Jean Stapleton Movies
Each and every week from 1971 to 1980, the popular TV sitcom All in the Family was heralded by the glass-shattering offkey singing of Edith Bunker, aka "Dingbat." This tended to obscure the fact that Jean Stapleton, the woman who so brilliantly portrayed Edith not only possessed a lilting, well-modulated singing voice, but also was as far removed as possible from a "dingbat" in real life. While attending Hunter College, Stapleton began her performing career as a member of the Robert Shaw Chorale. She made her professional stage debut in 1941, then went on to fruitful work-study associations with the American Apprentice Theater, the American Actors Company, the American Theater Wing, and director-acting coach Harold Clurman. Her first Broadway appearance was in the 1953 production In the Summer House; the following year, she made her TV bow as a semi-regular on the daytime drama Woman With a Past. She endeared herself to Broadwayites with her wistfully funny characterizations in the SRO musicals Damn Yankees, Bells Are Ringing, and Funny Girl, roles that she would carry over into the film versions of these hits. In 1958, she made her first appearance at the Totem Pole Playhouse in Fayetteville, PA, a summer-stock operation managed by her husband, Bill Putch.Most of Stapleton's onscreen work in the 1960s and 1970s could be found in New York-based movies (Something Wild, Up the Down Staircase, Klute) and TV series (Car 54, Where Are You, The Defenders, The Patty Duke Show). Her earliest association with producer-director Norman Lear occurred in the 1969 theatrical feature Cold Turkey, in which she played a neurotic housewife named Edith. When Lear began assembling the cast for his upcoming TV sitcom All in the Family, he immediately thought of Stapleton for the role of slow-witted, strident, essentially kindhearted Bronx housewife Edith Bunker. Before leaving the series in 1980, Stapleton earned three Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Edith -- not to mention the undying affection of millions.
Once free of All in the Family, she sought out roles that she hoped would demonstrate her versatility: She played the distraught mother of a drug-addicted teenager (enacted by her real-life son, John Putch) in the made-for-TV Angel Dusted (1981), and effectively portrayed Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1982 TV biopic Eleanor: First Lady of the World. Stapleton kept her comic skills sharpened by appearing in the made-for-cable productions of Shelley Duvall: She was terrific as a no-nonsense Fairy Godmother ("Trust me. This is important.") in Duvall's Faerie Tale Theater adaptation of Cinderella, and even better as the title characters in Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. In 1990, she briefly returned to weekly television as co-star (with Whoopi Goldberg) of the offbeat sitcom Bagdad Café. Jean Stapleton was then an infrequent but always welcome TV guest-star presence; in 1995, she startled (and delighted) her Edith Bunker fans with her con brio portrayal of Lea Thompson's sex-starved aunt in an episode of Caroline in the City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Mike feels neglected of late, all because Gloria is obliged to devote a generous portion of her time to baby Joey. At first, Mike suffers in quiet desperation. But when Gloria insists that he draw up a timetable for their sex lives, Mike rebels. Is this marriage doomed, or will Edith come to the rescue once again? Written by Lou Derman and Bill Davenport, "Love By Appointment" made its first network appearance on February 16, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
Given an attractive pantsuit by Gloria, Edith would like to show off her new outfit in public. Alas, Archie is his usual stick-in-the-mud self, and refuses to take Edith out. Undaunted, Edith decides to have a good time on her own, and takes her first step toward that goal by heading down to Kelcey's Bar. Jason Wingreen makes his first appearance as Harry the bartender, a role he'd carry over to the spin-off series Archie Bunker's Place. Written by Lou Derman, Douglas Aragno, and Phil Doran, "Edith's Night Out" originally aired on March 8, 1976, as the final episode of All in the Family's sixth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
When Archie and Edith's furnace breaks down, they temporarily move in with Gloria and Mike. An already tense situation is made even more so thanks to a power blackout which rapidly spreads throughout the neighborhood. Series stalwarts Larry Rhine, Mel Tolkin, and Milt Josefsberg were responsible for the script. Alternately known as "Mike and Gloria's House Guests," this episode originally aired on March 1, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
Once again, Archie is driven into a state of apoplexy over a decision made by Mike and Gloria. This time around, the Stivics have decreed that, in the event of their deaths, the guardianship of baby Joey will be handed over to Mike's best friends. Not unexpectedly, Archie hotly demands that he be put in charge of his grandchild's welfare. This episode represents the first time that Jason Draeger and Justin Draeger, the twin infants playing Joey, are given onscreen credit. Written by Bill Richmond and Gene Perret, "Mike and Gloria's Will" was first telecast on November 20, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
Edith becomes a celebrity when she saves the life of old Mr. Kleever (Phil Leeds) at the Sunshine Rest Home. She is even lauded with a medal, which is presented in front of a vast TV audience. Should anyone be surprised that Archie feels overshadowed -- and has become intensely jealous? Written by Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine, "Mr. Edith Bunker" made its first CBS network appearance on November 27, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
Archie seems unusually nervous when Edith invites her former classmate, Dolores Mancheney, to dinner at the Bunkers'. What the audience knows, but Edith doesn't, is that Archie and Dolores had carried on a brief but torrid romance -- while he was dating Edith. Oscar-winner Estelle Parsons, who later became a series semi-regular in the role of Blanche Hefner, is here cast as Dolores. Written by Michael Loman, "Archie's Secret Passion" first aired on December 4, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
Reversing the usual procedure, it is Mike and Gloria who are angry at Archie. The reason? Against their wishes, Archie entered their son, Joey, in a beautiful-baby contest. Criticized in some quarters as a banal episode, "The Baby Contest" at least served as a non-controversial safety valve in the overall saga of All in the Family. Written by series stalwarts Larry Rhine and Mel Tolkin, the episode originally aired on December 11, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
In the first episode of a two-part story, a nervous Archie steels himself for a gall-bladder operation. His fears are not allayed by the fact that the hospital is festooned with ethnic minorities: His nurse is Puerto Rican, his doctor is Jewish, and he is compelled to accept a blood transfusion from a black Caribbean woman. Liz Torres makes her first series appearance as Teresa Betancourt. Others in the cast include Milton Selzer as Dr. Shapiro and Vinnette Carrol as Dr. Wynell Thatcher. Written by Milt Josefsberg and Mort Lachman, part one of "Archie's Operation" first aired on October 20, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Archie's ordeal as a surgical patient is alleviated somewhat when he finds out that he has been rehired by his former employer -- and with a raise and promotion in the bargain. Alas, Archie's elevated financial situation is brought back to earth by his staggering hospital bill. Liz Torres makes her second appearance as soon-to-be series regular Teresa Betancourt, while future Archie Bunker's Place supporting player Danny Dayton is introduced in the role of Hank Pivnik. Written by Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine, part two of "Archie's Operation" first aired on October 27, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
Archie is fed up with the practical jokes perpetrated by his bachelor buddy, Pinky (Eugene Roche). To get even, Archie arranges a date between Pinky and Beverly LaSalle (Lori Shannon), who happens to be a professional female impersonator. This episode, a follow-up to the previous season's "Archie the Hero," was written by Phil Doran and Douglas Aragno. "Beverly Rides Again" originally aired on November 6, 1976, the night that All in the Family left its new Wednesday-night timeslot and returned to its old Saturday-night stamping grounds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
Liz Torres, who first played the role of tempestuous Puerto Rican nurse Teresa Betancourt in "Archie's Operation," became a series regular in the subsequent episode "Teresa Moves In." With money at a premium, Archie and Edith decide to rent out Gloria's old room. Their new boarder turns out to be Teresa, a woman who has alternately aggravated and terrified Archie in past encounters. Written by Michael Loman, "Teresa Moves In" first aired on November 13, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
Struggling to make financial ends meet as new parents, Mike and Gloria are taken aback when Gloria thinks she might be pregnant again. Clearly, it is time for the Stivics to adopt more effective methods of birth control. But Mike is none too keen about honoring Gloria's insistence that he have his oft-promised but long-postponed vasectomy. Written by Phil Doran and Douglas Aragno, "Gloria's False Alarm" first aired on December 18, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
As most veteran All in the Family fans know, the Christmas season is seldom a joyous occasion in the Bunker household. This year, a bitter argument erupts between Mike and Archie when Mike welcomes his friend, David Brewster (Renny Temple), a draft dodger now living in Canada, to Christmas dinner. David's drop-in coincides with a visit from Archie's friend, Pinky Peterson (Eugene Roche), who lost his son in Vietnam. Much to Archie's surprise, it is Pinky who quietly and eloquently defuses a potentially explosive situation. Written by Jay Moriarty and Mike Milligan, "The Draft Dodger" was appropriately telecast on December 25, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1976
The Bunker family's doctor forces Archie to go on a diet. In the spirit of "one for all," Edith convinces the rest of the family to watch their calories. Even so, Archie is constitutionally incapable of sticking to his rigid diet -- until he receives unexpected moral support from octogenarian Justin Quigley (Burt Mustin). Incidentally, series star Carroll O'Connor requested that the producers refilm the opening theme-song sequence of All in the Family during the 1975-1976 season precisely because he'd put on considerable weight since the program debut in 1971. Written by Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine, "Archie's Weighty Problem" was first broadcast on February 9, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
The sixth season of All in the Family begins as Mike (Rob Reiner) and Gloria (Sally Struthers) move out of the home of Gloria's parents, Archie (Carroll O'Connor) and Edith (Jean Stapleton) -- and into the house next door. Not long afterward, Gloria discovers that she's pregnant, thereby opening up a whole new realm of story possibilities. Halfway through season six, Gloria goes into labor in an Italian restaurant, leading to a mad scramble to get the expectant mom to the hospital. Needless to say, everything is straightened out and the baby arrives, healthy and happy -- with proud grandpa Archie, decked out in blackface for a lodge minstrel show, beaming from the sidelines. Further misadventures surrounding Gloria and Mike's son, Joey, occur when the couple announces that they do not intend to baptize the baby, leading Archie to perform his own baptismal ceremony on the sly. Traditionally, the addition of a baby to the cast of a long-running sitcom is a sure indication that the series is in dire need of a ratings boost. This was definitely not the case with All in the Family, which had been TV's top-rated program for the past four seasons, and remaining securely in the number one slot for season six. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
In the conclusion of a four-part story arc, an increasingly paranoid Archie is still out of work due to a union strike, while Edith has settled into her new job with George Jefferson's dry-cleaning establishment. At long last, the strike is settled, and Archie is able to tell Edith to quit her job. But this is hardly an occasion for celebration; the "generous" terms of the new union contract leave Archie almost as bad off as before. Future Oscar nominee James Cromwell makes his first appearance as Archie's loquacious co-worker, Stretch Cunningham. Written by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West, "Archie's Raise" first aired on October 5, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
Much to Archie's dismay, Edith has always regarded the union of her cousin Amelia and wealthy Russell DeKuyper as the "perfect marriage." Thus it is no small shock to Edith when, while visiting the Bunkers, Amelia blithely announces that she and Russell are splitting up. Elizabeth Wilson and George S. Irving are cast as Amelia and Russell, roles originated by Rae Allen and Richard Dysart in the 1972 episode "Edith Gets a Mink." Written by Lou Derman and Bill Davenport, "Amelia's Divorce" first aired on January 25, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
Gloria and Mike have become disciples of a new psychological technique called "fair fighting." Whenever they get into an argument, they shout out code phrases like "That's below the belt!" in hopes of ceasing hostilities. Duly impressed, Edith tries out this technique on Archie -- and guess what happens next! "All's Fair" was written by Lloyd Turner and Gordon Mitchell. The episode originally aired on January 18, 1975, the same night that the All in the Family spin-off The Jeffersons made its network debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
As indicated by its title, this episode of All in the Family served as the pilot for the spin-off series The Jeffersons. The Bunkers appear at the beginning of the episode to bid goodbye as the nouveau riche Jefferson family leave their middle-class Bronx neighborhood in favorite of a "dee-luxe" apartment on New York's fashionable East Side. Helen Willis and Franklin Cover make their first appearances as the Jeffersons' new neighbors, a "mixed" married couple named Helen and Tom Willis. Written by Lloyd Turner and Gordon Mitchell, "The Jeffersons Move Up" originally aired on January 11, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
Edith is charmed by her plumber's new assistant, Nick Howard (Cliff Osmond), who compliments her appearance and recites poetry as he works. She is less charmed to discover that Nick is a prisoner at Sing Sing, who is participating in a work-furlough program. But Edith's concern is nothing compared to Archie's outright terror over having a "con" in his house. Scripted by Lou Derman and Bill Davenport from a story by Bud Wiser, "Prisoner in the House" first aired on January 4, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
Archie makes another snide comment about Mike's eating habits, whereupon Mike counters that Archie smokes too much. The gauntlet flung, Archie and Mike make a five-dollar bet. Archie must give up smoking for 48 hours, while Mike must abstain from eating for the same period of time. Who will be the first to weaken? Written by Lou Derman and Bill Davenport, "No Smoking" made its first network appearance on March 1, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
Archie sees nothing wrong in "borrowing" a few nails and an electric drill from work. Mike and Gloria argue that stealing is stealing, no matter what the circumstances or excuses. Yes, another argument ensues, and yes, Archie learns another lesson -- and so, for that matter, do Mike and Gloria. "Everybody Does It" was written by Lou Derman, Bill Davenport, and Susan Ware. The episode was originally broadcast on February 8, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
To pass the time, Archie takes a magazine test which ostensibly measures his life expectancy. Alas, he scores a miserable 64, meaning that, according to the test, he will die at the age of 57. This of course sends Archie into a tizzy; after all, he's already passed the "big five-o." In its original program listings, TV Guide felt the need to observe that "Archie and the Quiz" was taped before a live audience -- something that has been common knowledge since All in the Family debuted. This particular episode was written by Michael Morris, and first aired on February 15, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
Poised to move out of the Bunker household and into a place of his own, Mike decides to release five years' worth of pent-up anger by telling Archie exactly where to go. Alas, Mike is forced to eat his words -- due to some unexpected red tape, he will be unable to move into his new home for another week. "Alone at Last" was written by Hal Kanter and was the second series episode to be directed by Carroll O'Connor's longtime friend and professional associate, Paul Bogart. The program first aired on September 15, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1975
Hoping to get in good with his employer, Mr. Sanders (Sorrell Booke), and thereby land a promotion to dispatcher, Archie makes a huge charitable contribution to his boss' favorite charity. Unfortunately, he also unknowingly signs a contract donating his body and vital organs to science -- and everyone knows how Archie feels about "giving" any part of himself to someone he doesn't know. Written by Bill Davenport and Larry Rhine, this was one of four sixth-season All in the Family episodes in which Sally Struthers did not appear due to a salary dispute. The episode first aired on September 22, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
