Rob Reiner remembers Jean Stapleton at the Emmys

My memories of Jean Stapleton

 

Jean Stapleton was one celebrity I had the pleasure of 'meeting' via Twitter in 2011. I've always been a fan of hers and of her Edith Bunker character on All in the Family (1971-79), one of my all-time favourite TV shows.

I was surprised when I discovered she had a Twitter account. She was 88 years old at the time, and had been retired for the past decade. Not being absolutely sure it was her official account or whether it was an imposter, I sent a message expressing my admiration for her. 

Six months later, I got a reply, and it made my day!

I wrote to her a couple more times after that. I told her how sad I felt when I watched the Archie Bunker's Place episode that dealt with Edith's death. She replied that by 1980, she felt the need to move on to other roles. I told her she did well, post-Edith, and liked her in the musical Something's Afoot (it was one of the first projects she took on after retiring the character). When she wrote about the time she met singer Etta James just before her death in 2012, I said I also liked her, and saw her perform once in Toronto. 

Shortly after we exchanged those messages, she closed her Twitter account. Stapleton died of natural causes on May 31, 2013, after living 90 wonderful years. I remembered her in a tweet the next day as "a sweet, classy lady." Rest in peace Jean, and Dingbat, xoxox.

All in the Family: The Christmas and New Year's Episodes

Following up on my previous blogs about All in the Family, and in honour of its 40^th anniversary, here’s a review of the Christmas and New Year's episodes that were made, in order of broadcast. I also review the episodes made for Archie Bunker’s Place.

All in the Family:

1.      “Christmas Day with the Bunkers” (1971, Season 2)

The first Christmas episode has Archie (Carroll O’Connor) acting like the Grinch in front of everybody. He even buys a Christmas tree reminiscent of Charlie Brown. He later chastises his neighbour Henry Jefferson (Mel Stewart) for dressing up as Santa Claus. This leads to a silly debate on whether Santa is black or white. Archie’s wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) realizes that he forfeited his Christmas bonus by sending a shipment of trees to London, England instead of London, Ontario, Canada. This is a good episode.

2.      “Edith’s Christmas Story” (1973, Season 4)

Edith has a health scare when she discovers a lump in her breast. Daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) encourages her to see a doctor, but Edith decides it would be best not to tell Archie about it. Gloria’s husband Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner) overhears the conversation, and panics. The secret comes out when their neighbour Irene (Betty Garrett) falsely assumes that Archie knew. Archie shows empathy and affection when he learns that Edith is going to be okay.

3.      “New Year’s Wedding” (1976, Season 6)

Gloria becomes upset with Mike when he gets into the habit of making big family decisions without consulting her. When they can’t get a babysitter for their son Joey, Mike decides to have their friends get married at their house before the New Year begins, without Gloria’s consent. 

Trivia: It was during the taping of this episode that Reiner met guest star Billy Crystal. They have remained close friends ever since.

4.      “The Draft Dodger” (1976, Season 7)

In what may be the series’ best Christmas episode, Mike’s high school friend David surprises him just as the family is about to have Christmas dinner. David is invited to stay, along with Archie’s friend Pinky. A heated conversation ensues between Archie and David, who, reluctantly, tells him he is a draft dodger living in Canada. Pinky convinces David to stay when he tells him that his son was killed in the Vietnam War, and that if he were alive he would want to sit down with him. It makes for a very powerful moment, emphasizing the message of peace at Christmas time.

5.      “Edith’s Crisis of Faith, Parts 1 & 2” (1977, Season 8)

Drag queen impersonator Beverly LaSalle visits Edith and invites her and Archie to his new burlesque show at Carnegie Hall. Archie, who gave Beverly mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in a Season 6 episode, doesn’t like the idea. However, things take a tragic turn when Beverly is clubbed to death by a gang of muggers. This causes Edith to question her faith in God. Her depression takes its toll on the family as Christmas approaches. Ironically, it is Mike the atheist who helps Edith restore her faith on Christmas Day.

6.      “Bogus Bills” (1978, Season 9)

Counterfeit money turns up at the cash register of Archie’s bar. Edith calls Archie from the police station to tell him she found some counterfeit cash in her purse. He later finds the culprit in the bar dressed as Santa Claus. Archie decides to let him off the hook, though he starts having regrets when he sees the shady customer drive off in a Cadillac.

7.      “The Bunkers Go West” (1978, Season 9)

Archie, Edith and their niece Stephanie Mills (Danielle Brisebois) prepare to celebrate Christmas with the Stivics. Plans change, however, when Gloria calls from California to say that Mike’s injured back will prevent them from traveling to New York. Edith immediately decides that they will visit them instead.

8.      “California, Here We Are, Parts 1 & 2” (1978, Season 9)

The Bunkers arrive in Santa Barbara to visit the Stivics at their new home. Mike fakes a back injury to hide the fact that he and Gloria have separated. They get into an argument, prompting Gloria to hit Mike. Gloria tells her mother that their marriage is failing, and that she’s been seeing another man. Before Archie hears the details, he assumes that Mike is to blame. The story ends happily when the Stivics decide to work things out. 

Trivia: This is the last Christmas-themed episode of All in the Family.

Archie Bunker’s Place:

9.     “The Incident” (1980, Season 2)

A recently-widowed Archie and his newly-hired housekeeper Ellen Canby (Barbara Meek) are at the supermarket when a man verbally harasses her for being a black woman. Archie, in a rare show of liberalism, punches the man, a lodge brother. Archie is then threatened with expulsion from the lodge. Archie demonstrates, through this incident, that he respects Ellen and the help she gives to him and Stephanie.

10  “Custody, Part 1” (1981, Season 2)

Archie, still adjusting to life without his beloved ‘dingbat,’ reluctantly allows Stephanie to spend time with her wealthy grandmother, Estelle Harris (Celeste Holm). When they return from shopping, she tells Archie she wants to become Stephanie’s legal guardian, despite having been absent for most of her life. Archie’s refusal leads to a custody battle.

11   “Custody, Part 2” (1981, Season 2)

During a break in the hearing, Stephanie tells the judge she would rather stay with Archie than go live with her grandmother. The judge decides that though Archie is an “ignorant labourer” with fewer financial resources, he is better suited to meeting Stephanie’s overall needs. The judge wishes everybody a Happy New Year as he leaves the courtroom.

12   “Father Christmas” (1982, Season 4)

Archie surprises his niece Billie Bunker (Denise Miller) by inviting her father Fred (Richard McKenzie) over for Christmas. Billie, who is estranged from her father, opts to go skiing with Archie’s Jewish lawyer Gary Rabinowitz (Barry Gordon). Things reach a breaking point when Fred tells Billie the reason why her mother walked out on them so many years ago. Billie and Fred make amends, and she decides to cancel the skiing trip. 

Trivia: This is the last Christmas-themed episode of Archie Bunker’s Place. CBS cancelled it at the end of the 1982-83 season.

Celebrating 40 years of All in the Family

It was 40 years ago this past January that All in the Family, one of my favourite TV shows of all time, celebrated its 40^th anniversary. The iconic sitcom aired from 1971 to 1979, centering on a suburban New York family led by working class bigot Archie Bunker. The main stars of All in the Family were Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers.

Developed by Norman Lear from the British series Till Death Us Do Part, All in the Family was never afraid to take on the important political and social issues of the day, as expressed by Archie and his more liberal son-in-law Mike “Meathead” Stivic. They were presented through satire, by sending up societal prejudices, as well as life’s frailties and foibles. Archie’s wife Edith was the peacemaker of the family, and their daughter Gloria often found herself caught in the middle of the arguments between her father and husband.

I’ve spent much of this year re-watching every episode of All in the Family, and its continuation series, Archie Bunker’s Place (1979-1983). My admiration for All in the Family dates back 20 years, when reruns began airing on local TV. I was hooked by the richness of the characters and the subject matter exposed in many of the episodes.

Here’s my list of the 10 best episodes of All in the Family:

10 & 9. (tie) “Edith's 50th Birthday, Parts 1 & 2” (1977, Season 8)

This two-part episode may be one of the hardest to watch, yet its subject matter remains relevant and important. In Part 1, Edith prepares to celebrate her 50^th birthday when a man posing as a detective tries to rape her. In Part 2, Gloria employs tough love on her mother when she refuses to report the man who attacked her. The whole episode is treated as a cautionary tale to anyone who is left home alone.

8. “The Stivics Go West” (1978, Season 8)

Reiner and Struthers did not wish to continue playing their characters Mike and Gloria, so Lear and company devised a plot where they would move away. The story has Mike accepting a teaching post in California. Before they leave, he and Archie put aside their differences and give each other a heartfelt goodbye. Reiner and Struthers would make two more appearances together, but this was their last as series regulars.

7. “Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood” (1971, Season 1)

One of Archie’s worst nightmares comes true when a black family moves into the neighbourhood. This family happens to be the Jeffersons, which includes Mike’s friend Lionel (Mike Evans). When Lionel tells Archie he is part of the family Archie is trying to stop from moving in, his reaction is priceless. This episode introduces Lionel’s mother, Louise (Isabel Sanford).

6. “Archie and the Editorial” (1972, Season 3)

The Season 3 opener has Archie delivering an argument in favour of “guns for everybody.” Archie cuts up a TV editorial supporting gun control, and Mike gets him to broadcast a rebuttal. The exchange between Archie and Mike on what makes a man a man is one of the best in the entire series. Archie’s rebuttal is even funnier. This episode deserves to be called a classic.

5. “Henry's Farewell” (1973, Season 4)

This is always a fun episode to watch. Lionel’s uncle Henry (Mel Stewart) decides to move upstate. However, his family’s party plans are threatened when older brother George declines to break bread with the Bunkers. Edith comes through when she decides to host the party at their house, which makes Archie fume. His attitude changes when he learns of George’s refusal to set foot in their house. Sherman Hemsley makes his debut as George in this episode.

4. “Archie is Branded” (1973, Season 3)

I consider this episode to be the most intense next to “Edith’s 50^th Birthday.” This is the one where Archie’s front door is branded with a swastika by an extremist group looking to attack a Jewish neighbour. A Jewish radical arrives and puts everyone in the house on edge, except Archie, who admires his vigilantism. This is the only episode that doesn’t end in applause due to the tragic outcome.

3. “The Bunkers and the Swingers” (1972, Season 3)

A lot of fans consider this the funniest episode of the series, and it certainly comes close. The story has naïve Edith answering an ad from a couple looking for 'friendship.' This leads to hysterical misunderstandings between the Bunkers and the swinging couple. Trivia: it’s this episode that led guest star Rue McClanahan to clinching the role of Vivian on the spinoff series Maude.

2. “Two's a Crowd” (1978, Season 8)

In one of the last great exchanges between Archie and Mike, the two men find themselves locked in the storeroom of Archie’s newly-purchased bar. They are the only two characters in this episode, and it is here that we learn the roots of Archie’s bigotry and melancholic nature. It also reveals how Mike’s experiences led to his contrasting view of life and society in general. Both O’Connor and Reiner give five-star performances in this episode.

1. “Sammy's Visit” (1972, Season 2)

One of All in the Family’s most popular episodes tops my list. Sammy Davis Jr. stops by the house to pick up a briefcase he left in Archie’s cab. The excitement his visit produces in the Bunker house leads Archie to drop one faux pas after another. Davis was a fan of the show, and it was his friend O’Connor who invited him to be in this episode. It was also O’Connor’s idea to have Davis initiate the big kiss at the end. Classic!