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Betty Furness

January 01, 1970

Elizabeth Mary Furness (January 3, 1916 – April 2, 1994) was an American actress, consumer advocate, and current affairs commentator.

Betty Furness
from the film Mama Steps Out (1937)
2nd Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs
In office
May 1, 1967 – January 20, 1969
PresidentLyndon B. Johnson
Preceded byEsther Peterson
Succeeded byVirginia Knauer
Personal details
Born
Elizabeth Mary Furness

(1916-01-03)January 3, 1916
New York City, U.S.
DiedApril 2, 1994(1994-04-02) (aged 78)
New York City, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Leslie Midgley
(1967-1994) (her death)
Hugh "Bud" Ernst[1]
(1945-1946; 1946-1950) (his death)
Johnny Green (1937-1943)
Children4

Early years edit

Furness was born in Manhattan, the daughter of wealthy business executive George Choate Furness and his wife Florence.[1] She attended the Brearley School and Bennett Junior College.[2]

Furness made her stage debut in the school holidays in the title role of Alice in Wonderland. She also posed for commercial advertising. She began her professional career as a model before being noticed by a talent scout and being signed to a film contract in 1932 by RKO Studios. Her first film role was as the "Thirteenth Woman" in the film Thirteen Women (1932) but her scenes were deleted before the film's release.

Over the next few years, she appeared in several RKO films, and became a popular actress. Among her film successes were Magnificent Obsession (1935) and the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film Swing Time (1936). By the end of the decade, she had appeared in over forty films, but during the 1940s, she found it difficult to secure acting roles.

Career edit

In 1948, Furness was performing in the television series Studio One, which was broadcast live. She filled in for an actor to promote Westinghouse products during the advertisement break, and impressed the company with her easy and professional manner. They offered her a contract to promote their products and she thus became closely associated with them.

Early television commercials often utilized radio performers who had a difficult time adjusting to the visual medium of TV, leading to sometimes embarrassing incidents such as a Westinghouse commercial where a woman demonstrating an electric stove spilled hot chocolate all over it. Furness, due to her experience at Studio One, felt that she could do a better job. An advertising agency offered her a shot, and she found that she had a natural talent for commercials. Making $150 a week at first, Furness did three Westinghouse commercials (they were the sole sponsor of the show) for every episode of Studio One, all of them shot live as video tape did not yet exist. (One live spot featured a refrigerator door that refused to open, causing one of the most famous bloopers in TV history; however, this was not Furness, but actress June Graham, who was substituting for her. For decades, Furness was "credited" for the blooper, until she set the record straight in the 1981 TV special TV's Censored Bloopers.)[3]

Furness proved a successful spokeswoman because of her good looks and attractive, but neat and modest clothing, which she changed three times a day. She also proved strongly independent-minded about her appearance and image, refusing to adopt a stage name or wear an apron after Westinghouse offered these suggestions. She did however agree to wear a wedding ring on camera to appear more like a housewife. Furness also purchased all of her clothing herself, not wanting Westinghouse to decide her appearance for her. During the political party conventions in the 1952 presidential election, which was heavily sponsored by Westinghouse, Furness wore 28 different outfits, enough to become the subject of a Life story.

Furness's contract with Westinghouse eventually resulted in her receiving an annual salary of $100,000 and her advertisements caused sales of the company's appliances to soar, with the one notable exception of the dishwasher, which proved a hard sell after market research found that American women were reluctant to buy a device that would in effect completely automate their kitchen and give them nothing to do.

One of television's most recognizable series of commercials had Furness opening wide a refrigerator door, intoning, "You can be sure ... if it's Westinghouse." (The spots were so well known they were often parodied: one Mad magazine gag imagined the words on a neon sign, with a few key letters burned out: YOU CAN ..SU.E IF IT'S WESTINGHOUSE!")[4]

Furness hosted ABC's Penthouse Party which ran for 39 episodes from September 1950 to June 1951. Furness was a regular panelist on the CBS panel show What's My Line? in 1951. She appeared in a series of live mysteries on ABC, under the weighty title Your Kaiser Dealer Presents Kaiser-Frazer "Adventures In Mystery" Starring Betty Furness In "Byline" which ran in November and December 1951, and again on ABC in syndication in the fall of 1957. The series was produced by the DuMont Television Network and ran on DuMont under the title News Gal.

In 1953, she appeared in her own daytime television series Meet Betty Furness, which was sponsored by Westinghouse.[5] In 1959, a new Westinghouse president decided to drop Furness, possibly because he wished to impose his own ideas on the company, and suggested getting a new, slightly younger spokeswoman. Despite some resistance from the company marketing department, he won out and Furness was released from her contract at the end of 1960. Her final spots for Westinghouse were seen within the CBS News coverage of the July 1960 Los Angeles Democratic Convention, the August 1960 Chicago Republican Convention and the evening of November 8 election returns. She then attempted to move into a less commercialized role in television, but found herself too closely associated with advertising to be taken seriously. During this time, she worked on radio and also on behalf of the Democratic Party.

Furness has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for her contribution to motion pictures at 1533 Vine Street and for her contribution to television at 6675 Hollywood Blvd.[6][7]

Consumer advocacy edit

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson, aware of her work for the Democratic Party, contacted Furness and offered her the position of Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs.[8] She accepted the assignment and continued in this role until the end of the Johnson administration in 1969. During her tenure she silenced her critics by applying herself studiously to her role and learning the issues relating to consumer rights. From 1969 until 1993 she served as a board member for Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports.[1] She was appointed by then-Governor of New York Nelson Rockefeller in August 1970 to serve as the first chairman and executive director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board, and served in the position until July 1971 before returning to television. In 1971, Furness was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board.[9][10] In 1973 she also headed the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.[1]

Signed by WNBC in New York, Furness reported on consumer issues, and specifically targeted examples of consumer fraud. In 1976 she began an association with The Today Show filling in as anchor following the departure of Barbara Walters and providing regular reports. In 1977 her program Buyline: Betty Furness won the Peabody Award.[11]

Personal life edit

Furness married four times. Her first marriage was to composer-conductor Johnny Green in 1937, with whom she had one child. After her divorce from Green in 1943, she married radio announcer Hugh "Bud" Ernst Jr. twice - first in 1945, and again in 1946. Her second marriage to him lasted until his death in 1950 when, depressed over the breakup of their marriage, he shot himself after phoning a New York newspaper and declaring, "If you want a good story, come and get it". She married again in 1967 to Leslie Midgley, who survived her.[1] Liza Snyder, from the CBS Television series Yes, Dear and Man with a Plan is her granddaughter.[citation needed]

In 1990, Furness was treated for stomach cancer, and cut down her schedule on The Today Show to four days. NBC used this as an excuse to fire her two years later, along with a network decision to change their consumer reporting to a more tabloid-style format. Furness was not happy with her termination and cited it as an example of age discrimination. She expressed her desire to continue working, but a recurrence of stomach cancer prevented her from doing so.

Furness expressed her philosophy of never declining a job, and she believed it was the reason that she progressed through such an unconventional series of professions. During her illness, she stated that she wanted nothing more than to be able to work, and mentioned in an interview that, as far as her cancer went, "the treatment is worse than the disease."[citation needed] Her health continued to deteriorate until her death from stomach cancer on April 2, 1994, at age 78 in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.[7]

Partial filmography edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Severo, Richard (4 April 1994). "Betty Furness, 78, TV Reporter And Consumer Advocate, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  2. ^ Oliver, Myrna (4 April 1994). "Betty Furness; Ad Star, Consumer Advocate". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  3. ^ TV's Censored Bloopers, NBC, 1981
  4. ^ Mad magazine, January 1960, p. 45
  5. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 283. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Betty Furness". October 25, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Betty Furness - L.A. Times Hollywood Star Walk
  8. ^ "Betty Furness Is Sworn In As Top Consumer Advocate". The Lewiston Daily Sun. May 1, 1967. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  9. ^ William E. Farrell (11 August 1970). . The New York Times. p. 29. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  10. ^ Staff writers (9 July 1972). "State Will Name Consumer Chief". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  11. ^ "Buyline: Betty Furness". www.peabodyawards.com. Retrieved 20 July 2016.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Betty Furness.

January 01, 1970
betty, furness, elizabeth, mary, furness, january, 1916, april, 1994, american, actress, consumer, advocate, current, affairs, commentator, from, film, mama, steps, 1937, special, assistant, president, consumer, affairsin, office, 1967, january, 1969presidentl. Elizabeth Mary Furness January 3 1916 April 2 1994 was an American actress consumer advocate and current affairs commentator Betty Furnessfrom the film Mama Steps Out 1937 2nd Special Assistant to the President for Consumer AffairsIn office May 1 1967 January 20 1969PresidentLyndon B JohnsonPreceded byEsther PetersonSucceeded byVirginia KnauerPersonal detailsBornElizabeth Mary Furness 1916 01 03 January 3 1916New York City U S DiedApril 2 1994 1994 04 02 aged 78 New York City U S Political partyDemocraticSpouse s Leslie Midgley 1967 1994 her death Hugh Bud Ernst 1 1945 1946 1946 1950 his death Johnny Green 1937 1943 Children4 Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 3 Consumer advocacy 4 Personal life 5 Partial filmography 6 References 7 External linksEarly years editFurness was born in Manhattan the daughter of wealthy business executive George Choate Furness and his wife Florence 1 She attended the Brearley School and Bennett Junior College 2 Furness made her stage debut in the school holidays in the title role of Alice in Wonderland She also posed for commercial advertising She began her professional career as a model before being noticed by a talent scout and being signed to a film contract in 1932 by RKO Studios Her first film role was as the Thirteenth Woman in the film Thirteen Women 1932 but her scenes were deleted before the film s release Over the next few years she appeared in several RKO films and became a popular actress Among her film successes were Magnificent Obsession 1935 and the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film Swing Time 1936 By the end of the decade she had appeared in over forty films but during the 1940s she found it difficult to secure acting roles Career editThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message In 1948 Furness was performing in the television series Studio One which was broadcast live She filled in for an actor to promote Westinghouse products during the advertisement break and impressed the company with her easy and professional manner They offered her a contract to promote their products and she thus became closely associated with them Early television commercials often utilized radio performers who had a difficult time adjusting to the visual medium of TV leading to sometimes embarrassing incidents such as a Westinghouse commercial where a woman demonstrating an electric stove spilled hot chocolate all over it Furness due to her experience at Studio One felt that she could do a better job An advertising agency offered her a shot and she found that she had a natural talent for commercials Making 150 a week at first Furness did three Westinghouse commercials they were the sole sponsor of the show for every episode of Studio One all of them shot live as video tape did not yet exist One live spot featured a refrigerator door that refused to open causing one of the most famous bloopers in TV history however this was not Furness but actress June Graham who was substituting for her For decades Furness was credited for the blooper until she set the record straight in the 1981 TV special TV s Censored Bloopers 3 Furness proved a successful spokeswoman because of her good looks and attractive but neat and modest clothing which she changed three times a day She also proved strongly independent minded about her appearance and image refusing to adopt a stage name or wear an apron after Westinghouse offered these suggestions She did however agree to wear a wedding ring on camera to appear more like a housewife Furness also purchased all of her clothing herself not wanting Westinghouse to decide her appearance for her During the political party conventions in the 1952 presidential election which was heavily sponsored by Westinghouse Furness wore 28 different outfits enough to become the subject of a Life story Furness s contract with Westinghouse eventually resulted in her receiving an annual salary of 100 000 and her advertisements caused sales of the company s appliances to soar with the one notable exception of the dishwasher which proved a hard sell after market research found that American women were reluctant to buy a device that would in effect completely automate their kitchen and give them nothing to do One of television s most recognizable series of commercials had Furness opening wide a refrigerator door intoning You can be sure if it s Westinghouse The spots were so well known they were often parodied one Mad magazine gag imagined the words on a neon sign with a few key letters burned out YOU CAN SU E IF IT S WESTINGHOUSE 4 Furness hosted ABC s Penthouse Party which ran for 39 episodes from September 1950 to June 1951 Furness was a regular panelist on the CBS panel show What s My Line in 1951 She appeared in a series of live mysteries on ABC under the weighty title Your Kaiser Dealer Presents Kaiser Frazer Adventures In Mystery Starring Betty Furness In Byline which ran in November and December 1951 and again on ABC in syndication in the fall of 1957 The series was produced by the DuMont Television Network and ran on DuMont under the title News Gal In 1953 she appeared in her own daytime television series Meet Betty Furness which was sponsored by Westinghouse 5 In 1959 a new Westinghouse president decided to drop Furness possibly because he wished to impose his own ideas on the company and suggested getting a new slightly younger spokeswoman Despite some resistance from the company marketing department he won out and Furness was released from her contract at the end of 1960 Her final spots for Westinghouse were seen within the CBS News coverage of the July 1960 Los Angeles Democratic Convention the August 1960 Chicago Republican Convention and the evening of November 8 election returns She then attempted to move into a less commercialized role in television but found herself too closely associated with advertising to be taken seriously During this time she worked on radio and also on behalf of the Democratic Party Furness has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to motion pictures at 1533 Vine Street and for her contribution to television at 6675 Hollywood Blvd 6 7 Consumer advocacy editIn 1967 President Lyndon B Johnson aware of her work for the Democratic Party contacted Furness and offered her the position of Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs 8 She accepted the assignment and continued in this role until the end of the Johnson administration in 1969 During her tenure she silenced her critics by applying herself studiously to her role and learning the issues relating to consumer rights From 1969 until 1993 she served as a board member for Consumers Union publisher of Consumer Reports 1 She was appointed by then Governor of New York Nelson Rockefeller in August 1970 to serve as the first chairman and executive director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board and served in the position until July 1971 before returning to television In 1971 Furness was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board 9 10 In 1973 she also headed the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs 1 Signed by WNBC in New York Furness reported on consumer issues and specifically targeted examples of consumer fraud In 1976 she began an association with The Today Show filling in as anchor following the departure of Barbara Walters and providing regular reports In 1977 her program Buyline Betty Furness won the Peabody Award 11 Personal life editFurness married four times Her first marriage was to composer conductor Johnny Green in 1937 with whom she had one child After her divorce from Green in 1943 she married radio announcer Hugh Bud Ernst Jr twice first in 1945 and again in 1946 Her second marriage to him lasted until his death in 1950 when depressed over the breakup of their marriage he shot himself after phoning a New York newspaper and declaring If you want a good story come and get it She married again in 1967 to Leslie Midgley who survived her 1 Liza Snyder from the CBS Television series Yes Dear and Man with a Plan is her granddaughter citation needed In 1990 Furness was treated for stomach cancer and cut down her schedule on The Today Show to four days NBC used this as an excuse to fire her two years later along with a network decision to change their consumer reporting to a more tabloid style format Furness was not happy with her termination and cited it as an example of age discrimination She expressed her desire to continue working but a recurrence of stomach cancer prevented her from doing so Furness expressed her philosophy of never declining a job and she believed it was the reason that she progressed through such an unconventional series of professions During her illness she stated that she wanted nothing more than to be able to work and mentioned in an interview that as far as her cancer went the treatment is worse than the disease citation needed Her health continued to deteriorate until her death from stomach cancer on April 2 1994 at age 78 in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 7 Partial filmography editRenegades of the West 1932 Lucky Devils 1933 The Great Jasper 1933 Scarlet River 1933 Emergency Call 1933 Headline Shooter 1933 Midshipman Jack 1933 Aggie Appleby Maker of Men 1933 Ace of Aces 1933 uncredited Flying Down to Rio 1933 uncredited Beggars in Ermine 1934 Dangerous Corner 1934 A Wicked Woman 1934 Gridiron Flash 1934 The Band Plays On 1934 The Life of Vergie Winters 1934 Here Comes Cookie 1935 Shadow of Doubt 1935 McFadden s Flats 1935 Calm Yourself 1935 The Keeper of the Bees 1935 Magnificent Obsession 1935 The Three Wise Guys 1936 The President s Mystery 1936 All American Chump 1936 Mr Cinderella 1936 Swing Time 1936 They Wanted to Marry 1937 Mama Steps Out 1937 The Good Old Soak 1937 It Can t Last Forever 1937 North of Shanghai 1939 Tomorrow Always Comes 1941 A Face in the Crowd 1957 uncredited cameo as herself References edit a b c d e Severo Richard 4 April 1994 Betty Furness 78 TV Reporter And Consumer Advocate Dies The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 5 January 2015 Oliver Myrna 4 April 1994 Betty Furness Ad Star Consumer Advocate Los Angeles Times Retrieved 8 August 2016 TV s Censored Bloopers NBC 1981 Mad magazine January 1960 p 45 Hyatt Wesley 1997 The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television Watson Guptill Publications p 283 ISBN 978 0823083152 Retrieved 22 March 2020 Betty Furness October 25 2019 a b Betty Furness L A Times Hollywood Star Walk Betty Furness Is Sworn In As Top Consumer Advocate The Lewiston Daily Sun May 1 1967 Retrieved February 17 2012 William E Farrell 11 August 1970 Betty Furness Heads State s Consumer Board The New York Times p 29 Archived from the original on 6 January 2015 Retrieved 2008 11 02 Staff writers 9 July 1972 State Will Name Consumer Chief The New York Times Retrieved 2008 11 02 Buyline Betty Furness www peabodyawards com Retrieved 20 July 2016 External links edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Betty Furness Betty Furness at IMDb Betty Furness at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Photographs and literature Betty Furness at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Betty Furness amp oldid 1216325626, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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