From Nighttime TV, July 1975:

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Betty says (over commissary food) that everybody laughs about “Mr. Clean” marrying the “girl next door.”

I see a bit of foreshadowing in the article – “And she’s only using the tip of the iceberg as far as her talent is concerned.” Would 1975’s Betty be floored to see the heights her career eventually reached and the accolades to come?

Favorite line in the article? “Though the word is that Allen is a ‘marigold freak,’ which their living room decor attests to he and Betty have many other hobbies.”  I love the use of the phrase the word is. Like, word on the street? “Hey, man – did you hear the word? Allen Ludden is a marigold FREAK!”

From TV Dawn to Dusk, September 1974:

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Betty may have become a Democrat, but back in the day, she was the conservative of the household, as this article notes. Both of the Luddens have a one-sentence summary of Nixon’s downfall on page 2.

We also find such tidbits as what Allen eats for breakfast, and what Betty’s step-children called her.

Favorite line in the article? “Visitors cannot help but be instantly smitten with their warm, contemporary furnishings, the myriad objets d’art and the multitude of fresh flowers from their garden on every table.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be instantly smitten when I see someone’s furniture. And did the woman really check every table in the entire house for flowers? Doubtful.

From TV Dawn to Dusk, November 1971:

Click on the image to download a PDF of the article!

Must we call a 49 year-old woman “girl?” Apparently so.

The general accuracy of these fan magazine articles continues to surprise me. Most of the facts compare favorably to Betty’s own books and statements made in television interviews.

Favorite line in the article? “When she swings open that front door, you see what every girl really wants to be – a happy and fulfilled woman.” There’s a line that will rot your teeth!

From TV Radio Mirror, August 1963:

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Here we have a very detailed account of the Allen-Betty courtship, written just after the wedding.

You have to love the cheesy line at the bottom of page 2:

A self-confessed “old maid”…a widower who though love was over…a marriage that started out as a game and ended up for keeps!

Paging movie-trailer-voiceover guy!

A thank-you note written to the author, Paul Denis, presumably regarding this very article, is listed on eBay at the moment (with a minimum bid of $699.95 — ouch!). Betty seems very pleased with the job he did!