Hi, all. Haven't been around much but I have to put in another word for Betty White.
She has been highly successful in TV since the early fifties, I believe--it seems she has never left the screen.
Mary Tyler Moore, a wonderful show, was even more fun when Sue Ann Nivens came into the newsroom, and many of us waited for her to insult Murray in a new way. From what I have seen of her saltiness in interviews, Betty is more like Sue Ann than Rose.
She is loved by animal rights groups , TV show producers , and other comedians--and a public who is more than willing to sit down and watch WHATEVER she is in.
Damien wrote:Big, if the SAG Board becomes aware of her being blacklisted, Marsha Hunt may have a chance at the award.
Marsha Hunt, who will be 92 next month, would be a perfect choice.
She has never been one to mope around and feel sorry for herself. After she was blacklisted she treated herself to a trip around the world where she became involved with UNICEF and spent decades working for the UN, extending her charitable work to include the March of Dimes and the Red Cross. She's also been very outspoken on civil rights and more recently has become a record producer. She's still sharp as a tack.
Mostly a stage actor -- he originated the Buddy Hackett tole in The Music Man -- Iggie Wolfingtom had small parts in a grand total of 6 movies.
I suspect that his SAG award can be explained by this entry in IMDb: As the longtime West Coast representative of the New York-based Actors' Fund of America, Wolfington helped thousands of actors in need of financial, medical and other assistance.
Similarly, the wonderful character actor, Leon Ames (Father in Meet Me In St. Louis) was probably honored not for his pleasing screen presence but because he was a stalwart union activist.
The Lifetime Achievement Award takes into account a person's offscreen activities, so I'm sure that Betty White's animal activism had something to do with her designation, and as someone who seems to be on the mailing list of every animal rights group in America, that's fine by me.
Big, if the SAG Board becomes aware of her being blacklisted, Marsha Hunt may have a chance at the award. Maureen O'Hara would be a great choice, but I thhink she's a Republican which may work against her. (Though it didn't hurt Shirley Temple.)
Edited By Damien on 1253084455
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
Iggie Wolfington looks like one of those things a teacher would throw in to make sure the class was paying attention.
I hadn't realized the award predated the televised show, so my impression of it was based on what I've seen in those years -- Redford, Taylor, Douglas, Eastwood, Andrews. Do people really not note the fall-off from there to Betty White? (And I like her, I swear I do) The most analogous predecessor in the period -- Asner -- had the clear advantage of having been a prominent SAG president.
Anyway...
Damien, my friend Dave, who played the candy store owner on Brooklyn Bridge, would be glad to know you remember the show. He'd only wish there'd been more of you while it was on the air.
Oscar Guy, I don't think it's fair to label Dee and Davis as supporting actors, even though that's what they mostly did late in their careers. Dee, especially, was very much a leading lady for some time, even playing Mary Tyrone on a TV version of Long Day's Journey. And both did major leading work in the theatre. I'd no more consider them essentially supporting players than I would Jason Robards, whose lead roles on film were also few and far between.
Here's a complete list of SAG Lifetime Achievement winners which, you can see is a very mixed bag. To those who are unhappy about Betty White, I've got 2 words: "Iggie Wolfington."
SAG Life Achievement Award Winners
1962 Eddie Cantor
1963 Stan Laurel
1965 Bob Hope
1966 Barbara Stanwyck
1967 William Gargan
1968 James Stewart
1969 Edward G. Robinson
1970 Gregory Peck
1971 Charlton Heston
1972 Frank Sinatra
1973 Martha Raye
1974 Walter Pidgeon
1975 Rosalind Russell
1976 Pearl Bailey
1977 James Cagney
1978 Edgar Bergen
1979 Katharine Hepburn
1980 Leon Ames
1982 Danny Kaye
1983 Ralph Bellamy
1984 Iggie Wolfington
1985 Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
1986 Nanette Fabray
1987 Red Skelton
1988 Gene Kelly
1989 Jack Lemmon
1990 Brock Peters
1991 Burt Lancaster
1992 Audrey Hepburn
1993 Ricardo Montalban
1994 George Burns
1995 Robert Redford
1996 Angela Lansbury
1997 Elizabeth Taylor
1998 Kirk Douglas
1999 Sidney Poitier
2000 Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
2001 Edward Asner
2002 Clint Eastwood
2003 Karl Malden
2004 James Garner
2005 Shirley Temple
2006 Julie Andrews
2007 Charles Durning
2008 James Earl Jones
Edited By Damien on 1253052417
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
Mister Tee wrote: And the fact that, while Golden Girls came along long after sitcom-watching had ceased to be part of my life, what I did see of it struck me as near-complete swill.
I'm with you there, Tee. Even though I love Bea Arthur and like Rue McLanahan and Betty White, I thought that show was unwatchable. (And I was still watching a lot of sit-coms at that period, memorable programs like Murphy Brown, Designing Women, Newhart, Brooklyn Bridge and Frank's Place.)
As an actor friend of mine once said after The Golden Girls again picked up some Emmys: "Exactly who is it who decided that this is a good show?"
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
So, you would say that actresses like Thelma Ritter should never get lifetime achievement awards because they aren't top-tier actresses commanding attention in lead roles?
And Betty White may be merely a supporting actress in most of her shows (I would consider GG a full-on all-lead group), but she is one of the few celebrities of her era that EVERYONE knows. You don't have to be 80 or 18 to know who Betty White is. I mean Charles Durning as an example has been mostly forgotten because his work post-'80s has been relatively small in scope, but he's far less visible to the masses.
And why should they not recognize character actors or those who support the leads. I think it's perfectly within reason to recognize them and I'd encourage the Academy and other groups to make that consideration. After all, what would the stars be without able support?
But, I applaud SAG for thinking outside of the box and recognizing people like White, Durning, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, etc.
None of you took umbrage at Ossie or Ruby earning SAG Lifetime awards and they were mostly just supporting players much of their career.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
Mister Tee wrote:And the fact that, while Golden Girls came along long after sitcom-watching had ceased to be part of my life, what I did see of it struck me as near-complete swill.
Oh now, them's fightin' words right there.
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
There's something to what Damien says -- my initial impression is definitely "I'm Betty White, and we're all here to play Password". And FilmFan's thought is true enough in that, back in the day, TV folk were always considered of lesser vintage than their film contemporaries (I recognize, that day is long past).
But there's also, for me, the fact that I consider White at her peak (Mary Tyler Moore Show) to be a supporting player, nothing more. And the fact that, while Golden Girls came along long after sitcom-watching had ceased to be part of my life, what I did see of it struck me as near-complete swill.
I'd forgotten about Charles Durning, in honesty...so there is some precedent for the mediocritization (word?) of this prize. But, still, when I think of Life Achievement, I think way further up the scale than Betty White. YMMV
FilmFan720 wrote:Anyone else find it weird that the younger generation likes this choice of an old-fashioned classes while the older generation finds it desperate?
I love Betty White, I think she is one of the greatest comediannes of all time, and can't think of a better choice. She is much more of a TV star than a film actress (does she have any notable film performances?), but she has been on hit show after hit show and has brought a grace and intelligence to all of them. She has a lifetime of great performances, and the SAG award has shows that it likes to honor TV and film equally with this award.
I think she's an excellent choice -- better than Charles Durning, for instance, was. Betty White is a first class comic actress.
I think the reason that some of the older folks on the board have reservations may be that, growing up, our generation knew her essentially as a game show celebrity and the co-host of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade rather than an actress,
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell