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Petula

An infamous television special with Petula Clark, which is remembered for what happened off screen.
Apr 2, 1968 · 1h 0m
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Music
TV Movie

PLOT

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.

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CAST

Petula Clark
Self
Harry Belafonte
Self
Directed by Steve Binder

DETAILS

Status
Released
Original language
EN
Budget
—
Revenue
—
Production
NBC Productions, Rodan Productions, Steve Binder Productions
Country
US

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Rolling Stone Magazine: The 10th Anniversary
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