The great Betty White is 90 on Tuesday, January 17! Here’s a little something I wrote about her a while back. Yes, it is a repeat but Mrs. Ludden would understand. She’s in TV and knows all about reruns!
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Yes, I’m on The Betty White Bandwagon! However, I’ve never been off. Well, I’ve been off. In fact, I’m still a little off. But, that’s in general–not Betty-wise. What I mean to say is that, while it’s hip to love Betty now, I’ve always been in the fan club.
Of course, she was terrific on Saturday Night Live last weekend. That was the first SNL my wife and I watched, all the way through, in many years. It reminded me of how great Betty White always was as part of The Mighty Carson Art Players on The Tonight Show. Johnny knew he could count on her.
The best Tarzan and Jane, ever! Johnny and Betty!
I think my first exposure to Betty White–and, by exposure, I do not mean anything for which I could be arrested–was on game shows. She was a master of the genre. (Should that be “mistress” of the genre? Sounds too racy.) In fact, I feel like I met Betty White because of her husband Allen Ludden.
By the way, that’s the legendary Jack Paar to the right of Allen Ludden.
Not too long ago, I wrote a little something about Mr. Ludden. The time seems right to, in TV talk, “rerun” it:
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THE PASSWORD IS….
When you think of the giants of broadcasting, certain names jump from out of the ether: Edward R. Murrow. Steve Allen. Lucille Ball. Johnny Carson. I would immediately add another: Allen Ludden.
In addition to being a Ludden-ite, as in an admirer of Allen Ludden, I am also a bit of a Luddite, as in not an admirer of much modern technology. But, there are a couple of things about the 21st century I do like: nostalgic cable TV channels and the Digital Video Recorder or DVR. Those two things are not just modern-day conveniences. They are modern-day conveyances which let me drift back to the 60s. I know the 1960s were, historically speaking, a time of great turmoil. But, on TV…especially during the daytime hours…it was rather serene and cerebral…thanks to Allen Ludden.
Each day I spend about 30 minutes with Allen Ludden. Sounds like a standing appointment with a psychiatrist, doesn’t it? Well, maybe it is. The last couple weeks, the guests on Password, circa mid 60s, have been Carol Burnett, Ross Martin, Bob Crane and Irene Ryan. All big stars. All smart and funny folks. But the true allure of Password was always the host.
Everything about Password was civil and civilized. The stars introduced their playing partners and, then, here came Allen. He entered our living room like we wish everyone would: a genuine smile of welcome to the guests, to the audience and to those of us watching from home. Allen Ludden respected the game and made sure we did, too. One little raised eyebrow to the camera told us more than any rant or rave.
When we used to make the trek from Kansas City to Lake Wisconsin, on a more regular basis, we always drove through a wonderful little town called Mineral Point, Wisconsin. There are a lot of great things in that scenic spot but I always thought of Allen Ludden. It was his hometown.
Many years ago, I had the privilege to meet and briefly interview the great Betty White. (She would have to be on any Mount Rushmore of Broadcast Legends, too!) It was a highpoint of my so-called professional life that I had the chance to tell her just how special and important Allen Ludden had been to a kid in a small Wisconsin town. As I get older, and feel more and more removed from what broadcasting used to be, I purposely recall Allen Ludden’s quiet dignity, good humor and courtesy every day as we start the morning news. In this age when it seems everyone on TV is raising his or her voice, it’s refreshing to hear Allen Ludden’s pitch perfect dulcet tones. Quiet but forceful. Funny but not at anyone’s expense. Smart but not smart-alecky.
As a kid, I always waited for the end of the program when Allen Ludden would lean toward the camera and say “The Password for today is….” then he’d have something pithy or funny or meaningful to leave for us. It was always sincere and always heartfelt. So, let me end this like he might have: The Password for today is CLASS. Allen Ludden was and is the very best. Allen Ludden means CLASS!
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For some reason, I felt compelled to send a copy of the above tribute to Betty White. I did not expect to hear anything back but I wanted her to see it, if possible.
A few weeks later, in the mail, I received a hand-written note thanking me for the kind words. It was signed “Betty”–then, in parentheses (“White-Ludden”)–as if I wouldn’t know who “Betty” was! It is a prized possession for the whole family.
We still play the original board-game version of Password and, truth be told, based only on one face-to-face meeting, a signed copy of one of her books and that treasured note, we all think of Betty White as part of our family.
In fact, our soon-to-be-a-senior daughter, Samantha, wants to invite Mrs. Ludden to her graduation party next year! Who knows? Maybe, Betty White would show up!
