Skip to Navigation
TV Video Library: Interviews and Video Clips – Archive of American Television
  • A program of the Television Academy Foundation

Capturing Television History, One Voice At A Time

Home › People

Betty Garrett

Actress

"If you just sit around and wait for the phone to ring, you’ll get nowhere."

About This Interview

Actress Betty Garrett (1919-2011) talked about her early years training as an actress and dancer at the Neighborhood Playhouse and with Martha Graham in New York City in the 1930s. She described her stage debut in 1938 in Orson Welles and John Houseman’s Mercury Theatre production of “Danton’s Death.”  She described her other stage roles, such as “Something for the Boys” with Ethel Merman and “Laffing Room Only” with Olsen and Johnson.  She described her movie career at MGM and the dark days of the Hollywood Blacklist that greatly affected her and her husband, Larry Parks.  She talked about her first work in television in the earliest days in Chicago and on such New York shows as All Star Revue and Texaco Command Appearance.  She talked about her television work in the 1960s in The Art Carney Specials, The Chevy Show, The Lloyd Bridges Show, and The Fugitive. She described in great detail the two television roles for which she is most identified, “Irene Lorenzo” on All in the Family and “Edna Babbish” on Laverne & Shirley.  Finally she talked about later guest appearances on such series as Murder She Wrote, The Golden Girls, and Becker. Karen Herman interviewed Betty Garrett  on May 21, 2003 for 2.5 hours in Studio City, CA. 

Related To This Video

  • Shows
  • People
  • Topics

Shows

  • All in the Family
  • Fugitive, The
  • Golden Girls, The
  • Laverne & Shirley
  • Murder, She Wrote

People

  • Norman Lear

Topics

  • Television Industry

Featured Content

Video: The 3 minute opening segment shown at Betty Garrett's 90th Birthday Bash on May 31st 2009. The music is from the end credits of the 1983 film "Max Dugan Returns" composed by David Shire. Edited by David Engel.

You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.
  • Chapters
  • Shows
  • People
  • Topics

Chapters

  • Chapter 1
  • On her early years training as an actress and dancer at the Neighborhood Playhouse and with Martha Graham in New York City in the 1930s; onher stage debut in 1938 in Orson Welles and John Houseman’s Mercury Theatre production of “Danton’s Death”; on Broadway stage roles in "Call Me Mister" and  “Something for the Boys” with Ethel Merman
  • Chapter 2
  • On working in “Laffing Room Only” with Olsen and Johnson; on her movie career at MGM; on the dark days of the Hollywood Blacklist that greatly affected her and her husband, Larry Parks
  • Chapter 3
  • On her television work in the 1960s in The Art Carney Specials, The Chevy Show, The Lloyd Bridges Show, and The Fugitive;on her role as “Irene Lorenzo” on All in the Family
  • Chapter 4
  • On her role as“Irene Lorenzo” on All in the Family;on playing "Edna Babbish” on Laverne & Shirley; on her guest appearances on such series as Murder She Wrote, The Golden Girls, and The Good Life
  • Chapter 5
  • On her guest roles in Hearts of the West, Becker, and Boston Public; on the importance of continuing to work; on advice to aspiring performers; on how she'd like to be remembered; on some of the people she worked with in her career; on some photos illustrating her career

Shows

  • All in the Family
    • Betty Garrett on her role as Irene Lorenzo on All in the Family
    • Betty Garrett on fellow castmembers Rob Reiner and Vincent Gardenia; and eventually leaving All in the Family (06m 24s)
  • Fugitive, The
    • Betty Garrett on guest starring on The Fugitive episode "Escape into Black" (airdate: November 17, 1964) (01m 56s)
  • Golden Girls, The
    • Betty Garrett on her one guest appearance on The Golden Girls (01m 05s)
  • Laverne & Shirley
    • Betty Garrett on her role as Edna Babbish on Laverne & Shirley (14m 33s)
  • Murder, She Wrote
    • Betty Garrett on her two guest appearances on Murder, She Wrote (02m 40s)

People

  • Vincent Gardenia
    • Betty Garrett on her role as Irene Lorenzo on All in the Family
  • David Janssen
    • Betty Garrett on guest starring on The Fugitive episode "Escape into Black" (airdate: November 17, 1964) (01m 56s)
  • Norman Lear
    • Betty Garrett on her role as Irene Lorenzo on All in the Family
  • Sada Thompson
    • Betty Garrett on her role as Irene Lorenzo on All in the Family

Topics

  • Television Industry > Industry Crossroads > Hollywood Blacklist (ca. 1950s)
    • Betty Garrett on how McCarthyism and the Blacklist deeply affected her and husband Larry Parks (16m 36s)
SHARE THIS PAGE Bookmark and Share
Tweet

Submitted by codern on Mon, 2011-02-28 06:35.

r.i.p sweet betty :)

Submitted by 7855waldo on Tue, 2011-02-15 07:51.

That's right, pure class. And an indomitable sense of humor.

Submitted by 7855waldo on Tue, 2011-02-15 07:44.

And 50 times the talent of Betty White.

Submitted by rob041 on Mon, 2011-02-14 08:17.

RIP Betty

Submitted by cbalducc on Sun, 2011-02-13 23:39.

She died Saturday, February 12 at the age of 91. RIP, Betty.

Submitted by LouisDE1 on Sun, 2011-02-13 18:34.

A wonderful, accomplished performer! R.I.P. , dear lady, we'll miss you.

Submitted by Kilia40 on Sun, 2011-02-13 17:06.

RIP, Betty. I enjoyed your movies and TV characters very much.

Submitted by MIKESOWELL on Sun, 2011-02-13 04:36.

RIP

Submitted by ThePedrosanta on Sat, 2011-01-22 04:26.

Mrs.Babish,I love you.

Submitted by petclark1 on Wed, 2010-11-24 06:49.

What an incredible woman. And talk abour CLASS. Thank goodness for these interviews!

Submitted by mrlepto on Sat, 2010-09-11 00:37.

i love you Betty!! you made All In The Family so good!

Submitted by gabsylv on Wed, 2010-09-01 00:11.

@hellasexy089 because they're focussed on TV history

Post new comment

  • Home
  • Interviews
    • People
    • Shows
    • Topics
    • Professions
    • All Interviewees
    • Featured Playlists
  • About The Archive
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Search
Academy of American Television
  • Home
  • The Interviews
  • Advanced Search
  • Blog
  • License Our Clips
  • Terms of Service
  • Transcripts
  • Copyright Policy
  • Emmys.com
  • Emmysfoundation.org
  • About The Archive
© 1995-2012 Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation All Rights Reserved Emmy and The Emmy Statuette are the trademark property of ATAS/NATAS
Site developed by FivePaths