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. Background [ edit] You never ask me out.. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. Arthur Duncan was invited onto The Betty White Show as a recurring performer for its one-season run in 1954. Betty White served as both host and producer. In a heartening example of life coming full circle, 55-year-old Arthur Duncan was still tap-dancing when the son of his former mentor approached him with a project. Sign up for notifications from Insider! She had also featured in a sitcom and even co-hosted a Los Angeles daytime talk show. But when the shows reach was extended beyond LA, Duncans inclusion as part of the cast made waves across the Jim Crow South. Wikimedia CommonsBetty Whites show was canceled the same year she invited Duncan on as a guest three times. 4. }); !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); What really defines Betty Whites legacy is her sheer willingness to go against the grain and subvert expectations. In December 1957, he became the first Black man to join Bob Hopes 100-member troupe to tour U.S. military bases worldwide. In the 1950s, representation on television was still a controversial subject, and the gatekeepers of the industry werent even keen on having women run shows. Three years later, one of the Los Angeles-area shows co-hosts, Eddie Albert was given his own eponymous spin-off. On another episode, White interviewed a Black child during the childrens segment. Betty White: . 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. cat: 'entertainment', In 1954, Betty White rejected pressure to stop featuring tap dancer Arthur Duncan on her show because he was Black A file photo of Betty White. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Live with it: Betty White defied racist demands in 1954. INFORMATION Betty White rejected attempts to keep Black dancer Arthur Duncan off her show in the 1950s. 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. Arthur Duncans tap-dancing skills were undeniable. White explained the controversy in the documentary, "All through the South there was this whole ruckus, they were going to take the show off the air if we didn't get rid of Arthur because he was Black," said White. As producer of her own show, White decided to give Duncan a national platform to share those skills with the rest of the country. "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. Arthur Chester Duncan (September 25, 1925 - January 4, 2023) was an American tap dancer, also called an "Entertainer's Entertainer," known for his stint as a performer on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1964 to 1982. Tai Saint-Louis January 2, 2022 6442 Arthur Duncan and Betty White, reunited by Steve Harvey As the world mourns actress and comedienne Betty White, who passed away on Dec. 31, many are. The comedian passed away on December 31, 2021, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday. I rehearsed with a choral group thats going to do Christmas carols this Christmas., Oh, wonderful, White said. Arthur Duncan, 97, tap dancer (The Lawrence Welk Show, The Betty White Show) (b. env: 'prod', Arthur said, "She . (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) By sethuraman s . Duncan appeared on the show at least three times. Duncan appeared in three episodes of The Betty White Show according to IMDb and it was these episodes, in particular, that drew criticism. The Betty White Show gave tap dancing star Arthur Duncan his big break but his appearance on the show wasnt universally popular at all. He entertained thousands of viewers each week with his performances and dazzled thousands more with his live performances. But this was 1954 and racial inequality was still rife. Arthur had seen everything he needed to see in life after reuniting with Betty. 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.". He went on to have a decades-long career as one of the first famous Black tap dancers in the US. I am one bad ass bitch. tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', Amid the overt racism,The Betty White Show may have also been quietly sabotaged by brands who chose to stay away from the controversy. 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. Masthead, Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing. Women of Power TECH, PODCASTS When Steve Harvey asked Arthur what it was like to see his old friend, he joked, Im ready to go now. But before God could take him, Arthur wanted to catch up with Betty first. Live with . Goalcast is an inspiring community for achievers dedicated to helping you improve all aspects of your life. But just who is Arthur Duncan and why did his appearance on The Betty White Show cause such controversy at the time? When Harvey asked what Duncan thought about seeing White again, he jokedGod, I think I am ready to go now., Sports world reacts: Athletes, sports celebrities recall 'national treasure' Betty White, Celebrities mourn loss: Robert Redford shares his affection for Betty White, 'I had a crush on her, too! It was the first award in an entirely new category. url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', Its because of people like her we were able to push the needle forward in terms of racial and gender equality. GOOD aligns unparalleled expertise in social science, social media, and social change. White said she wasn't going to budge: Evidently through the South at that point it was a very heavy [thing], and I said, Im sorry, but he stays [] Live with it! White said. After learning about Arthur Duncan, read about how Hattie McDaniel became the first Black Oscar winner. Since 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. White hired Arthur Duncan as a dancer on her show. Betty White, to put it simply, is a national. Cindy Ord/Getty Betty White rejected. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Her respond to pressure to stop featuring him was that people had to "live with it." The show was Duncan's first big break in the business and helped launch his career. When Bea Arthur left The Golden . tude.cmd.push(function() { She treated Arthur like a friend and fought tooth and nail to have him on her show. The Inspiring Story Of Arthur Duncan, The First Black Regular On An American Variety Show. Duncan recalled the furor and the actor backing him during those testing times. The special is called Betty White: First Lady of Television. The entertainer, in her early 30s at the time, was center stage, speaking to the young Black tap dancer seated on her right. 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. Well, Betty wrote back and said, Needless to say, we used Arthur Duncan every opportunity we could.'. 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 Betty White was in her early 30s she landed her very own self-titled variety show. Oborfacts What can i say? premiere of Harveys Little Big Shots: Forever Young., Here are some of her greatest career moments, Athletes, sports celebrities recall 'national treasure' Betty White, Robert Redford shares his affection for Betty White, 'I had a crush on her, too! In 1954, Betty White created and hosted her own daily variety and talk show, The Betty White Show. She also told her critics to "live with it.". According to the 2018 PBS documentary, Betty White: First Lady of Television, (available on Netflix) Duncan credited White for his first big break. This was in 1954. Betty White: reglnyok: Bea Arthur: reglnyok: Phylicia Rashad: The Cosby Show Rue McClanahan: reglnyok: Shelley Long: Cheers: . 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,. It's Betty White's 99th birthday on Sunday, and former co-stars Arthur Duncan and Wendie Malick are singing her praises. She was fond of leveraging her power to extend empathy towards those who were far less privileged than her. 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. } NBCArthur Duncan (left) and Betty White (seated) at their reunion on Steve Harveys Little Big Shots: Forever Young in 2017. 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. 65 Backyard . 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. 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. Duncan even tapped a routine in front of Betty White in a throwback to their time on her show from the 50s. 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. White gave it to him, he recounted in the 2018 documentary Betty White: First Lady of Television.. The legendary dancer discussed how Betty White gave him his first job on. Betty White holds the record for "longest television career of any female or male entertainer." She is older than sliced bread. - Wikipedia-----Video originally shared on archive.orgShared for historical purposes.
Female Firefighters Statistics 2020,
How Far Can Justin Herbert Throw A Football,
Articles B