Man-crazy ‘Blanche’ takes on husband 7

Press, 10 November 1986, Page 18

Man-crazy ‘Blanche’ takes on husband 7

By PENNY WILGRESS Man-crazy Blanche in “The Golden Girls” is played . by Rue McClanahan who, say her friends, is also an incurable romantic in real life. To prove it she is about to marry for the seventh time. And you cannot get more romantic than to make your seventh husband the one you divorced in 1958. Just to add more romance it will be the second time that she has 're-married a former husband.

Husband number two, Norman Hartwig, also became husband number four.

“I’m going to try marriage one more time — with Tom,” says 52-year-old McClanahan. “I hate not having a man in my life. I’m sad when there’s no love and romance. “Yet at the same time I’m an old-fashioned sort of lady. I don’t have affairs, I usually get married. That’s why I’ve been married and divorced so many times, and that’s something I feel very self-conscious about. It makes me seem like the typical Hollywood vamp. “But I’m not like that. I love being home with my three dogs and four cats. I

like to grow tomatoes and make quilts. I’m not the sort of woman you’d expect to have been married several times.” McClanahan was divorced from her sixth husband last year after two years of marriage and her friends blamed the show for the break-up.

She met her sixth hubby, a businessman, Tom Keel, when she was still getting over her divorce from husband number five, Gus Fisher, who she married in 1976. “That marriage went bad after about five years,” said a friend. “He’s a strong character and Rue, who lives for acting, didn’t think he understood what she called her artistic temperament.”

McClanahan herself said at the time: “I feel ashamed I’ve married so many times — it makes me look like a fool who can’t run her personal life successfully.” Then she got a call from an old school friend, Tom Keel, who was on a visit to Los Angeles. They had been high school sweethearts.

“My heart jumped for joy. It was such a thrill meeting again. All the old romance came flooding back. By the time we’d

been out a dozen times, he proposed. I was shaking when I said ‘Yes’.” They were married on Friday, April 13, 1984 and it looked like being for good until 1985 when McClanahan’s big break: came in “The Golden Girls.” “Rue threw herself into it with all her heart,” said a friend. "There were story meetings, days spent with the writers and producers. Every day she rushed off to rehearsals,

most days returning home late.” Keel was pushed more and more into the background. He begged McClanahan to slow down and consider a quiet life with him in Louisiana, but that was out of the question for her. “There was no way Rue would give up stardom and there was no way that Tom would live in Hollywood. It was a no-win situation and marriage was the loser.”

That was the end of marriage number six. McClanahan had met Thomas Lloyd Bish when they were both struggling

actors in the fifties. They were both in a show at the Erie Playhouse in Pennsylvania and they both fell hard for each other and married after a brief courtship. Once again show business intervened and they divorced shortly after her only child, Mark, was born in 1958.

They had little contact until about five years ago when Bish had a serious car accident and was badly burned.

McClanahan visited him while he was recovering and they agreed they would remain friends. When Tom Bish heard that her marriage had broken up he phoned to express his sympathy and offered her a shoulder if she needed one. That turned into romance again.

McClanahan told her friends: “My divorce did me some good — it enabled me to get back with

the man I really love.” Shortly afterwards Bish moved in with her and their friends started to look forward to another wedding, but Rue is so busy with “The Golden Girls” that it may be sometime yet before it really happens. "I must have been crazy to let Rue go,” said Bish. “I can’t even remember why we split up. Now I’m going to marry her again.” McClanahan is over the moon and telling her friends: “I have had a much more eventful romantic history than ever I wanted, but I’ve finally learned the best man for me was under my nose for years.” "Becoming Tom’s wife again is going to make me the happiest woman in the world.” “The golden Girls” screens on Mondays on One.. DUO copyright.