The A.V. Club Blog Bea Arthur's melancholy stint in Tatooine

by Nathan Rabin April 27, 2009

Though a depressing percentage of the young people of today seem to know Bea Arthur largely, if not exclusively, as the subject of dick jokes at comedy roasts she leaves behind a rich legacy. She created two of the biggest, most iconic characters in sitcom history but her career had valleys as well as peaks. While dicking around Twitter I recently stumbled across the following clip of Arthur in the notorious Star Wars Christmas Special.

Like the special itself it really has to be seen to be believed. It's a hypnotic, nightmarish trainwreck of surreal juxtapositions. It's essentially Casablanca in outer space with a little Cabaret thrown in, with Bea Arthur in the Humphrey Bogart role. Only, you know, with space monsters and Harvey Korman pouring water into the top of his head.