actress Bea Arthur with her character Dorothy on “The Golden Girls,” but the sharp-witted, sarcastic Dorothy gives only a glimpse of this accomplished performer’s talents.
    A new documentary, however, allows fans to enjoy the many faces of Bea Arthur, from serious actor to comedian to philanthropist to vulnerable, private person.
    Produced by Dan Watt, who was Arthur’s assistant and friend the last six years of her life, “Bea Arthur: The Documentary” screens Saturday, Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1:15 p.m., at the Orinda Theatre.
    “So many know Bea as Dorothy from “The Golden Girls” or as Maude, but there is so much more to this amazing actress, person and advocate for animal and LGBTQ rights,” said Watt. “This film won’t be available on any streaming platforms until 2027 so these screenings will offer the audience a very early glimpse of the documentary.”
    According to Watt, the documentary came about because of his lunch and dinner conversations with Arthur. He asked if he could film her telling these stories about her career, and when she said yes, he found himself scrambling to get a crew together.
    “She would tell me all these amazing stories, and so we went through her entire career. The various people and situations she’d talk about led me to interviewing people who had been involved,” Watt said.
    One of the people Watt interviewed was Chita Rivera, who appeared with Arthur in the 1955 off-Broadway production “Shoestring Revue.”
    In the show, Arthur performed the comedic song “Garbage,” written by Sheldon Harnick, who would later write “Fiddler on the Roof,” while Rivera danced. Arthur’s deadpan, powerful contralto delivery became a signature moment for her.
    “Bea was singing the story and Chita acted it out behind her,” Watt said. “Chita had to jump into a garbage bag every night. One night, Norman Lear came to the show and told Bea one day he’d write a show for her. Fast forward 30 years and he writes ‘Maude’.”
    Watt noted that fame came later in life for Arthur. Her philosophy was to do a show, do the next show and the next. Just keep singing and performing.
    With a commanding presence and standing nearly 5-10, Arthur gravitated towards the stage at the beginning of her career. She first appeared at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York in the late 1940s. She was in the off-Broadway premiere of Kurt Weill’s “The Threepenny Opera” and originated the role of Yente the Matchmaker in the 1964 premiere of “Fiddler on the Roof” on Broadway. She capped her stage career with a Tony Award in 1966 for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for playing Vera Charles in “Mame.”
    At her death in April 2009, the Broadway community paid tribute to Arthur by dimming the marquees of New York City’s Broadway theater district in her memory for one minute.
    According to Watt, Arthur was not only a legendary actress, but a legendary human being.
Arthur was involved in many charities, including a nonprofit organization helping homeless LGBTQ young adults. Arthur donated money to help them purchase a brownstone in New York where they could live.
    She also performed numerous benefits for various causes. In fact, Watt met Arthur when she agreed to do a one-woman show for a non-profit fundraiser providing scholarships for young people in the performing arts that Watt produced. When the benefit was over, Arthur donated her fee for the event back to the organization.
    “That’s just the kind of person she was,” said Watt. “During COVID-19, I took out the interview I had done with Bea, and it hit me that she’s such an amazing person, not just an actress but an amazing human being,” Watt said. “Bea wanted to be remembered as a classically trained actress who, hopefully, left something behind that people enjoyed. So, I thought, why don’t I make that dream come true?”
    For more information on the documentary and advance tickets, go to orindamovies.com/.