Mavis Madling
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Mavis Madling was a guest character on the television series, Designing Women and was played by soap opera star Kim Zimmer. The well-remembered episode she appeared in was called The Rowdy Girls.
[edit] Character
Mavis is the cousin of Charlene Frazier Stillfield and Carlene Dobber. She too came from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, like Charlene and her sister. She and Charlene were called the "Rowdy Girls", because they were highly rambunctious, especially when they were younger.
She had been in Atlanta, Georgia for almost a year when she and Charlene reconnected. She was a dance instructor, who had a dream to open a dance studio, and did some choreography; and was pregnant with her fourth child. A college graduate, Mavis and her successful businessman husband, Dan, had three beautiful daughters, Ginny, Julie and Kate. Mavis and Dan had been high school sweethearts.
Charlene introduced Mavis to her friends as they were preparing for a talent show that all the design businesses in Atlanta were participating in. After a very fruitful workout session, they set off for home. Outside, Charlene had discovered that she had forgotten her gym bag in Mavis' living room, and when she returned to get her bag, she overheard Dan verbally, emotionally and physically abusing his wife. This truly rattled Charlene.
The next day, Mavis arrived to return their Motown tapes, and Charlene told her that they knew what was going on. Mavis was totally ashamed. She felt trapped, and despite Julia Sugarbaker's and Mary Jo Shively's words of support and comfort, she couldn't even see why she was in danger.
Charlene stopped in to visit her cousin, and pleaded once again with her to get out of her dangerous situation, even offering for her and her daughters to stay with her and her husband, Bill, until they found a place of their own. Mavis tried to say she had no money for an apartment, but then Charlene presented her cousin with some money that she had her friends and husband give to help. Even their delivery man, Anthony Bouvier, chipped in fifty dollars to help.
Charlene's words had their desired effect. Mavis stepped out of her house that night, with her three girls in tow, and went to the Arts Center where Charlene and the others were performing. Charlene saw her cousin, and smiled. Charlene said she would be with Mavis every step of the way, and she was right.
