Betty Furness Movies
It's very likely that Betty Furness would be forgotten today if she'd remained a film actress. The daughter of pioneering radio executive George Furness, she landed her first modeling job at 14 and an RKO-Radio film contract two years later. From 1932 through 1935, she appeared in a string of forgettable ingénue roles in Tom Keene Westerns and B-melodramas. She exhibited an unexpected flair for screwball comedy in the 1936 Hal Roach production Mister Cinderella, but wasn't able to capitalize on this career highlight and was out of pictures by 1939 (except for a cameo appearance as herself in 1957's A Face in the Crowd). She fared rather better on Broadway in the 1940s, and better still when she ventured into television in 1949. Though she still occasionally acted in the 1950s (she even starred in a "girl reporter" crime series), her TV fame rested securely on her work as a commercial spokesperson. She was most closely associated with the Westinghouse company, earning hundreds of thousand of dollars pitching kitchenware with the confident catch phrase, "You can be sure if it's Westinghouse." (It should be noted here that one of the most infamous bloopers in TV history, wherein a Westinghouse refrigerator door failed to open during a live commercial, did not happen to Furness as has often been claimed, but to another actress who was subbing for her.) During the Lyndon Johnson administration, Furness was appointed to several important executive positions in the field of Consumer Protection. While working as consumer affairs director at New York's NBC TV affiliate in 1974, she began a long association with The Today Show as consumer reporter/advocate -- a job that was terminated in 1992 when the powers-that-be callously decided that the ever-ebullient Furness "scanned old." Married three times, Betty Furness' first husband was Hollywood composer Johnny Green. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1972
Learn about art propaganda and the power of art harnessed by political regimes with this informative video. ~ All Movie Guide
The meteoric popularity of Arthur Godfrey was allegedly the basis of the 1957 drama Face in the Crowd. Andy Griffith makes a spectacular film debut as Lonesome Rhodes, a philosophical country-western singer discovered in a tanktown jail by television talent coordinator Patricia Neal and her assistant Walter Matthau. They decide that Rhodes is worthy of a TV guest spot, the result being that the gangly, aw-shucks entertainer becomes an overnight sensation. As he ascends to stardom, Rhodes attracts fans, sponsors and endorsements by the carload, and soon he is the most powerful and influential entertainer on the airwaves. Beloved by his audience, Rhodes reveals himself to his intimates as a scheming, power-hungry manipulator, with Machiavellian political aspirations. He uses everyone around him, coldly discarding anyone who might impede his climb to the top (one such victim is sexy baton-twirler Lee Remick, likewise making her film debut). Just when it seems that there's no stopping Rhodes' megalomania, his mentor and ex-lover Neal exposes this Idol of Millions as the rat that he is. She arranges to switch on the audio during the closing credits of Rhodes' TV program, allowing the whole nation to hear the grinning, waving Rhodes characterize them as "suckers" and "stupid idiots." Instantly, Rhodes' popularity rating plummets to zero. As he drunkenly wanders around his penthouse apartment, still not fully comprehending what has happened to him, Rhodes is deserted by the very associates who, hours earlier, were willing to ask "how high?" when he yelled "jump". Written by Budd Schulberg, Face in the Crowd was not a success, possibly because it hit so close to home with idol-worshipping TV fans. Its reputation has grown in the intervening years, not only because of its value as a film but because of the novelty of seeing the traditionally easygoing Andy Griffith as so vicious and manipulative a character as Lonesome Rhodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, (more)
- 1953
An American columnist rails for the rights of a free press in this small screen drama presented as part of the "Studio One" series. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1939
In this newspaper drama, a female reporter and a newsreel cameraman are both assigned to cover the Sino-Japanese war. They meet on the boat ride over and decide to team up. They are further assisted by a Chinese cameraman. The three of them manage to expose of spy ring operating out of the Shanghai office of the woman's newspaper. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Craig, Betty Furness, (more)
- 1937
Chunky character actor J. Edward Bromberg carries the weight of Fair Warning on his burly shoulders. Bromberg is cast as Matthew Jerico, a sheriff in the Death Valley region of California, at present assigned to solve the murder of a wealthy miner. The killing took place at a swank tourist resort, meaning that Jerico has hundreds of suspects to choose from. With the unexpected but welcome assistance of child genius Malcolm Berkhardt (Billy Burrud), Jerico is able to track down the villain via chemical analysis. J. Edward Bromberg and Billy Burrud work so well together in Fair Warning that it's surprising 20th Century-Fox didn't fashion a series around the two players. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J. Edward Bromberg, Betty Furness, (more)
- 1937
Good Old Soak was based on a story by Don Marquis, creator of the immortal "Archy and Mehitabel." Wallace Beery is well-cast as town drunk Clem Hawley, a blot on the escutcheon of a small Prohibition-era Midwestern town. When a large sum of bank money is stolen, Clem immediately falls under suspicion. His previously spineless son Clemmie (Eric Linden) rushes to his dad's defense, insisting that he, and not Clem, is the thief. But the "good old soak" manages to recover the money and expose the thief, a respectable "social" drinker and stock-market swindler whose hypocrisy is in stark contrast to Clem's bibulous honesty. In one of his last film roles, Ted Healy manages to steal quite a few scenes from Beery (no small feat) as a cheerful bootlegger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Una Merkel, (more)
- 1937
Even the mighty MGM had to keep the home fires burning with B pictures. The studio's Mama Steps Out is a harmless confection built around the considerable talents of Alice Brady. She plays her standard empty-headed flibbertygibbet, this time vacationing on the Riviera after inheriting a fortune. Alice, her husband Guy Kibbee and her daughter Betty Furness soon tire of their shallow new society chums, and head back home a little sadder and wiser. For what was basically a lower-berth comedy, Mama Steps Out has impeccable credentials: it was adapted by Anita Loos from a play by John Kirkpatrick, and produced by Ms. Loos' husband John Emerson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Kibbee, Alice Brady, (more)
- 1937
Theatrical agents Russ Matthews (Ralph Bellamy) and Al Tinker (Robert Armstrong) try to make a quick buck by promoting bibuolous vaudeville fortune-teller Dr. Fothergill (Raymond Walburn) as a genuine prophet. Amazingly, Fothergill's predictions come true, and soon his advice is being solicited by such shady types as gangster boss Cronin (Ed Pawley). This not only threatens the future existence of Matthews and Tinker, but also puts a crimp in Matthews' romance with girl reporter Carol Wilson (Betty Furness). The vaudeville and radio background of It Can't Last Forever affords several opportunities to inject specialty acts into the storyline. Among these is a personable trio of juvenile singers called the Dandridge Sisters, featuring 14-year-old Dorothy Dandridge in one of her first screen roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Bellamy, Betty Furness, (more)
- 1937
The "they" who want to marry in this RKO Radio programmer are news photographer Jim Tyler (Gordon Jones) and cute society deb Sheila Hunter (Betty Furness). The heroine's father (Henry Kolker) disapproves of the union, requiring Gordon to take a "respectable" job in daddy's advertising agency. Our hero manages to strike out on Madison Avenue, but redeems himself with a big news scoop in the final reel. E.E. Clive has all the good lines as the Hunter family's dry-witted butler. Four decades later, leading lady Betty Furness would later make a name for herself in the journalistic world as NBC's consumer reporter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Betty Furness, Gordon Jones, (more)
- 1936
Hotel barber Joe Jenkins (Jack Haley), who's obsessed with newspaper stories about high-society celebrities, is dragooned into posing as eccentric millionaire Aloysius Merriweather (Monroe Owsley) at a fancy weekend party. At first thrilled at the prospect of hobnobbing with the 400, Joe is less than thrilled when he's forced to continue the charade after Merriweather is rendered unconscious in a traffic accident. Getting off to a bad start with heiress Patricia Randolph (Betty Furness) -- who loses her speedboat, beach house and clothes thanks to his bumbling -- Joe redeems himself by saving her father's (Raymond Walburn) automobile business. Whether or not he can save himself from Spike Nolan (Tom Dugan), the gun-wielding brother of Owsley's neurotic bride Mazie (Rosina Lawrence), is another matter! Mister Cinderella is a typically frantic farce from the Hal Roach comedy mills, with a marvelous scene-stealing performance by Arthur Treacher and a brisk musical score (culled mostly from Roach's Laurel & Hardy and "Our Gang" comedies) by Marvin Hatley and LeRoy Shield. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Haley, Betty Furness, (more)
The sixth of RKO's Fred Astaire -Ginger Rogers pairings of the 1930s, Swing Time starts off with bandleader Astaire getting cold feet on his wedding day. Astaire's bride-to-be Betty Furness will give him a second chance, providing he proves himself responsible enough to earn $25,000. Astaire naturally tries to avoid earning that amount once he falls in love with dance instructor Ginger Rogers. Numerous complications ensue, leading to the "second time's the charm" climax, with Ginger escaping her own wedding to wealthy Georges Metaxa in order to be reunited with Astaire. The film's most indelible image is that of Fred Astaire, immaculately attired in top hat and tails, hopping a freight car--a perfect encapsulation of the film's Depression-era cheekiness. The Jerome Kern-Dorothy Fields score includes such standards-to-be as "Pick Yourself Up," "A Fine Romance," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Never Gonna Dance" and "Bojangles of Harlem." The peerless supporting cast of Swing Time includes Helen Broderick, Victor Moore, Eric Blore, and Landers Stevens, the actor-father of the film's director, George Stevens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, (more)
- 1936
Bucolic Elmer Lamb (Stuart Erwin), who only wants to raise dairy cattle, is a mathematical prodigy; he's even a whiz at playing bridge. Circus pitchman Bill (Robert Armstrong) and circus owner Jeffrey Crane (Edmund Gwenn) want to make money off Elmer, but Jeff's daughter Kitty (Betty Furness) finds herself drawn to him. Eventually, Elmer is pitted against the reigning bridge champion (E.E. Clive) -- whom he's already beaten in an informal match -- which involves shady Pudgy (Edward S. Brophy) and gangster Al (Dewey Robinson). ~ Bill Warren, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stuart Erwin, Robert Armstrong, (more)
The screenplay for this mystery is based upon a story suggested to Liberty Magazine by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is the tale of a prominent lawyer who shocks his snooty friends, family and colleagues by abruptly abandoning his successful practice and his wife to find true happiness. He soon falls in love with another woman and continues to keep a low profile until he learns that his first wife stands accused of murdering him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Wilcoxon, Betty Furness, (more)
- 1936
Based on a Damon Runyon story, Three Wise Guys stars Betty Furness as a Broadway golddigger hired by gangster Bruce Cabot to romance playboy Robert Young, then take the sap for every penny he's got. But when Young marries Furness, he is disinherited. Furness decides she's truly in love with Young and leaves town with him. Pursued by Cabot and his henchmen, the couple takes refuge in a deserted farm. Cabot is about to exact vengeance on Furness when he discovers that she's pregnant, and due at any minute. Thus the chastened Cabot and his "wise guy" companions aid Furness in bringing her baby into the world. That's right, it's Christmas...and it's also in a little town called Bethlehem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Young, Betty Furness, (more)
- 1935
Based on a barnstorming stage play by Gus Hill, McFadden's Flat seemed charmingly anachronistic in the mid-1935s. Walter C. Kelly, the "Virginia Judge" of vaudeville fame, adopts a molasses-thick Irish brogue as Dan McFadden, philosophical small-town bricklayer. McFadden spends most of his time quarrelling with his friendly enemy, Scottish barber Jock McTavish (Andy Clyde), but that doesn't stop Dan's daughter Molly (Betty Furness) and Jock's son Sandy (Richard Cromwell) from falling in love. The story goes off on several tangents, both touching (the tight-fisted Jock secretly helps Dan out of his financial woes) and dramatic (Molly grows ashamed of her parents after attending a hoity-toity finishing school). Hardly a memorable film, McFadden's Flats affords modern viewers a rare opportunity of seeing one of vaudeville's greatest monologists in action. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter "Judge" Kelly, Andy Clyde, (more)
- 1935
Adapted from a typically tricky J. B. Priestley stage play, Dangerous Corner is a cautionary fable about the damage caused by telling the unvarnished truth. A burned-out radio tube is the catalyst for a series of painful and potentially dangerous revelations during a weekend party. The upshot of all this is the suicide of party guest Ian Keith and the mysterious theft of a large sum of money. Through an ingenious last-act plot twist (of the kind so beloved by Priestley and his ilk), the audience is treated to both a happy and a tragic denouement. Long ignored by film historians, Dangerous Corner was rediscovered when it popped up repeatedly on the American Movie Classics cable service in the mid-1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Virginia Bruce, Conrad Nagel, (more)
- 1935
The classic comedians Burns and Allen are featured in this fast-paced farce that includes an assortment of corny vaudeville acts. The story centers around Gracie, the daughter of a wealthy business magnate. To prevent a gigolo, who is attempting to seduce his other daughter, from getting his fortune, the father gives all his money, temporarily, to Gracie who promptly turns their Park Avenue manse into a boarding house for impoverished show biz performers. She charges them nothing. Some of the acts that stay there include: Jack Powell, Cal Norris and Monkey, The Buccaneers, Moro and Yaconelli, Pascale Perry and Partner, The Six Candreva Brothers, Seymour and Corncob, Jester and Mole, Jack Cavanaugh and Partner, Six Olympics and Big Boy Williams. In the end, all the residents stage a show to give themselves a chance for a comeback. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Burns, Gracie Allen, (more)
