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Maude Season 4 episode 14: The Christmas Party

That time in Maude when Bea and Rue made some Acting Choices™

"Harold and Maude" (1970) - Hal Ashby

Films I've watched in 2024 (28/?)

I love this film so much. ❤

Yeah, once you see it on Maude, you can never watch The Golden Girls the same way again... Like the chemistry and all! I love them so much! Also, I love this Merve guesting! Tuesday Thoughts

Maude & Viv doodle before bed, because they wouldn’t leave my head ?!

287 - Harold and Maude (w/ Katie Walsh) (70s Spectacular - 1971)

The 70s Spectacular continues with critic and podcaster Katie Walsh joining us to discuss 1971 and Hal Ashby. After making his directorial debut with The Landlord after a career as an editor (including an Oscar win for In the Heat of the Night), Ashby returned to the director's chair for what might be the film that became his signature. Harold and Maude cast recent comedy breakthrough Bud Cort as a death-obsessed, disaffected youth who falls for a free spirit who just so happens to be 60 years older, played by recent Oscar winner Ruth Gordon.

This episode, we talk about Ashby's prolific career in the 1970s, where Harold and Maude would be his only film without Oscar nominations. We also talk about Gordon's three screenwriting Oscar nominations with her partner, Vivian Pickles' underpraised performance as Harold's mother, and the musical contributions of Cat Stevens.

Topics also include T-Mobile ads, the secret hotness of Norma Rae, and Charlie Chaplin's honorary Oscar win.

The 1971 Academy Awards

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Harold and Maude (1971)

I’m not shocked that Harold and Maude was not well received upon release. When this comedy gets dark, it’s really dark. Its subject material still has some edge today so you can imagine what it was like in 1971. Time’s been (mostly) kind to this black romantic comedy. There are plenty of laughs and moments of sweetness to be found here.

18-yeard-old Harold Chasen (Bud Cort) is obsessed with death. His spare time is dedicated to faking elaborate suicides so he can shock those who discover his “body” when he isn't attending funerals. After being recognized at several funerals by Maude (Ruth Gordon), a free-spirited, live-for-the-moment 79-year-old, she approaches him. From there, an odd relationship blossoms.

There are points where Maude turns into what can only be described as a manic pixie dream girl (despite the term being coined in 2005). She’s a woman whose quirks never seem to end, whose enthusiasm knows no bounds. She steals cars on a whim and defies police officers without ever facing consequences. It’s jarring to see her get away with so much but if you find that it’s rubbing you the wrong way, hold on. As the picture develops, we learn more about her. No big speeches, just little things you pick up here and there. By the time we get to the end, you’ll see. She isn’t simply a construct made to give Harold a new outlook on life, she’s a fully-realized person on her own.

The bond that grows between the leads is what makes the picture so effective. Initially, it looks like that old cliché that opposites attract. He’s young, she’s old. He comes from a rich, affluent family and she’s down to earth. He’s obsessed with death, she’s determined to feel alive. Once we see them sit down and talk, we learn that actually, they're not that different. They're both overcompensating for something. Harold’s obsession with death is used to remind him of what it would be like if he wasn’t there, and of what he’d miss. Similarly, Maude frequently comments on her upcoming 80th birthday; that beyond it, she doesn’t foresee anything. Deep down, they're both sad characters but in different ways. It’s not some fetish or desperation that brings them together. Had they both been in their 20s, you’d get excited to see them kiss. As is, you may still hope for that but you'll need a bit to get used to the idea.

There are many big surprises in Harold and Maude. They make for the kind of laughs that will have anyone with a morbid sense of humor in stitches. I won't dare to spoil any. Instead, I want to discuss the soundtrack. Cat Stevens's Don’t Be Shy and If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out (both composed for the film) perfectly condense all of the picture’s emotions within their melody and lyrics. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear many weeping messes leaving the film because of the latter.

Some elements of Harold and Maude are jarring even to those who will be cheering for a septuagenarian to date an 18-year-old. The humor won’t be for everyone. Even so, the picture has a deep emotional impact. The performances are strong and they’re made even better by a believable relationship and the perfect soundtrack. (July 7, 2018)

Coupled with the intro to Cat Stevens' I Think I See The Light, this is surely a contender for the coolest fourth wall break in cinematic history.

Harold and Maude (1971, Hal Ashby)

4/20/23

If you want to sing out…sing out! This week, Peaches and Michael explore unconventional connection in celebration of 1971’s HAROLD AND MAUDE! In addition to discussing the film’s remarkable use of music, our hosts delve into Harold’s place as one of cinema’s first proto-goths. Joining the conversation is cult filmmaker Chris LaMartina, who digs into the continued impact this classic has had on his life and outlook. Then, Vintage Annals Archive’s own Richard Wexler stops by to offer up some of the more nuanced bits of the movie’s storied history. From modified hearses to Cat Stevens verses, this episode has it all! Go!

Maude s05e08: the game show (aka arguably the gayest maude episode in existence, and that's saying something)

+ bonus that didn't fit in the grid

Maude (1972-1978) What I love about Maude is that Rue and Bea had the chance to wear their favorite colors together in the show. 😊😁

Diahann Carroll Vs. Rue McClanahan

Propaganda

Diahann Carroll - (Dynasty, Julia) - God every clip of her on Dynasty is just so iconic, her entrance, the bit where she shades Joan Collins' Alexis for her taste in caviar... "I wanted to be the first black bitch on television" she said, and she did it beautifully!

Rue McClanahan - (Golden Girls, Maude, Mama's Family) - Listen to me. I have never understood celebrity crushes until I first witnessed Rue McClanahan. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen - just look at her!! Gorgeous eyes, the cutest nose, a SPECTACULAR smile - she has this adorable, princess-like quality about her AND she's also a complete hottie AND she's aware of it: she HAS THE RANGE, people!! Her two most famous roles are polar opposites, in fact: she starred in the role of naive, gentle Vivian Cavender-Harmon in Maude (and I mean. Just look her up and tell me that's not an angel!), and then went on to gain even more well-deserved fame and success as the seductive, extroverted Blanche Devereaux in The Golden Girls (a role for which she won an Emmy in 1987 - her amazing, hilarious acceptance speech can be found here: . I should also point out that both of these are comedy characters and she is HILARIOUS as them both - the comedic timing, the delivery, the expressions, she was a comedy queen!!! As for her personal life, she was just a darling - and also very funny in person, not just in her acting roles! She was a staunch supporter of gay rights and a big advocate for same-sex marriage in the US, as well as a vegetarian and a big defender of animal rights. She suffered from illness in her later years which greatly impacted her health, but she was still very active up until her death in 2010, and she even released a wonderful autobiography in 2007 titled "My First Five Husbands... and the Ones Who Got Away". In her interviews she's always gentle, soft-spoken (her voice. dear god. sweet mother Aphrodite I cannot weave I am overcome with gay thoughts), and kind, but also sharp, witty, and just a delight to watch. I could go on forever talking about her honestly. I am actually in love with her and you should be too. She's just the best! Here, have some additional pics: (pics below the cut)

Master Poll List of the Hot Vintage TV Ladies Bracket

Additional propaganda below the cut

Diahann Carroll:

Diahann Carroll's First Scene on "Dynasty"

Rue McClanahan:

The Hottie™ of the Golden Girls, she was definitely a GILF. And her character's shenanigans were Emmy-winning but no less fun and her outfits were always on point and gorgeous, befitting her perfectly.

she!!!

as Vivian, with her fellow hottie Bea Arthur as Maude

as Blanche - look at those eyes!!!

come on, tell me you wouldn't do anything for that smile, I dare you

in her contract she specifically requested to be given all of Blanche's clothes and SHE WAS RIGHT

Okay so first of all. Rue has this way of moving around and looking at you that just-- I mean, I'm ace, but I *get* the allos. She's hot and she knows it (and she plays a character in The Golden Girls who's in her 50s, hot, and knows it as well. Which, talk about perfect casting??) But I'm mostly here to talk about the fact that she said this in her Emmy acceptance speech (paraphrased because I'm sharing the video with the right timestamp, and you should absolutely watch up until 3:40, because her delivery is UNMATCHED): "My mother said to me once [...] 'Oh, Eddi-Rue, for heaven's sake. Don't you know every kick's a boost?' There've been a lot of kicks, and there've been a lot of boosts. I'm not going to mention the people who gave me kicks... but you know who you are. And you'll be in the book." (Seriously though, do yourself a favour and watch that video. She's amazing!!) She said this, and proceeded to WRITE THE BOOK, titled "My first five husbands, and the ones who got away", which is *incredibly* funny, and such an earnest look into her life. She opens the acknowledgements with "This book is about my life and experiences as I lived them, and anyone who doesn't like it can jolly well lump it." And I mean... she's awesome. I could go on.

Rue McClanahan @ The Emmy Awards 1987