Stay up to date with what you want to know. In other news, One Piece episode 1054 delayed, new release date confirmed. And by his 21st birthday, hed caught the eye of TV pioneer Betty White. It didnt take long for the programs eponymous host to offer Duncan a permanent place in the shows musical family.. It was the first award in an entirely new category. When she was encouraged to take him offbecause of the color of his skin,she politely declined. 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. Arthur Duncan, an 83-year-old tap dancer, was on the premiere of Steve Harveys Little Big Shots: Forever Young. . Arthur Duncan, 84, is a tap dancer best known for his stint on "The Lawrence Welk Show." PBS. The comedian had a natural affinity towards animals, particularly elephants and gorillas. 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. But this story is true. On another episode, White interviewed a Black child during the childrens segment. Betty White broke barriers, defied expectations, served her country, and pushed us all to laugh. Stars Betty White George Tibbles Dick Cathcart See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 2 User reviews Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy 1 nomination total He entertained thousands of viewers each week with his performances and dazzled thousands more with his live performances. In the 1950s, Betty White was criticized for having Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan on her variety talk show, "The Betty White Show." Rating: True About this rating Betty White, also. However, it was during an appearance on Steve Harveys show Little Big Shots: Forever Young in 2017 that Duncan felt truly blessed when Betty White surprised him onstage. Live. Management A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. Privacy Policy INFORMATION (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: [] }; This soon led to the show's cancellation. Over 60 years later,Whiteand Duncan were reunited on Little Big Shots: Forever Young to Duncans surprise. White's team of talent included Black performer Arthur Duncan, who was about 21 at the time and looking for his big break. *Arthur Duncan was born on this date in 1933. targeting: { 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. At a time when racial segregation was at boiling point, there were strong calls from different quarters to remove a tap dancer named Arthur Duncan from her show. The producers wanted to remove him from the show, but White said "He stays. # DidYouKnow In 1954, # BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show. I know our Bo is looking forward to seeing her up in heaven. The dancer, Arthur Duncan, was featured onThe Betty White Showthataired in the 1950s. "Well, Betty wrote back and said: 'needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could,'" he said. 'The Betty White Show' saw her perform songs and entertain viewers with skits and interviews with guests. A pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades, she was noted for her vast body of work in entertainment and for being one of the first women to work both in front of and behind the camera. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Betty White: . When so many of her peers were justifying their ignorance by claiming to be a product of their times, Betty stood out. Duncan was later discovered by big band leaderLawrence Welk who invited him onto his ABC variety show. } She knew exactly what was right and what was wrong, and didnt let the status quo defer her from taking a stand. page_type: 'article', Betty White, The Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland Star, Dead at 99 During the Little Big Shots episode, Harvey surprised Duncan by bringing White on the show to catch up with her old. However, Albert was very active in the film world and soon chose to leave the show to film the classicRoman Holiday. Betty White pushed back against pressure for her to stop featuring a Black tap dancer on her show in 1954, The Washington Post reported. }); !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); 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. She produced and starred in the sitcom Life with Elizabeth (1953-1955), making . (Video: Reuters). 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. Live with . In response, Betty White famously said Im sorry. Tap dancer Arthur Duncan was first introduced to national audiences by Betty White in 1954 before making history as the first Black performer on The Lawrence Welk Show. 1956) . The comedian passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday. She deploys language as a way to connect with her audience and empower them to take action. She set the standard, and we will forever be grateful. Bettys ninety-nine years on this planet is a testament to the tenacity of human kindness. Duncan was already a regular on the show which featured performances by White and others, interviews, skits and even a kids segment before it was added to NBCs national lineup in 1954. url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', Arthur Duncan performed wherever he could. After just one appearance, Duncan was asked to remain onThe Lawrence Welk Show, making him the first Black regular on a variety show. 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. . NBC first aired in 1954. If there is content shared on this platform that you feel infringes on your intellectual property, please email me at Reelblack@mail.com and info@reelblack.com with details and it will be promptly removed. She even had a regular childrens segment. The Betty White Show is a television series that aired on KTLA in 1952 and 1953, and on NBC in 1954. on her eponymous talk show in 1954 . According to HITC, White's talk show was canceled in the mid-1950s because of his continued appearances on the show. The show was Duncan's first big break in the business and helped launch his career. She pledged her support for same-sex marriage, saying, If a couple has been together all that time and there are gay relationships that are more solid than some heterosexual ones I think its fine if they want to get married. Additionally, she didnt understand how some people could be anti-something. She was a proponent of minding her business, standing up for the oppressed, and carving her unique place in the culture through entertainment. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) By sethuraman s . cat: 'entertainment', env: 'prod', R.I.P. "I'm sorry, but he staysLive with it!" baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', . #betty #criticized #having #arthur #tap #dancer #show #said #im #sorry #live #gave #even #more . Betty White gave Arthur his first job on her televised variety show, The Betty White Show. Subscribe to Newsletter 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, the then-83-year-old said. Some facts about Betty White . divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', } White, a boundary-breaking television star by 1952, then became the first woman to produce a sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, which she also starred in. A 1963 Klan bombing killed her sister and blinded her. But White didnt capitulate, telling her critics, Im sorry, but he stays. The cancellation of her variety and talk show came after a huge backlash surrounding the appearance of Arthur Duncan. So it was a minor coup when Betty White got her own show in 1954 with full creative control. Among her favorite guests was Arthur Duncan, an African-American musician from Pasadena, California, who briefly studied medicine before returning to his musical roots. Michael Green, 69, molecular and cell biologist (b. "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," said Duncan during an episode of 'Steve Harvey's Little Big Shots: Forever Young' in 2017. He typically performed one solo routine per episode, scored by the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, but also frequently danced with peers Bobby Burgess and Jack Imel. The legendary dancer discussed how Betty White gave him his first job on. In 1954 Betty White had a talk show and faced criticism for including a black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, on her show.Betty responded with Im sorry. She was part of the board at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association and regularly campaigned to raise more funds for the association. Entrepreneurs Summit pos: 'right_rail_1', tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. Born on Sept. 25, 1933, in Pasadena, California, Arthur Duncan gravitated to the life of a performer from a very young age. 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. 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. Of course, the social media world is full of distortions and fabrications. Women of Power Summit Goodbye to Betty White, popular cultures beloved (and saucy) great-grandma. 29K views 1 year ago Arthur Duncan (born September 25, 1933) is an American tap dancer, known for his stint as a performer on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1964 to 1982, which, along with his. Her response: "I'm sorry. This is a tremendous loss," tap-dancing legend Arthur Duncan tells Rolling Stone. kw: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', 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. 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. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', She just prioritized building earnest relationships with people, and if progress came as a result, no problem. 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. url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', CNN . kw: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', This article was published more than1 year ago. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. White, who died Friday, would have turned 100 on Jan. 17. When asked why she was risking her livelihood to defend a Black man, she said, Im sorry, but he staysLive with it, as per People. Live with it," and she gave Duncan even more airtime. Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.'. With Betty White's passing at the age of 99, this internet meme about White refusing to ban Arthur Duncan, an African American dancer, from the cast of her television variety show in 1954, is getting wide circulation. He was a 13-year-old student when he joined the dance quartet at McKinley Junior High School and began studying under renowned choreographer Nick Castle. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. It's Betty White's 99th birthday on Sunday, and former co-stars Arthur Duncan and Wendie Malick are singing her praises. Veteran actress Betty White, best known for her role in The Golden Girls and whose career spanned eight decades, has died aged 99. Arthur Duncan was honored in 2004 and 2006 at the Tap Extravaganza in New York and the 15th Annual St. Louis Tap Dance Festival. After appearing as a guest on the show, Lawrence Welk offered Duncan a permanent spot as a member of his \"musical family.\"The 1989 film Tap featured Duncan in a cameo appearance with other famous tap dancers.In 2004 Duncan was honored at the annual \"Tap Extravaganza\" in New York City.In 2006, Duncan was honored for his contributions to tap dance at the 15th Annual St. Louis Tap Festival.In 2017, Duncan appeared on the series premiere episode of the reality talent series Little Big Shots: Forever Young, where he performed a dance and reunited with actress Betty White.In 2018, Duncan made an appearance on The Talk as part of a surprise for co-host Sheryl Underwood who performed a tap dance routine with Savion Glover as part of the show's New Year's Evolution. In 2010, the Forest Service made Betty White an honorary forest ranger. We wouldnt have been the same. "I'm. 1954) February 11 Howard Bragman, 66, public relations executive (b. So, needless to say, Arthur was pretty excited when Betty showed up onstage and surprised him. Although The Betty White Show was cancelled within a year due to low ratings due to NBC constantly changing its time slot, Arthur Duncans newfound national exposure led to invaluable new opportunities. The Best Celebrity Furniture and Home Decor Lines. Live with it." and gave Duncan more airtime. Betty Whites show was canceled the same year she invited Duncan on as a guest three times. The special is called Betty White: First Lady of Television. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. As producer of her own show, White decided to give Duncan a national platform to share those skills with the rest of the country. White's death, at the age of 99, was announced on Friday. Later on, he became the first African-American regular on a variety program. Later on, Arthur was discovered by Sam Lutz, Lawrence Welks personal manager and was invited to perform as part of Welks musical family.. Twitter shares wild and wonderful stories about Betty White, who died Dec. 31, 2021. . Duncan, who credits White with launching his career, continued to break boundaries after The Betty White Show. Betty White was in 'great spirits' while filming final TV appearance. 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As the host and producer, White hired young Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan to perform. The world is still mourning the immense loss of Betty White. Your Money, Your Life, LATEST LISTS So on her nationally televised The Betty White Show, she sang, interviewed guests, performed in skits and read the commercials live. Sandy Duncan: Funny Face 1973 Mary Tyler Moore: Mary Tyler Moore: Bea Arthur: Maude Jean Stapleton: . Racial justice wasnt the only focus of her activism, either. When The Betty White Show was rolled out on TV channels across the US, many stations and viewers in southern US states threatened to boycott the show unless Arthur Duncan was removed owing to the segregation laws and attitudes towards race that were prevalent at the time. White hired a female director and Arthur Duncan, an African American actor, . Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. But by the early 1980s, when The Lawrence Welk Show finally went off the air, that era was over. Duncan credits White for starting his career. Wikimedia CommonsArthur Duncan became the first Black regular on a televised American variety show. Wikimedia CommonsBetty Whites show was canceled the same year she invited Duncan on as a guest three times. In 1954 Betty White had a talk show and faced criticism for including a black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, on her show. In this day and age, this wouldn't be seen as any sort of big deal. Since 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. Underwood said Duncan was her inspiration for tap dancing. page_type: 'article', But one heartwarming story about her principled stand in supporting a Black colleagues career despite opposition highlighted another facet of her life. Throughout her life, she lent her support to myriad animal rights organizations, including the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, The Morris Animal Foundation, African Wildlife Foundation, and Actors and Others for Animals. White made a career playing sweet characters with hidden and hilarious grit, and that quality goes all the way back to her first televised variety show, where, as the host and producer, she defied racist demands to get rid of Duncan because he was Black. divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-2', Jan 1, 2022. She made sure to strengthen causes that needed backing, those that required people to break the mold and upset the masses. Arthur Duncans tap-dancing skills were undeniable. } Betty White was facing pressure from stations in the South but used Duncan even more until the show was canceled in 1954. The 98-year-old actress is loved by almost all and has had an unbelievably successful career spanning more than eight decades. This was in 1954. Oborfacts What can i say? And all through the South, there was this whole ruckus, White remembered in the doc. In December 1957, he became the first Black man to join Bob Hopes 100-member troupe to tour U.S. military bases worldwide. If White, 99, had it her way, she would have remained at her longtime marital home in Carmel, which she first built with her late husband, Allen Ludden, when they bought the land in 1978. Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.'. Not one to waste an opportunity, White immediately set about hiring Duncan to dance on The Betty White Show, which aired on NBC in Los Angeles. There's no knowing if her putting her foot down on Duncan staying on had any role in the show being repeatedly rescheduled for different time slots before eventually being taken off the air that same year. Im ready to go now, he morbidly joked as White approached. One particular way in which Ms. White refused to bow to systemic racism was by insisting Arthur Duncan, a Black dancer, remain on her 1950s show, The Betty White Show.. Duncan's . Background [ edit] "Her response: 'I'm sorry. While the world mourns the death of actor and activist Betty White, many are learning about her advocacy on behalf of African-Americans. ': Betty White's quips and quotes through the years. Duncan appeared on the show at least three times. You dont need to be young or rich or particularly well-educated to treat someone with respect or compassion. Decades later, in the doc, he was still in awe of her. Live with it." She then gave Duncan even more airtime. Duncan even tapped a routine in front of Betty White in a throwback to their time on her show from the 50s.