In honor of Women’s History Month, the Showplace is featuring prominent female-driven classic programs and women who “changed the game” and made a lasting impact in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Today we present part two of a special feature on the legendary comedian, Gracie Allen.
In the 1930s the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio and later television shows not only became one of the top, but it also was one of the pioneers who developed a format that still is very prevalent in today’s television shows-the sitcom.
In fact, the television program also became a trendsetter in that it became a show within a show. Long before Seinfeld gave a monologue interspersed with clips from his personal life, Burns delivered one-liners to the audience framed around the zany adventures of his wife.
At the end of the program a quick exchange would take place between the husband and wife comedy duo as they interplayed with the audience, culminating with Burns setting his wife up for the classic lines:

George: “Say good night, Gracie”
Gracie: “Good night Gracie!”

Gracie Allen also pulled off some of the funniest and most elaborate pranks in America at the times where the nation needed them the most.

During the Great Depression, Allen pulled off one of the most successful publicity stunts in entertainment history with a year-long search for Alan’s supposedly missing brother.
During the tense year of 1940 with a threat of war looming around the world, Alan kept the country laughing with a run for the president of the United States on the new “Surprise Party” ticket, which culminated in a book with photographs from around the country and even an official endorsement from the President of Harvard University.
During World War II, her publicity stunts included being the subject of the “Gracie Allen Murder Case” mystery and a piano concerto that was performed live at the Hollywood bowl consisting of Allen playing an entire arrangement with just one finger.
Allen’s increasing anxiety over stage fright–something she battled throughout her entire career–finally forced her to retire from the Burns and Allen television show and virtually any public appearances. Though her husband tried to carry on with the show for one more year, the program was not nearly as successful and was canceled.
Sadly, Gracie passed away from a heart attack within a year.
The Gracie Award is presented by the alliance for women and media to recognize exemplary programming created by women in radio, television, cable, web-based media and for news, drama, comedy, commercials, public service, documentary and sports productions.
Bea Benaderet who worked extensively with both Allen and Lucille Ball throughout both comedians’ careers was quoted in an April 24, 1966 article of “Democrat and Chronicle” declaring that “Gracie was the greatest actress of all time.”
It would be hard for anyone to disagree. You can see the comedy genius of Gracie Allen for yourself on the Burns and Allen Show every Sunday morning at 11:30am on ATVN.
To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Showplace will feature prominent female-driven classic programs and women who “changed the game” and made a lasting impact in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Probably the most successful and famous female comedian in the first half of the 20th century was NOT Lucille Ball.
Who was possibly even better than the Queen of Comedy herself before 1951? 
Answer: Gracie Allen.
The “better” half (according to her husband) of the famous comedy duo Burns and Allen was born Grace Ethel Cecile Rosaline Allen.
She was born in the year 1895, 1896, 1902 and 1906 – just one of the many zany, continuous gags that spanned her entire performing career.
Gracie began performing Irish folk dances with her sisters before becoming a vaudeville performer in 1909. A decade later she met and later married George Burns as they formed a partnership as a comedic team.
As hard as it is to believe now, Allen was actually the straight man…er, straight woman, in the early years of this legendary duo.
In “Gracie: A Love Story,” one of several books Burns wrote about his beloved wife, he stated that he was originally the one to deliver the punchlines. Yet it was Allen who was delivering the straight set-ups who, with her humorous delivery, was getting more laughs than the jokes themselves.
Burns’ decision to switch roles nearly instantly made them one of the most requested comedy acts on the vaudeville tours, which also included W. C. Fields, Buster Keaton, May West, the Marx brothers, Jimmy Durante, Fanny Brice, Eddie Cantor, Georgie Jessel, Al Jolson and George’s best friend, Jack Benny.
As vaudeville began to fade and many stars transitioned to radio in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the husband and wife team immediately captured their own radio program. Unfortunately, their jokes–frequently revolving around humorous situations involving newlyweds–were not getting the laughs that they once did on the vaudeville circuit.
In the book, “Sunday Nights at 7:00”, Burns confided in Benny that he was struggling to write funny material for his radio show and, if ratings didn’t improve, Burns and Allen would be out of work. Benny pointed out that, since the couples were no longer newlyweds and now middle-aged, that their old jokes weren’t working and advised that the comedy should revolve around family issues suited to their ages and also focus on Allen’s faux-hair brained ideas.
The suggestion not only paved the way for radio and television success in the 1930s, 40s and 50s but also for some of the most elaborate ploys of the 20th century.
But heartbreak was also on the horizon for this famous duo. We’ll have more on the story of Gracie Allen next week here at the Showplace.
In the meantime, you can see the “better half” on the Burns and Allen Show at 11:30am every Sunday morning on ATVN.
To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

In this week’s edition of The Showplace blog, ATVN’s Artie Freeman shares his opinions and insights on several of classic film and television’s greatest entertainers.

****
Paul Robeson was known for his deep, bass baritone voice. He was a concert artist, stage and film actor, athlete, and activist. The level of his intelligence is incomprehensible. He wrote and spoke over twenty languages. That fact stands out; due to racial discrimination at the time there weren’t many Black people who could read, write, and fluently speak English.
Prior to his graduation, he was named class valedictorian and won a statewide academic contest for a scholarship to Rutgers University.
In 1915, Robeson attended Rutgers University on that academic scholarship. He was only the third Black student to attend Rutgers, and the only one at the time. I can’t begin to imagine living on a college campus where no one else looked like me. There’s a common misconception that racism in America was only confined to the South.
He joined the football team and endured physical abuse from his teammates resulting in a dislocated shoulder and broken nose. He was benched for one game when a Southern football team refused to play a team that had a Black man. Robeson was the first Black man to play football for Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, he was a two-time All-American in football and valedictorian of his senior class in 1919.
He received his law degree from Columbia Law School while playing football in the American Professional Football Association, later renamed The National Football League. He was recruited by Fritz Pollard, pro football’s first Black coach, to play for The Akron Pros in 1921. The next season he played for The Milwaukee Badgers in 1922.
After graduation, he became a figure in the Harlem Renaissance with performances in The Emperor Jones and All God’s Chillun Got Wings. Robeson performed in Britain in a touring melodrama, Voodoo, in 1922, and in Emperor Jones in 1925.
In 1928 while living in London, he was the character Joe, the dockworker who sings “Ol’ Man River” in the theatre production, Show Boat. Robeson’s character Joe was expanded from the novel and written specifically for Paul Robeson due to his range as an actor and singer. He played Joe in four productions of Show Boat: the 1928 London premiere production, the 1932 Broadway revival, the 1936 film version and a 1940 stage revival in Los Angeles.
While living in London he worked as a concert artist and starred in the theatre production of Othello, the first of three productions of the play over the course of his career.
In 1933 he starred in the film The Emperor Jones; this is the first film to cast a Black person as the star of the film.
In 1943 he reprised the role of Othello in the Broadway production. As of today, this is the longest-running non-musical production of a Shakespeare play ever to be staged in the United States. Othello ran for nine months at the same theatre and then went on a U.S. tour.

At the time, Robeson’s Othello couldn’t be adapted for film due to racial restrictions. A Black man could not do a love scene with a White woman in a motion picture in the 1940s.
In 1942 he made his last film appearance, refusing to make any more films because the roles being offered to Black people were demeaning.

In 1950 Robeson was blacklisted as a Communist for his political beliefs and criticizing racism in the United States. As a result, his recordings and films were removed from public distribution in the United States. These actions made it impossible to hear Robeson’s music on commercial radio, buy his music, or see his films. In addition to being blacklisted, the State Department denied Robeson a passport eliminating his ability to work abroad. Robeson was essentially a prisoner, free to wander the streets.

In 1958 the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated his passport due to the fact that it had been revoked without due process, violating his constitutional rights. Robeson was now free to travel and resume his career in Europe.

Unfortunately, Robeson’s mental health began to deteriorate in the early 1960s culminating in suicide attempts. In London, he received electroshock treatment and high doses of drugs, but no psychotherapy.

In 1963 Robeson’s family was displeased with the care he received in London and got him transferred to a clinic in East Berlin. The doctors in East Berlin were appalled at the previous treatment administered in London. There he received proper psychotherapy and less medications that led to his health improvement.

In December 1963, Robeson returned to the United States, retired and lived in seclusion. In 1965 his wife, Essie, passed away. Following her death, he moved in with his son’s family and then with his sister in 1968 until his death in 1976.

Here of a few posthumous accolades that Paul Robeson received:

In 1988, he was inducted into the Rutgers Football Hall of Fame.
In 1995, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1998, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In January 2004, a 37-cent USA commemorative postage stamp in the Black Heritage series was made with his picture on it.

It’s sad that such a brilliant man who was so committed to humanity was ostracized and condemned for his beliefs. It would have been so wonderful had he been alive to receive the above awards and recognition he so deserved.

****
Be on the lookout for more contributions from Artie Freeman in future “Showplace” posts. Artie provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN’s “Movie Vault” and also hosts “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people and community leaders in our viewing area.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

The world recently lost one of the greatest entertainers in our history–Sidney Poitier. ATVN’s own Artie Freeman shares his insights and opinions on this legendary performer and activist, in this week’s edition of The Showplace.

****
January 6th, 2022 marked the passing of Sidney Poitier, a true legend and pioneer. Poitier was one of the last major stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living and earliest Best Actor Oscar winner. There was literally no one alive who had won the Best Actor Academy Award before him.
Poitier’s family lived in the Bahamas, at the time a British colony. He was born in Miami while his family was visiting, making him an American citizen. He grew up in the Bahamas and moved to Miami at the age of 15 to live with his brother, Cyril. He found life in the south to be intolerable due to the Jim Crow Laws accompanied with racism. When he was 16, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting.
He joined the American Negro Theatre and trained himself to shed his Bahamian accent. In 1950 he got his big break playing a doctor in the racially charged film, No Way Out. After a strong performance in this film, it was hard not to notice his stage presence and extraordinary talent.
In 1958, Poitier co-starred with Tony Curtis as escaped convicts who were chained together in The Defiant Ones, which received nine Academy Award nominations. He and Curtis each received a nomination for Best Actor, with Poitier’s nomination being the first for a black actor.
It’s important to remember that Hollywood back then was filled with many white racists who only wanted to depict black people in subservient roles. There were, however, some decent white people who carried some weight and believed in racial equality. Tony Curtis was one of those people. For The Defiant Ones, he requested that Poitier’s name appear alongside his on the movie poster receiving equal billing.
In 1964, Poitier won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field. Although Sidney won the greatest honors for an actor, he felt they were given to him to make Hollywood look good for having a token black. It’s too bad that he couldn’t enjoy his accolades, because he really did deserve the awards.
1967 was an amazing year for Poitier; he made three films dealing with racial issues. In each film, he portrayed an intelligent and authoritative character: In To Sir, with Love he was a teacher, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner as a doctor, and In the Heat of the Night as a police detective. He reprised the role of Virgil Tibbs from In the Heat of the Night in two sequels, They Call Me Mr. Tibbs and The Organization. That same year he became the first black actor to place his autograph, hand, and footprints in the cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
In 1969 he starred in The Lost Man and he insisted that the film crew consist of fifty percent black people. That was a bold move. Many people would not jeopardize their livelihood for their convictions.
In the 1970s, Poitier successfully teamed up with Bill Cosby in three “buddy” films displaying his comical side. These films were Uptown Saturday Night, Let’s Do It Again, and A Piece of the Action. He also directed these films and his brother Cyril had bit parts in each. In 1980 he directed, in my opinion, the funniest buddy film ever made, Stir Crazy. This was first film pairing Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. Stir Crazy went on to become the highest grossing film directed by a black filmmaker until Scary Movie in 2000.
In 1982, he received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. In 1995, he received the Kennedy Center Honor. From 1997 to 2007, he was the Bahamian Ambassador to Japan.
In 1999, he ranked 22nd among 25 male actors on the “100 Years…100 Stars” list by the American Film Institute. This is a list of the 50 greatest screen legends: ranking the top 25 male and 25 female greatest screen legends of American film history. Sadly, out of these 50 legends he is the only person of color to grace this list.
In 2002, Poitier received an Academy Honorary Award, in recognition of his accomplishments as an artist and as a human being.
In 2009 President Obama awarded Poitier the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest honor for a civilian.
Sidney Poitier lived a full life with grace and dignity while demanding respect both on-screen and off. In the near future, we will air one of Sidney’s movies, Mark of the Hawk, on the ATVN Movie Vault, with me as your host.
****
Be on the lookout for more contributions and insights from Artie Freeman in future blog “Showplace” posts. Artie provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN and also hosts our “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people in our viewing area.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation. Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

As part of ATVN’s celebration of Black History Month, here at the “Showplace” we are putting the spotlight on African American actors who excelled not just on the big and small screens but who also inspired change with their courage and perseverance.
For over 20 years, Earth Kitt had traveled the globe and found success as a singer, actress in film, television and theater and had become an active voice in speaking out against social injustice and as a proponent of peace.
In 1966, she established the Kittsville Youth Foundation, a chartered and non-profit organization for underprivileged youths in the Watts area of Los Angeles. She was also involved with a group of youths in the area of Anacostia in Washington, D.C., who called themselves “Rebels with a Cause”. Kitt supported the groups’ efforts to clean up streets and establish recreation areas in an effort to keep them out of trouble by testifying with them before the House General Subcommittee on Education of the Committee on Education and Labor.
In her May 1967 testimony, Kitt stated that the Rebels’ “achievements and accomplishments should certainly make the adult ‘do-gooders’ realize that these young men and women have performed in one short year – with limited finances – that which was not achieved by the same people who might object to turning over some of the duties of planning, rehabilitation, and prevention of juvenile delinquents and juvenile delinquency to those who understand it and are living it”. She added that “the Rebels could act as a model for all urban areas throughout the United States with similar problems.”
“Rebels with a Cause” subsequently received the needed funding. Kitt was also a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; her criticism of the Vietnam War and its connection to poverty and racial unrest in 1968 can be seen as part of a larger commitment to peace activism.
Her career cooled for the first time following a 1968 invitation from Lyndon Johnson to the White House where she made anti-war statements about the American involvement in the Vietnam War.
Except for a few appearances in theatrical productions overseas, her career was nearly frozen for almost ten years before her job opportunities began to resurface.
Kitt made a successful return to United States audiences in a 1978 Broadway production of Timbuktu! Following that performance, she continued a busy schedule performing in film and theater, singing, doing voiceover work and activism. In her later years she expanded her support for social equality and became an advocate for LGBTQ rights and was a frequent speaker at fundraisers.
In the year leading up to her death, she performed live at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and did animation voiceover work for the films, My Life as a Teenage Robot and The Emperor’s New Groove, and for a guest starring spot on the television show, The Simpsons.
Kitt died of colon cancer at her home in Connecticut on December 25, 2008. She was 82.

Check back next week here at “The Showplace” for more stories of inspiration and achievement both in the entertainment industry and in the ongoing search for equality and social justice.
To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

As part of ATVN’s celebration of Black History Month, here at the “Showplace” we are putting the spotlight on African American actors who excelled not just on the big and small screens but those who also inspired change with their courage and perseverance.

Few entertainers have influenced the world for as many decades…and in as many ways…as Eartha Kitt.
Born Eartha Mae Keith on January 17th, 1927 in a small town of North, South Carolina, Eartha’s birth and early years are shrouded in a bit of a mystery. She did not know who her father was, and the person she believed to be her mother died at an early age. Her step-father refused her because he believed her skin was too light and she was sent to live with a relative named Mamie Kitt–who may have been her actual biological mother.
Kitt began her entertaining career in 1942 by joining the Katherine Dunham Company. The Chicago based company was the first professional-based organization in America to prominently feature African-American singers, dancers, musicians and entertainers.
While with the group, she recorded a number of songs that registered on national charts, including “Let’s Do It”, “Champagne Taste”, “Just an Old Fashioned Girl”, “Je cherche un homme”, “Love for Sale” and “I’d Rather Be Burned as a Witch.”
In 1945 she earned her first appearance on Broadway in the 1945 original theater production of the musical Carib Song. She left the company in 1948 but her success continued in the early 1950s, hitting charts in both the United States and overseas. She had six US Top 30 hits, including “Uska Dara” and “I Want to Be Evil”. Her other notable recordings include the UK Top 10 hit “Under the Bridges of Paris” and “Just an Old Fashioned Girl.”
Also in 1950, she secured her first starring role when Orson Wells spotted her, reportedly referring to her as the most exciting woman in the world. Wells cast her as Helen of Troy in the picture, Dr. Faustus. Two years later, she was cast in the revue New Faces of 1952, introducing “Monotonous” and “Bal, Petit Bal”, two songs with which she is still identified. In 1954, 20th Century Fox distributed an independently filmed version of the revue entitled New Faces, in which she performed “Monotonous”, “Uska Dara” and “C’est si bon,” as well as the now annual Christmas favorite, the original “Santa Baby.”
Throughout the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, she recorded; worked in film, television, and nightclubs; and returned to the Broadway stage, in Mrs. Patterson (during the 1954–1955 season), in 1957’s Shinbone Alley, and the 1959 production of Jolly’s Progress. In 1964, Kitt helped open the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, California. In the late 1960s, Batman featured Kitt as Catwoman after Julie Newmar had left the show in 1967. Also in 1967, Kitt guest-starred on the popular spy-thrilling television show, Mission: Impossible, in an episode called “The Traitor,” portraying a contortionist.
Eartha was also very active in a number of major civil rights movements throughout the 1950s and 1960 and was just beginning to make her voice heard internationally fighting for civil rights and social justice. But in 1968 an event occurred that would attempt to silence her voice–both professionally and personally.
We’ll examine that event and feature many more hurdles Kitt had to overcome as well as many more glorious accomplishments that she would achieve, next week here at “The Showplace”.
In the meantime, be on the lookout for Eartha’s starring performance in Mark of the Hawk this month on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.
Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

This week, on what would have been his 105th birthday, we continue our salute to the talented career of Ernest Borgnine.
Borgnine swept the award circuit with his 1955 portrayal of the titular character in the Academy Award winning film, Marty, but his career was far from over.
While not known for making an abundance of pictures, Ernest had very few films that were not successful in xterms of financial and commercial success. Furthermore, he was frequently praised for the depth and diversity of his work–both as an individual and in the genres of movies in which he worked.
Some of his highlights over the following three decades included the 1965 survival drama The Flight Of The Phoenix, the 1969 western classic The Wild Bunch, 1972’s epic disaster blockbuster The Poseidon Adventure, the 1973 action adventure movie The Emperor Of The North, the 1978 road adventure film Convoy and the 1979 Walt Disney sci-fi flick The Black Hole.
His performance in Poseidon was especially touching as he was one of the leaders of a small band of survivors fighting for their lives aboard a doomed, overturned luxury liner…only to (SPOILER ALERT)…lose the love of his life just before the film’s dramatic climax.
But one of his longest and most endearing roles was that of Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale on McHale’s Navy. People may not remember that this popular situation-comedy starring Borgnine that ran from 1962 to 1966 actually started as a serious hour-long program called Seven Against The Sea.
The show was quickly reworked for laughs and added TV veteran Joe Flynn and a relative newcomer to television, Tim Conway, playing McHale’s sidekick/ensign.
Borgnine and Conway formed an instant friendship and the chemistry between the two was evident from the earliest episodes of the program. In more than one interview, Conway would recall what a gregarious individual Ernest was to everyone on the Universal set. Recalls Conway: “It was the beginning of the trams going through Universal. Ernie was probably one of the few people at Universal who would stop the trams and say, ‘Hello, how are you?’ He would talk to everybody on the trams.”

The two remained close friends for over 40 years.
Borgnine would star in the 1980s adventure show, Airwolf. He also gave some of the most memorable guest-starring performances on some of television’s longest running shows including Little House On The Prairie, The Love Boat, Magnum P.I., Murder, She Wrote, Walker, Texas Ranger, Touched By An Angel, Highway To Heaven and others.
His appearance on “Little House,” not only earned him an Emmy but the two-part episode he guest-starred in was later featured prominently in a retrospective look back at the show’s most special moments.
He also continued performing live action roles well up into his mid-90s. Among them was his fourth and final appearance on the series finale of ER, a guest role as a husband who’s lost his wife. Borgnine earned another Emmy award for this performance.
On October 2, 2010, Borgnine appeared as himself in a sketch with Morgan Freeman on Saturday Night Live. On October 15, 2010, he appeared in Red, which was filmed earlier that year. In late 2011, Borgnine completed what would be his last film, playing Rex Page in The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez.
His voice also became synonymous with a popular character on one of the longest running cartoons of all time, SpongeBob Square Pants. Borgnine voiced the Batman-esque “superhero,” Mermaid Man, from the start of the series in the 1990s until his death in 2012. Mermaid Man’s trusty sidekick on the program? His old pal from his McHale’s Navy days–Tim Conway.
Borgnine died of lung cancer (he was a heavy smoker for many years) on July 29, 2012. He was 95.
Be sure to look for classic television and film performances from Ernest Borgnine on ATVN. To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.
Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

As we approach the birth date anniversary of one of television and films great actors, we salute the talented career of Ernest Borgnine.

Born Ermes Effron Borgnino, Ernest on January 24th, 1917 in Harriden, Connecticut to the son of immigrant parents. When he was two years old, his parents divorced and Ernest went to live with his mother in Italy.
Four years later his parents reconciled and he grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. According to the book Real To Reel: 25 Years Of Celebrity Interviews, Borgnine (it was his father that changed the family name when the couple reunited) showed only interest in sports and had no thought whatsoever about working in the entertainment industry. Upon graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Navy. While he was honorably discharged in 1941, he quickly reenlisted when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

He was honorably discharged again after the conclusion of World War II and received a hero’s welcome when he returned home to his parents house in Connecticut. But after a few weeks his mother was strongly suggesting he move on with his life. He applied for a job as a factory worker but his heart wasn’t into his work and his mother suggested he try something more “glamorous.”

According to an interview with the British Film Institute conducted on October 7th, 2007, Borgnine outlines the path that led him to a successful career in acting and his mother’s role in making that happen: “She said, ‘You always like getting in front of people and making a fool of yourself, why don’t you give it a try?’ I was sitting at the kitchen table and I saw this light. No kidding. It sounds crazy. And 10 years later, I had Grace Kelly handing me an Academy Award.”

Just some of his early career highlights between his kitchen table and Grace Kelly, include the following….
He went to actors in Connecticut and then in Virginia, early small roles in State of the Union and The Glass Menagerie before playing the role of the Nurse in the Broadway runaway hit, Harvey. After one TV appearance in Captain Video and a handful of small films, Borgnine landed a major role in the film classic, From Here To Eternity.

In 1955, the actor starred as a warmhearted butcher in Marty, the film version of the television play of the same title. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor over fellow nominees Frank Sinatra, James Dean (who had died by the time of the ceremony), and former Best Actor winners Spencer Tracy and James Cagney.
For the same role, he also captured the following awards: BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a drama motion picture, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor.

But his stellar career and success on the stage, in television and in films was just getting started. We’ll continue our look at Borgnine’s career, next week here at The Showplace. In the meantime, you can see Ernest Borgnine in films like Laser Mission and other classic performances on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

The world recently lost one of the greatest entertainers in our history. ATVN’s own Artie Freeman was not only one of Betty White’s biggest fans but knew more about this legendary entertainer than any other person I know. Artie wanted to share his insights and opinions on this eight-decade star, in memoriam to her, with this week’s edition of The Showplace blog!

January 17th is a special day, as one hundred years ago the “First Lady of Television”, Betty White was born. Sadly, she passed away just seventeen days before her 100th birthday. Betty White was a fascinating pioneer whose career has spanned over ninety years; she remained relevant for as long as anyone can remember. Betty worked in the television industry longer than anyone else in history, earning her a Guinness World Record in 2018. In 1930, when she was only eight years old, she appeared on a radio show entitled Empire Builders. In 1949, she co-hosted variety show Hollywood on Television, first with Al Jarvis and then Eddie Albert. In 1951, she was nominated for her first Emmy Award as “Best Actress” on television. Neither man stayed onboard for the show’s duration. In 1952 she began hosting the show alone, making her the first female television talk show host.
That same year White co-founded Bandy Productions with George Tibbles and Don Fedderson. They created new shows using existing characters from sketches shown on Hollywood on Television. They also created the television sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, starring Betty, for which she won her first Emmy Award in 1952. Life with Elizabeth is an important show in television history because it’s the first sitcom to be produced by a woman.
In 1954, Betty hosted and produced her own daily talk/variety show, The Betty White Show. As was the case with her sitcom, she had creative control which allowed her to hire a female director. The show faced criticism from southern stations for the inclusion of Arthur Duncan, a black tap dancer, who was hired as a regular cast member. The stations threatened to boycott unless Duncan was removed from the series. Betty’s response was, “He stays; live with it”. Not only did she keep Duncan, she gave him more airtime. NBC repeatedly changed the show’s time slot which led to the show being cancelled after one season.
Following the end of Life with Elizabeth, she starred as Vicki Angel on the sitcom Date with the Angels from 1957 to 1958. Betty met Lucille Ball while working on this show, which was filmed on the same studio lot where “I Love Lucy” was filmed. The two became friends based on their successful commonalities in a male-dominated industry.
From the mid 1950s to early 1980s Betty was a constant presence on network game shows and talk shows. These shows included: The Tonight Show, all four versions of Password, What’s My Line?, I’ve Got a Secret, Match Game, To Tell the Truth, and Pyramid. She married Password’s host, Allen Ludden, in 1963. Betty made so many game show appearances she was the nicknamed “First Lady of Game Shows“. Let’s flash forward for a moment to 1983, Betty became the first woman to receive the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host for the show, Just Men! With her extensive game show experience, it seemed natural for her to become a host.
In 1973, Betty joined the cast of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and won her second and third Emmy Awards back-to-back. The year 2021 was a melancholy year for this show. We lost Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, Ed Asner, and Betty White, who was the last surviving cast member, even though she was the oldest.
From 1983 to 1984, Betty had a recurring role on the series Mama’s Family, with future Golden Girls co-star Rue McClanahan. In 1985, Betty starred as Rose Nylund, the funniest “dumb blonde” of all time in The Golden Girls. She won another Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in the first season of the show and was nominated in that category every year of the show’s run. Betty White was the oldest, and last surviving, cast member.
After Playing Rose Nylund, Betty spent the next ten years making guest appearances on television shows. In 2010, White starred as Elka Ostrovsky in the comedy, Hot in Cleveland, she was originally only meant to be in the pilot but was asked to stay on for the entire series. She also launched her own clothing line in 2010, that featured shirts with her face on them. All of the proceeds went to various animal charities she supported.
Betty was the only woman to receive an Emmy Award in all performing comedic categories and she holds the record for longest span between Emmy nominations for performances. She received her first nomination in 1951 and her last was in 2014. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy which if fitting, because her entire life was filled with incredible achievements.
In the near future, we will have a Betty White Night hosted by me, celebrating her life and airing a few episodes from two of her sitcoms, Life with Elizabeth and Date with the Angels.

You can see Betty White in featured and guest starring roles on ATVN, including her first ever show, Life With Elizabeth. To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here on our website.
Be on the lookout for more contributions and insights from Artie Freeman in future blog posts. Artie provides great introductions to many of the classic movies airing weekly on ATVN and also hosts our “Take 5” interviews featuring unique people in our viewing area.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows, key names in the “Golden Age” of entertainment history and legendary cinematic performances.

**********

I hope all our readers had a wonderful holiday season and everyone has been enjoying reading background insights and little known information about our classic programs while watching them on RCN TV.

Now it’s time to test your knowledge by taking our Classic Video Showplace “winter 2022” edition of our quiz.

See how you do answering the following questions and then check out the answers listed below.

Have fun!

1. Which classic character actor from Wizard of Oz, also scored a hit in the 1946 film People Are Funny?

2. Who is credited with the first successful comedy television show in the medium’s history?

3. Which early television dramatic program frequently featured storylines taken directly from classic literary giants like Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, Edgar Allen Poe and others?

4. Name the actor who portrayed Dracula who also starred in classic films like Ghosts on the Loose, The Veiled Woman and White Zombie.

5. Which Gale Storm-led TV show excelled in the ratings on TWO networks during the program’s initial run?

6. Name the actor who starred in original versions of Moulin Rouge and Cyrano de Burgerac.

7. Which Bonanza star also had a hit movie and a Top 10 single on the charts during the classic television’s shows run?

8. What was the original name of The Mickey Rooney Show?

9. Which star of classic Charlie Chaplin films like Modern Times and The Great Dictator was also lauded by critics for her performance in the film, Second Chorus?

10. Name one of the earliest successful television shows on ABC that gained a wide audience because of its realistic science fiction elements, unique marketing approach, extensive (for its time) production elements and was one of the first dramas to break television’s “fourth wall.”

Answers:

1. Jack Haley / “The Tin Man”
2. Milton Berle
3. Suspense
4. Bela Lugosi
5. My Little Margie
6. Jose Ferrar
7. Michael Landon
8. Hey Mulligan
9. Paulette Goddard
10. Space Patrol

You can see many of the above mentioned classic films and television shows during this winter’s programming lineup on RCN-TV. To see the full listing of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings on our website.

Don’t forget to keep checking back to the Showplace for more classic trivia and little-known bits of information about some of the greatest shows and movies of all time.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.