A star who made the world a little brighter for us all died 17 days before her 100 birthday. The new large photography book with excellent and extensive research titled "Betty White:100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life", by Ray Richmond, an award-winning journalist, with a foreword by Gaven McLead. The book covers an Age; a historical period of creativity in the entertainment world in America. Betty White was a comedian and actress who starred in many films and was a featured guest on a variety of game shows. She was a great comedian who also starred in several serious dramas. Her most memorable role was Rose Nyland in the T.V. sitcom "The Golden Girls."
Many of you might still see "The Golden Girls" on late night T.V. in reruns, and laugh at the simple but sharp humor in the dialogue. The four colorful women (all senior citizens) are living together, solving everyday problems with wisdom, sarcasm, and humor. Their shared humanity touches us all today in 2022, even though the series was written in the 1980s.
Betty White, who died at 99, on December 31, 2021, was once asked at 88 how did you survive professionally in the entertainment world over so many years? White said, "Funny never gets old. People need to laugh." That statement had truth, wisdom, and a dash of humility in it. Not all jokes are timeless, but Betty White's humor was timeless because she knew how to wait for a laugh and deliver a punch line.
Before she hit her teens, she was writing, directing, and starring in her own productions at Horace Mann Beverly High School. Someone saw her at her high school graduation and invited her to perform on a test program involving the first explorations of popular television. Betty said," yes," and never betrayed a shred of anxiety despite never having performed professionally on T.V. She was unafraid of the unknown.
Betty was two years out of high school when Japan bombed Pearl harbor in 1941. She enlisted immediately in the Women's Voluntary Services, known as the AWVS, drove a truck, sold war bonds, and delivered messages. Struggling to get into show business, she took many bit parts and worked at a local T.V. station in Los Angeles during the 1950s. In 1954 Betty White created a daytime interview program. She became a good reporter, asked good questions, and always had intelligent, tactful, and quick-witted responses. She once was voted the Honorary Mayor of Hollywood (an unpaid position), reflecting goodwill, diplomacy, and talent. Other recipients included Art Linkletter and Steve Allen.
White had a small but significant part in the 1962 film titled "Advise and Consent." She portrayed a woman senator who dared to stand alone and question McCarthy for facts rather than opinions. This role showed that she was a capable actress and could perform a serious part. It was a small but important role because there was only one woman in the Senate at that time, and she stood alone against McCarthyism.
After several failed marriages, Betty married Allen Ludden in 1963, a handsome television Game host in Las Vegas. He was the great love of her life, and they were happily married for 18 years until he died of cancer in 1981.
Betty won many Emmy Awards and was honored in 1976 as a trailblazer for women in the media. She made the part of Sue Ann in the Mary Tyler Moore series a memorable event. Yet it was in the 1980s that Betty won her greatest recognition playing a woman of innocence and naiveté who chats endlessly in a sitcom titled "The Golden Girls." Here she portrayed a woman with humor who eventually became aware of the truth about life, with a smile and wisdom.
White said, "As an actor, you get so many bad scripts, but when I read the pilot script for "The Golden Girls," I got up and took notice. It was different from anything I had gotten, and it was all because of the wonderful writing."
The success of "The Golden Girls" series is due to the excellent writing and fast dialogue. Yet, the acting is outstanding with Betty White, Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. All the characters in "The Golden Girls "are believable and reflect strong personalities. I like to remember Betty White as a "Golden Girl," a senior citizen who always remained young in spirit because of her flexibility, tremendous curiosity, and outstanding sense of humor.
In conclusion, the book has an extensive chronological filmography in the back listing all her television programs, awards and game shows that she was invited to participate in over the years. At 88 she hosted the "Saturday Night Live" T.V. program. Betty White was a timeless wonder and a national treasure who loved animals. Many people honored Betty White by donating to animal shelters across the nation in her memory on January 17 (which would have been her 100th birthday.) The full-page photographs in the book are outstanding, both of her professional life and personal life. The quality of paper and large print and the sturdy library binding cover with the photograph of Betty White smiling make this book a masterpiece combining research and creativity. I recommend it highly.
