
“An infamous television special with Petula Clark, which is remembered for what happened off screen.”
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.
Director
Steve Binder
Writers
Allan Blye, Steven Hilliard Stern
Release Date
April 2, 1968
Runtime
1h 0m
Status
Released
Original Language
en

Rodan Productions
Steve Binder Productions