She Walks In Beauty Like The Night...

[PianoHoney]

This was one of my favorite sitcoms of the 1980's. Clifton Davis to me was the most handsome after he aged a bit (always looked too skinny in the 70's) to a mature gentleman who played Rev. Reuben Gregory.

I scanned through some of the thread and the one that caught my eye was the one that questioned if Reuben was "trapped" into marrying Thelma.

Personally I feel (aside from what I read about Anna Marie Hornsford's request to have her character Thelma have a chance at romance with the handsome Reverend) that it took "time" for Reuben to see Thelma's beauty and charm at his own pace.

The episode that comes to mind is one of my favorites. It was about Thelma's high school reunion and Deacon Frye asked Reuben to take Thelma to it. Thelma was not really interested in going, especially with her "well to do" friend (portrayed by the same lady that played Jenny Willis on "The Jeffersons"--her name slips me right now...) rubbing all of her "success" in Thelma's face.

She was also embarrassed about her father asking the Reverend to take her to the reunion. What she did not realize was that this would be the hint of what would start Reuben finally looking Thelma's way for a change.

From the first glance as Thelma came down the stairs in her beautiful royal blue evening dress with silver shoes, Reuben looked at her in a different way and remarked how "pretty" she looked.

Later after they arrived to the reunion, Thelma's school chum made the comment "That's a Minister's 'duty' to do nice deeds..." as if to downplay Thelma & Reuben as a dating couple, even if only for the eveving. Reuben covered Thelma, showering her with numerous compliments and comments that a man in love would say...much to the surprise and awe of Thelma's "chum." She just KNEW that THELMA couldn't have a man this wonderful in her life because she never had any boyfriends in high school.

The line I loved (thus explains my subject) is when Reuben cited the Lord Byron poem "She Walks In Beauty" to describe these undercurrent feelings he started feeling for Thelma.

Then there was the dance to "You Send Me..." and Reuben's stare into Thelma's eyes as they were given the floor for their solo "spin" told exactly what was happening to him as she was close and in his arms.

As they said goodnight on the front porch, Reuben told Thelma he had something to tell her. She said she knew he had just taken her out because her father asked/said all of the nice things to impress her friends, etc. of which Reuben said "No it's something else.."

When she asked what, his eyes became very deep and mezmerized as he told her, "YOU walk in beauty like the night/of cloudless climbs and starry skies/and all that's best of dark and bright/meet in YOUR aspect & in YOUR eyes..." Thelma nearly passes out as he then gives her a tender kiss as he leaves for the evening...

As I said before, once he really LOOKED at her (inside and out), he noticed her beauty.

[Steelpinkdaisy]

Originally Posted by PianoHoney

This was one of my favorite sitcoms of the 1980's. Clifton Davis to me was the most handsome after he aged a bit (always looked too skinny in the 70's) to a mature gentleman who played Rev. Reuben Gregory.

I scanned through some of the thread and the one that caught my eye was the one that questioned if Reuben was "trapped" into marrying Thelma.

Personally I feel (aside from what I read about Anna Marie Hornsford's request to have her character Thelma have a chance at romance with the handsome Reverend) that it took "time" for Reuben to see Thelma's beauty and charm at his own pace.

The episode that comes to mind is one of my favorites. It was about Thelma's high school reunion and Deacon Frye asked Reuben to take Thelma to it. Thelma was not really interested in going, especially with her "well to do" friend (portrayed by the same lady that played Jenny Willis on "The Jeffersons"--her name slips me right now...) rubbing all of her "success" in Thelma's face.

She was also embarrassed about her father asking the Reverend to take her to the reunion. What she did not realize was that this would be the hint of what would start Reuben finally looking Thelma's way for a change.

From the first glance as Thelma came down the stairs in her beautiful royal blue evening dress with silver shoes, Reuben looked at her in a different way and remarked how "pretty" she looked.

Later after they arrived to the reunion, Thelma's school chum made the comment "That's a Minister's 'duty' to do nice deeds..." as if to downplay Thelma & Reuben as a dating couple, even if only for the eveving. Reuben covered Thelma, showering her with numerous compliments and comments that a man in love would say...much to the surprise and awe of Thelma's "chum." She just KNEW that THELMA couldn't have a man this wonderful in her life because she never had any boyfriends in high school.

The line I loved (thus explains my subject) is when Reuben cited the Lord Byron poem "She Walks In Beauty" to describe these undercurrent feelings he started feeling for Thelma.

Then there was the dance to "You Send Me..." and Reuben's stare into Thelma's eyes as they were given the floor for their solo "spin" told exactly what was happening to him as she was close and in his arms.

As they said goodnight on the front porch, Reuben told Thelma he had something to tell her. She said she knew he had just taken her out because her father asked/said all of the nice things to impress her friends, etc. of which Reuben said "No it's something else.."

When she asked what, his eyes became very deep and mezmerized as he told her, "YOU walk in beauty like the night/of cloudless climbs and starry skies/and all that's best of dark and bright/meet in YOUR aspect & in YOUR eyes..." Thelma nearly passes out as he then gives her a tender kiss as he leaves for the evening...

As I said before, once he really LOOKED at her (inside and out), he noticed her beauty.

Thank you! You hit it perfectly!

[burtnmary]

Originally Posted by PianoHoney

This was one of my favorite sitcoms of the 1980's. Clifton Davis to me was the most handsome after he aged a bit (always looked too skinny in the 70's) to a mature gentleman who played Rev. Reuben Gregory.

I scanned through some of the thread and the one that caught my eye was the one that questioned if Reuben was "trapped" into marrying Thelma.

Personally I feel (aside from what I read about Anna Marie Hornsford's request to have her character Thelma have a chance at romance with the handsome Reverend) that it took "time" for Reuben to see Thelma's beauty and charm at his own pace.

The episode that comes to mind is one of my favorites. It was about Thelma's high school reunion and Deacon Frye asked Reuben to take Thelma to it. Thelma was not really interested in going, especially with her "well to do" friend (portrayed by the same lady that played Jenny Willis on "The Jeffersons"--her name slips me right now...) rubbing all of her "success" in Thelma's face.

She was also embarrassed about her father asking the Reverend to take her to the reunion. What she did not realize was that this would be the hint of what would start Reuben finally looking Thelma's way for a change.

From the first glance as Thelma came down the stairs in her beautiful royal blue evening dress with silver shoes, Reuben looked at her in a different way and remarked how "pretty" she looked.

Later after they arrived to the reunion, Thelma's school chum made the comment "That's a Minister's 'duty' to do nice deeds..." as if to downplay Thelma & Reuben as a dating couple, even if only for the eveving. Reuben covered Thelma, showering her with numerous compliments and comments that a man in love would say...much to the surprise and awe of Thelma's "chum." She just KNEW that THELMA couldn't have a man this wonderful in her life because she never had any boyfriends in high school.

The line I loved (thus explains my subject) is when Reuben cited the Lord Byron poem "She Walks In Beauty" to describe these undercurrent feelings he started feeling for Thelma.

Then there was the dance to "You Send Me..." and Reuben's stare into Thelma's eyes as they were given the floor for their solo "spin" told exactly what was happening to him as she was close and in his arms.

As they said goodnight on the front porch, Reuben told Thelma he had something to tell her. She said she knew he had just taken her out because her father asked/said all of the nice things to impress her friends, etc. of which Reuben said "No it's something else.."

When she asked what, his eyes became very deep and mezmerized as he told her, "YOU walk in beauty like the night/of cloudless climbs and starry skies/and all that's best of dark and bright/meet in YOUR aspect & in YOUR eyes..." Thelma nearly passes out as he then gives her a tender kiss as he leaves for the evening...

As I said before, once he really LOOKED at her (inside and out), he noticed her beauty.

EXACTLY!! Thelma's Reunion show changed the way he looked at Thelma. A lot of fans missed this show, apparently. The reverend was NOT acting at that reunion. His eyes changed. It was all in the eyes.

[Fallon97]

I loved Reuben and Thelma together. And he definitely was in love with her.

[burtnmary]

YEP! This was my favorite episode!