Dorothy Zbornak
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Hollingsworth (née Petrillo previously Zbornak), is a fictional character
from the TV
series The Golden Girls
, portrayed by Bea Arthur
for 7 years and 183 episodes. Dorothy was the strong, sarcastic, sometimes intimidating, and arguably most grounded of the four women in the house. In the 1000th issue of Entertainment Weekly
, Dorothy Zbornak was selected as the Grandma for "The Perfect TV Family."
, New York
, in July or August of 1932 (her age was stated as being 60 in the last season and in an episode she says that she is a Leo), to Italian immigrants Sophia
(Estelle Getty
, who was actually a year younger than Arthur) and Salvadore Petrillo, and was nicknamed "Pussycat" by her mother, and "Spumoni Face" by her father. She has two younger siblings: brother Phil, a cross-dresser
, who died later in the show's run; and a sister, Gloria, who was nicknamed "Kitten" and married into money, and with whom Dorothy was sometimes estranged. In the fourth season episode Foreign Exchange, Dorothy wondered whether she is the biological daughter of the Petrillos, since Dominic and Philomena Bosco claimed that the hospital switched babies. However, in the third season episode "Mother's Day," Sophia Petrillo's mother is also played by Bea Arthur, so it is implied that Dorothy and Sophia are biologically related (though in one episode Dorothy states that her grandmother was in her 90's when she was only a few years old, though it is never made clear if it is her paternal or maternal grandmother). In that episode and three others which took place in Dorothy's young adulthood, Dorothy Zbornak was portrayed by a tall, dark-haired actress named Lynnie Greene
. In the episode "Clinton Avenue Memoirs," Dorothy was shown as a young child (played by Jandi Swanson
) jealous of the attention that her parents were giving to her baby brother Phil, until her father tells her that he loves her very much.
She was a "bookworm
", and an over-achiever in high school. Yet, she suffered from low self-esteem, in part because one previous boyfriend was emotionally abusive, while another one supposedly stood her up on the night of her prom. In reality, he did show up, but was disrespectful toward Sophia, who did not like the way he was dressed or his attitude, and turned him away, without telling Dorothy. Dejected, she later accepted a date with Stanley Zbornak (Herb Edelman
) because she "felt she couldn't do any better". She became pregnant while still in high school, resulting in a shotgun wedding to Stan possibly in 1946 (however, in the Season 5 episode titled "An Illegitimate Concern," Dorothy states that her wedding date was June 1, 1949). The marriage produced two children: Kate and Michael, who both appeared on the show. However, possible continuity errors
on the show make either of them far too young to be the result of Dorothy's teenage pregnancy. The child of that pregnancy would have been in their late 30's to mid 40's during the show's run, while Michael and Kate were clearly depicted as being in their 20's.
Stan and Dorothy eventually moved to Miami, but divorced after 38 years when Stan fell for a stewardess named Chrissy and ran off to Maui with her. In the first season episode "The Return of Dorothy's Ex," Stan mentions how they bought property together when honeymooning in Miami. Dorothy and Stan were frequently mentioned to have been married for 38 years at the time of their divorce, which occurred some time shortly before the show's 1985 premiere; However, in the episode "An Illegitimate Concern" Dorothy specifically mentions June 1, 1949 as her wedding date, making it impossible that she and Stan were married for 38 years.
of English
(also her college major) and American History. She also taught a night-school course for adults wishing to complete their high school equivalency
.
Dorothy also had summer and part-time jobs, which included tutoring and working alongside Blanche at the museum (causing jealousy after Dorothy appeared to have become the boss's favorite).
, in the end winning over her audience by poking fun at her own life and bringing up such subjects as menopause
with its hot flashes.
Dorothy Zbornak can be comedically sarcastic, especially towards her less-than-sophisticated roommate, Rose, and man-obsessed Blanche. They can laugh at each others' remarks without hurt feelings, much of the time. Dorothy's mother Sophia has a tendency to "borrow" money from her, often without Dorothy's permission. Dorothy regards her roommates as family. She is very comforting to them, often giving good advice. However, there are times when Rose and Blanche are scared of her, specifically when she gets angry. Blanche once reminded Rose of the time the latter had lost Dorothy's keys, to which Rose responded that Dorothy had "uprooted a mighty sequoia
."
During the run of the show, it is implied that Dorothy is likely a Democrat due in part to her liberal
views, although she never announces her party affiliation. She has a Michael Dukakis
bumper sticker (covering a Walter Mondale
bumper sticker) and planned to confront then-President George H.W. Bush when he visited Miami, ignoring warnings from her mother and friends. When Bush did come, she was so shocked at actually meeting him that she couldn't say anything.
, with widows Blanche Devereaux
(owner / co-owner (all the girls decided that they should all own the house in one episode) of the house, played by Rue McClanahan
) and Rose Nylund
(Betty White
). Shortly thereafter, Dorothy's mother, Sophia Petrillo
, moved in after her nursing home
, Shady Pines, burned down. This was a running gag during the show's run, where Sophia would often refer to Shady Pines as a prison, and Dorothy would defend it as a lovely retirement village. Other times, when Dorothy would become exasperated with her mother or try to get Sophia to listen to her, Dorothy would threaten "Shady Pines, Ma!", after which Sophia would immediately fall in line. Dorothy shared a unique relationship with her roommates, one often laced with her famously sardonic comments; the four shared a home for seven years, and in more than one episode it was pointed out that, despite a lack of blood ties, they were as much a family as any other household.
During the course of the show, Dorothy saw both of her children get married: Kate, to a podiatrist named Dennis, and Michael to a woman named Lorraine, a singer in his band, whom he had gotten pregnant. Lorraine was African American
, and almost twice Michael's age, which initially did not sit well with Dorothy because she felt Lorraine was far too old for Michael (Lorraine's family didn't want her to marry Michael because he was white). Kate's husband, Dennis, cheated on her at one point, but she ultimately forgave him, almost causing Dorothy and Kate to stop speaking, but they also quickly reconciled. Lorraine left Michael later in the series, and there was no specific mention of his child with Lorraine (Dorothy's grandchild) thereafter. Before Lorraine, Michael had previously slept with Rose's daughter Bridget. Dorothy did have grandchildren, but it was never specified whether they were Michael's or Kate's children.
Like the other women living in the house, Dorothy had her fair share of romances, with her love life often coming into criticism by her mother. Ex-husband Stanley made regular attempts throughout the series to "win her back," and at one point nearly re-married Dorothy, though she called it off after Stanley and his lawyer, the famed Marvin Mitchelson
, presented her with a pre-nuptial agreement to sign.
Some of Dorothy's suitors turned out to have less-than-virtuous characters. Elliot Clayton, a respected doctor, made a pass at Blanche, and when Blanche told Dorothy about it, Dorothy accused Blanche of making it all up, and wanting Elliot for herself. Blanche, deeply hurt that Dorothy would believe Elliot's word over hers, announced she was kicking Dorothy out of the house, and this would have ended their friendship for good had Rose not exposed Elliot for the liar he was on the day Dorothy was set to move out. During the battle, one of Dorothy's classic lines was this: "It's not enough that you've had half of the men in Dade County, you want to have everyone else's men, it's PATHETIC!"
Yet another incident which put her at odds with Blanche was when she dated Stan's brother, Ted (McLean Stevenson). She was so angered that Blanche didn't want to see anyone but herself happy, she angrily told Blanche, "Blanche, have you seen the latest ad campaigns? Join the Navy, see the world, sleep with Blanche Devereaux; Join the Army, be all you can be, and sleep with Blanche Devereaux; the Marines are looking for a few good men who have NOT slept with Blanche Devereaux!!!"
Another suitor turned out to be a married man, Glen O'Brien (portrayed by Alex Rocco
in the first season); Dorothy broke off the relationship when she remembered how much it had hurt to be cheated on by Stanley. She dated Glen again a few years later (this time portrayed by Jerry Orbach
) when he was divorced, but she broke off with him again because she felt that the only reason he wanted to be with her was that he didn't like being divorced and alone. Yet another prospect, named Eddie (John Fiedler
), was the best lover Dorothy ever had, but Dorothy broke up with Eddie as well because their relationship never progressed past the physical stage. Her high-school teacher, Mr. Gordon (James T. Callahan
), whom she'd had a crush on, came back into her life many years later, only to plagiarize and take credit for an article that she had written. Stan's brother, Ted (McLean Stevenson
), told her that he had had a crush on her since they were young. They then "spent the night" together, nearly destroying her friendship with Blanche, who had gone out with Ted earlier that night. Later, Ted asked Dorothy to baby-sit the children of a stewardess that he wanted to date, making Dorothy feel humiliated. However, Dorothy got her revenge when she announced to everyone that he was impotent.
A few other suitors were portrayed by well-known actors, including Dick Van Dyke
and Leslie Nielsen
. Leslie Nielsen played Lucas Hollingsworth, Blanche's uncle (her father's brother(whom she later married)). Blanche was excited to hear that he was coming to visit her in Miami, but, because of a previous engagement (a supposedly very important tennis date), she pawned him off on Dorothy. The date was rather dull, and both Dorothy and Lucas were angered with Blanche for her inconsiderate attitude. To get even with her, Dorothy and Lucas decided to fake an engagement. They played it up for weeks, angering and annoying Blanche. However, during the ruse, Dorothy and Lucas fell in love for real, he proposed, and she accepted. Despite Stan's hope to derail the marriage, he took her to the church in style (in a limo), and although he wanted to say something, he didn't. With that, Dorothy moved to Hollingsworth Manor in Atlanta, and moved on with her life. At first, Sophia was to move with her, but she decided to remain in Miami with Blanche and Rose (they all later opened a hotel named http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Palace and a spin off was also named http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Palace .
In spite of her strengths, Dorothy does have phobias, namely hospitals and flying. She eventually manages to conquer these fears, however, with help from her friends.
The series showed a social awareness in various episodes. A two-part episode involved Dorothy suffering from extreme exhaustion, which was ultimately determined to be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
; Susan Harris
, the show's co-writer, also suffered from the then largely unrecognized condition. In an earlier episode, Dorothy's lesbian
friend, Jean (portrayed by former Miss America
semifinalist Lois Nettleton
), came to Miami for a visit and struck up a friendship with Rose, with whom Jean suspected she was falling in love. Dorothy was also shown to have a recurring gambling problem that eventually caused her to seek help through Gamblers Anonymous
. She started smoking cigarettes again after quitting many years earlier, because of stress from her job and her mother's re-marriage. Presumably, she was able to kick the habit, since we never see her with a cigarette again.
In the episode Stan Takes A Wife, Dorothy states that she is a Leo
during a conversation. This information, combined with her birth year of 1929, means that she is 56 when the first season begins and 63 when the final season of The Golden Girls
goes off the air.
Dorothy also appeared in two episodes of The Golden Girls short-lived successor, The Golden Palace
. She appeared in one episode of Empty Nest, entitled Dumped, in which her favorite nephew Jim dumps Barbara (Kristy McNichol
).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
, portrayed by Bea Arthur
Beatrice Arthur
Beatrice "Bea" Arthur was an American actress, comedienne and singer whose career spanned seven decades. Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family and Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, winning Emmy Awards for both...
for 7 years and 183 episodes. Dorothy was the strong, sarcastic, sometimes intimidating, and arguably most grounded of the four women in the house. In the 1000th issue of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, Dorothy Zbornak was selected as the Grandma for "The Perfect TV Family."
Family
Dorothy Petrillo was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in July or August of 1932 (her age was stated as being 60 in the last season and in an episode she says that she is a Leo), to Italian immigrants Sophia
Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
(Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty
Estelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
, who was actually a year younger than Arthur) and Salvadore Petrillo, and was nicknamed "Pussycat" by her mother, and "Spumoni Face" by her father. She has two younger siblings: brother Phil, a cross-dresser
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
, who died later in the show's run; and a sister, Gloria, who was nicknamed "Kitten" and married into money, and with whom Dorothy was sometimes estranged. In the fourth season episode Foreign Exchange, Dorothy wondered whether she is the biological daughter of the Petrillos, since Dominic and Philomena Bosco claimed that the hospital switched babies. However, in the third season episode "Mother's Day," Sophia Petrillo's mother is also played by Bea Arthur, so it is implied that Dorothy and Sophia are biologically related (though in one episode Dorothy states that her grandmother was in her 90's when she was only a few years old, though it is never made clear if it is her paternal or maternal grandmother). In that episode and three others which took place in Dorothy's young adulthood, Dorothy Zbornak was portrayed by a tall, dark-haired actress named Lynnie Greene
Lynnie Greene
Lynda "Lynnie" Greene, also known as "Lyn Greene" is an actress, writer, director and producer in the television industry.-Career:...
. In the episode "Clinton Avenue Memoirs," Dorothy was shown as a young child (played by Jandi Swanson
Jandi Swanson
Jandi Swanson born in the late 1970s, American child actress, most recognizable for her role as Jenny Drake in first series of Baywatch.-Filmography:*2003 - I Love Your Work as Eager Fan*1998 - Beverly Hills, 90210 - Mouse ...
) jealous of the attention that her parents were giving to her baby brother Phil, until her father tells her that he loves her very much.
She was a "bookworm
Bookworm
Bookworm may refer to:* Bibliophile or bookworm, an avid reader and lover of books* Bookworm , a popular generalization for any insect which supposedly bores through books...
", and an over-achiever in high school. Yet, she suffered from low self-esteem, in part because one previous boyfriend was emotionally abusive, while another one supposedly stood her up on the night of her prom. In reality, he did show up, but was disrespectful toward Sophia, who did not like the way he was dressed or his attitude, and turned him away, without telling Dorothy. Dejected, she later accepted a date with Stanley Zbornak (Herb Edelman
Herb Edelman
Herbert "Herb" Edelman was an American actor of stage, film and television. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his television work. One of his best remembered roles was as Stanley Zbornak, the ex-husband of Dorothy Zbornak on the long-running situation comedy, The Golden Girls...
) because she "felt she couldn't do any better". She became pregnant while still in high school, resulting in a shotgun wedding to Stan possibly in 1946 (however, in the Season 5 episode titled "An Illegitimate Concern," Dorothy states that her wedding date was June 1, 1949). The marriage produced two children: Kate and Michael, who both appeared on the show. However, possible continuity errors
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
on the show make either of them far too young to be the result of Dorothy's teenage pregnancy. The child of that pregnancy would have been in their late 30's to mid 40's during the show's run, while Michael and Kate were clearly depicted as being in their 20's.
Stan and Dorothy eventually moved to Miami, but divorced after 38 years when Stan fell for a stewardess named Chrissy and ran off to Maui with her. In the first season episode "The Return of Dorothy's Ex," Stan mentions how they bought property together when honeymooning in Miami. Dorothy and Stan were frequently mentioned to have been married for 38 years at the time of their divorce, which occurred some time shortly before the show's 1985 premiere; However, in the episode "An Illegitimate Concern" Dorothy specifically mentions June 1, 1949 as her wedding date, making it impossible that she and Stan were married for 38 years.
Career
Dorothy worked as a high school substitute teacherSubstitute teacher
A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is unavailable; e.g., because of illness, personal leave, or other reasons. "Substitute teacher" is the most commonly used phrase in the United States, Canada and Ireland, while supply teacher is the most commonly...
of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(also her college major) and American History. She also taught a night-school course for adults wishing to complete their high school equivalency
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
.
Dorothy also had summer and part-time jobs, which included tutoring and working alongside Blanche at the museum (causing jealousy after Dorothy appeared to have become the boss's favorite).
Characteristics
While often mocked as a manly and sexually unattractive woman by her two roommate friends due to her height and deep voice, Dorothy is also in possession of many talents. In one episode, she is able to upstage Blanche at the latter's favorite bar, the Rusty Anchor, with her singing, winning the admiration of Blanche's many suitors. At another point, remembering how funny she could be in high school, Dorothy tries her hand at doing stand-up comedyStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
, in the end winning over her audience by poking fun at her own life and bringing up such subjects as menopause
Menopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
with its hot flashes.
Dorothy Zbornak can be comedically sarcastic, especially towards her less-than-sophisticated roommate, Rose, and man-obsessed Blanche. They can laugh at each others' remarks without hurt feelings, much of the time. Dorothy's mother Sophia has a tendency to "borrow" money from her, often without Dorothy's permission. Dorothy regards her roommates as family. She is very comforting to them, often giving good advice. However, there are times when Rose and Blanche are scared of her, specifically when she gets angry. Blanche once reminded Rose of the time the latter had lost Dorothy's keys, to which Rose responded that Dorothy had "uprooted a mighty sequoia
Sequoiadendron
Sequoiadendron giganteum is the sole living species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae, together with Sequoia sempervirens and...
."
During the run of the show, it is implied that Dorothy is likely a Democrat due in part to her liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
views, although she never announces her party affiliation. She has a Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
bumper sticker (covering a Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
bumper sticker) and planned to confront then-President George H.W. Bush when he visited Miami, ignoring warnings from her mother and friends. When Bush did come, she was so shocked at actually meeting him that she couldn't say anything.
Major events
After her divorce from Stanley Zbornak, Dorothy moved into a house in Miami, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, with widows Blanche Devereaux
Blanche Devereaux
Blanche Elizabeth Devereaux is one of the four main fictional characters on the 1985-1992 NBC sitcom The Golden Girls, and its CBS spin-off The Golden Palace. In the pilot episode her last name was given as Hollingsworth, but this was somewhat "corrected" in later episodes by making this her...
(owner / co-owner (all the girls decided that they should all own the house in one episode) of the house, played by Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
) and Rose Nylund
Rose Nylund
Rose Nylund was born May 1930 in St. Olaf, Minnesota. She is a fictional character featured on the popular 1980s situation comedy The Golden Girls, and its spin-off The Golden Palace. She was portrayed by Betty White for 8 years and 208 episodes.Rose was comically portrayed as naïve and simple,...
(Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
). Shortly thereafter, Dorothy's mother, Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
, moved in after her nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
, Shady Pines, burned down. This was a running gag during the show's run, where Sophia would often refer to Shady Pines as a prison, and Dorothy would defend it as a lovely retirement village. Other times, when Dorothy would become exasperated with her mother or try to get Sophia to listen to her, Dorothy would threaten "Shady Pines, Ma!", after which Sophia would immediately fall in line. Dorothy shared a unique relationship with her roommates, one often laced with her famously sardonic comments; the four shared a home for seven years, and in more than one episode it was pointed out that, despite a lack of blood ties, they were as much a family as any other household.
During the course of the show, Dorothy saw both of her children get married: Kate, to a podiatrist named Dennis, and Michael to a woman named Lorraine, a singer in his band, whom he had gotten pregnant. Lorraine was African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, and almost twice Michael's age, which initially did not sit well with Dorothy because she felt Lorraine was far too old for Michael (Lorraine's family didn't want her to marry Michael because he was white). Kate's husband, Dennis, cheated on her at one point, but she ultimately forgave him, almost causing Dorothy and Kate to stop speaking, but they also quickly reconciled. Lorraine left Michael later in the series, and there was no specific mention of his child with Lorraine (Dorothy's grandchild) thereafter. Before Lorraine, Michael had previously slept with Rose's daughter Bridget. Dorothy did have grandchildren, but it was never specified whether they were Michael's or Kate's children.
Like the other women living in the house, Dorothy had her fair share of romances, with her love life often coming into criticism by her mother. Ex-husband Stanley made regular attempts throughout the series to "win her back," and at one point nearly re-married Dorothy, though she called it off after Stanley and his lawyer, the famed Marvin Mitchelson
Marvin Mitchelson
Marvin M. Mitchelson was an American celebrity lawyer who pioneered the concept of palimony, calling it "marriage with no rings attached."-Biography:...
, presented her with a pre-nuptial agreement to sign.
Some of Dorothy's suitors turned out to have less-than-virtuous characters. Elliot Clayton, a respected doctor, made a pass at Blanche, and when Blanche told Dorothy about it, Dorothy accused Blanche of making it all up, and wanting Elliot for herself. Blanche, deeply hurt that Dorothy would believe Elliot's word over hers, announced she was kicking Dorothy out of the house, and this would have ended their friendship for good had Rose not exposed Elliot for the liar he was on the day Dorothy was set to move out. During the battle, one of Dorothy's classic lines was this: "It's not enough that you've had half of the men in Dade County, you want to have everyone else's men, it's PATHETIC!"
Yet another incident which put her at odds with Blanche was when she dated Stan's brother, Ted (McLean Stevenson). She was so angered that Blanche didn't want to see anyone but herself happy, she angrily told Blanche, "Blanche, have you seen the latest ad campaigns? Join the Navy, see the world, sleep with Blanche Devereaux; Join the Army, be all you can be, and sleep with Blanche Devereaux; the Marines are looking for a few good men who have NOT slept with Blanche Devereaux!!!"
Another suitor turned out to be a married man, Glen O'Brien (portrayed by Alex Rocco
Alex Rocco
Alex Rocco is an American actor. His roles have ranged from comedy to playing gangsters in Mafia movies.-Early life:...
in the first season); Dorothy broke off the relationship when she remembered how much it had hurt to be cheated on by Stanley. She dated Glen again a few years later (this time portrayed by Jerry Orbach
Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
) when he was divorced, but she broke off with him again because she felt that the only reason he wanted to be with her was that he didn't like being divorced and alone. Yet another prospect, named Eddie (John Fiedler
John Fiedler
John Donald Fiedler was an American voice actor and character actor in stage, film, television and radio. He was slight, balding, and bespectacled, with a distinctive, high-pitched voice and a career lasting more than 55 years.He is best remembered for four roles: as the nervous Juror #2 in 12...
), was the best lover Dorothy ever had, but Dorothy broke up with Eddie as well because their relationship never progressed past the physical stage. Her high-school teacher, Mr. Gordon (James T. Callahan
James T. Callahan
James Thomas Callahan was an American film and television actor who appeared in more than 120 films and television shows between 1959 and 2007...
), whom she'd had a crush on, came back into her life many years later, only to plagiarize and take credit for an article that she had written. Stan's brother, Ted (McLean Stevenson
McLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
), told her that he had had a crush on her since they were young. They then "spent the night" together, nearly destroying her friendship with Blanche, who had gone out with Ted earlier that night. Later, Ted asked Dorothy to baby-sit the children of a stewardess that he wanted to date, making Dorothy feel humiliated. However, Dorothy got her revenge when she announced to everyone that he was impotent.
A few other suitors were portrayed by well-known actors, including Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
and Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
. Leslie Nielsen played Lucas Hollingsworth, Blanche's uncle (her father's brother(whom she later married)). Blanche was excited to hear that he was coming to visit her in Miami, but, because of a previous engagement (a supposedly very important tennis date), she pawned him off on Dorothy. The date was rather dull, and both Dorothy and Lucas were angered with Blanche for her inconsiderate attitude. To get even with her, Dorothy and Lucas decided to fake an engagement. They played it up for weeks, angering and annoying Blanche. However, during the ruse, Dorothy and Lucas fell in love for real, he proposed, and she accepted. Despite Stan's hope to derail the marriage, he took her to the church in style (in a limo), and although he wanted to say something, he didn't. With that, Dorothy moved to Hollingsworth Manor in Atlanta, and moved on with her life. At first, Sophia was to move with her, but she decided to remain in Miami with Blanche and Rose (they all later opened a hotel named http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Palace and a spin off was also named http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Palace .
In spite of her strengths, Dorothy does have phobias, namely hospitals and flying. She eventually manages to conquer these fears, however, with help from her friends.
The series showed a social awareness in various episodes. A two-part episode involved Dorothy suffering from extreme exhaustion, which was ultimately determined to be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
; Susan Harris
Susan Harris
Susan Harris is an American television comedy writer and producer.Harris created numerous TV series: Soap, Benson, The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Nurses, and The Golden Palace....
, the show's co-writer, also suffered from the then largely unrecognized condition. In an earlier episode, Dorothy's lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
friend, Jean (portrayed by former Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
semifinalist Lois Nettleton
Lois Nettleton
Lois June Nettleton was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She was Miss Chicago of 1948 as well as a semifinalist at that year's Miss America Pageant.-Early years:...
), came to Miami for a visit and struck up a friendship with Rose, with whom Jean suspected she was falling in love. Dorothy was also shown to have a recurring gambling problem that eventually caused her to seek help through Gamblers Anonymous
Gamblers Anonymous
Gamblers Anonymous is a twelve-step program for problem gamblers. GA began in Los Angeles on September 13, 1957. As of 2005 there were over 1000 GA meetings in the United States and meetings established in the United Kingdom, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Israel, Kenya, Uganda, Korea and...
. She started smoking cigarettes again after quitting many years earlier, because of stress from her job and her mother's re-marriage. Presumably, she was able to kick the habit, since we never see her with a cigarette again.
In the episode Stan Takes A Wife, Dorothy states that she is a Leo
Leo (astrology)
Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. In astrology, Leo is considered to be a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered a fire sign and is one of four fixed signs ruled by the Sun.Individuals born when the Sun is in this sign are...
during a conversation. This information, combined with her birth year of 1929, means that she is 56 when the first season begins and 63 when the final season of The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
goes off the air.
Dorothy also appeared in two episodes of The Golden Girls short-lived successor, The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1992, to May 14, 1993. The show was a spin-off and continuation of the sitcom The Golden Girls....
. She appeared in one episode of Empty Nest, entitled Dumped, in which her favorite nephew Jim dumps Barbara (Kristy McNichol
Kristy McNichol
Christina Ann "Kristy" McNichol is an American actress.McNichol is best known for her roles as Leticia “Buddy” Lawrence on the television drama series Family and as Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest. She is also the sister of former child actor Jimmy McNichol...
).
- According to the episode Mary Has A Little Lamb, Dorothy's childhood nickname was "Moose."
External links
- Dorothy's biography on Lifetime TV's website.
- Lifetime TV's site for The Golden Girls