Movie Mom

Movie Mom

Great Characters: Eve Arden

posted by Nell Minow

You know the character of the leading lady’s wisecracking best friend? No one ever filled that role better than Eve Arden (real name: Eunice Quedens), whose birthday we celebrate today. Seen-it-all but not cynical, she was the ideal sidekick for stars like Jimmy Stewart (“Anatomy of a Murder”), Katharine Hepburn (“Stage Door”), or Joan Crawford (she was Oscar-nominated for “Mildred Pierce”). On radio and then on television, she played “Our Miss Brooks,” the teacher who often battled with crusty principal Mr. Conklin and a crush on meek science teacher Mr. Boynton. It was this role that inspired her appearance as the principal in “Grease.”



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Lindsay Arata

posted August 3, 2008 at 1:41 pm


Thank you for honoring one of Hollywood’s greatest character actors. She was amazing. Just a side note: Ms. Arden was simply delicious as the Stepmother in Shelley Duvall’s Farie Tale Theatre Cinderella (from the 1980′s –now available on DVD).



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Nell Minow

posted August 3, 2008 at 9:23 pm


I am thrilled that that great series is coming out on a new DVD release and will be featuring it as a DVD pick of the week soon. Those shows were beautifully done with sensational casts. Thanks so much for writing!



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