Vivian Harmon
Encyclopedia
Vivian Harmon previously Cavender; (played by the late Rue McClanahan
) is a fictional character from the television show, Maude
.
At the series beginning, Vivian was a soon-to-be divorcee. In a late first-season episode, Vivian and her first husband, Chuck Cavender, were divorcing after 21 years of marriage. Vivian and Chuck divorced because they no longer had anything in common. At the beginning of the second season, Vivian began dating Dr. Arthur Harmon (played by Conrad Bain
), best friend of Maude's husband, Walter (played by Bill Macy
.)
In the middle of the second season, Arthur and Vivian got married. Although Arthur was Vivian's second husband, she did not have any children. However, she did have a step grandson, Ian. Vivian often referred to Maude's grandson, Philip (played by Brian Morrison, and later Kraig Metzinger
) as her "nephew", and referred to Maude's daughter, Carol (played by Adrienne Barbeau
) as her "niece".
At times, Vivian wasn't "the sharpest tool in the shed." For example, in one episode of Maude (TV series)
, Maude's house was robbed and Maude uttered tearfully, "I have baby pictures of Carol in there, and now they're gone." Vivian then looks at Maude and sympathetically says, "Aw, there, there, you can just take more." Sometimes, Vivian would say inappropriate things at the wrong time, at which point Maude would say, "Vivian!" Vivian's usually response was, "I was just trying to help."
In addition to being scatterbrained, Vivian also had a temper and would throw a tantrum when things didn't go her way. In one episode, Vivian and Maude were to be contestants on a game show, but Maude wouldn't do it. It was Vivian's birthday, so she was in a rage. She made a scene. She stomped her feet and started whining really loud. Of course, this embarrassed Maude, so to save herself from further embarrassment and humiliation, Maude finally gave in and went on the show. Satisfied, Vivian stopped and wrapped her arms around Maude.
Because of Vivian's senseless comments and gestures, Vivian and Maude shared an occasional love-hate relationship. Despite this, they care very deeply for each other. Oftentimes, Vivian would say things that annoyed Maude. Being the compassionate and caring person that she was, she would do her best to comfort Maude in what Maude called "crisis" situations. For example, in a sesason one episode, Maude came home angry because she thought she was pregnant at 47 years old. Vivian puts her arm around Maude and tells her that maybe a mistake was made. Turns out, it was a positive, but she had an abortion.
Other times, Vivian would say things that annoyed Maude, like in the episode titled ,"Household Feud", when Maude's housekeeper, Mrs. Naugatuck, (played by the late Hermione Baddeley
) calls her "nosey." When Maude tells Vivian what was said, she says, "She called you nosey! That's so thoughtless! That's like going up to a dwarf and saying,'you're a dwarf! He knows he's a dwarf, you don't have to tell him." Vivian may get on Maude's nerves occasionally, but the thing Maude loved the most about Vivian was her compassionate personality, and her strong love for animals.
For instance, her love for animals is apparent in the episode titled, "Viv's Dog". In this episode, Vivian leaves her dog, Chuck, a fox terrier, in Maude's care when she and Arthur go on vacation. She returns to find her dog dead, and she immediately accuses Maude of murder. She gets so upset, Walter and Arthur went out and bought her another dog to replace Chuck, but Vivian refuses to take it. Eventually, she realized how selfish she was being and accepting the dog without so much as a word.
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
) is a fictional character from the television show, Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
.
Character traits
Vivian is the neighbor and best friend of the title character, Maude Findlay (played by the late Bea Arthur.) Vivian had been Maude's best friend since they both attended college together.At the series beginning, Vivian was a soon-to-be divorcee. In a late first-season episode, Vivian and her first husband, Chuck Cavender, were divorcing after 21 years of marriage. Vivian and Chuck divorced because they no longer had anything in common. At the beginning of the second season, Vivian began dating Dr. Arthur Harmon (played by Conrad Bain
Conrad Bain
Conrad Stafford Bain is a Canadian-American actor. His television credits include a leading role as Phillip Drummond in the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and as Dr. Arthur Harmon on Maude.-Personal life:...
), best friend of Maude's husband, Walter (played by Bill Macy
Bill Macy
Bill Macy is an American television and stage actor.Macy was born in Revere, Massachusetts, to Mollie and Michael Garber, a manufacturer...
.)
In the middle of the second season, Arthur and Vivian got married. Although Arthur was Vivian's second husband, she did not have any children. However, she did have a step grandson, Ian. Vivian often referred to Maude's grandson, Philip (played by Brian Morrison, and later Kraig Metzinger
Kraig Metzinger
Kraig Metzinger is an American man who, as a teenaged actor, played the role of Maude Findlay's grandson Phillip Trainor on the sitcom Maude from 1977 until the program's cancellation in 1978....
) as her "nephew", and referred to Maude's daughter, Carol (played by Adrienne Barbeau
Adrienne Barbeau
Adrienne Jo Barbeau is an American actress and the author of three books. Barbeau came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway's original Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor, the divorced daughter of Maude Findlay in the sitcom Maude...
) as her "niece".
Relationship with Maude
Despite the fact that she was scatter-brained, she was a very compassionate and caring person who always cared about Maude, though sometimes she got on Maude's nerves.At times, Vivian wasn't "the sharpest tool in the shed." For example, in one episode of Maude (TV series)
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
, Maude's house was robbed and Maude uttered tearfully, "I have baby pictures of Carol in there, and now they're gone." Vivian then looks at Maude and sympathetically says, "Aw, there, there, you can just take more." Sometimes, Vivian would say inappropriate things at the wrong time, at which point Maude would say, "Vivian!" Vivian's usually response was, "I was just trying to help."
In addition to being scatterbrained, Vivian also had a temper and would throw a tantrum when things didn't go her way. In one episode, Vivian and Maude were to be contestants on a game show, but Maude wouldn't do it. It was Vivian's birthday, so she was in a rage. She made a scene. She stomped her feet and started whining really loud. Of course, this embarrassed Maude, so to save herself from further embarrassment and humiliation, Maude finally gave in and went on the show. Satisfied, Vivian stopped and wrapped her arms around Maude.
Because of Vivian's senseless comments and gestures, Vivian and Maude shared an occasional love-hate relationship. Despite this, they care very deeply for each other. Oftentimes, Vivian would say things that annoyed Maude. Being the compassionate and caring person that she was, she would do her best to comfort Maude in what Maude called "crisis" situations. For example, in a sesason one episode, Maude came home angry because she thought she was pregnant at 47 years old. Vivian puts her arm around Maude and tells her that maybe a mistake was made. Turns out, it was a positive, but she had an abortion.
Other times, Vivian would say things that annoyed Maude, like in the episode titled ,"Household Feud", when Maude's housekeeper, Mrs. Naugatuck, (played by the late Hermione Baddeley
Hermione Baddeley
Hermione Baddeley was an English character actress of theatre, film and television. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Room at the Top and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here...
) calls her "nosey." When Maude tells Vivian what was said, she says, "She called you nosey! That's so thoughtless! That's like going up to a dwarf and saying,'you're a dwarf! He knows he's a dwarf, you don't have to tell him." Vivian may get on Maude's nerves occasionally, but the thing Maude loved the most about Vivian was her compassionate personality, and her strong love for animals.
For instance, her love for animals is apparent in the episode titled, "Viv's Dog". In this episode, Vivian leaves her dog, Chuck, a fox terrier, in Maude's care when she and Arthur go on vacation. She returns to find her dog dead, and she immediately accuses Maude of murder. She gets so upset, Walter and Arthur went out and bought her another dog to replace Chuck, but Vivian refuses to take it. Eventually, she realized how selfish she was being and accepting the dog without so much as a word.