Betty White Showing The Way
LiveAuctionTalk.com: by Rosemary O’Connor McKittrick
Photo courtesy of Julien’s Auctions.
Prior to the current Los Angeles Zoo’s opening in 1966 actress Betty White worked with the world's foremost chimpanzee expert, Dr. Jane Goodall, on the design for a new structure in the zoo for the chimps.
“I’ve always thought you can tell by someone’s hands if they truly love animals—the way they pet or don’t pet them.”
With Jane and Betty’s help 14 chimps sleeping in cramped cages moved into a state-of-the-art, green, two-story Mountain exhibit with room to move. The two women became lifelong friends over their shared love of animals.
A Rainforest for the orangutans followed along with a new home for the gorillas. Betty spent her life caring for animals especially abused, neglected and orphaned ones.
“I’ve always thought you can tell by someone’s hands if they truly love animals—the way they pet or don’t pet them,” she said.
Betty spoke better animal language than human language. She could read four-legged creatures like a book—although not as well as they could read her, she said.
As an actor the show-business veteran’s job was to make people laugh. The Golden Girls, Hollywood Squares, The Love Boat, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Betty radiated humor and kind-heartedness on countless game shows, talk shows, a soap opera, sitcoms, etc.
It wasn’t just her TV persona or her work with animals either. Betty was a role model. She brought attention and passion to everything she did with her warm and homey way of being. She attributed much of her humor to her mother.
“She always made a point that if you look at those negatives, you spoil all the good stuff and it goes by and you haven’t tasted it,” Betty said.
From the early 1950s to 2020 the seven-time Emmy winner is credited with more than 115 acting titles not including the hundreds of appearances as “herself” on game shows.
“It is important that you not believe your own publicity,” she said. “Be grateful for whatever praise you receive, but take it with the grain of salt…You don’t just luck into integrity. You work on it.”
Betty was married three times. She married Dick Barker for less than a year in 1945, and then Lane Allen, from 1947 to 1949. It was her relationship with third husband, Allen Ludden, from 1963 to 1981 that stood the test of time.
Betty and Allen met in 1961 when she appeared on his game show Password. The marriage served as an inspiration for her fans around the world. Allen died in 1981 from stomach cancer and Betty said she would never marry again and didn’t.
When asked what advice she would offer to struggling actors Betty stressed coming into a project prepared with respect for the profession. Walk in to every situation with a positive, open-mind she added. Copping an attitude for Betty was the height of ingratitude.
It’s no surprise people greeted Betty on the street as friend, not celebrity. Her wit and wisdom touched people worldwide. Betty passed away in 2021. She was 99.
Property from the career of Betty White went on the block at Julien’s Auctions on 9/23-9/25, 2022.
Here are some current values for items sold.
Betty White
Celebrity Portrait Photograph; by Wallace Seawell; framed; Seawell's imprint lower righthand corner; 17.75 inches by 14.75 inches (framed); $1,280.
Black-and-white Photograph; Betty and husband Allen Ludden and three dogs; 13.5 inches by 11.25 inches; (framed); $2,240.
Oil painting; wearing red-and-white dress; wooden frame canvas border; circa 1950s; 26 inches by 30.5 inches; $43,740.
White's Original Director's Chair; The Golden Girls (Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, 1985-92) White played Rose Nylund; black cloth seat; chairback reads "The Golden Girls"; reverse side reads Betty; $76,800.
