Maureen Stapleton dies March 13, 2006
By Michael Lombardi
Hollywood said a tearful goodbye to stage and screen legend, Maureen Stapleton
on March 13, 2006. Her sad passing was brought about as a result of a chronic
pulmonary disease. A gifted performer and entertainer, Stapleton got her start
as an avid interpreter of Tennessee Williams' stage productions. Her most memorable
and best loved roles were as Serafina in the Williams classic "The Rose
Tattoo" which came rather early in her career in the year 1951 as well
as her role as Amanda Wingfield in the 1965 adaptation of "The glass menagerie"
where she went on to reprise her role and solidify her status as the one of
theatre community's most authentic interpreters of Williams' work. Although it is not commonly mentioned when one speaks of her accomplishments,
(most of which were in the theatre realm), my personal favorite work of Maureen's
came as the ": tough as nails" Ma Kelly in the 1980's gangster comedy
"Johnny Dangerously" featuring Michael Keaton and Griffin Dune. She
made movie goers laugh with her over the top performance as the ailing yet still
feisty mother of Keaton's character. Among some of the highlights of this Troy, New York native's career and life are an Oscar for her role as anarchist Emma Goldman in the film Red, four other Oscar nominations and two children from her first husband Max Allentuck. It is with bittersweet sentiments that we recall her most memorable of performances and say good bye to a woman who truly embodied the term "stage presence." A true credit to her craft, the accomplishments of who are too many to list, Maureen will always be remembered fondly by critics and artists alike.