Vintage Betty White

[Fedya]

TCM is airing the political drama Advise and Consent tomorrow at 3:30 PM ET, about the confirmation battle of a controversial nominee for Secretary of State (played by Henry Fonda).  The Betty White we all know and love has a brief appearance (a dozen lines, if that) as one of the senators (from Kansas, if memory serves; since the Senators are recognized as the Senator from such-and-such state that should help you to spot her).

The movie is quite good even regardless of White's presence; it's filled with an all-star cast including Charles Laughton as the senator leading the fight against confirmation; Franchot Tone as the terminally ill President; Peter Lawford, Walter Pidgeon; and Lew Ayres as Senators; the lovely Gene Tierney as a society doyenne; and even Benson's Inga Swenson as the wife of one of the senators (Don Murray).  A brief warning, though, in that some people may find the movie's portrayal of a gay bar offensive.

[Eric Paddon]

In Betty's scene she spars with George Grizzard, who plays an unscrupulous Senator working on behalf of the nominee.   Several years later on a daytime Password that is part of the GSN package, Betty and George did a week and both recalled their scene together in the movie with Betty first recalling how "mean" George had been to her and George wryly noting that Betty had been tough on his character too.