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LIFE OF THE PARTY: THE STORY OF BEATRICE (TV)

Summary

This made-for-television movie is a dramatization of the life of the founder of Los Angeles's first alcoholic recovery center for women, Beatrice O'Reilly. The program begins in 1943 Los Angeles with Beatrice's husband, Johnny, a motion picture set designer, bailing her out after she has spent a night in the drunk tank. Next, the narrative cuts to a movie wrap party, where Beatrice gets inebriated on the night before a family dinner for her younger brother, who is headed to war. A drunk Beatrice ruins the meal by spilling it on the floor, then makes a scene which results in Johnny fleeing the apartment. Later that night, Beatrice's sister Abbie tells her how she quit drinking a year ago and joined an organization called Alcoholics Anonymous. Upset, Beatrice heads out drinking by herself, nearly getting arrested for driving on a boardwalk with a drunken sailor. When she returns home, she takes a knife to Johnny's bedside and considers stabbing him. Five days later, she wakes up in an asylum, bound to a bed. Once back home, Beatrice resumes drinking, alienating the nurse Johnny has hired to watch her while he is away on a film shoot. One night, in a drunken haze, Beatrice calls Abbie, begging to be put in Alcoholics Anonymous. The next day, A.A. workers show up at Beatrice's house to take care of her and invite her to a meeting. Johnny returns home, angry to find the nurse gone and A.A. workers taking care of Beatrice. Eventually, Beatrice attends her first A.A. meeting and is impressed, despite Johnny's consternation. Later, Johnny is furious when Beatrice decides to speak at an A.A. meeting instead of being the "life of the party" at an important get-together thrown by his boss. Eventually, Beatrice achieves one year of sobriety and finds her relationship with Johnny going strong -- yet she feels her life lacks purpose. Beatrice decides to aid incarcerated women by helping them with their drinking problems. Finding the prison unwilling to help, at least at first, Beatrice takes things into her own hands and eventually gets a program set up. The meetings are initially a struggle, but with bribes of doughnuts and fudge, Beatrice starts getting through to some of the troubled inmates. However, Beatrice notices that a lot of the women continue getting arrested after they are released. After Johnny dies from lung cancer, Beatrice starts her own recovery home for women, renting a big dwelling in the suburbs that she calls "Friendship House." Beatrice struggles with her first batch of boarders, before finally finding some women willing to accept the strict house rules. When tragedy strikes and a boarder dies before she could be helped, Beatrice considers giving up on Friendship House. However, Beatrice returns to try and help out a close-knit group of women in need. But Beatrice's problems aren't over. Neighbors' complaints about Friendship House and its eclectic residents lead to a court case in which Beatrice must channel all her strength if she's to triumph one last time. Commercials deleted.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: September 29, 1982 9:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:36:13
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:13510
  • GENRE: Drama
  • SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Carol Burnett); Drama; Alcoholism
  • SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1982
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Mitzie Welch … Executive Producer, Writer, Theme Music by
  • Ken Welch … Executive Producer, Theme Music by
  • Audrey Blasdel-Goddard … Producer
  • Elle Puritz … Associate Producer
  • Lamont Johnson … Director
  • Ian Fraser … Music by
  • Carol Burnett … Cast, Beatrice O'Reilly
  • Lloyd Bridges … Cast, Johnny O'Reilly
  • Marian Mercer … Cast, Rita
  • Geoffrey Lewis … Cast, Captain Charley Rawlins
  • Conchata Ferrell … Cast, Captain Burnsite
  • Gail Strickland … Cast, Abbie
  • Rose Arrick … Cast, Kay
  • Sarina Grant … Cast, Mary Lou Brown
  • Tom Bower … Cast, Tom
  • Ford Rainey … Cast, Beatrice's Father
  • Fran Ryan … Cast, Beatrice's Mother
  • Macon McCalman … Cast, Dr. Samuels
  • Anne Seymour … Cast, Mrs. Cunningham
  • Linda Redfearn … Cast, Jessie
  • Eve McVeagh … Cast, Mrs. Rugolo
  • Kristine DeBell … Cast, Toni
  • Anna Levine … Cast, Janie
  • Patrick Rowe … Cast, Clayton
  • Richard Molnar … Cast, Calvin
  • Mary Gregory … Cast, Home Nurse
  • Herb Mitchell … Cast, Desk Officer
  • Terry Burns … Cast, Sailor
  • Robert Rockwell … Cast, Mr. Saxe
  • Conlan Carter … Cast, Pier Officer
  • Carol Capka … Cast, Deborah
  • Ken Letner … Cast, Watkins
  • Frederick B. Claassen … Cast, Harry
  • Donald Bishop … Cast, Rudy
  • Jane Mason … Cast, Mrs. Miller
  • Dulcie Jordan … Cast, Dierdre
  • Kathryn Kates … Cast, Charlotte
  • Robina Suwol … Cast, Terry
  • Luisa Leschin … Cast, Suellen
  • Joanelle Nadine Romero … Cast, Julie
  • Lillian H. Domio … Cast, Shirleen
  • Naomi Caryl … Cast, Sophie
  • Paddi Edwards … Cast, Elzee
  • Frances Nealy … Cast, Ann
  • Joan Pirkle … Cast, Gillian
  • Richard McKenzie … Cast, Judge Daniel P. Turner