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. cat: 'entertainment', The dancer, Arthur Duncan, was featured on "The Betty White Show" that aired in the 1950s. "I'm sorry. The world is still mourning the immense loss of Betty White. 1925) Norman Fruchter, 85, writer and academic (b. He was 97. Wikimedia CommonsBetty Whites show was canceled the same year she invited Duncan on as a guest three times. When she's not writing or scouring the internet for ideas, you can find her playing Genshin Impact or eating Biriyani. #betty #criticized #having #arthur #tap #dancer #show #said #im #sorry #live #gave #even #more . page_type: 'article', Betty White gave Arthur his first job on her televised variety show, The Betty White Show. 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. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. 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. Live with it. Then, she gave Duncan even more airtime when he appeared on the show twice more. Live with it," and she gave Duncan even more airtime. In fact, as per Arthur, Betty gave him more time on the air when they started receiving backlash. The comedian was a legend through and through: when faced with the overwhelming pressure to give in to hate, she resisted and won. Getty Images. Goodbye to Betty White, popular cultures beloved (and saucy) great-grandma. It was a big opportunity for Arthur, who turned it into a career in show business that has lasted more than 60 years. url: 'betty,whites,controversial,hire,of,tap,dancer,arthur,duncan,made,history,in,more,ways,than,one', White's death, at the age of 99, was announced on Friday. This soon led to the show's cancellation. 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. The show. Decades later, in the doc, he was still in awe of her. The show was canceled soon after. 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She didnt have an idea of the extent to which it would enrage her market, yet the collective furor didnt crush her spirit or change her mind. Betty White: reglnyok: Bea Arthur: reglnyok: Phylicia Rashad: The Cosby Show Rue McClanahan: reglnyok: Shelley Long: Cheers: . Betty knew she wasnt some prominent politician or royalty she was merely a television actress but she was still extremely self-aware of her influence on the country. on her eponymous talk show in 1954 . Her show was canceled soon after. 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.". 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. The daily talk/variety show on NBC allowed White to hire a female director (opens in new tab) as well as Arthur Duncan, . divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', You never call, responded White. Arthur admits that Betty helped get him the kind of exposure that really launched his career. With newfound creative control, White created a sitcom that earned her a Best Actress Emmy nomination. Unfortunately, the show was canceled the same year, though its hard to say whether it was a direct result of the outcry or if interest was waning in general. 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. kw: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', tag: 'mandc,celebrity,entertainment-industry,racism', . Arthur Duncan, an 83-year-old tap dancer, was on the premiere of Steve Harveys Little Big Shots: Forever Young. So at age 18, he enrolled in Pasadena City College to study pharmacy. INFORMATION "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. In response, Betty White famously said Im sorry. cat: 'entertainment', 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. Whats more intriguing is that this wasnt Bettys sole act of defiance within the show; she interviewed a Black child on the special when it was considered controversial to do so. 1937) Casey Hayden, 85, civil rights activist (b. 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. 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 earlier inclusion (despite Southern objections) on the 1954 Betty White Show, made him the first African-American regular on variety television programs.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.He later entered Pasadena City College to study pharmacy, but left to pursue a career in show business, touring with The Jimmie Rodgers Show and The Betty White Show. The legendary dancer discussed how Betty White gave him his first job on. Arthur had seen everything he needed to see in life after reuniting with Betty. 2. The cancellation of her variety and talk show came after a huge backlash surrounding the appearance of Arthur Duncan. subcat: '', The Inspiring Story Of Arthur Duncan, The First Black Regular On An American Variety Show. . Live with it." She then gave Duncan even more airtime. I am one bad ass bitch. 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. Amid the overt racism,The Betty White Show may have also been quietly sabotaged by brands who chose to stay away from the controversy. White gave it to him, he recounted in the 2018 documentary Betty White: First Lady of Television.. It was the first time in over 60 years that Arthur Duncan and Betty White had appeared on stage together. Duncan later toured with Bob Hope and appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show for nearly two decades. "I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business. 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. Duncan, who is black, was on the show when it went national and southern states started complaining about his inclusion in the show. 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. "I said, 'I'm sorry, but he staysLive with it!'" Supervising Producer, Yahoo Entertainment, Arthur Duncan, an 83-year-old tap dancer, was on the premiere of, It was a big opportunity for Arthur, who turned it into a career in show business that has lasted more than 60 years. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { "I'm ready to go now," he said. Then, learn about the first African-American photographers and their portraits. There was the time she ignored criticism about having Arthur Duncan, . (Video: Reuters). White, who died Friday, would have turned 100 on Jan. 17. 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. A long and successful career followed, including several film and TV appearances. Watch clips and full episodes of Little Big Shots for free on Yahoo View. And there was Duncan. You can empower others simply by speaking up when the opportunity arises. I rehearsed with a choral group thats going to do Christmas carols this Christmas., Oh, wonderful, White said. Be like Betty White. Underwood said Duncan was her inspiration for tap dancing. The 33 Coziest Designer Bedrooms Ever. ', Betty White's quips and quotes through the years, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. There was even a regular childrens segment. However, Albert was very active in the film world and soon chose to leave the show to film the classicRoman Holiday. Live. Sometimes this involved putting her own reputation on the line, and still, she didnt back down. Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922 - December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. Rest well, Betty. 1956) . Among White's decisions as host and producer were to hire a female director and make Arthur Duncan, who is Black, a series regular. 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. It was the first award in an entirely new category. One Piece episode 1054 delayed, new release date confirmed, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. Management Sales Partnership Solutions Left: Arthur Duncan/Betty White Show/NBC Right: American actor Betty White wearing a veiled hat, circa 1955. Duncan told Steve Harvey in 2017 thatWhitegave him his first job on TV during the premiere of Harveys Little Big Shots: Forever Young.. env: 'prod', Betty didnt let her age hamper her ability to empathize with others, even if they were of a completely different background than her. pos: 'right_rail_2', White hired a female director and Arthur Duncan, an African American actor, . }); !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); In a 2018 documentary honoring Bettys illustrious career, Arthur said, I credit Betty White for really getting me started in show business, in television. Betty herself wasnt blind to the outrage, but she wouldnt let the commotion, or as she said, the ruckus sway her in the least. Arthur even became the first African-American regular on a variety show when he appeared on, , or leave your comments below. Betty White was in 'great spirits' while filming final TV appearance. 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. This article was published more than1 year ago. Steve Harvey also had Betty White come on to the show to reunite them. White had already spent years trying to break into film and TV and eventually managed to become a co-host of the Hollywood on Film talk show in 1949 and left only to launch her own company.