Maureen Arthur, Veteran TV Actress and Broadway Star, Dies at 88
Actress and singer Maureen Arthur passed away last week according to her friend and colleague Ilene Graff. Graff shared the sad news on Facebook, writing: "The world is a little less sparkly without her, but I am so glad I got to be her friend. Her memory will definitely be a blessing."
Arthur was 88 years old when she passed away on Wednesday, June 15 at her home in Beverly Hills, California. She died of natural causes, according to a report by Deadline. She had a long and storied career acting on the stage and the screen and is probably best remembered for her performance in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Arthur played the secretary Hedy La Rue in a Broadway production of the play, and then reprised the role in 1967 for a film adaptation.
Arthur was born on April 15, 1934 in California and got an early start in the entertainment industry. She appeared in movies and TV shows throughout the 1950s and worked steadily through the 1990s. While many performers of her generation started on the stage and moved to California for a film career, Arthur did the opposite, heading east to find work on legendary Broadway stages.
Arthur was a recording artist as well. She had a few hit pop music singles in the 1960s including "Don't Make the Angels Cry," What Does he Do with Her" and "Don't Leave Me." During this time she was also a frequent guest on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Steve Allen Show.
Arthur married musician George William Deidler in 1957 and divorced him in 1970. She married producer Aaron Ruben in 1971 and they stayed together until Ruben's death in 2010. Arthur was an active philanthropist, working with the Children's Charity of Southern California and Variety for nearly three decades.
TV aficionados may remember Arthur from shows including Bourbon Street Beat, The Red Skelton Hour, Perry Mason, Branded, I Spy, The Monkees, 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, The Red Hand Gang and Matlock. Movie fans may remember her roles in Hot Rod Gang, Thunder Alley, A Man Called Dagger, The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz, Killers Three, How to Commit Marriage, The Love God?, The Love Machine and Harry and Walter Go to New York. Her most recent credit on IMDb is the TV series Empty Nest where she played Mrs. Carlton in two episodes – most recently in 1994.
Friends and fans continue to post their tributes to Arthur on Facebook and other social media platforms. There have been no announcements of a public funeral for the actress so far.