"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."

    About This Interview

    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.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Marge Champion

    Marge Champion on her first appearance on television

    06:15
    Thumbnail of Marge Champion

    Marge Champion on her relationship with Gower Champion as a dancer

    02:16
    Thumbnail of Marge Champion

    Marge Champion on The Marge and Gower Champion Show

    06:01
    Thumbnail of Marge Champion

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

    03:36
    Thumbnail of Marge Champion

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

    01:49
    Thumbnail of Marge Champion

    Marge Champion on deciding she wanted to be a dancer

    05:33
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On her early life and influences; on her early interest in dance and being trained by her father

    13:23

    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

    10:42

    On living though the Great Depression; on meeting Gower Champion 

    04:33

    Chapter 2

    On meeting Gower Champion; on working for Disney and modeling for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"

    16:54

    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

    11:32

    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

    16:37

    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

    11:31

    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

    16:56

    On choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom;  on developing her act with Gower Champion and their first time on television 

    12:26

    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

    11:40

    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

    08:50

    On her father seeing her on television and performing on live television; on how audiences had changed since she started on television 

    07:23

    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

    12:36

    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"

    14:47

    Chapter 7

    On The Marge and Gower Champion Show; on the writers, characters and guest stars of The Marge and Gower Champion Show

    11:23

    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

    48:36

    Chapter 8

    On appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show  with Gower Champion and touring the Soviet Union with Ed Sullivan

    15:47

    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

    12:54

    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

    11:24

    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

    08:12

    On retiring from dancing and doing straight acting; on advice to aspiring dancers; on losing her dress in front of the Queen of England

    11:06

    Chapter 10

    On career highlights and regrets and working with Harry Belafonte; on the then-future of television 

    07:53

    On various people with whom she has worked in her career

    09:19

    On her father's legacy; on the legacy of Gower Champion; on how she'd like to be remembered and her influence 

    08:19

    Admiral Broadway Revue

    Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion getting hired for Admiral Broadway Revue

    01:29

    Marge Champion on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera

    02:14

    Marge Champion on leaving Admiral Broadway Revue and going on the road with Gower Champion 

    05:53

    Bell Telephone Hour, The

    Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion's final television appearance on The Bell Telephone Hour

    02:43

    Dinah Shore Show, The

    Marge Champion on working on The Dinah Shore Show  and various other television shows in the late '50s

    07:17

    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

    15:49

    Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

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

    03:36

    Marge and Gower Champion Show, The

    Marge Champion on The Marge and Gower Champion Show

    06:01

    Marge Champion on the writers, characters and guest stars of The Marge and Gower Champion Show

    05:22

    Perry Como Show, The

    Marge Champion on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show

    03:08

    Person to Person

    Marge Champion on mishaps on live television and appearing on Person to Person

    04:18

    Your Show of Shows

    Marge Champion on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera

    01:44

    Marge Champion on the rehearsals for Your Show of Shows  (which she appeared on with Gower Champion)

    01:02

    Marge Champion on the feeling right before going on "live" TV for Your Show of Shows  (which she appeared on with Gower Champion)

    02:12

    Advice

    Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers

    02:00

    Bloopers

    Marge Champion on mishaps on live television and appearing on Person to Person

    04:18

    Marge Champion on losing her dress in front of the Queen of England 

    02:22

    Emmy Awards

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

    03:36

    Historic Events and Social Change

    Marge Champion on her experiences during World War II

    01:33

    Hollywood Blacklist

    Marge Champion on the Hollywood Blacklist

    01:23

    Industry Crossroads

    Marge Champion on the Hollywood Blacklist

    01:23

    Television Industry

    Marge Champion on how audiences had changed since she started on television 

    02:27

    Marge Champion on how performers have changed since she started in the business 

    06:16

    Marge Champion on how the medium of television changed during her active years

    07:56

    Marge Champion on the Hollywood Blacklist

    01:23

    Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers

    02:00

    Marge Champion on the then-future of television 

    02:59

    World War II

    Marge Champion on her experiences during World War II

    01:33

    Dancer/Choreographer

    Marge Champion on her chemistry with Gower Champion and her rehearsal process 

    04:15

    Marge Champion on the process of creating a dance number

    03:21

    Marge Champion on developing her act with Gower Champion and their first time on television 

    08:50

    Marge Champion on the logistics of shooting her and Gower Champion dancing for television

    04:12

    Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers

    02:00

    Performers

    Marge Champion on her chemistry with Gower Champion and her rehearsal process 

    04:15

    Marge Champion on the process of creating a dance number

    03:21

    Marge Champion on developing her act with Gower Champion and their first time on television 

    08:50

    Marge Champion on the logistics of shooting her and Gower Champion dancing for television

    04:12

    Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers

    02:00

    Comedy Series

    Marge Champion on The Marge and Gower Champion Show

    11:23

    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

    15:49

    Marge Champion on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show

    03:08

    Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion's final television appearance on The Bell Telephone Hour

    02:43

    Marge Champion on dancing on Admiral Broadway Revue

    03:42

    Marge Champion on dancing on Your Show of Shows

    06:23

    Marge Champion on leaving Admiral Broadway Revue  and going on the road with Gower Champion 

    05:53

    Marge Champion on working on The Dinah Shore Show  and various other television shows in the late '50s

    07:18

    News and Documentary

    Marge Champion on mishaps on live television and appearing on Person to Person

    04:18

    TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

    Marge Champion on choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom

    03:36

    Marge Champion on her various activities after her split with Gower Champion including choreographing Queen of the Stardust Ballroom

    02:07

    June Allyson

    Marge Champion on June Allyson 

    00:34

    Harry Belafonte

    Marge Champion on career highlights and regrets and working with Harry Belafonte 

    04:54

    Gower Champion

    Marge Champion on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show  with Gower Champion and touring the Soviet Union with Ed Sullivan

    15:49

    Marge Champion on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show

    03:08

    Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion's final television appearance on The Bell Telephone Hour

    02:43

    Marge Champion on meeting Gower Champion 

    01:36

    Marge Champion on meeting Gower Champion 

    03:13

    Marge Champion on reuniting with Gower Champion after World War II

    07:42

    Marge Champion on her relationship with Gower Champion as a dancer

    02:16

    Marge Champion on her chemistry with Gower Champion and their rehearsal process 

    04:15

    Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion's act

    09:18

    Marge Champion on her and Gower Champion getting hired for Admiral Broadway Revue

    01:29

    Marge Champion on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera

    02:14

    Marge Champion on the rehearsals for Your Show of Shows  (which she appeared on with Gower Champion)

    01:02

    Marge Champion on the feeling right before going on "live" TV for Your Show of Shows  (which she appeared on with Gower Champion)

    02:12

    Marge Champion on Gower Champion's choreography for the television camera

    01:44

    Marge Champion on appearing in various features with Gower Champion 

    03:44

    Marge Champion on Gower Champion experimenting with choreography on film

    05:28

    Marge Champion on assisting Gower Champion in his choreography and her directing career

    03:34

    Marge Champion on the social upheaval of the 1960s and her split with Gower Champion

    02:30

    Marge Champion on the legacy of Gower Champion 

    03:25

    Cyd Charisse

    Marge Champion on Cyd Charisse 

    00:53

    Tony Charmoli

    Marge Champion on Tony Charmoli 

    00:50

    Perry Como

    Marge Champion on dancing with Gower Champion on The Perry Como Show

    03:08

    Walt Disney

    Marge Champion on Walt Disney

    00:44

    Nanette Fabray

    Marge Champion on Nanette Fabray 

    01:38

    Bob Fosse

    Marge Champion on Bob Fosse

    00:46

    Max Liebman

    Marge Champion on Max Liebman

    01:51

    Dinah Shore

    Marge Champion on working on The Dinah Shore Show  and various other television shows in the late '50s

    07:17

    Ed Sullivan

    Marge Champion on appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show  with Gower Champion and touring the Soviet Union with Ed Sullivan

    15:49

    Gwen Verdon

    Marge Champion on Gwen Verdon

    00:44

    All Interviews

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