Richard Skipper Photo Credit, Stephen Mosher
Marge Champion Photo from the Marge Champion Photo
Collection
I am in favor of covering the stories of individuals
who have been in their careers so long they have made quite a history for
themselves and therefore their stories are worth detailing. That is why interviewers like Richard Skipper
are important, because he brings people to the fore-front who were the champions
of their day, such as 95 year old former dancer, Marge Champion.
Born in Los Angeles, California in 1919, Marge
Champion was the daughter of Ernest and Gladys Baskett. She started dancing at an early age and by 12
became a dance instructor. Walt Disney
noticed her and hired her to model as his character Snow White. She later modeled for Disney, posing as Maid
Marion via Disney’s animated film, “Robin Hood.” She also posed as the dancing hippo in Disney’s
popular film “Fantasia” and modeled as the Blue Fairy in “Pinocchio.” In fact, Marge’s first husband was Art
Babbitt a Disney animator who created the Goofy character. She later married Gower Champion, enjoying a
26 year marriage until they divorced.
Her third and last marriage was to actress Katey Segal’s father, director
Boris Segal.
The
Champion dance team of Gower and Marge Champion made quite the name for
themselves in Hollywood circles in the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in musicals
such as “Show Boat,” “Everything I Have Is Yours” and “Lovely to Look At.” They did a remake of Roberta in 1935. The team went on to do their own TV situation
comedy series entitled The Marge and Gower Champion Show which featured song
and dance numbers. Drummer Buddy Rich
was featured on the show. Marge appeared in The Red Skelton Hour and years
later, appeared in the television program “Fame” and in a Broadway revival of “Follies.” She also co-authored two books with actress
Marilee Zdenek, entitled Catch the New Wind and God Is a Verb.
In
2013, Marge Champion received The Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award at
the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards Ceremony.
Ms. Champion
will share her long and illustrious career with interviewer Richard Skipper at
the Spiral Theater, giving him a rare interview into her life, career and
Hollywood history on Sunday, October 5th, beginning with cocktails
at 5:00 pm and the actual interview at 5:30 pm.
A Meet and Greet will
follow.
For tickets call
845-365-0720. Tickets are $35.00. A portion of the proceeds
from the evening will go to benefit the Spiral Theater Studio. The Spiral Theater Studio is located at 300
West 43rd Street (off of 8th Avenue), Room 603, in Manhattan. Seating is limited
so get your tickets early. An RSVP is highly recommended.
To find out more about the interviewer Richard
Skipper, see http://www.richardskipper.com/bio.html
If you are interested in Old Hollywood and the
stars and movies of that era, you will love this opportunity to meet Ms.
Champion. I know I will be there and I
hope you will be there, too.
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