Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. The comedian was a legend through and through: when faced with the overwhelming pressure to give in to hate, she resisted and won. } tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Its because of people like her we were able to push the needle forward in terms of racial and gender equality. Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. , Facing the threat of boycotts across the South, White famously said, Im sorry but he stays Live with it!. Its unclear whether her decision to keep Duncan affected the shows fate, but it was repeatedly rescheduled for different time slots before quietly being taken off the air that same year. He was 97. She knew exactly what was right and what was wrong, and didnt let the status quo defer her from taking a stand. Live with it." She then gave Duncan even more airtime. Pen Griffey Jr. on Twitter: "Let us not forget that in 1954 Betty White cat: 'entertainment', (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=289be4dd-5b1f-48bc-990f-ec567999e080'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "289be4dd-5b1f-48bc-990f-ec567999e080" }).render("8791f6495fab447280f16fc61516a837"); }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; Television was still a new medium, but White was already a veteran performer of stage and radio, had acted on a sitcom and had co-hosted a Los Angeles daytime talk show. ]); When she was encouraged to take him off because of the color of his skin, she politely declined.. White continued to resist the pressurecoming from stations in the South and used Duncanmore, until the show was canceled in 1954 the same year segregationin public schools was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Duncan even tapped a routine in front of Betty White in a throwback to their time on her show from the 50s. With newfound creative control, White created a sitcom that earned her a Best Actress Emmy nomination. Duncan appeared on the show at least three times. Arthur Duncan, an 83-year-old tap dancer, was on the premiere of Steve Harvey 's Little Big Shots: Forever Young. The 98-year-old actress is loved by almost all and has had an unbelievably successful career spanning more than eight decades. [5]After several years of appearances in Europe, Duncan was discovered by Lawrence Welk's personal manager Sam Lutz. Duncan performed alongside stars like actress Jayne Mansfield, singer Jerry Colonna, comedian Hedda Hopper, and the Les Brown orchestra in places like Pearl Harbor, Korea, Okinawa, and Guam. Today, many of us dont even comprehend the power she wielded, the significance she carried as the foremost Golden Girl of our zeitgeist, or how she unshakably fought to bring justice and diversity to our screens. Live with it." and gave Duncan more airtime. Her show was canceled soon after. The legendary dancer discussed how Betty White gave him his first job on. aid: '769722', She treated Arthur like a friend and fought tooth and nail to have him on her show. GOOD aligns unparalleled expertise in social science, social media, and social change. Sometimes this involved putting her own reputation on the line, and still, she didnt back down. Getty Images. The Betty White Show gave tap dancing star Arthur Duncan his big break but his appearance on the show wasnt universally popular at all. The cancellation of her variety and talk show came after a huge backlash surrounding the appearance of Arthur Duncan. Most incredibly, she was also a champion of LGBT equality. A movie event planned prior to her death to . But this story is true. Duncan recalled the furor and the actor backing him during those testing times. targeting: { See when we celebrated Betty Whites 95th birthday with our 5 fave TV appearances: Steve Harveys Hilarious Version of Ray Charless Georgia on My Mind, 8-Year-Old Girl Tries to Take Steve Harveys Hosting Job, George Lopez Schools Steve Harvey During Celebrity Family Feud. Arthur Duncan was honored in 2004 and 2006 at the Tap Extravaganza in New York and the 15th Annual St. Louis Tap Dance Festival. And by his 21st birthday, hed caught the eye of TV pioneer Betty White. But even in California, Duncans regular presence on the show drew criticism. Arthur admits that Betty helped get him the kind of exposure that really launched his career. White went on to game shows, the talk-show circuit and eventually mega-stardom as Rose Nylund on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls.. Duncan performed on The Lawrence Welk Show for nearly 20 years, making him the first Black regular on a variety show. So on her nationally televised The Betty White Show, she sang, interviewed guests, performed in skits and read the commercials live. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', Theres a reason why shes widely celebrated as a trailblazer of her generation: she didnt offer any excuses or apologies. According to the 2020 book Betty White on TV, the show failed to attract sponsors and was cancelled on Dec. 31, 1954 despite a desperate plea by White to NBC execs. Shed been a progressive since day one, and its because of people like her that we were able to delegitimize hateful sentiments that had dominated the country in those years. Betty White received criticism for having Duncan as a tap dancer in her own show The Betty White Show (1954). At one point, the network threatened to take her off the air for having a Black man repeatedly appear on the show, but she wouldnt budge. So, needless to say, Arthur was pretty excited when Betty showed up onstage and surprised him. Arthur Duncan - "Sing You Sinners,Sing" (1954) - YouTube SistersInc. Betty White In Person (1987). Twitter shares wild and wonderful stories about Betty White, who died Dec. 31, 2021. . And he got his start in no small part thanks to Betty White. Betty White was one of a kind, and no incident highlights that better than her refusing to give in to demands for a Black dancer to be removed from her show in the 50s. It didnt take long for the programs eponymous host to offer Duncan a permanent place in the shows musical family.. National Treasure Betty White Has Died at the Age of 99 - Vulture Left: Arthur Duncan/Betty White Show/NBC Right: American actor Betty White wearing a veiled hat, circa 1955. In 1954, Betty White rejected pressure to stop featuring tap dancer A Look at All of Betty White's Homes. She also told her critics to "live with it.". tude.cmd.push(function() { Be like Betty White. Arthur even became the first African-American regular on a variety show when he appeared on, , or leave your comments below. In 1954, #BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show. The show was the first big break for Duncan, then in his early 20s, he said in the 2018 documentary "Betty White, First Lady of Television.". After learning about Arthur Duncan, read about how Hattie McDaniel became the first Black Oscar winner. At 21, the California native had been performing in a dance quartet for years and was looking for his big break. ). pos: 'right_rail_3', In 1954, Ms. White was pressured to replace Mr. Duncan, a dancer who went on to receive . Betty White holds the record for "longest television career of any female or male entertainer." She is older than sliced bread. Less than three weeks before her 100th birthday, the actress . Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. According to HITC, White's talk show was canceled in the mid-1950s because of his continued appearances on the show. She just prioritized building earnest relationships with people, and if progress came as a result, no problem. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', That solved everything at the time.. In 1954, she became the host of her own daily variety show, The Betty White Show. And Duncan had not only managed to build a professional career out of his art but had become so renowned that Francis Ford Coppola cast him in The Cotton Club in 1984. Arthur first appeared on The Betty White Show in 1954. }); !function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document); Duncan gave Underwood flowers to congratulate her return to tap dancing.In 2020, Duncan was inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame of the American Tap Dance Foundation. There was never a question at all, said Arthur regarding Bettys insistence. Betty White gave Arthur his first job on her televised variety show, The Betty White Show. Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.'. Copywriter by day, true crime enthusiast by night - she has a passion for uncovering perspectives that capture the full spectrum of human nature. pic.twitter.com/toipvY9cyQ. White died on Friday, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday, news that prompted a look back on a career that included advocacy on many fronts. BE 100s Arthur Duncan, whose exuberant tap dancing carried him from the streets of Pasadena to Betty White's variety shows in the 1950s as one of the first Black regulars performing on television,. How Gabriel Prosser Planned What Would Have Been The Largest Slave Rebellion In American History, Meet The Ken And Barbie Killers: Paul Bernardo And Karla Homolka, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. as well as other partner offers and accept our. About See, back in 1954 Betty White served as the host and producer of The Betty White Show, a comedic variety show that was geared toward families and entertainment. Betty White, to put it simply, is a national. Born in Pasadena, California, Duncan entered show business at age 13, when he was a member of a dance quartet that performed at McKinley Junior High School in Pasadena, California. White hired a female director and Arthur Duncan, an African American actor, . White hired Arthur Duncan as a dancer on her show. cat: 'entertainment', Live with it," and she gave Duncan even more airtime. cat: 'entertainment', The Betty White Show gave tap dancing star Arthur Duncan his big break but his appearance on the show wasn't universally popular at all. 'He stays, live with it': Betty White refused to remove Black dancer Betty White defied racist demands with her 1954 variety show - The on her eponymous talk show in 1954 . NBCArthur Duncan (left) and Betty White (seated) at their reunion on Steve Harveys Little Big Shots: Forever Young in 2017. Even at the risk of cancelation, White insisted that Arthur Duncan stay on and thus helped launch a successful career for him. Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. INFORMATION Women of Power Summit baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', The Betty White Show is a television series that aired on KTLA in 1952 and 1953, and on NBC in 1954. }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; Her show was cancelled afterwards. #betty #criticized #having #arthur #tap #dancer #show #said #im #sorry #live #gave #even #more . I was on the show, and they had some letters out of Mississippi and elsewhere that some of the stations would not carry the show if I was permitted to stay on there, Duncan told Steve Harvey in 2018 ahead of a surprise TV reunion with White. When encouraged to take Arthur Duncan off the air, White, then in her 30s, said: "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays," per the Post. In 1957, he became the first Black performer to joinBob Hopes USO troop as they entertained U.S. troops in the Pacific for Christmas. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Arthur Duncan, One Of The First Black Regulars On American Television Screening event for Betty White's 100th birthday will go on Duncan went on to become the first Black regular on a variety show when he was hired on 'The Lawrence Welk Show' and he continued on that show for another 20 years. "I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business. However, Albert was very active in the film world and soon chose to leave the show to film the classicRoman Holiday. Duncan told Steve Harvey in 2017 thatWhitegave him his first job on TV during the premiere of Harveys Little Big Shots: Forever Young.. Your Money, Your Life, LATEST LISTS Among her favorite guests was Arthur Duncan, an African-American musician from Pasadena, California, who briefly studied medicine before returning to his musical roots. The special is called Betty White: First Lady of Television. Live with . "Well, Betty wrote back and said, 'Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.'" White's death, at the age of 99, was announced on Friday. env: 'prod', Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, In the 1950s, Betty White was criticized for having Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan on her variety talk show, The Betty White Show., Image Via Film screenshot/Wikimedia Commons. Let us not forget that in 1954 Betty White's show was canceled shortly after receiving backlash for her refusal to cancel Black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan. In the early 1950s, White faced criticism for featuring Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer and singer, on a few episodes of her variety talk show The Betty White Show.. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on, Justin Timberlake posts sweet birthday message for 'dream of a partner' Jessica Biel, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works'. targeting: { Reunited with White on "Little Big Shots," Duncan reignited trademark banter they used to have on her show. ', 'What could be better than show business? Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. By the 1960s, White had made many appearances on television game shows. 15 Glorious Photos of Betty White When She Was Young - Prevention In fact, as per Arthur, Betty gave him more time on the air when they started receiving backlash. In December 1957, he became the first Black man to join Bob Hopes 100-member troupe to tour U.S. military bases worldwide. } CNN . Betty White Made 1954's The Betty White Show Very Progressive. White, who died Friday, would have turned 100 on Jan. 17. "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays," White said,according to a PBS biography. Arthur Duncans early career was helped immensely by breakthrough performances on The Jimmie Rodgers Show and, of course, The Betty White Show. The comedian passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday. - Wikipedia-----Video originally shared on archive.orgShared for historical purposes. 2. A colleague. Some facts about Betty White . In 1954, Betty White rejected pressure to stop featuring tap dancer The producers wanted to remove him from the show, but White said "He stays. However, Duncan spent years presuming that his dream of becoming an artist was too far-fetched. But one heartwarming story about her principled stand in supporting a Black colleagues career despite opposition highlighted another facet of her life. Betty White: 8 Fascinating Things To Know About Her Life And Work Then, in 1964, he was scouted by Sam Lutz, the manager of The Lawrence Welk Show, and invited to come on as a guest. Live. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Duncan, who is black, was on the show when it went national and southern states started complaining about his inclusion in the show. Wikimedia CommonsBetty Whites show was canceled the same year she invited Duncan on as a guest three times. Part of her show would feature a young Black entertainer by the name of Arthur Duncan. She had also featured in a sitcom and even co-hosted a Los Angeles daytime talk show. He told her, I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over. And without missing a beat, Betty replied, Oh, I hope so. ABOUT In 1954 Betty White had a talk show and faced criticism for including a black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, on her show.