"The Ole' Redhead," as Arthur Godfrey was once called. I remember, mostly, his TV specials and commercials and his radio program on CBS when I was younger. I thought he was one of the most humble, friendly personalities in broadcasting. I did not learn about the Julius La Rosa incident until years later, nor did I hear of Godfrey mocking sponsors in favor of advertisers he preferred. What a shame that his popularity declined after those aforementioned incidents. Thank you for the Sunday Morning feature.
Jealousy and his ego were his undoing. When he claimed LaRosa had lost his humility, the media firestorm took off. There's a clip of Andy Rooney discussing this incident who worked for Godfrey at the time.
He was the CBS "cash cow" He had the morning program 5 days a week, the Talent Scouts on Monday night, and Arthur Godfrey and his Friends (don't remember the night). Story is that he went to the CBS executives with LaRosa as a "problem". They suggested that he fire LaRosa on the air, just like he hired him. Looking at it today, one has to wonder how an why the CBS executives came up with that idea. When Godfrey died, I don't remember any tributes or retrospectives. Sort of sad.
He did two more tv shows in the 1960's'Candid Camera"(co-hosting that series for a time with Allan Funt)and"Your All American Collage Show"...but..his stint with those series was short lived..and his tv apppearances were limited to guest spots on episodic tv shows, talk shows and tv specials.
Apparently Allen Funt was less than pleased by having a "co-host" pushed on him for his own show, as CBS tried for years (pretty much 20 years after his peak) to get their money's worth out of Godfrey.
There's a good movie: The Great Man, co written, directed by and staring Jose Ferrer that tells this SOBs story. What Citizen Kane did for Hearse, The Great Man does for Godfrey.
If you thought the La Rosa incident was bad, look up his TV downfall after mocking a certain sponsor on his live TV program! One of many prominent figures who didn't make it past the 1950's.🇵🇷🇺🇸🤔
Jose Morales; Godfrey was famous for kidding sponsors, but I'm not aware of him actually losing " a certain sponsor" on account of it. For someone who "didn't make it past the 1950's", at least his daily radio show lasted well into the 1970's, and he seemed to always be doing TV commercials into his old age.
The LaRosa firing seems a minor incident today, though admittedly Mr. Godfrey treated the singer shabbily. Despite this being pinpointed as the start of Godfrey's demise, his show continued on for several more seasons regardless. I can't entirely blame the beloved ukulele-player for this downfall. This is the sort of thing that can happen when sudden fame and wealth overhwhelm a person. As CBS granted the immensely popular host total control over his show, along with numerous other benefits & perks, it's understandable that one's ego becomes inflated with ever-increasing momentum. The show's enormous ratings, based on Godfrey's warmth, sincerity, and fabulous sales-ability, all contributed. To go from obscurity to having one's face plastered all-over national magazine covers, including TIME, changes a person, transforming initial humility into infallibility. We shouldn't forget, either, that Mr. Godfrey must've experienced a huge amount of pressure, juggling more than one show, on both TV & radio, multiple times a week, maintaining ratings, etc., making anyone snap over a seemingly-small matter as LaRosa's "disloyalty" and/or Godfrey's increasingly negative comments about sponsors or other celebrities, unwise though these were. The show still had an amazingly long run despite these characteristics. In short, before fame, wealth, and adulation got the better of him, Mr. Godfrey was a true pioneer of early network-TV--and a welcome, friendly presence in millions of people's households.
In reading about those folks who worked with Arthur Godfrey is the story of the dictatorial nature of the man and eventually he would turn on those who helped make his shows successful. Additionally, the Budd Schulberg story "A Face in the Crowd", is loosely based on Arthur Godfrey and Tennessee Ernie Ford and concerns an itinerant musician with a folksy southern drawl who gets discovered quite by accident and becomes famous. He then uses the fairly new medium of television to advance his own agenda as he gains popularity and scorns the little people who comprise practically the whole of his listening audience and from where he himself came from. His downfall is dramatic and complete.
Yet they don't mention one word about his amazing flying life. He was a honorary Captain with Eastern Airlines, he flew a Constellation Conny!!! The most classic four engine Airliner ever built!!! He owned and flew his own private DC-3. He loved flying. He kept his aircraft at a field in Virgina he named, 'Leesburg International Cow Pasture!'
![Arthur Godfrey and Friends w/Julius LaRosa (January 28, 1953) - CBS kinescope [SHOW FRAGMENT]](/img/n.gif)
"The Ole' Redhead," as Arthur Godfrey was once called. I remember, mostly, his TV specials and commercials and his radio program on CBS when I was younger. I thought he was one of the most humble, friendly personalities in broadcasting. I did not learn about the Julius La Rosa incident until years later, nor did I hear of Godfrey mocking sponsors in favor of advertisers he preferred. What a shame that his popularity declined after those aforementioned incidents. Thank you for the Sunday Morning feature.
Jealousy and his ego were his undoing. When he claimed LaRosa had lost his humility, the media firestorm took off. There's a clip of Andy Rooney discussing this incident who worked for Godfrey at the time.
The equivalent of going viral.
Godfrey was a complicated man. I refer all interested to his Wikipedia article,
Godfrey was good, he just chose not to continue a regular format, a loss :(
All human beings are complicated.
He was the CBS "cash cow" He had the morning program 5 days a week, the Talent Scouts on Monday night, and Arthur Godfrey and his Friends (don't remember the night). Story is that he went to the CBS executives with LaRosa as a "problem". They suggested that he fire LaRosa on the air, just like he hired him. Looking at it today, one has to wonder how an why the CBS executives came up with that idea. When Godfrey died, I don't remember any tributes or retrospectives. Sort of sad.
This was before I was born.
A megalomaniac who is totally forgotten today.
He did two more tv shows in the 1960's'Candid Camera"(co-hosting that series for a time with Allan Funt)and"Your All American Collage Show"...but..his stint with those series was short lived..and his tv apppearances were limited to guest spots on episodic tv shows, talk shows and tv specials.
Apparently Allen Funt was less than pleased by having a "co-host" pushed on him for his own show, as CBS tried for years (pretty much 20 years after his peak) to get their money's worth out of Godfrey.
There's a good movie: The Great Man, co written, directed by and staring Jose Ferrer that tells this SOBs story.
What Citizen Kane did for Hearse, The Great Man does for Godfrey.
looks like LaRosa DID help the show; too bad he & Godfrey didn't come to some amicable agreement-
If you thought the La Rosa incident was bad, look up his TV downfall after mocking a certain sponsor on his live TV program! One of many prominent figures who didn't make it past the 1950's.🇵🇷🇺🇸🤔
Jose Morales; Godfrey was famous for kidding sponsors, but I'm not aware of him actually losing " a certain sponsor" on account of it. For someone who "didn't make it past the 1950's", at least his daily radio show lasted well into the 1970's, and he seemed to always be doing TV commercials into his old age.
The LaRosa firing seems a minor incident today, though admittedly Mr. Godfrey treated the singer shabbily. Despite this being pinpointed as the start of Godfrey's demise, his show continued on for several more seasons regardless. I can't entirely blame the beloved ukulele-player for this downfall. This is the sort of thing that can happen when sudden fame and wealth overhwhelm a person. As CBS granted the immensely popular host total control over his show, along with numerous other benefits & perks, it's understandable that one's ego becomes inflated with ever-increasing momentum. The show's enormous ratings, based on Godfrey's warmth, sincerity, and fabulous sales-ability, all contributed. To go from obscurity to having one's face plastered all-over national magazine covers, including TIME, changes a person, transforming initial humility into infallibility. We shouldn't forget, either, that Mr. Godfrey must've experienced a huge amount of pressure, juggling more than one show, on both TV & radio, multiple times a week, maintaining ratings, etc., making anyone snap over a seemingly-small matter as LaRosa's "disloyalty" and/or Godfrey's increasingly negative comments about sponsors or other celebrities, unwise though these were. The show still had an amazingly long run despite these characteristics. In short, before fame, wealth, and adulation got the better of him, Mr. Godfrey was a true pioneer of early network-TV--and a welcome, friendly presence in millions of people's households.
In reading about those folks who worked with Arthur Godfrey is the story of the dictatorial nature of the man and eventually he would turn on those who helped make his shows successful. Additionally, the Budd Schulberg story "A Face in the Crowd", is loosely based on Arthur Godfrey and Tennessee Ernie Ford and concerns an itinerant musician with a folksy southern drawl who gets discovered quite by accident and becomes famous. He then uses the fairly new medium of television to advance his own agenda as he gains popularity and scorns the little people who comprise practically the whole of his listening audience and from where he himself came from. His downfall is dramatic and complete.
Yet they don't mention one word about his amazing flying life. He was a honorary Captain with Eastern Airlines, he flew a Constellation Conny!!! The most classic four engine Airliner ever built!!! He owned and flew his own private DC-3. He loved flying. He kept his aircraft at a field in Virgina he named, 'Leesburg International Cow Pasture!'
Gilbert Gottfried’s father