She was a gifted actress. I’ve remained troubled since her death was announced in 2015. Her husband kept it secret for many months saying it was her wishes.
Vera Louise Gorman was my idol
by Anonymous | reply 1 | December 1, 2022 8:17 PM |
by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 2, 2022 8:23 PM |
I liked her better with Steve than Mac.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | December 2, 2022 8:31 PM |
Beth & hubby were great AIDS advocates during their careers.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 2, 2022 8:39 PM |
I thought she was fantastic. She was my fave on Alice.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | December 2, 2022 9:00 PM |
Three-time passenger on the Pacific Princess!
by Anonymous | reply 7 | December 2, 2022 9:59 PM |
Polly Holiday is probably not too happy with this thread.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | December 2, 2022 10:03 PM |
Her exploding the straws is pretty amazing the way they flew everywhere. I wonder if she got it in one take? Seeing it over and over again in the gif really shows what a great slapstick moment it was.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | December 2, 2022 10:07 PM |
She had a very fast processing mind.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | December 2, 2022 10:42 PM |
I always think about her when I see Howland Street in PTown.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | December 2, 2022 10:56 PM |
Really OP? You've stated "I’ve remained troubled since her death was announced in 2015."
For seven years you've been/remained "troubled"? You stay up late at night pondering her husbands' actions? You can't focus at work because you're distracted during the day? There you are in the grocery store and suddenly Beth Howland fills your mind and you can't remember what you were going to purchase?
For ALL of the events of the past SEVEN YEARS and this is what clouds your thoughts? Incredible - we really are doomed.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | December 2, 2022 11:02 PM |
Has the cause of her death been revealed anywhere?
by Anonymous | reply 13 | December 3, 2022 12:32 AM |
YES r12
by Anonymous | reply 14 | December 3, 2022 12:35 AM |
I'd post her Housewife song from Working, but I can't find it anywhere.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | December 3, 2022 12:40 AM |
Loved her on "Alice," and also was very sad to learn about her passing some years back. I know that Lavin and the show get knocks from a lot of people, but I remember when it debuted that it was so different and the cast so eccentric in primetime, the writing and interaction between the characters at least onscreen always seemed fun and warm. Like secret comfort-food TV sitcom-viewing. Having original "Lucy" writers onboard helped, too, I believe. The show was good at letting you get to know Vera and the other characters' lives and interactions in and out of work, including the interesting group of guest starts that repeatedly popped in and out of many episodes and holiday-themed plots.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | December 3, 2022 1:05 AM |
Her cheeks are what implant survivors pictured going in.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | December 3, 2022 1:08 AM |
R12 just made me laugh harder and longer than anything has in weeks.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | December 3, 2022 1:10 AM |
Any pics before she had her nose bobbed?
by Anonymous | reply 19 | December 3, 2022 1:20 AM |
R19 I guarantee you it had to be better than how it turned out.
Even for that era - whoops!
by Anonymous | reply 20 | December 3, 2022 1:48 AM |
R10, Howland Syndrome is very real.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | December 3, 2022 2:59 AM |
The straws bit occurred in the very first episode, and remained in the credits through the run of the show. Everyone remembers that. Vera was America's sweetheart.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | December 3, 2022 3:10 AM |
Always loved her face. It screams 70s, early 80s!
by Anonymous | reply 23 | December 3, 2022 3:20 AM |
[quote] Polly Holiday is probably not too happy with this thread.
Victoria Wyndham is downright furious!
by Anonymous | reply 24 | December 3, 2022 3:23 AM |
I met her once at Joe Allen. I texted her a photo of her and Chris Walken as dancers in “High Spirits” in 1964. She was SHY, hilarious, very thankful, and went out for a smoke every three minutes. Died of lung cancer.
Her husband Charles Kimbrough was a total sweetheart. She was EXACTLY how you expect Vera to be in real life.
Meanwhile, I was a TOTAL NOBODY! I just happened to be within a group with Valerie Harper (who I only met once) and was in the movie of “Li’l Abner” with Beth and they were friends for 40 years.
Both Beth and Valerie were very kind.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | December 3, 2022 4:22 AM |
You only met once but you were texting buddies?
by Anonymous | reply 26 | December 3, 2022 4:26 AM |
I love you for posting r25! You’re simply the best.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | December 3, 2022 4:41 PM |
R35 And here are Beth, Valerie, and male body builders in 1959 in “Li’l Abner.”
by Anonymous | reply 28 | December 4, 2022 8:23 PM |
^^^ R25, not 35.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | December 4, 2022 8:24 PM |
I just watched her in an episode of Murder, She Wrote.
She was a neurotic neighbor. But not likable like Vera.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | December 4, 2022 9:14 PM |
She did the “Just A Housewife” song from the filmed version of Working. It used to be on YouTube but I can’t find it anymore.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | December 4, 2022 10:31 PM |
She was amazing in the after school ABC movie “Things My Mother Told Me” playing a verbally abusive mother to a teenaged girl.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | December 4, 2022 11:40 PM |
I’m really into Vera Louise Gorman-Novak. My fave TV character of all-time.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | May 17, 2023 9:49 PM |
This fan created artwork depicting Vera Louise Gorman-Novak and Mel Sharples is very thrilling to me.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | May 17, 2023 10:02 PM |
Here is another sweet fan created sketch of Vera Louise Gorman-Novak.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | May 17, 2023 10:04 PM |
RIP my favorite actress, Beth Howland. You meant so much to millions around the world. Vera was our champion of the lunch counter.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | May 17, 2023 10:10 PM |
Extremely talented. Should have gotten a lot more and better work.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | May 17, 2023 10:12 PM |
R37 oh god was she?! I really appreciated the comic genius and neurotic tendencies of Vera.
by Anonymous | reply 38 | May 17, 2023 10:16 PM |
Actress Laura Main ("Call the Midwife") reminds me so much of Howland. Her character 'Shelagh' is the copycat of Vera. They look alike, talk alike, act alike.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | May 17, 2023 10:25 PM |
She should have played Karen Carpenter in an Oscar winning film.
Did Beth have the Slimmer's Disease, too? Or was it just the smokes that gave her that skin-on-skull look?
by Anonymous | reply 40 | May 17, 2023 10:38 PM |
R40 you should dig her up and ask her directly.
by Anonymous | reply 41 | May 17, 2023 10:43 PM |
I love Howland!
by Anonymous | reply 42 | May 18, 2023 4:55 PM |
R37, could be true, but didn't Howland step back and then away from acting of her own? More and better work implies that she was being turned down for roles. I don't that's the case.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | May 18, 2023 5:13 PM |
Im sure working with Lavin for 9 years had to leave her with some form of PTSD.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | May 18, 2023 5:26 PM |
She was perfect as the character Vera Louise Gorman-Navak. Perfectly cast.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | May 18, 2023 5:42 PM |
I’ve just got to track this ABC After school special from 1988 down online and watch.
Terrible Things My Mother Told Me
Hard-working 16-year-old Julia does not realize that her mother Eleanor - who alternately harasses and ignores Julia, while doting on lazy younger daughter Katie - is being emotionally and verbally abusive. But when Julia is given the lead in a school play directed by popular Randy, she realizes she is every bit as worthy of Eleanor's support and encouragement as her pampered sister.
Cast
Beth Howland as Eleanor Flemming Katherine Kamhi as Julia Flemming Ian Ziering as Randy Forrester Ita DeMarco as Katie Flemming Stephen James as Mr. Bacharan Carol Goodheart as Mary Forrester Stephanie Winters as Beth Sotheby
by Anonymous | reply 46 | May 18, 2023 5:47 PM |
“Li’l Abner” looks like the stupidest musical in existence.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | May 18, 2023 5:48 PM |
R47 it does
by Anonymous | reply 48 | May 18, 2023 5:52 PM |
R47 It isn't, actually. It's smart satire.
What happened with Vera used to happen all the time back in the day. The character started out quirky and interesting. There was a darkness to her, a la the Vera character in the movie. In one season one episode, she actually attempts suicide after being dumped.
As the show goes on, she stops being quirky and starts to get dumb. Real dumb. Like, retarded. To the point where when she meets George Burns, she believes he's God. I can't believe some of the things they used to do on shows like Alice and Happy Days. It's like it was written for children.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | May 18, 2023 6:00 PM |
R49 it’s a lot more enjoyable than a bitch like you.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | May 18, 2023 7:09 PM |
R46, it is great fun if you find it.
"What's the capital of Romania?"
"Uhhhh, uhmmmm....Budapest?"
"Bucharest! BU-CHAREST!!!!"
by Anonymous | reply 51 | May 18, 2023 8:17 PM |
R50 Wha? What's enjoyable? Alice? I agree. But you have to admit, as the series wore on the scripts were pretty poor.
Why am I a bitch? I'm confused by your post.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | May 18, 2023 9:05 PM |
R52 fuck off
by Anonymous | reply 53 | May 18, 2023 10:09 PM |
I'm Vera Louise and I'm here to please.
by Anonymous | reply 54 | May 18, 2023 11:08 PM |
Give me a V
Give me an E
Give me an R
Give me an A
What’s that spell?
VERA! VERA! VERA!
by Anonymous | reply 55 | May 18, 2023 11:17 PM |
Gayle is reporting COVID
by Anonymous | reply 56 | May 18, 2023 11:43 PM |
Vera was the best thing about Mel’s diner
by Anonymous | reply 57 | May 19, 2023 4:35 PM |
Why didn’t Polly, Linda, and Beth do a summer tour of THREE SISTERS?
I would have liked that.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | May 19, 2023 5:52 PM |
Linda Lavin was born to play Masha!
by Anonymous | reply 59 | May 19, 2023 7:50 PM |
Beth is obviously an Irina.
Polly and Linda will have to wrestle for Masha - though Vanessa Redgrave eventually downgraded herself to playing Olga when Lynn was NOT HAVING that role. So, there’s hope for an amicable resolution.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | May 19, 2023 11:38 PM |
I’m into Howland. I watch Alice and my fave is Vera Louise Gorman Navik
by Anonymous | reply 61 | September 17, 2023 2:26 AM |
Thinking about Beth tonight…..
by Anonymous | reply 62 | November 14, 2023 9:52 PM |
Was she related to Mayflower John Howland? She was from Mass.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | November 14, 2023 10:05 PM |
R63 were you related to Old Stupid Ass from Mass?
by Anonymous | reply 64 | November 14, 2023 10:07 PM |