Betty White - Movie and Film Biography, Credits and Filmography

Genres

Comedy

Active

1990s

Born

January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, IL

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by Hal Erickson biography

Actress Betty White got her start in local Los Angeles television as the "telephone girl" for video emcee Al Jarvis. By early 1950 she was one of the stars of the daily, five-hour series Hollywood on Television. One of the highlights of this program was a husband and wife sketch titled "Life With Elizabeth," which when committed to film and syndicated nationally in 1953 became White's first starring TV sitcom. She went on to headline her own network variety series in 1954, then co-starred with Bill Williams in the weekly TV domestic comedy Date with the Angels (1957), which without Williams was retitled The Betty White Show in early 1958. For the next 15 years she made guest appearances on various variety and quiz show efforts, and toured the straw-hat theatrical circuit in such plays as Critics Choice and Who Was That Lady, often appearing opposite her husband, TV personality Allen Ludden. Two years after hosting the 1971 syndicated informational series The Pet Set, she guest-starred as libidinous "Happy Homemaker" Sue Ann Nivens on the fourth season opener of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This Emmy-winning episode led to White being cast as an MTM regular; she remained with the series until its final episode in 1977. She then starred on her own short-lived sitcom (again titled The Betty White Show) before returning to the guest-star circuit. In 1985, she joined the cast of TV's The Golden Girls as middle-aged grief counselor Rose Nyland. This top-rated program lasted seven seasons before metamorphosing into the rather less successful Golden Palace (1992). White was a regular on the 1995 series Maybe This Time, and in 1997 she won an Emmy for her one-shot appearance on The John Laroquette Show. Though she has starred and co-starred in several made-for-TV movies, Betty White had appeared on the big screen only once, as a Margaret Chase Smith-like senator in Otto Preminger's Advise and Consent (1962).

Title	Year	User Rating
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax Voice	2012	NOT YET RELEASED
Betty White: Champion for Animals Participant	2011
Hot in Cleveland: Season 02 Actor	2011
Hot in Cleveland [TV Series] Actor	2010
Hot in Cleveland: Season 01 Actor	2010
You Again Actor	2010
Love N' Dancing Actor	2009
The Proposal Actor	2009
Game Show Moments Gone Bananas! Archival Appearance	2008
Ponyo Voice	2008
Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner Participant	2006
Annie's Point Actor	2005
The Third Wish Actor	2005
Bringing Down the House Actor	2003
Great Women of Television and Comedy Actor	2003
Stealing Christmas Actor	2003
King of the Hill: The Son Also Roses Voice	2002
The Retrievers Actor	2001
Intimate Portrait: Betty White Participant	2000
Tom Sawyer Voice	2000
Whispers: An Elephant's Tale Voice	2000
Ally McBeal: Seeing Green Actor	1999
Ladies Man [TV Series] Actor	1999
Lake Placid Actor	1999
The Story of Us Actor	1999
Dennis the Menace Strikes Again Actor	1998
Hard Rain Actor	1998
The Story of Santa Claus Voice	1998
A Weekend in the Country Actor	1996
Historic Reruns, Vol. 8: Date with the Angels Archival Appearance	1995
Chance of a Lifetime Actor	1991
The Golden Girls: Season 07 Actor	1991
American Red Cross Emergency Test Actor	1990
The Golden Girls: Season 06 Actor	1990
The Golden Girls: Season 05 Actor	1989
The Golden Girls: Season 04 Actor	1988
The Golden Girls: Season 03 Actor	1987
The Golden Girls: Season 02 Actor	1986
Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abramowitz Actor	1985
Rockin' Road Trip Actor	1985
The Golden Girls: Season 01 Actor	1985
Eunice Actor	1982
The Retrievers Actor	1982
The Gossip Columnist Actor	1980
Before and After Actor	1979
The Best Place to Be Actor	1979
A Different Approach Actor	1978
With This Ring Actor	1978
The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Season 07 Actor	1976
The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Season 06 Actor	1975
The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Season 05 Actor	1974
The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Season 04 Actor	1973
Vanished Actor	1970
Petticoat Junction: The Cannonball Bookmobile Actor	1969
Stump the Stars Actor	1969
Advise and Consent Actor	1962
A Date with the Angels [TV Series] Actor	1957
A Date with the Angels, Vol. 1 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 10 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 2 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 3 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 4 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 5 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 6 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 7 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 8 Actor	1957
Date with the Angels, Vol. 9 Actor	1957
A Cop 'n Comedy Christmas Actor	1955
Life With Elizabeth: Season 02 Actor	1954
Life With Elizabeth [TV Series] Actor	1953
Life With Elizabeth: Season 01 Actor	1953
Date with the Angels Actor	1950
Lifeline: Preventing Elder Abuse Actor		NOT YET RELEASED
This Is Your Life: Betty White Participant		NOT YET RELEASED

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