Bea Arthur

"God will get you for that, Walter." Nobody could do more with these words than Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay on the marital warpath. She could slingshot them in fury or release them in a chilling deadpan, but however she delivered them you could be sure they'd hit their mark with a prizefighter's pop. All the tributes that will be lavished on Arthur, who died Saturday at 86, will extol her impeccable comic timing.

Art or wardrobe malfunction? The bared bosom on display in the new group exhibit Golden Gals Gone Wild could qualify as both. The bodies belong to the stars of NBC's dearly departed sitcom "The Golden Girls" -- Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Betty White and Estelle Getty. In 35 new works by local artists, the actresses are portrayed in various stages of undress. In one portrait, a topless Arthur poses provocatively against a leopard skin backdrop.

Beatrice Arthur, best known as the acerbic Maude Findlay on Norman Lear's sitcom "Maude" and as the strong-willed Dorothy Zbornak on the long-running "The Golden Girls," died Saturday. She was 86. Arthur, a stage-trained actress who was a success on Broadway long before television audiences got to know her, died of cancer at her Los Angeles home.

Bea Arthur obituary: The obituary of actress Bea Arthur in Sunday's California section said that "Mame" -- for which Arthur won a 1966 Tony -- was named best musical that year. "Mame" was nominated; "Man of La Mancha" won.

Bea Arthur obituary: The obituary of actress Bea Arthur in the April 26 California section said that "Mame" -- for which Arthur won a 1966 Tony -- was named best musical that year. "Mame" was nominated; "Man of La Mancha" won.

They remembered with love -- and a lot of laughter -- the star of television's "Maude" and "The Golden Girls," a woman who also appeared in such hit musicals as "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Mame." Memories of Bea Arthur filled Broadway's Majestic Theatre on Monday as friends, family and costars recalled the tall, baritone-voiced and supremely funny actress who died in April of cancer at age 86. A large photo of Arthur dressed in a stylish black suit stared down during the lengthy celebration, which was hosted by Angela Lansbury, who first worked with Arthur in 1966 in "Mame," playing Mame Dennis opposite Arthur's tart-tongued Vera Charles.

Stage and screen veteran Bea Arthur will perform her autobiographical, Tony Award-nominated show "A Musical Evening -- Just Between Friends" at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. The event, a benefit for the South Bay Conservatory student scholarship fund, also will include a silent auction offering autographed items from Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett, Tony Bennett and other celebrities. Tickets are $35. Information: (310) 781-7171.

A liberal helping of personal panache is currently irradiating North Hollywood, where Bea Arthur will hold court through Sunday. In her 2002 Tony-nominated solo show, here called "Bea Arthur at the El Portal: Just Between Friends," the award-winning actress offers an object lesson in finesse. After a droll recorded announcement by Dame Edna, the silver-haired headliner glides onstage, barefoot in a glitter jacket, to roars from a packed house of devotees.

She pads barefoot out of her front door, her regal carriage hidden by baggy pants and a loose blouse. With a demure handshake and warm hello, she invites a guest inside, where, once through the portal, she mumbles something about a stew on the stove before offering cold drinks. Gracious and unpretentious, the actress seems almost imperceptibly harried--as if she's slightly uncomfortable with the prospect of the impending interview, or maybe even a bit shy. Shy?