Please enter your email and password to sign in. I dont know what it is about the subject matter in the movie, but going through that makes you friends for life. ", The reason why everyone at school thought he was cool: His mom was played by Julia Roberts. Robert Harling, the author and creator of Steel Magnolias, lost his sister Susan Harling-Robinson, from diabetic complications. Never. You didnt know what went on in there, and they all came back different somehow. . He said: She came to us and said this is a wonderful movie ensemble, but I get to be a leading lady, and we said absolutely, you must do this, so the role was open again.. Afraid his two-year-old nephew would never know who his mother was, Harling started writing. And lo and behold, every woman in town was saying, He based Ouiser on me., So I put these ten characters in a beauty shop, and it only took me ten days to write it. Harling modeled the women in the play after his moms friends that he knew from his childhood. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8696788/laura-susan-robinson. Im not a hairdresser. ", 5. Complications ensued. Afraid his two-year-old nephew would never know who his mother was, Harling started writing. I wonder if Robert inherited diabetes? The feedback was Its not commercial because its a bunch of women and it takes place in a beauty parlor, but well send it out. Well, all these people wanted to do it. But he told me Everyone likes me - Im the only kid in my class whose moms been played by Julia Roberts. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Ray called and said, Olympias doing Clairee. I knew Olympia from her work in New York theater, so I knew she could do anything, but I was worried that she wasnt Southern. Years later, his father would buy his mother a tear-shaped diamond necklace that she would never take off - and tell her this is the last tear. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Robert reveals: Susan died in the fall of 1985. You dont see Dotter and MuzicMan in the photo because they were leading the music. You cant inherit that disease and its no contagious. They were just flummoxedI wasnt a writer. She said, Good luck, and they rolled her down to the operating room. Harling's longtime friend Shirley MacLaine believes the play was channeled by Susan, and he tends to agree. Andit was a Christmas in August for the film, The Christmas festival scene was shot during the summer, with everyone wearing sweaters, fur and ski parkas in 100-degree heat. People filled it up to see Dolly Parton eating in the back corner. Harling said the title, Steel Magnolias, is the perfect description for the women it profiles: they're both delicate like a flower, but also hard as steel. They failed. A friend had advised Harling to write down the story as a way to come to terms with everything that had happened. [Roberts grew up in Smyrna, Georgia.] They had to start bringing in all these people and all this equipment to this little tiny place. Sad that he also wanted to be a NICU doctor, but never went on to specialize, because he had the love of his life that took up his time, and she was so much more important! Hes about to marry again I think Susan is just hoping this one works!, Stories about Susan come out organically, Robert says, adding: I think Robert talks to my dad about Susan more than me because everybody thinks Ill go write it down! They were both good strong Southern womenthats what makes the play so good. I remember the manager of the store saying to a local reporter, Yep, if it hadnt been for Herbert Ross, nobody around here would know the difference between osetra and beluga.. With its 25th anniversary this year, memories of a teenage Julia eating hamburgers grilled by his dad at the family home, while Dolly Parton sang on his sofa, come flooding back as Robert, 62, speaks. ROBERT HARLING Herbert had this wayhe was from Brooklyn and started out as a chorus boy, but he became this acclaimed director and managed to talk like British gentry. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Study now. These days, Harling splits his time between Manhattan and Natchitoches, where he bought and renovated a circa-1830 Creole cottage, a house he'd wanted since he was a kid and finally got five years after writing the play. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. MARGO MARTINDALE In the second act, when I talk on the phone to somebody, I would always put in, See you then, Susan. I think that finally got published in the play. I actually had to get off the call because I was going to an audition. Harling didnt want to use real names, so he gave the character based on his mother the name of a close friend from Alabama, who was called MLynn. Sally Field admitted last year: He went after Julia with a vengeance. So Pam and I are standing in the back and MLynn says her line, and then Mary, kind of glancing at her hand, said, Im not crazy The house detonated. The women in my town talked in bumper stickers, they were funny, funny people. in the early quiet morning on Saturday . Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. . The play wasn't originally intended as a comedy. It has since been performed in dozens of countries, including Sweden, South Africa, India, South Korea, and Japan. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. This beautiful setting is among the first images seen in STEEL MAGNOLIAS, the true story of Susan Harling Robinson who inspired both the movie and the play upon which it was based. So Susans protecting him, its so clear to me. He says that although Robert looks just like his dad he has his mothers eyes, adding: He has a great job as an admissions director, he has his family in Texas. Conditions for catching were off that day, but we still had a fun time in good company. After graduating from Natchitoches High, she entered Northwestern State University and immersed herself in campus life. Plus, long lasting at night. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Be true to yourself & if someone does not appreciate how amazing you are, it is not your. Michael is a wonderful playwright [Moonchildren, Spoils of War]. She was blessed with 3 grandchildren, Robert Robinson of Austin, TX, John Forbes Harling, Jr. of Garland, TX and Susan Kiturah Harling of Garland, TX. Susan Harling-Robinson was the inspiration for the play and movie "Steel Magnolias", written by her brother Robert Harling. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? It was riotously funny and played straight as an arrow. I feel very fortunate to have been able to make this trip to Natchitoches; to experience the Red River, the bluffs, Susans Memorial, and more that I will share with you later. ROBERT HARLING The L.A. people required things that you didnt find at the local Piggly Wiggly. Mr. Robinson, who was 40 years old, was found unconscious by his wife, Nan, in their West Hollywood home. Laughter was very important to her. To this day, Steel Magnolias-themed B&Bs and tours are still going strong. 2007-2023 Garden & Gun Magazine LLC. She was familiar with my frustration in terms of auditions, and she used to say, You know what really makes me mad is the fact that I cant do anything for you. But even in the darkest moments, Susan would take time to marvel at the kindness and compassion of the community that surrounded her. I was watching the men in the den, and they were a mess. Its autoimmune disease that kills the insulin making parts that help break carbohydrates. The family has taken care never to burden Susans son Robert with the legacy of Steel Magnolias, mainly on the behest of Margaret, who died aged 90 last summer. Is it time Harry & Meghan accept Clarkson's apology and move on? Herbert gave me the greatest, simplest advice: Always remember who the important person is here, meaning my sister. ROBERT HARLING I knew the actress Margo Martindale, who is now a huge star, and I wrote the role of Truvy for her. We moved the play to the Lucille Lortel. Once Steel Magnolias the film began shooting on location in Natchitoches in 1988, tourism grew exponentially. A friend had advised Harling to write down the story as a way to come to terms with everything that had happened. Robert says: My mother said you dont want to saddle him with anything its out there, he will discover it, we never made him go and see Steel Magnolias. Year should not be greater than current year. To get more in-depth on the story, Susan had been wanting to have children, but doctors told her that she could potentially jeopardize her health as she was dealing with type 1 diabetes. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. So many people dont know the film is based on a true story. 0 cemeteries found in Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, USA. She smiled that smile. Harling says he went to a place of rage and anger, a state exacerbated by the fact that his sisters widower remarried shortly after her death. Robert recalls: Julia would come over to the house to see my mom and dad all the time, she worked so hard. "When she walked in, somebody just turned the lights on in the room," he said. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. I could visibly see his chest rise up. You think of this flower that is so delicate and has to be handled with care, but is actually made of much stronger stuff. Julia Roberts as Shelby and Sally Fields as MLynn after the wedding scene in the film. Try again later. 14:14 GMT 28 Mar 2014 Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? And I realised, okay, this kid was two when his mom died, he doesnt remember her, but he does know that it took the biggest star in the world to play her. If a guy sends you a picture of himself at My mother would speak to the Senate wives about kidney transplants and diabetes research, she embraced it as an opportunity to be about Susans life even though it was short.. There was a problem getting your location. The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. immediately prior to the service at the church. While the name Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie is made up, the character is based on a very real person named Susan Harling Robinson. "I don't think anybody can be. Great follow up from your last post. These were lines that I heard said, if you say it doesnt ring true youre wrong.. I tried to quit several times during rehearsals because the actresses would piss me off, saying, Oh, youve got to roll my hair like this, dont do that. I said, I am playing a hairdresser. His sister and best friend, Susan Harling Robinson, faced a crisis with diabetes, and the play began as a short story written as a way of explaining what had happened in the Harling family to . "When the first preview audience came in, there was all this laughter, and we had no idea," Harling said. Susan was diagnosed with diabetes when she 12 and said well, this isnt going to stop me, according to Robert. Try again. She was a proud of the Kappa Iota chapter of Phi Mu. They married in 1979. They married in 1979. "When we lost her, it was really devastating to me, and I was having a lot of trouble dealing with it.". So over dinner one night at Orso [the evergreen New York theater district restaurant], he said, Rawbuht, how would you feel about Sally Field playing your muthuh? I couldnt speak. We all thought it was a drama, and then the first night it was in front of an audience, we were shocked. Had the medical profession. But Harling wrote "Steel Magnolias" in only 10 days. , updated Soon. What happened to Susan Harling Robinson husband? I realised, 'okay, this kid doesn't remember his mom.. but he does know it took the biggest star in the world to play her'. Many writers take months or years to write a play. The play wasnt even originally supposed to be a comedy. She had on that white cashmere sweater with the marabou around the neck, and she was just swinging, cool as a cucumber. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Yeah, that's really unselfish of you. The park was dedicated to her after I was there but it is my motivation to come back to see it. After I told her I had an appointment, I told her about my blog story and that she was indeed my Truvy. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. But I was mostly feeling good, proud. NATCHITOCHES, La. ROBERT HARLING I had two dear friends, Kathy and Michael Weller. Determined to resume her career in the neo-natal field and continue to be the best mother possible, a kidney transplant was necessary. You think of this flower that is so delicate and has to be handled with care, but is actually made of much stronger stuff.. Harling says the name Annelle just came to him one dayIts so Southern to take two first names and just jam them together. And then there was Truvy, the operator of the salon. Desperate to be a mom, she defied doctors advice to have her much-wanted baby. It was not even until his 20s that Robert heard his mothers voice after a family member put together a reel of home movies. Shelby was based on Robert Harling's real sister, Susan Harling Robinson, who passed away from complications due to her type 1 diabetes. 'Stubborn and wonderful': Robert Harling said he wrote all the qualities his sister Susan Robinson - on the left on her wedding day - possessed into the character of Shelby, played by newcomer Julia Roberts, then just 19Cameo role: Writer Robert Harling played the minister who married Shelby and Jackson. "It wasn't until audiences came in and started responding to the way the women talked and how wonderful the actresses were that we realized, I guess this is funnyuntil it's not," Harling recalls. Where is Robert Robinson-Susan Harlings son? You might need some tissues to watch this emotional clip from Steel Magnolias: the true metaphor behind Steel Magnolia., Soda Really Does Taste Better In A Glass Bottle, Leonardo DiCaprio Donates $100 Million Towards Wildlife Conservation. Author Bobby Harling grew up here and wrote the story in 10 days time about his sister, Susan Harling Robinson, the mother of a 2-year-old son. The dedication of this park to Susan Harling Robinson adds another name to that illustrious list. Im the meanest woman in town and you hurl the biggest insult so far to me, Im going to say something. Id written no line there. Stark had made the hit The Way We Were, and the plays hed made into movies included Funny Girl and Chapter Two. Well do the play, itll come and go, and they wont know anything about it. I was just chicken. Failed to remove flower. Meg Ryan turned them down. I walked in . mayo 29, 2022 . She was one of the great goddesses of cinema [Hannah had already starred in Splash and Roxanne]. SHIRLEY MACLAINE It was really hot. He TRULY loved that woman! Unlike the film, the play features an all-female cast, portraying characters Harling modeled after his mom's friends as he remembered them from his childhood. It only ran for four weeks at the WPA, and we all wanted to figure out how to keep it going. Even more difficult was the fact that his nephew began calling his stepmother Mama. Harling was afraid Susan would be forgotten. If its going to air, Ill let you know. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. MuzicMan with thoughtful gift of, Read More Christmas Eve RevisitedContinue, I guess you could say this post is sort of a testa test to see if the Social Distance Police will come and take me away and a test to see if posting regularly on Instagram and Facebook has damaged the traffic to my actual blog posts. Thanks for the update. The filming lasted through Labor Day, and all the stars lived in houses in Natchitoches. Speaking of the characters, the play features an all-female cast in comparison to the film, which is not all-female. . If you dont tell them, I will.. It wasnt until audiences came in and started responding to the way the women talked and how wonderful the actresses were that we realized,I guess this is funnyuntil its not, Harling says. There was Dolly with a waist cincher no more than sixteen inches around and heels about two feet high and a wig that must have weighed twenty-three pounds. 9. Susan Harling Robinson and her son, Robert. I guess I started writing the play about six months later, it came out very, very fast. ", "People would like to feel they were the person who always had the snappy comeback and would always speak the truth," says Harling. If there is one moment of joy to be gained out of this experience, you cannot deny them that. Now comes the true metaphor behind Steel Magnolia.What does it mean? . It pays to have your mom played by Julia Roberts, Harling told Erica Hill about one time when his nephew, Susan's son, had trouble with school. We moved the play to the Lucille Lortel. She played flute in the high school band. There amidst the red brick walkway stands a beautiful memorial plaque with color photos and a short bio of Susans life written by her brother Robert Harling, the playwright. As we were going into production, Michael and Kathy Weller asked me what my parents thought about the play, and I said I hadnt told them. In a lot of ways, they talked in bumper stickers, he recalls. "My mother would always say to handle magnolia blossoms carefully because they bruise so easily. I grew up very near the Red River, but had never fished it before. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. And then another neighbor told me, You know its not about you, its about Susan. And I realized thats why they wanted to do it. We did a reading of it at a small off-Broadway theater, the WPA, which had an amazing reputation. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. The play came out at breakneck speed and had its first production in February 1987. The day we offered it to her, she came back and said, I just got offered this movie with Billy Crystal, When Harry Met Sally, and thats my chance to be a leading lady. She never complained about anything. Shes Shelby. I thought, Okay, I can breathe now, my sisters in good hands., SHIRLEY MACLAINE The moment Julia walked into the reading, I thought, That woman is going to be a star. I called my agent and said, I dont know if she has an agent, but you should handle her.. Through more tears I read your story and Susans. Shows the love he has for her. It is the image of a small, blonde-haired all-American boy beaming in the Easter sunshine that flashes up at the end of Hollywood classic Steel Magnolias and stays with you long after the credits have rolled. I never, in a million years, thought it would even get produced when I was writing it.. Suddenly two huge fireballs shot past my window, and everyone began to run toward the nearest elevators. The movie hit the theaters in 1989 25 years ago. We were all tested, said Robert, but my mother said the buck stops here, she was going to do it, she had to be there for Susan, thats the way my mother was. Showing a strength and love equal to Susans determination for a normal life, Susans mother Margaret donated one of her kidneys. Ill have to ask Gary if and when hes going to use that footage. Well do the play, itll come and go, and they wont know anything about it. I was just chicken. Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, USA. Harling also wrote and directed the sequel to Terms of Endearment titled The Evening Star (1996). photo: United ArchivesGmbH/Alamy Stock Photo. She was a majorette. I play Truvy every Halloween, but my name is Tracee! Hey, close enough! With nothing but the knowledge that it was on the corner of Cypress and something, I headed out with camera in hand early Saturday morning before the group field trip to the USFWS fish hatchery. Any list of the American theatre's "contemporary classics" will include Robert Harling's dramedy "Steel Magnolias," now running at Oaklyn's Ritz Theatre through October 5. Dotter with gift from her hubby MuzicMan. Thanks for the article, I truly enjoyed it! During casting for the film, when director Herbert Ross offered Shirley MacLaine first choice of any part except M'Lynn or Shelby, she immediately wanted "the really bitchy one. His mother is duly immortalised as MLynn Eatenton whose hair is said to closely resemble a teased brown football helmet while his fathers character is called Drum. Harling said the title, "Steel Magnolias," is the perfect description for the women it profiles: They're both delicate like a flower, but also hard as steel. Funeral services for Robert May Harling Jr. will be Saturday, Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Natchitoches with the Rev. "She never missed it. We were waiting, and there was a lot of stop and start. However, there are moments that were dramatized for the cameras, he says. ", 6. At the early stages of readings, I was attached, and when the play was finally produced, it came with me. The rest of us were always complaining. Why Trust Us? All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. But when you put it in a theatrical situation, people respond to the honesty of it. It's been 30 years since Steel Magnolias, the play that inspired .css-k807px{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:brandColorSenary;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#006603;-webkit-transition:background .4s ease-in-out,color .4s ease-in-out;transition:background .4s ease-in-out,color .4s ease-in-out;background:linear-gradient(to bottom,#e6f4e1 0,#e6f4e1 100%);-webkit-background-position:0 100%;background-position:0 100%;background-repeat:repeat-x;-webkit-background-size:0 0;background-size:0 0;}.css-k807px:hover{color:#29511A;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-size:0.625rem 3.125rem;background-size:0.625rem 3.125rem;}the iconic film by the same name, opened off-Broadway. Then one day I basically told him to go f**k himself and everybody heard it and things got better. Just after my dinner with Herbert, Olympia Dukakis won the Oscar for, Next, Herbert said, I really like Daryl Hannah for I thought he was going to the Shelby place, but before he got there, he said Annelle. It helped that Natchitoches is gorgeous. Thanks for reading! From that point on, the cathartic experience of Steel Magnolias started in our family. They werent looking to make money, they wanted to support the continuation of the saga. . Well, by the time she got to Shreveport, I was already gone! Truvys all about heart, and Dolly Parton has a big heart. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Don't worry about me. Many writers take months or years to write a play. And I went of course, he had no idea how would he know what her voice sounded like, said Robert. Oops, something didn't work. We thought we were just talking like the people from that part of the country talk. The rest of us were always complaining. It was just beyond surreal. Assuming your son. She was the essence of the great Southern gal: spicy, witty, smart, with a layer of compassion underneath. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. His off-Broadway play became a hit and was then turned into a Hollywood blockbuster in 1989 starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley Maclaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis - and a young and unknown Julia Roberts, then just 19, who played Shelby, the character based on Susan. This browser does not support getting your location. Below are a few close-up photos from the plaque. She was extremely determined and focused - she wanted what she wanted and what she wanted was a kid. But Robert, who went on to write movie hit Soapdish, which is currently being turned into a Broadway musical, says he considers himself a playwrote, not a playwright and insists: All I did was write a story, thats all, Im just grateful to the cosmos that Susan gets to live on., The comments below have not been moderated, Tragic designer L'Wren Scott leaves entire $9M estate to Mick Jagger but her ashes will be split between the Rolling Stone and her family, 'People think I've made this up': Liam Neeson recalls filming sex scene for Woody Allen as director's relationship with Mia Farrow began to crumble over nude photos, Ex White House press aide calls Michelle Obama's office 'the WORST Wing', Royal Family will find it 'impossible' to compromise with Sussexes, Man knocked out by a pool cue in violent pub brawl, Russian pro-war fanatic warns Britain could be 'wiped off the map', BBC Breakfast celebrates forty years of hilarious bloopers, Ken Bruce will be joining the Greatest Hits Radio family in April, As it happened: UK Government blocks Scotland's new gender law, Bungling helicopter pilot blows over stadium roof injuring eight, Locals desperately smash windows of overturned double-decker bus. I said, Okay, say, Oh, Im not crazy, Ive just been in a very bad mood for forty years. She wrote it on her hand. But she never let her disease inhibit or alter her life in any way. They were looking at both Laura Dern and Winona Ryder when the casting director insisted they saw Julia who was then filming Mystic Pizza. Harling's good friend Michael Weller, who wrote the play "Moonchildren" and adapted the movie . Twenty-five years ago, "Steel Magnolias" captivated moviegoers with the heartbreaking, yet laugh-filled story based on how playwright Robert Harling lost his sister, Susan Harling Robinson, in 1985, and how a group of women in a small southern town cope with their tragic loss. Harling on the stage set of \steel magnolias\' with constance shulman (l) and rosemary prinz, 1987. He recently returned from a trip to Europe where he watched a French production. The bare facts suggest the author's family was a textbook case of African-American dysfunctionalism: his parents divorced in 1954 after three years and five children; two of his brothers were in trouble with the law; and two of his sisters had illegitimate children.
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