533949
533949

Petula

"An infamous television special with Petula Clark, which is remembered for what happened off screen."

1968-04-02 en 60m
MusicTV Movie
In 1968 Harry Belafonte and Petula Clark sang together her song On the Path Of Glory for this special on NBC. Not such a remarkable event in itself, but Petula touched Harry's forearm during the duet and made TV history. It was the first time a white woman had touched a black man on US television. The sponsor insisted the touch be cut from the programme, the programme makers refused. In the decade’s “year of revolt”, Clark found herself at the centre of a media controversy involving race, censorship and endemic bigotry in a newly desegregated yet depressingly divided US.

Costume Design

Bill Belew

Director

Steve Binder

Writer

Allan Blye

Writer

Mason Williams

Writer

Steven Hilliard Stern

Writer

Gordon Farr

Status

Released

Countries

  • United States of America

Companies

  • NBC Productions
  • Rodan Productions
  • Steve Binder Productions