Yesterday, bummed at the news of the passing of Rue McClanahan, who played Blanche Devereaux on Golden Girls, we took to YouTube to look up some old favorite clips from the show. Clicking around, we remembered: Those girls (and their relatives, apparently) sure liked to sing. Here are five fun musical snippets from the show.
Blanche's Dad Tries to Become a Country Singer
In the season one episode "Big Daddy," Blanche's father comes for a visit to reveal that he's decided to become a country singer, and sold the family home to do so. Unfortunately, he's a bit low on talent, a fact painfully displayed at the beginning of this clip. (Skip ahead to about 0:43.)
Dorothy Sings "What'll I Do"
There's nothing funny here; rather, Dorothy's piano lounge rendition of this Irving Berlin standard is a more or less comedy-free moment of touching sincerity. Bea Arthur, you are missed.
Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy Sing "Mr. Sandman"
his comes from a season five episode, "Not Another Monday," with a pretty depressing theme -- the main plot line revolves around a friend of Sophia's who wants to voluntarily shuffle off this mortal coil. Luckily, it's lightened a bit by a plotline involving the other three Girls tending to a sick baby. Here, they placate its cries by a deftly harmonized rendition of "Mr. Sandman."
Sophia and Dorothy Do "I Got You Babe"
What's more adorable than pint-size Sophia impersonating Sonny Bono? Well, maybe something involving kittens, but this is pretty amazing too. Again, R.I.P. Estelle Getty.
The Absolute Best: The Girls Write a Jingle About Miami
Miami has done everything possible to try to shake its Golden Girls-era reputation. These days, there's no way in hell the tourism board would allow 1) a jingle sounding like a showtune built around a piano, 2) a jingle sung by seniors, 3) a jingle, period. Still, this is a sweet, chirpy homage to the city that makes us see it anew through the eyes of a spunky retiree. Thanks girls for the reminder that we should try more often to "dance samba till morning, then lie on the beach."
