Maureen Arthur, the vivacious actress who made her biggest splash in the Broadway production and film version of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, died Wednesday in her Beverly Hills home following a battle with Alzheimer's battle, THR reports. She was 88.
Born April 15, 1934, in San Jose, California, made her film debut in Hot Rod Gang (1958), a rock 'n' roll delinquent drama.
She appeared in the original 1961 Broadway production of How to Succeed, playing Hedy La Rue. She won the part in the 1967 movie version and also appeared on Broadway in Something Different (1967) and in the films Thunder Alley (1967), Killers Three (1968), A Man Called Dagger (1968; also performing the theme song), The Love God? (1969) with Don Knotts and How to Commit Marriage (1969) with Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason and Tina Louise.
Though she made only two more features — the torrid Jacqueline Susann drama The Love Machine (1971) and Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) with James Caan, Elliott Gould and Michael Caine — she appeared frequently on TV.
Across her 36-year career, she was a regular on Holiday Lodge (1961), The Red Hand Gang (1977) and Empire (1984), and logged guest appearances on such programs as Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1960), Bachelor Father (1962), Perry Mason (1962), I Spy (1965), Get Smart (1966), Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1967), The Monkees (1967), The Flying Nun (1967), Gomer Pyle: USMC (1969), Love, American Style (1969, 1970, 1971), Night Gallery (1971), Sanford and Son (1973), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), Alice (1977), Mork & Mindy (1981 & 1982), The Duck Factory (1984), Too Close for Comfort (1985), Murder, She Wrote (1988), Highway to Heaven (1989), Matlock (1990) and her swan song, two appearances on Empty Nest (1991 & 1994).
Arthur was preceded in death by her second husband, Aaron Ruben, who died at 95 in 2010. Ruben was a longtime TV producer and consultant.
She is survived by her two brothers and sisters-in-law, and her stepson.
