Shocking Things You Never Knew About The Golden Girls

Is There More To The Door?

Over the years, many fans have noticed and wondered whether the small exclamation point that is carved into the front door (seen here to the left of Dorothy’s hairdo) has any significant meaning. It’s been rumored for years that Bea Arthur herself carved the punctuation into the door on the first day of filming as a kind of good luck symbol for the show. However, it’s also been said that the carving was actually just a flaw in the wood of the door and had no significance.

Good luck or coincidence?

It’s hard not to wonder whether there really was a significance to the door’s mark.

The Golden Girls did so well over its seven seasons that it is plausible the exclamation point truly was a good luck charm. Legend has it that Bea Arthur carved the symbol in to the door as filming began. Some especially astute viewers claim they’ve noticed other similar marks throughout the ladies’ home. However, this is slightly difficult to believe. Arthur had already had hit television shows and didn’t need “luck” to turn this new one into a success. It’s more likely that the marking was part of the door’s natural wood grain. But the exclamation point sure makes for a more interesting story!

The door’s other, unmarked, side