When she was encouraged to take him offbecause of the color of his skin,she politely declined. When NBC gave her a national 30-minute variety show in 1954, she . Her response: "I'm sorry. People in the South, some of them resented me being on the show and wanted me thrown out. ]); "I'm. Arthur Duncan From 'Lawrence Welk' Thanks Betty White For His Career We bring people together, change perceptions, and inspire actions that impact culture for good. She just cared about giving people the respect they deserve. In the documentary, White described that all through the South there was this whole ruckus, they were going to take the show off the air if we didnt get rid of Arthur because he was Black., Added Duncan: People in the South, some of them resented me being on the show and wanted me thrown out. Getty Images. Arthur Duncans tap-dancing skills were undeniable. Betty White kept Black dancer Arthur Duncan on show despite - Bossip Arthur Duncan. Three years later, one of the Los Angeles-area shows co-hosts, Eddie Albert was given his own eponymous spin-off. Betty White Reunited With Tap Dancer Whose Career She Launched - Yahoo! as well as other partner offers and accept our. Deal with it and gave Duncan more airtime. It's Betty White's 99th birthday on Sunday, and former co-stars Arthur Duncan and Wendie Malick are singing her praises. When so many of her peers were justifying their ignorance by claiming to be a product of their times, Betty stood out. The Betty White Show is a television series that aired on KLAC-TV (now KCOP-TV) in 1952 and 1953, and on NBC in 1954. Left: Arthur Duncan/Betty White Show/NBC Right: American actor Betty White wearing a veiled hat, circa 1955. In 1954, Betty White was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a black tap dancer, on her show. she bluntly told those that brought the matter to her, reported PEOPLE. 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. However, Albert was very active in the film world and soon chose to leave the show to film the classicRoman Holiday. Live with it, according to USA Today and ended up giving Arthur Duncan more airtime as a result. Thats when the show was renamed after White, and she took over as both host and producer. Among White's decisions as host and producer were to hire a female director and make Arthur Duncan, who is Black, a series regular. A Look at All of Betty White's Homes. Betty White's Life in Photos - Peoplemag According to HITC, White's talk show was canceled in the mid-1950s because of his continued appearances on the show. Betty White pushed back against pressure for her to stop featuring a Black tap dancer on her show in 1954, The Washington Post reported. Live with it: Betty White defied racist demands in 1954. A movie event planned prior to her death to . }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; Entrepreneurs Summit It was the first time in over 60 years that Arthur Duncan and Betty White had appeared on stage together. 65 Backyard . But her decision to defy conventional norms and balk at Southern naysayers allowed Duncan to go one to make history at least twice more. "The first TV show I had ever been on, and I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, in television," he said. When Betty White Refused to Bow to Racists Over Dancer Arthur Duncan Sometimes this involved putting her own reputation on the line, and still, she didnt back down. Arthur Duncan, Trailblazing Dancer for Betty White, Lawrence Welk, Dies Simply put, if people like her hadnt raised their voices and resisted hatred and ignorance, our world wouldnt have been the same. aid: '769722', White's team of talent included Black performer Arthur Duncan, who was about 21 at the time and looking for his big break. 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. Fans mourn Betty White on social media - ajc She paid respect to everyone, regardless of their race, gender, religion, or what have you. ', Betty White dies at 99: Here are some of her greatest career moments. page_type: 'article', Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a reporter with experience working in television, international news coverage, fact checking, and creative writing. 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. 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. 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. Arthur first appeared on The Betty White Show in 1954. Duncan, who is black, was on the show when it went national and southern states started complaining about his inclusion in the show. TIL that, in 1954, Betty White was criticized for having Arthur Duncan As producer of her own show, White decided to give Duncan a national platform to share those skills with the rest of the country. This, along with his earlier inclusion (despite objections) on The Betty White Show in 1954 and with the help of White herself, made him the first African-American regular on a . Live with . I am one bad ass bitch. Screening event for Betty White's 100th birthday will go on 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. Arthur had seen everything he needed to see in life after reuniting with Betty. While the world mourns the death of actor and activist Betty White, many are learning about her advocacy on behalf of African-Americans. She was fond of leveraging her power to extend empathy towards those who were far less privileged than her. So at age 18, he enrolled in Pasadena City College to study pharmacy. 1937) Casey Hayden, 85, civil rights activist (b. targeting: { A tap dancer with remarkable skill, Arthur Duncan was the first African American to be hired as a series regular on the variety shows of early television. But just who is Arthur Duncan and why did his appearance on The Betty White Show cause such controversy at the time? kw: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', 2. Part of her show would feature a young Black entertainer by the name of Arthur Duncan. Betty White refused to remove Black dancer on her show in 1954 - USA TODAY Betty White Photos: See 48 Photos of Hollywood's Golden Girl Through The show was a daytime talk show that also featured entertainment segments that are typical of variety shows. Duncan started touring with The Jimmie Rodgers Show and performing on Betty White's 1954 . Are you going to go house to house?. kw: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', White gave it to him, he recounted in the 2018 documentary Betty White: First Lady of Television.. The Inspiring Story Of Arthur Duncan, The First Black Regular On An American Variety Show. Later on, Arthur was discovered by Sam Lutz, Lawrence Welks personal manager and was invited to perform as part of Welks musical family.. Michael Green, 69, molecular and cell biologist (b. } Betty White received criticism for having Duncan as a tap dancer in her own show The Betty White Show (1954). 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. # ThankYouForBeingAFriend 11:37 AM - 31 Dec 2021 10,874 Retweets 54,906 Likes It was a big opportunity for Arthur, who turned it into a career in show business that has lasted more than 60 years. pos: 'right_rail_1', env: 'prod', Betty White, veteran actress who starred in The Golden Girls, dies env: 'prod', In 1954 Betty White had a talk show and faced criticism for including a black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, on her show. 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. Betty White spent final days in home she didn't want to live in Betty White, whose more than 80-year career included Emmy-winning roles on sitcoms "The Golden Girls" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," died on Dec. 31. The show was Duncan's first big break in the business and helped launch his career. But when the shows reach was extended beyond LA, Duncans inclusion as part of the cast made waves across the Jim Crow South. 'He stays, live with it': Betty White refused to remove Black dancer But White didnt capitulate, telling her critics, Im sorry, but he stays. [5]After several years of appearances in Europe, Duncan was discovered by Lawrence Welk's personal manager Sam Lutz. When she was encouraged to take him off because of the color of his skin, she politely declined. The 33 Coziest Designer Bedrooms Ever. There was even a regular childrens segment. "I'm sorry. Decades later, in the doc, he was still in awe of her. The world is still mourning the immense loss of Betty White. 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. . Cindy Ord/Getty Betty White rejected. Betty White's Comic Reversals | The New Yorker The special is called Betty White: First Lady of Television. With substantial clout, she developed her own variety show in 1954 and wasted no time giving talented performers a shot. The comedian passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday. . When Duncan told White, "I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over," she replied, "Oh, I hope so. She hired a Black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, for "The Betty White Show" in 1954, a full three years before the first federal civil-rights legislation since Reconstruction was passed,. Of course, the social media world is full of distortions and fabrications. But by the early 1980s, when The Lawrence Welk Show finally went off the air, that era was over. 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. When she was encouraged to take him off because of the color of his skin, she politely declined.. "Los Angeles was more accessible." And it was never a question at all," he recalled. Sales Partnership Solutions Betty White: . In a time where segregation was at the forefront of American issues, Betty Whiterejected attempts to keep a Black dancer off her show. Betty White rejected attempts to keep Black dancer Arthur Duncan off her show in the 1950s. The comedian was a legend through and through: when faced with the overwhelming pressure to give in to hate, she resisted and won. There was never a question at all, said Arthur regarding Bettys insistence. Black Men XCEL It's been claimed that Duncan's fixed role on "The Betty White Show" as a singer and dancer meant he was the first Black American to have a regular appearance on a TV variety show. She knew exactly what was right and what was wrong, and didnt let the status quo defer her from taking a stand. Contact In response, Betty White famously said Im sorry. And that included the young tap dancer Arthur Duncan, who would become the only Black man on the program. } And to this day, the 87-year-old tap dances when the mood strikes. 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 cat: 'entertainment', The dancer, Arthur Duncan, was featured on "The Betty White Show" that aired in the 1950s. Her respond to pressure to stop featuring him was that people had to "live with it.". Live with it. , Betty White, one of the most endearing and enduring faces on television, dies at 99. Nick Castle Jr. had become a director and asked Duncan to dance his 1989 film Tap, starring Sammy Davis Jr. Duncan obliged, but his accolades didnt end there. # DidYouKnow In 1954, # BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show. 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. Betty White broke barriers, defied expectations, served her country, and pushed us all to laugh. Editor's note: This article was originally published on January 3, 2022. Over 60 years later,Whiteand Duncan were reunited on Little Big Shots: Forever Young to Duncans surprise. She produced and starred in the sitcom Life with Elizabeth (1953-1955), making . Arthur Duncan was a tap dancer and singer known for his regular appearances on "The Betty White Show" and "The Lawrence Welk Show." Died: January 4, 2023 ( Who else died on January 4? Wikimedia Commons Arthur Duncan became the first Black regular on a televised American variety show. Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. Arthur Duncan, One Of The First Black Regulars On American Television "Well, Betty wrote back and said, 'Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.'" The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. In 1961, the then 39-year-old actress met the man . "In 1954, #BettyWhite was criticized after having Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on her show," The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center tweeted after her death. Her show was canceled soon after. cat: 'entertainment', 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. 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. Subscribe to Newsletter tude.cmd.push(function() { Live. Betty White Shaped the Rise of Television. It's a Legacy That - TODAY (Video: Reuters). Arthur Duncan, a gifted dancer whose appearance on one of Betty White's early TV shows prompted a showdown between southern censors and White, died January 4. As the host and producer, White hired young Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan to perform. When letters started coming from Mississippi and elsewhere demanding Arthurs removal, Betty simply wrote back saying, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could. It wasnt a matter of finding a compromise or trying to understand the other sides perspective; she wanted to trust her gut and do the right thing, protest be damned. You never ask me out.. 1. Wikimedia CommonsArthur Duncan became the first Black regular on a televised American variety show. Duncan credits White for starting his career. Betty White spent over seven decades in front and behind the camera. Arthur Duncan became the first Black regular on a televised American variety show. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', You never ask me out." 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. FLASHBACK: Lawrence Welk star Arthur Duncan credits Betty White for his Betty White, to put it simply, is a national treasure in the US. } 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. , Facing the threat of boycotts across the South, White famously said, Im sorry but he stays Live with it!. Little Big Shots: Forever Young airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC. The comedian passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday. -----#####Reelblack's mission is to educate, entertain, enlighten, and empower through Black film. Lets take a moment to honor the First Lady of Television and what her progressiveness meant to those watching at home. Betty White, 99, gives health update in rare interview after fans fear The Betty White Show gave tap dancing star Arthur Duncan his big break but his appearance on the show wasnt universally popular at all. Steve Harvey's "Little Big Shots: Forever Young.". 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. BE 100s Tell us what you think! The Betty White Show (1952 TV series) - Wikipedia Betty White was in "great spirits" and "looked amazing" while filming her final TV appearance which took place just 10 days before her death. Betty didnt let her age hamper her ability to empathize with others, even if they were of a completely different background than her. Arthur, did you have a nice weekend? Betty White asked Arthur Duncan. Betty White - Wikipedia BETTY White has updated fans on her health in rare interview after fans fear for the beloved Golden Girl ahead of 100th birthday.The actress, 99, crep . Arthur Duncan performed wherever he could. This means that White had already made history by making Duncan the first Black series regular on a talk show. } In fact, as per Arthur, Betty gave him more time on the air when they started receiving backlash. Underwood said Duncan was her inspiration for tap dancing. After being born in Pasadena, California in September 1933, Arthur Duncan took his first steps in the performing world at the age of just 13 and after a brief spell studying pharmacy, returned to the world of showbusiness in his early 20s. Betty White served as both host and producer. *Arthur Duncan was born on this date in 1933. She even had a regular childrens segment. At 99 Years Old Betty White Lives In A Luxurious California Mansion ). Arthur Duncan - "Sing You Sinners,Sing" (1954) - YouTube 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 the time, she faced criticism for including African-American actor Arthur Duncan in the series, and refused to remove him from the show despite a loss in ratings. I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, he said. In 1954, Ms. White was pressured to replace Mr. Duncan, a dancer who went on to receive . By the 1960s, White had made many appearances on television game shows. url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. At 21, the California native had been performing in a dance quartet for years and was looking for his big break. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. But there was never a question at all., I said, Im sorry, but, you know, he stays, she said. 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. subcat: '', Stay up to date with what you want to know. 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,. In 2017, Arthur Duncan was reunited with Betty White on Little Big Shots: Forever Young (pictured above) and later in 2018, contributed to PBSs Betty White: First Lady of Television documentary film. Betty White dead updates - Cause of death for Hollywood legend revealed I hope we have a chance to visit after this is over., Oh, I hope so. White, who died Friday, would have turned 100 on Jan. 17. 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. When she's not writing or scouring the internet for ideas, you can find her playing Genshin Impact or eating Biriyani. Duncan later toured with Bob Hope and appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show for nearly two decades. INFORMATION targeting: { Arthur Duncan, Tap Dancer born - African American Registry And all through the South, there was this whole ruckus, White remembered in the doc. However, Betty White wasnt always such a universally loved figure as the cancellation of The Betty White Show in 1954 goes to show. Not only had she been one of the first women to helm her own show on television, but she also laid the groundwork for how women could assert their agency in a landscape that was still dismissive of their talent and power.