In this CBS publicity photo of Arthur Godfrey Time, vocalist Patti Clayton is seen at the far right and Godfrey sits in the foreground. Clayton, the original 1944 voice of Chiquita Banana, was married to Godfrey's director, Saul Ochs.

Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Chiquita Center in downtown Cincinnati Chiquita Brands International Inc. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ...

Early Years

Arthur Godfrey was born in New York City in 1903. His mother, Kathryn Morton Godfrey, was from a well-to-do New York family which disapproved of her marriage to an older Englishman, Arthur Hanbury Godfrey. His father was a sportswriter and considered an expert on surrey and hackney horses, but the advent of the automobile devastated the family's finances. By 1915, when Arthur was 12, the family had moved to Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Arthur, the eldest of five children, tried to help them survive by working before and after school, but at age 14 left home to ease the financial burden on the family. By 15 he was a civilian typist at Camp Merritt, New Jersey and enlisted in the Navy (by lying about his age) two years later. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Map highlighting Hasbrouck Heights location within Bergen County. ... Camp Merritt was a camp in Cresskill, in Bergen County, New Jersey, that was activated for use in World War I. It was from this camp that thousands of soldiers were deployed to Hoboken, New Jersey before being shipped off to Europe. ...

Godfrey's father was something of a "free thinker" by the standards of the era. He didn't disdain organized religion but insisted his children explore all faiths before deciding for themselves which to embrace. Their childhood friends included Catholic, Jewish and every flavor of Protestant playmates. The senior Godfrey was friends with the Vanderbilts, but was as likely to spend his time talking with the shoeshine man or the hotdog vendor about issues of the day. In their book, "Genius in the Family" (G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1962), the youngest two children, Dorothy Jean and Kathy Godfrey, reported the angriest they ever saw their father was when a man on the ferry declared that the Ku Klux Klan was a civic organization vital to the good of the community. They rode the ferry back and forth three times, with their father arguing with the man that the Klan was a bunch of "Blasted, bigoted fools, led 'round by the nose!" Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ...

Godfrey's mother was a gifted artist and composer whose aspirations to fame were laid aside to take care of her family. Her creativity came in handy during hard times, which were turned into adventures of playacting and music, usually by candlelight when the electricity was shut off. The one household item that was never sold or turned into firewood was the piano, and she believed at least some of her children would succeed in show business. In her later years some of her compositions were performed by symphony orchestras in Canada, which earned her a mention in Time. In 1957, at the age of 78, her sauciness made her a big hit with the audience when she appeared on Groucho Marx's quiz show You Bet Your Life. Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... Julius Henry Marx, AKA Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... You Bet Your Life was an American radio and television quiz show. ...

Arthur Godfrey served in the United States Navy from 1920 to 1924 as a radio operator on naval destroyers, but returned home to care for the family after his father's death. Additional radio training came during Godfrey's service in the Coast Guard from 1927 to 1930. It was during a Coast Guard stint in Baltimore that he appeared on a local talent show and became popular enough to land his own brief weekly program. USN redirects here. ... USS McFaul underway in the Atlantic Ocean. ... USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces and is involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United...

Radio

On leaving the Coast Guard, Godfrey became a radio announcer for the Baltimore station WFBR and moved the short distance to Washington, D.C. to become a staff announcer for NBC-owned station WRC the same year and remained there until 1934. He was already an avid flyer. In 1933, Godfrey nearly died following a violent car crash outside Washington that left him hospitalized for months. During that time, he decided to listen closely to the radio and realized that the stiff, formal announcers could not connect with the average radio listener, as the announcers spoke in stentorian tones, as if giving a formal speech to a crowd and not communicating on a personal level. Godfrey vowed that when he returned to the airwaves he would effect a relaxed, informal style as if he were talking to just one person. He also used that style to do his own commercials and became a regional star. Nickname: Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: , Country United States Federal District District of Columbia Government  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - D.C. Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... WRC is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below: World Rally Championship, a series of automobile rally races and World Rally Car, the class of cars involved in them Will Rice College, a residential college of Rice University Western Reserve College, a prep school in Hudson, Ohio...

In addition to announcing, Godfrey sang and played the ukulele. In 1934 he became a freelance entertainer, but eventually based himself on a daily show titled Arthur Godfrey's Sun Dial on CBS-owned station WJSV (now WTOP) in Washington. He knew President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who listened to his Washington program, and through Roosevelt's intercession, he received a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve before World War II. Godfrey eventually moved his base to the CBS station in New York City, then known as WABC (now WCBS), and was heard on both WJSV and WABC for a time. In the autumn of 1943, he also became the announcer for Fred Allen's Texaco Star Theater show on the CBS network, but a personality conflict between Allen and Godfrey led to his early release from the show after only six weeks. The ukulele (Hawaiian: , IPA pronunciation: ; Anglicised pronunciation usually IPA: ), sometimes spelled ukelele (particularly in the UK) or uke, is a chordophone classified as a plucked lute; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four strings or four courses of strings. ... CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ... WJSV-FM is a student-run radio station in Morristown, New Jersey. ... WTOP is the only all-news radio station in the Washington, DC area. ... FDR redirects here. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... WCBS (880 kHz. ... WJSV-FM is a student-run radio station in Morristown, New Jersey. ... He has eyes like Venetian blinds and a tongue like an adder — radio/television critic John Crosby about humourist Fred Allen, portrayed here by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. ... Texaco Star Theater, a comedy-variety show (radio, 1940-49; television, 1949-56), was one of the first hugely successful examples of U.S. television broadcasting. ...

He provided a first-hand account of the procession of Roosevelt's bier through the streets of Washington, DC, broadcast live over CBS in April, 1945 and later preserved in the Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly record series, I Can Hear it Now. When describing new President Harry S. Truman's car in the procession --"God bless him, President Truman," Godfrey broke down in tears and cued the listeners back to the studio. The entire nation was moved by his emotional outburst. April 8, 1956: CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow talking to reporters during a stop in Wiesbaden, Germany. ... Fred W. Friendly Fred W. Friendly (October 30, 1915 – March 3, 1998) was the former president of CBS News and the creator, with Edward R. Murrow, of the documentary television program See It Now. ... Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953); as Vice President, he succeeded to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ...

This led to his joining the CBS Radio Network in his own right, where he was given his own daily program, Arthur Godfrey Time, a Monday-Friday morning radio show that featured his monologues, interviews with various stars, music from his own in-house combo and regular vocalists. Godfrey's monologues and discussions were unscripted, and went wherever he chose. That radio program was supplemented by Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, a radio program featuring rising young performers. The CBS Radio Network provides news, sports and other programming to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. ... Arthur Godfreys Talent Scouts (also known as Talent Scouts) was a television variety show which ran on CBS from 1948 until 1958. ...

Godfrey also was an avid Amateur Radio (Ham) Operator with the station call sign K4LIB. Amateur radio, commonly called ham radio, is a hobby enjoyed by many people throughout the world (as of 2004 about 3 million worldwide, 70,000 in Germany, 5,000 in Norway, 57,000 in Canada, and 700,000 in the USA). ...

Television

In 1948, Arthur Godfrey Time began to be simultaneously broadcast on radio and television. The radio version ran three hours; the TV version an hour, later expanded to an hour and a half. Godfrey's skills as a commercial pitchman brought him a number of loyal sponsors, including Lipton Tea, Frigidaire, Pillsbury cake mixes and Chesterfield cigarettes. The Lipton logo Lipton is one of the worlds best-known and best-selling brand of both hot leaf and ready-to-drink tea. ... Frigidaire is a major US appliance company owned by Electrolux. ... Pillsbury is a brand name used by Minneapolis-based General Mills and the The J. M. Smucker Company. ... Advertisement for Chesterfield cigarettes from the early 20th century At one time, Chesterfield was one of the three most smoked brands of cigarettes in the United States. ...

He found that one way to enhance his pitches was to extemporize his commercials, poking fun at the sponsors (while never disrespecting the products themselves), the sponsors' company executives, and advertising agency types who wrote the scripted commercials that he regularly ignored (if he read them at all, he ridiculed them). To the surprise of the advertising agencies and sponsors, Godfrey's kidding of the commercials and products frequently enhanced the sales of those products. His popularity and ability to sell brought a windfall to CBS, accounting for a significant percentage of their corporate profits. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ...

In 1949 Arthur Godfrey and his Friends, a weekly variety show, began on CBS TV in prime time. Arthur Godfrey and His Friends was a television variety show which ran from 1949 until 1959. ...

His affable personality on the radio combined warmth, heart, and occasional bits of double entendre repartee. They earned Godfrey adulation from fans who felt that despite his considerable wealth, he was really "one of them," his personality that of a friendly next-door-neighbor. His ability to sell products, insisting he would not promote any in which he did not personally believe, gave him a level of trust from his audience, a belief that "if Godfrey said it, it must be so." When he quit smoking after his 1953 hip surgery, he spoke out against smoking on the air, and merely shrugged off Chesterfield's departure as a regular sponsor as he knew that other sponsors would easily fill the vacancy. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Eventually Godfrey added a weekend "best-of" program culled from the week's Arthur Godfrey Time, known as Arthur Godfrey Digest. He began to veer away from interviewing stars in favor of a small group of regular performers that became known as the "Little Godfreys." Many of these artists were relatively obscure, but were given colossal national exposure, some of them former Talent Scouts winners including The McGuire Sisters, the Chordettes, Hawaiian vocalist Haleloke, veteran Irish tenor Frank Parker, Marian Marlowe and Julius LaRosa, who was in the Navy when Godfrey, doing his annual Naval reserve duty, discovered the young singer and offered him a job upon his discharge. The McGuire Sisters The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. ... The Chordettes were a female popular singing quartet, usually singing a cappella, and specializing in traditional pop music. ... Julius La Rosa (born January 2, 1930) was a pop singer, specializing in traditional pop music. ...

LaRosa joined the cast in 1951 and became a favorite with Godfrey's immense audience, who also saw him on the prime-time weekly show Arthur Godfrey and his Friends. Godfrey also had a regular announcer-foil on the show: Tony Marvin. Godfrey preferred his performers not to use personal managers or agents, but often had his staff represent the artists if they were doing personal appearances.

In his own way, Godfrey was a social pioneer. One of the "Little Godfrey" acts were the Mariners, an integrated vocal quartet of white and African-American Coast Guard veterans. When the act appeared on his TV show, Southern CBS affiliates and racist Southern politicians complained of their participating in dance sequences with white women. Godfrey responded caustically, decrying the racism and refusing to remove them from the cast. USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces and is involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense. ...

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts performers included Lenny Bruce, Don Adams, Tony Bennett, Patsy Cline, Pat Boone, opera singer Marilyn Horne, Roy Clark, and Irish vocalist Carmel Quinn. Later, he promoted "Little Godfrey" Janette Davis to a management position as the show's talent coordinator. Two notable acts rejected for the show were Elvis Presley and Sonny Til & The Orioles. Following his appearances on the Louisiana Hayride, Presley traveled to New York for an unsuccessful Talent Scouts audition in April 1955; after the Talent Scouts staff rejected The Orioles, they went on to have a hit record with "Crying in the Chapel" and kicked off the "bird group" trend of early rock 'n roll. Lenny Bruce (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), born Leonard Alfred Schneider, was a controversial American stand-up comedian, writer, social critic and satirist of the 1950s and 1960s. ... For American former professional basketball player, see Don Adams (basketball). ... For other persons named Tony Bennett, see Tony Bennett (disambiguation). ... Patsy Cline (b. ... Charles Eugene Patrick Pat Boone (born June 1, 1934) is a singer whose smooth style made him a popular performer of the 1950s. ... Marilyn Horne The American opera singer Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is a mezzo soprano who is particularly associated with the music of Rossini and Handel. ... Roy Clark - March 2002 Roy Linwood Clark (born April 15, 1933 in Meherrin, Virginia) is one of the most versatile and well-known country music musicians and performers. ... Carmel Quinn (born in Dublin, Ireland) is a American entertainer, who has appeared on stage in Broadway, television, and film since coming to America in the 1950s. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... The Orioles were an American R&B and doo-wop group, one of the earliest such vocal bands. ... The Louisiana Hayride was a radio broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped launch the careers of the some of the greatest names in American music. ...

Godfrey's immense popularity and the trust placed in him by audiences was noticed not just by advertisers but by his friend U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, who asked him to record a number of public service announcements to be played on American television in the case of nuclear war. It was thought that viewers would be reassured by Godfrey's grandfatherly tone and folksy manner. The existence of the PSA tapes was confirmed in 2004 by former CBS president Dr. Frank Stanton in an exchange with a writer with the Web site CONELRAD. Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... Nuclear War is a card game designed by Douglas Malewicki, and originally published in 1966. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Frank Nicholas Stanton (March 20, 1908 – December 24, 2006) served as the president of CBS between 1946 and 1971 and then vice chairman until 1973. ...

Aviation

Godfrey (left) with NACA pilot George Cooper and Ames Director Smith DeFrance

Godfrey learned to fly in the 1930s while doing radio in the Washington, DC area, starting out with gliders, then learning to fly airplanes. He was badly injured on his way to a flying lesson one afternoon in 1931 when a truck, coming the other way, lost its left front wheel and hit him head on. Godfrey spent months recuperating, and the injury would keep him from flying on active duty during WWII. He served as a reserve officer in the U.S. Navy in a public affairs role during the war. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2991x2126, 808 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Arthur Godfrey Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2991x2126, 808 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Arthur Godfrey Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... NACA official seal The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a U.S. federal agency founded on March 3, 1915 to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. ... Aerial View of Moffett Field and NASA Ames Research Center. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

Godfrey used his pervasive fame to advocate a strong anti-Communist stance and to pitch for enhanced strategic air power in the Cold War atmosphere. In addition to his advocacy for civil rights, he became a strong promoter of his middle-class fans vacationing in Hawaii and Miami Beach, formerly enclaves for the wealthy. He made a TV movie in 1953 taking the controls of an Eastern Airlines Constellation airliner and flying to Miami, thus showing how safe airline travel had become. As a reserve officer, he used his public position to cajole the Navy into qualifying him as a Naval Aviator, and played that against the Air Force, who successfully recruited him into their reserve. At one time during the 1950's, Godfrey had flown every active aircraft in the military inventory at one time or another. Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ... Aerial warfare is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of warfare. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ... Miami Beach is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ... For the Chinese airline, see China Eastern Airlines. ...

His continued unpaid shilling for Eastern Airlines earned him the undying gratitude of good friend Eddie Rickenbacker, the WWI flying ace who was the President of the airline. He was such a good friend of the airline that Rickenbacker took a retiring DC-3, fitted it out with an executive interior and DC-4 engines, and presented it to Godfrey, who then used it to commute to the studios in New York City from his huge Leesburg, Virginia farm every Sunday night. Such a quid pro quo would nowadays bring charges of conflict of interest, but in the context of the early 1950s, nothing was said. Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 27, 1973) was best known as a World War I fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient. ... Leesburg is a historic town and is the county seat of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. ...

The new DC-3 was so powerful (and noisy) that the Town of Leesburg ended up moving its airport. The original Leesburg airport, which Godfrey owned and referred to affectionately as "The Old Cow Pasture" on his show, was less than a mile from the center of town, and residents had come to expect rattling windows and crashing dishes every Sunday evening and Friday afternoon.

In 1960, Godfrey proposed building a new airport by selling the old field, and donating a portion of the sale to a local group. Since Godfrey funded the majority of the airport, it is now known as Leesburg Executive Airport at Godfrey Field. He also was known for flying a Navion, a smaller single-engined airplane, as well as a Lockheed Jetstar, and in later years a Beech Baron and a Beech Duke, registration number N1M. Leesburg Executive Airport (KJYO/JYO), an FAA-designated General Aviation reliever airport for Dulles International, is located 3 miles south of the town of Leesburg, Virginia. ... The Navion is a light, four-seat aircraft originally designed and built by North American Aviation, later built by Ryan Aeronautical Company and the Tubular Steel Corporation (TUSCO). ... Lockheed VC-140B NASA JetStar The Lockheed L-1329 JetStar is a business jet produced from the early 1960s through the 1970s. ... Specifications (B55) General Characteristics Crew: one, pilot Capacity: three passengers Length: 28 ft 0 in (8. ...

In January 1954, Godfrey buzzed the control tower of Teterboro Airport in his Douglas DC-3. His license was suspended for six months. Godfrey claimed the windy conditions that day required him to turn immediately after takeoff, but in fact he was peeved with the tower because they wouldn't give him the runway he asked for. A similar event occurred while he flew near Chicago in 1956, though no sanctions were imposed. These incidents, in the wake of the controversies that swirled around Godfrey after his firing of Julius LaRosa, only further underscored the differences between his private and public persona. FAA diagram of Teterboro Airport (TEB) Main article: Transportation in New York City Teterboro Airport (IATA: TEB, ICAO: KTEB) is a general aviation reliever airport located in the Boroughs of Teterboro, Moonachie, and Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, New Jersey[1]. It is operated by the Port Authority of New... The Douglas DC-3 is a fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft, which revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s and is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made (also see Boeing 707 and Boeing 747). ... Julius La Rosa (born January 2, 1930) was a pop singer, specializing in traditional pop music. ...

Godfrey had been in pain since the 1931 car crash that damaged his hip. In 1953, he underwent pioneering hip replacement surgery in Boston using an early plastic artificial hip joint. The operation was successful and he returned to the show to the delight of his vast audience. CBS was so concerned about losing his audience that during his recovery, he broadcast live from his Beacon Hill estate near Leesburg, the signal carried by microwave towers built on the property. It is believed that this was the first time that CBS conducted a 'remote' broadcast. In this X-ray, the patient’s right hip (on the left in the photograph) has been replaced, with the “ball” of this ball-and-socket joint replaced by a metal head that is set in the thighbone or femur and the socket replaced by a white plastic cup (clear... For additional information on hip replacement in animals, specifically dogs, please see Hip replacement (animal) In this X-ray, the patient’s right hip (on the left in the photograph) has been replaced, with the “ball” of this ball-and-socket joint replaced by a metal head that is set...

Behind the scenes

Behind Godfrey's on-air warmth was a cold, controlling personality. He insisted that his "Little Godfreys" attend dance and singing classes, believing all should be versatile performers whether or not they possessed the aptitude for those disciplines. In meetings with the cast and his staff, he could be abusive and intimidating. In spite of his ability to bring in profits, CBS executives who respected Godfrey professionally were not personally fond of him since he often baited them on and off the air.

Godfrey's attitude was controlling prior to his hip surgery, but upon his return, he added more air time to his morning shows and became critical of a number of aspects of the broadcasts. One night, he substituted a shortened, hastily-arranged version of his Wednesday night variety show in place of the scheduled "Talent Scouts" presentation, feeling that none of the talent was up to standards. He also began casting a critical eye on others in the cast, particularly LaRosa, whose popularity continued to grow.

The LaRosa incident

Like many men of his generation, Julius LaRosa thought dance lessons to be somewhat effeminate -- and chafed when Godfrey ordered them for his entire performing crew. CBS historian Robert Metz, in CBS: Reflections in a Bloodshot Eye, suggested that Godfrey instituted the practice because his own physical limitations made him sensitive to the need for coordination on camera. "Godfrey," Metz wrote, "was concerned about his cast in his paternalistic way." Julius La Rosa (born January 2, 1930) was a pop singer, specializing in traditional pop music. ...

Godfrey and LaRosa had a dispute when LaRosa missed a dance lesson due to a family emergency. He claimed he'd advised Godfrey, but was nonetheless barred from the show for a day in retaliation, via a notice placed on a cast bulletin board. At that point, LaRosa retained topnotch manager Tommy Rockwell to renegotiate his contract with Godfrey -- or, failing that, to receive an outright release. However, such talks had yet to occur. LaRosa also cut a hit single with Godfrey's musical director Archie Bleyer, E Cumpari, the best-selling hit of LaRosa's musical career. LaRosa admitted the record's success had made him a little cocky, but after discovering LaRosa had hired a manager, Godfrey immediately consulted with CBS President Dr. Frank Stanton, who noted that Godfrey had hired LaRosa on-air and suggested firing him the same way. Whether Stanton intended this to occur after Godfrey spoke with LaRosa and his managers about the singer's future on the show, or whether Stanton suggested Godfrey actually fire LaRosa on air with no warning, remains lost to history. Frank Nicholas Stanton (March 20, 1908 – December 24, 2006) served as the president of CBS between 1946 and 1971 and then vice chairman until 1973. ...

On October 19, 1953, after lavishing praise on LaRosa in introducing the singer's performance of "I'll Take Manhattan," Godfrey thanked him and then announced that this was LaRosa's "swan song" with the show. LaRosa, who had to be told what the phrase "swan song" meant, was dumbfounded, since he had not been informed beforehand of his departure and contract renegotiations had yet to happen. Stanton later admitted the idea may have been "a mistake." In perhaps a further illumination of the ego that Godfrey had formerly kept hidden, radio historian Gerald Nachman, in Raised on Radio, claims that what really miffed Godfrey about his now-former protege was that LaRosa's fan mail had come to outnumber Godfrey's. It is likely that a combination of these factors led to Godfrey's decision to discharge LaRosa. It is not likely Godfrey expected the public outcry that ensued. is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ill Take Manhattan (novel) by Judith Krantz Ill Take Manhattan (TV miniseries), screening of Krantzs book Categories: ...

In any event, the LaRosa incident opened an era of controversy that swirled around Godfrey and, little by little, dismantled his just-folks image. LaRosa was beloved enough by Godfrey's fans that they saved their harsh criticism for Godfrey himself. After a press conference was held by LaRosa and his agent, Godfrey further complicated the matter by hosting a press conference of his own where he responded that LaRosa had lost his "humility." The charge, given Godfrey's sudden baring of his own ego beneath the facade of warmth, brought more mockery from the public and press. Almost instantly, Godfrey and the phrase "no humility" became the butt of many comedians' jokes.

The firings continue

Godfrey would fire others among his regulars, including bandleader Archie Bleyer, within days of LaRosa's public "execution." Bleyer had formed his own label, Cadence Records, which recorded LaRosa and, eventually, the Chordettes, another Godfrey discovery. Godfrey was also angered that Bleyer had produced a spoken word record by Godfrey's Chicago counterpart Don McNeill, host of The Breakfast Club, which had been Godfrey's direct competition on the NBC Blue Network and ABC since Godfrey's days at WJSV. Despite the McNeill show's far more modest following, Godfrey was unduly offended, even paranoid, at what he felt was disloyalty on Bleyer's part. Bleyer simply shrugged off the dismissal and focused on developing Cadence, which went on to even greater fame in later years with classic hit records by the Everly Brothers and Andy Williams. Archie Bleyer (June 12, 1909-March 20, 1989) was an American song arranger and band leader. ... The Chordettes were a female popular singing quartet, usually singing a cappella, and specializing in traditional pop music. ... Don McNeill, from a 1942 publicity photo Don McNeill (December 23, 1907 – May 7, 1996) was an American radio personality, best known as the creator and host of The Breakfast Club, which ran for over thirty years. ... The Breakfast Club was a program on ABC radio (and briefly on television) originating in Chicago, Illinois, hosted by Don McNeill. ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... The National Broadcasting Company or NBC is an American radio and television broadcasting company based in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... Don (born February 1, 1937 in Brownie, a small coal-mining town (now defunct) near Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky) and Phil Everly (born January 18, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois) are country-influenced rock and roll performers who had their greatest success in the 1950s. ... For other persons named Andrew Williams, see Andrew Williams (disambiguation). ...

Occasionally, he snapped at cast members on the air. A significant number of other "Little Godfreys," including the Mariners and Haleloke, were dismissed from 1953 to 1959, with no reasons given. Other performers, most notably Pat Boone and Patsy Cline (briefly) stepped in as "Little Godfreys." Charles Eugene Patrick Pat Boone (born June 1, 1934) is a singer whose smooth style made him a popular performer of the 1950s. ...

Godfrey's problems with the media and public feuds with newspaper columnists such as Jack O'Brian and newspaperman turned CBS variety show host Ed Sullivan, were duly documented by the media, which began running critical exposé articles linking him to several female "Little Godfreys." Godfrey's anger at Sullivan stemmed from the variety show impresario's featuring of fired "Little Godfreys" on his Sunday night show, including LaRosa. A New York Journal American columnist and supporter of Joseph McCarthy. ... Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the emcee of a popular TV variety show called The Ed Sullivan Show that was at its height of popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. ...

As the media turned on Godfrey, two films,The Great Man (1956) starring Jose Ferrer, who also directed and produced, and Elia Kazan's classic A Face in the Crowd (1957) starring Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal, were inspired by Godfrey's increasingly controversial career. The Great Man, adapted from a novel by TV writer Al Morgan, centered on a tribute broadcast for Herb Fuller, a Godfrey-like figure killed in a car crash whose genial public demeanor concealed a dissolute phony. "Face" creator Budd Schulberg maintains his story was actually inspired by hearing that Will Rogers, Sr., was far from the man of the people he claimed to be. Nonetheless, certain elements of the film, including its protagonist Lonesome Rhodes (played by Andy Griffith) spoofing commercials on a Memphis TV show he hosted, were clearly Godfrey-inspired. The Great Man is a 1956 drama film directed by José Ferrer and based on a novel by Al Morgan. ... José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintron, known as José Ferrer (January 8, 1912-January 26, 1992), was an actor and director, born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. ... A Face in the Crowd (1957) is an epic motion picture starring Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, and Walter Matthau, directed by Elia Kazan. ... Not to be confused with Andy Griffiths. ... Patricia Neal (born January 20, 1926, Packard, Kentucky) is an Academy Award winning American actress. ... Picture of writer Budd Schulberg (born March 27, 1914 in New York City, New York) is an American screenwriter and novelist. ... William Penn Adair Will Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, and actor. ...

Recordings also mocked Godfrey's controversial side. Following the LaRosa episode, Ruth Wallis, renowned for her double-entendre tunes, recorded "Dear Mr. Godfrey," a country tune that implored him to "hire me and fire me and make a star of me." Satirist Stan Freberg recorded "That's Right, Arthur," a barbed spoof of Godfrey's show, depicting the star as a rambling, self-absorbed motormouth and his longtime announcer (Tony Marvin, portrayed by voice actor Daws Butler) as a yes-man, responding "That's right, Arthur" to every vapid Godfrey pronouncement. Fearing legal problems, Freberg's label, Capitol Records, would not release it, to Freberg's frustration. The recording finally appeared on a 1990s Freberg box set. Ruth Wallis was a singer from Brooklyn, New York. ... Stanley Victor Freberg (born August 7, 1926 in Los Angeles) is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, puppeteer and advertising creative director. ... Daws Butler in 1976. ...

Godfrey appeared on every major magazine cover including Life, Look, Time, and over a dozenTV Guide covers. He was also the first man to ever make the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine. Philippe Halsmans famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe Life generally refers to two American magazines: A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936; A publication created by Time founder Henry Luce in 1936, with a strong emphasis on photojournalism. ... Look was a weekly, general-interest magazine published in the United States from 1937 to 1971, with more of an emphasis on photographs than articles. ... Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... TV Guide is the name of two North American weekly magazines about television programming, one in the United States and one in Canada. ... June 1936 issue Cosmopolitan is a magazine for women, sometimes referred to as Cosmo, which has been published for more than a century. ...

Despite his faux pas, Godfrey still commanded a strong presence and a loyal fan base. Talent Scouts lasted until 1958.

Later in life

In 1959, Godfrey began suffering chest pains. Closer examination by physicians revealed a mass in his chest that could possibly be lung cancer. In 1959, Godfrey left Arthur Godfrey Time and Arthur Godfrey and His Friends after revealing his illness.

Surgeons discovered cancer in one lung that spread to his aorta. One lung was removed. Yet, despite the disease's discouragingly high mortality in that era, it became clear after radiation treatments that Godfrey had beaten the substantial odds against him. He returned to the air on a prime-time special and resumed the daily Arthur Godfrey Time morning show -- but only on radio. He continued the show, reverting to a format featuring guest stars such as pianist Max Morath and Irish vocalist Carmel Quinn, with a live combo of first-rate Manhattan musicians (the show ended in 1972). The aorta (generally pronounced or ay-orta) is the largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and bringing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body in the systemic circulation. ...

Godfrey by then was a colonel in the US Air Force Reserve and still an active pilot. The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia United States. ...

He made three movies: Four For Texas (1963), The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), and Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows (1968). He briefly co-hosted Candid Camera with creator Allen Funt but that relationship, like so many others, ended acrimoniously. Godfrey also made various guest appearances, and he and Lucille Ball co-hosted the CBS special 50 Years of Television (1978). Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Glass Bottom Boat, also known as The Spy in Lace Panties, is a 1966 romantic comedy film. ... Candid Camera is a long-running television series, created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially appeared on radio as Candid Microphone in the 1940s, then screened in the United States in the 1950s, with local versions produced around the world. ... Producer-director Allen Funt Allen Funt (September 16, 1914 – September 5, 1999) was an American producer-director, best known as the creator and host of Candid Camera from the 1940s to 1980s, as either a regular show or a series of specials. ... CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ...

In retirement, Godfrey wanted to find ways back onto a regular TV schedule. He appeared in a 1920s pop style performance on the rock band Moby Grape's second album, and despite his political conservatism became a powerful environmentalist who identified with the youth culture that irreverently opposed the "establishment," as he felt he had done during his peak years. He was a master at dressage and made charity appearances at horse shows. He made commercials for the detergent Axion, only to clash with the manufacturer when he found that the product contained phosphates, implicated in water pollution. Moby Grape was an American roots rock and psychedelic rock group of the 1960s that was known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of jazz, country, and blues together with rock. ... An upper-level dressage competitor performing an extended trot Dressage (a French term meaning training) is a path and destination of competitive horse training, with competitions held at all levels from amateur to the Olympics. ...

During one appearance on The Dick Cavett Show, Godfrey commented that the United States needed the supersonic transport "about as much as we need another bag of those clunkers from the Moon". That statement is considered to have effectively ended SST interest in the U.S.A., leaving it to Britain and France. (Cavett claims that Godfrey's statement also earned tax audits from the Richard Nixon-era Internal Revenue Service for the show's entire production staff.) The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of many talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on several television networks, including: ABC daytime (March 4, 1968–January 24, 1969) (originally titled This Morning) ABC prime time (May 26–September 19, 1969) ABC late night (December 29, 1969–January 1, 1975... The Concorde supersonic transport has a delta wing, a slender fuselage and four underslung Olympus engines. ... The Concorde supersonic transport has a delta wing, a slender fuselage and four underslung Olympus engines. ... The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Seal of the Internal Revenue Service Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series        “IRS” redirects here. ...

Despite an intense desire to remain in the public eye, Godfrey's presence ebbed considerably over the next ten years, notwithstanding an HBO special and an appearance on a PBS salute to the 1950s. A 1981 attempt to reconcile him with LaRosa for a TV reunion special, bringing together Godfrey and a number of the "Little Godfreys," collapsed. At an initially amicable meeting, Godfrey reasserted that LaRosa wanted out of his contract and asked why he hadn't explained that instead of insisting he was fired without warning. When LaRosa began reminding him of the dance lesson controversy, Godfrey, then in his late 70s, exploded and the meeting ended in shambles. HBO (Home Box Office) is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ...

Godfrey was married to the former Mary Bourke from 1938 until his death in 1983. They had three children. Emphysema, resulting from the radiation treatments for Godfrey's cancer, became a problem in the early 1980s and he died of the disease in New York City on March 16, 1983. Godfrey is buried at Union Cemetery in Leesburg, Virginia, not far from his farm in Waterford, Virginia. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Leesburg is a historic town and is the county seat of Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. ... Waterford is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia located along Catoctin Creek. ...

Awards

• NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation Award (1950)
• National Aviation Hall of Fame (1987)
• Radio Hall of Fame (1988)
• Peabody Award (1971)
• Hollywood Walk of Fame (at 1551 Vine St.)
• In 2002 Godfrey was one of only three people named on both of industry publication Talkers Magazine's 25 greatest radio, and 25 greatest television, talk show hosts of all time lists. [1]

The NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation Award is an American award in aviation given annually since 1950 by the National Business Aviation Association, Inc. ... The National Aviation Hall of Fame is located at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, east Dayton, Ohio. ... // The National Radio Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, Illinois, is a museum dedicated to recognizing those who have contributed to the development of the radio medium throughout its history in the United States. ... The George Foster Peabody Awards, more commonly referred to as the Peabody Awards, are annual international awards given for excellence in radio and television broadcasting. ... A band plays on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ... Talkers magazine is a trade industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. ...

External links

• Arthur Godfrey at the Internet Movie Database
• Museum of Broadcast Communication: Arthur Godfrey