About
"I never remember a time when I wasn't dancing. I had my first tutu before I was a year old because I have a picture in that. I don't think I started any serious training until I was about five or six."
In her five-hour interview, Marge Champion (1919-2020) talks about her early years growing up as the daughter of a choreographer in Hollywood. She describes working for Walt Disney as the motion model for "Snow White." She recounts moving to New York in 1939 to make it on Broadway and her marriage to long-time collaborator Gower Champion. She recalls developing her act with Gower Champion and appearing on an early television test. Champion discusses several television appearances she and Gower made in the 1950s, including Admiral Broadway Revue, Your Show of Shows, and The Ed Sullivan Show. She outlines touring the Soviet Union with Sullivan, and later starring in her own series The Marge and Gower Champion Show. She speaks of several late 1950s and early '60s television appearances including The Bell Telephone Hour, The Dinah Shore Show, and The Perry Como Show. She details retiring from performing and her subsequent split with Gower Champion, as well as her career as a choreographer. She talks about choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, for which she received an Emmy Award. Sunny Parich conducted the interview on October 30, 1998 in Stockbridge, MA.
Highlights

Marge Champion on her first appearance on television

Marge Champion on her relationship with Gower Champion as a dancer

Marge Champion on The Marge and Gower Champion Show

Marge Champion on choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom for which she won an Emmy

Marge Champion on how she'd like to be remembered and her influence

Marge Champion on deciding she wanted to be a dancer
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her early life and influences; on her early interest in dance and being trained by her father
On deciding she wanted to be a dancer; on teaching dance in her early years and her early dance performances; on her father's dance class students
On living though the Great Depression; on meeting Gower Champion
Chapter 2
On meeting Gower Champion; on working for Disney and modeling for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
On attending Hollywood High; on the "racy" elements of Hollywood; on her first marriage and touring with The Three Stooges; on her early dancing jobs after graduating high school
Chapter 3
On her early appearances in movies; on moving to New York City in 1939; on taking acting lessons in New York City and breaking into Broadway
On her experiences during World War II; on reuniting with Gower Champion after World War II; on her relationship with Gower Champion as a dancer
Chapter 4
On her chemistry with Gower Champion and their rehearsal process; on the process of creating a dance number; on her and Gower Champion's act
On choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom; on developing her act with Gower Champion and their first time on television
Chapter 5
On her first appearance on television; on her and Gower Champion's getting hired for Admiral Broadway Revue; on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera
On the rehearsals for Your Show of Shows; on the feeling right before going on "live" TV for Your Show of Shows; on the logistics of shooting her and Gower Champion dancing for television
On her father seeing her on television and performing on live television; on how audiences had changed since she started on television
Chapter 6
On mishaps on live television and appearing on Person to Person; on leaving Admiral Broadway Revue and going on the road with Gower Champion; on appearing in the feature "Showboat" and other features and working for Howard Hughes
On appearing in various features with Gower Champion; on Gower Champion experimenting with choreography on film; on appearing in cinemascope features and appearing in the feature "Three for the Show"
Chapter 7
On The Marge and Gower Champion Show; on the writers, characters and guest stars of The Marge and Gower Champion Show
On working on The Dinah Shore Show and various other television shows in the late '50s; on how performers have changed since she started in the business; on her favorite medium to work in as a performer
Chapter 8
On appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show with Gower Champion and touring the Soviet Union with Ed Sullivan
On creating material specifically for television and the public's reaction to her television appearances; on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show; on her and Gower Champion's final television appearance on The Bell Telephone Hour
Chapter 9
On how the medium of television changed during her active years; on the Hollywood Blacklist; on being named Woman of the Year by the "Los Angeles Times" in 1969
On assisting Gower Champion in his choreography and her directing career; on the social upheaval of the 1960s and her split with Gower Champion; on her various activities after her split with Gower Champion including choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
On retiring from dancing and doing straight acting; on advice to aspiring dancers; on losing her dress in front of the Queen of England
Chapter 10
On career highlights and regrets and working with Harry Belafonte; on the then-future of television
On various people with whom she has worked in her career
On her father's legacy; on the legacy of Gower Champion; on how she'd like to be remembered and her influence
Shows
Admiral Broadway Revue
Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion getting hired for Admiral Broadway Revue
Marge Champion on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera
Marge Champion on leaving Admiral Broadway Revue and going on the road with Gower Champion
Bell Telephone Hour, The
Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion's final television appearance on The Bell Telephone Hour
Dinah Shore Show, The
Marge Champion on working on The Dinah Shore Show and various other television shows in the late '50s
Ed Sullivan Show, The aka Toast of the Town
Marge Champion on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show with Gower Champion and touring the Soviet Union with Ed Sullivan
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
Marge Champion on choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, for which she won an Emmy
Marge and Gower Champion Show, The
Marge Champion on The Marge and Gower Champion Show
Marge Champion on the writers, characters and guest stars of The Marge and Gower Champion Show
Perry Como Show, The
Marge Champion on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show
Person to Person
Marge Champion on mishaps on live television and appearing on Person to Person
Your Show of Shows
Marge Champion on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera
Marge Champion on the rehearsals for Your Show of Shows (which she appeared on with Gower Champion)
Marge Champion on the feeling right before going on "live" TV for Your Show of Shows (which she appeared on with Gower Champion)
Topics
Advice
Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers
Bloopers
Marge Champion on mishaps on live television and appearing on Person to Person
Marge Champion on losing her dress in front of the Queen of England
Emmy Awards
Marge Champion on choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom for which she won an Emmy
Historic Events and Social Change
Marge Champion on her experiences during World War II
Hollywood Blacklist
Marge Champion on the Hollywood Blacklist
Industry Crossroads
Marge Champion on the Hollywood Blacklist
Television Industry
Marge Champion on how audiences had changed since she started on television
Marge Champion on how performers have changed since she started in the business
Marge Champion on how the medium of television changed during her active years
Marge Champion on the Hollywood Blacklist
Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers
Marge Champion on the then-future of television
World War II
Marge Champion on her experiences during World War II
Professions
Dancer/Choreographer
Marge Champion on her chemistry with Gower Champion and her rehearsal process
Marge Champion on the process of creating a dance number
Marge Champion on developing her act with Gower Champion and their first time on television
Marge Champion on the logistics of shooting her and Gower Champion dancing for television
Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers
Performers
Marge Champion on her chemistry with Gower Champion and her rehearsal process
Marge Champion on the process of creating a dance number
Marge Champion on developing her act with Gower Champion and their first time on television
Marge Champion on the logistics of shooting her and Gower Champion dancing for television
Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers
Genres
Comedy Series
Marge Champion on The Marge and Gower Champion Show
Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials
Marge Champion on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show with Gower Champion and touring the Soviet Union with Ed Sullivan
Marge Champion on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show
Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion's final television appearance on The Bell Telephone Hour
Marge Champion on dancing on Admiral Broadway Revue
Marge Champion on dancing on Your Show of Shows
Marge Champion on leaving Admiral Broadway Revue and going on the road with Gower Champion
Marge Champion on working on The Dinah Shore Show and various other television shows in the late '50s
News and Documentary
Marge Champion on mishaps on live television and appearing on Person to Person
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Marge Champion on choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
Marge Champion on her various activities after her split with Gower Champion including choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
People
June Allyson
Marge Champion on June Allyson
Harry Belafonte
Marge Champion on career highlights and regrets and working with Harry Belafonte
Gower Champion
Marge Champion on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show with Gower Champion and touring the Soviet Union with Ed Sullivan
Marge Champion on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show
Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion's final television appearance on The Bell Telephone Hour
Marge Champion on meeting Gower Champion
Marge Champion on meeting Gower Champion
Marge Champion on reuniting with Gower Champion after World War II
Marge Champion on her relationship with Gower Champion as a dancer
Marge Champion on her chemistry with Gower Champion and their rehearsal process
Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion's act
Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion getting hired for Admiral Broadway Revue
Marge Champion on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera
Marge Champion on the rehearsals for Your Show of Shows (which she appeared on with Gower Champion)
Marge Champion on the feeling right before going on "live" TV for Your Show of Shows (which she appeared on with Gower Champion)
Marge Champion on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera
Marge Champion on appearing in various features with Gower Champion
Marge Champion on Gower Champion experimenting with choreography on film
Marge Champion on assisting Gower Champion in his choreography and her directing career
Marge Champion on the social upheaval of the 1960s and her split with Gower Champion
Marge Champion on the legacy of Gower Champion
Cyd Charisse
Marge Champion on Cyd Charisse
Tony Charmoli
Marge Champion on Tony Charmoli
Perry Como
Marge Champion on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show
Walt Disney
Marge Champion on Walt Disney
Nanette Fabray
Marge Champion on Nanette Fabray
Bob Fosse
Marge Champion on Bob Fosse
Max Liebman
Marge Champion on Max Liebman
Dinah Shore
Marge Champion on working on The Dinah Shore Show and various other television shows in the late '50s
Ed Sullivan
Marge Champion on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show with Gower Champion and touring the Soviet Union with Ed Sullivan
Gwen Verdon
Marge Champion on Gwen Verdon