Believe it or not, January marked the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of the iconic 1970s television show “All In The Family,” which introduced the world to the unforgettable Archie Bunker. The gravity of this momentous occasion was not lost on show creator Norman Lear or series star Sally Struthers. In celebration of this milestone, Lear, now 98, and Struthers, 73, shared some of their favorite memories from the groundbreaking series.
Breaking New Ground
Premiering on January 12, 1971, “All In The Family” made headlines from the very beginning for tackling real-life issues such as war, racism, homosexuality, and women’s liberation. Americans were glued to their screens as no other television program had dared to address these topics so boldly.
“On ‘All in the Family,’ you actually heard a toilet flush,” Struthers told Closer Weekly. “That didn’t happen on family television before. We opened up Pandora’s box.”
Lear, who was born in a Jewish household in Connecticut, partly based the unforgettable character of Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O’Connor) on his own parents. “I had a father who used to tell my mother to ‘Stifle it.’ That’s where I got that,” Lear recalled. He added that O’Connor, who had been a character actor before “All In The Family,” made Archie uniquely his own. “I had the ladder, and he climbed it,” Lear said. “When he sat down and read it, I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s Archie.’”
Chemistry and Controversy
Sally Struthers played Archie Bunker’s daughter Gloria, while his wife Edith was brought to life by actress Jean Stapleton. Rounding out the main cast was Rob Reiner, who played Gloria’s husband, ‘Meathead’ Mike Stivic. Struthers fondly remembered the chemistry among the four actors.
“We all came from different backgrounds: Carroll was Irish-Catholic, raised in New York, very well-educated; Rob, from Beverly Hills, famous father, rich, Jewish kid; then Jean Stapleton, Christian Scientist raised by a single, opera singer mother in New York; and me, from the Pacific Northwest, where the men are men and the sheep are damp! But we all brought something to the table.”
Despite the show’s often controversial content, the cast trusted Lear and his partner Bud Yorkin’s vision. “I think Jean and I were more shocked than Rob and Carroll,” Struthers said of some of Archie’s most offensive slurs. “We would give each other looks like, ‘What was that?’ None of us had a clue of what was to come!”
A Lovable Bigot
Early viewers saw Archie Bunker as a one-dimensional bigot. However, the show thrived as it revealed his complexities. Fans saw that, despite his flaws, he loved his family and his country deeply.
“We showed that a person can be misinformed and a bigot, but they can also be lovable and have redeeming qualities,” Struthers said. “Archie loved his family, but he had also been raised by someone who taught him those awful things.”
Norman Lear expressed his enduring affection for the show. “Watching ‘All In The Family’ still delights me as much as anything in this life delights me,” he said.
A Timeless Legacy
“’All in the Family’ was history-making,” Sally Struthers concluded. “That doesn’t happen to many actors.”
Indeed, the legacy of “All In The Family” remains unmatched. The show’s willingness to confront societal issues with humor and humanity ensured its place in television history. They sure don’t make them like “All In The Family” anymore!