Allen Ludden: the man who remained in the heart of Betty White

Allen Ludden: The history behind the man

Allen Ellsworth Ludden was born Allen Packard Ellsworth on October 5, 1917 in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and died from stomach cancer on June 9, 1981. He married Betty White in 1963 and after his death, she remained a widow until she passed on December 31, 2021. Now that Betty is gone many of her fans are wondering about the man who so touched her life that she never remarried.

Ludden's father died of the Spanish flu on January 5, 1919 and his mother remarried when he was about five years old. Allen's name was changed to reflect his adopted father/stepfather Homer Ludden, Jr., who was an electrical engineer.

Allen graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1940 as an English and dramatics major at the University of Texas (now known as the University of Texas at Austin) where he received his Master of Arts in English in 1941. . During the late 1940s and early 1950s he became an adviser for youth on the radio and in teen magazine columns. In 1950 his radio show for teenagers, Mind Your Manners, received an honorable mention Peabody Award.

Allen Ludden early years

On October 11, 1943 Ludden married Margaret McGloin and they had one son, David, and two daughters, Martha and Sarah. Margaret died of cancer on October 30, 1961. Ludden hosted many game shows during his career, including Strempers!, Liar's Club, and Win with the Stars. He also was the host of the original pilot for The Joker's Wild and hosted Allen Ludden's Gallery which was a talk-variety show.

Allen was primarily known for hosting both the daytime and prime time versions of Password on CBS and ABC between 1961 and 1975. He began hosting the updated version Password Plus, on NBC, in 1979. Unfortunately, chemotherapy treatments for cancer led to his leaving the show in late October 1980. According to Heavy.com Ludden and Betty met when she was a contestant on Password in 1961.

Betty White: Love at first sight

The duo grew closer when they performed together in the play “Critic’s Choice” in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. During the three-week run, Ludden stopped saying “hello” to Betty instead began asking, “Will you marry me?” Initially, this was a gag but Ludden later admitted that he fell in love with White on opening night and formally proposed twice.

Betty later told Oprah Winfrey that she wasted an entire year by telling Ludden no she would not marry him but the duo finally tied the knot in 1963. After they became man and wife Allen's his opening TV catchphrase on Password became "Hi doll," and was directed toward his beloved mother-in-law, Betty's mother Tess White.

Betty White: She never got over Allen

In 1963 Betty and Allen appeared together in the romantic comedy Janus and were married on June 14, of that same year. The Ludden's also appeared together in an episode of The Odd Couple in which Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison, were contestants on Password. They also had roles as a couple on an episode of The Love Boat during season 4. Allen and Betty remained together for 18 years until Ludden's death.

Ludden took a month-long leave of absence from Password Plus for chemotherapy treatment, and Bill Cullen filled in as temporary host. On October 7, 1980, he went into a coma while vacationing with his wife in Monterey, California. It was later found that the coma was caused by high levels of calcium in his body as a side effect of medication taken to help fight the cancer.

In Ludden's case, the cure was indeed worse than the illness. He died eight months later at the age of 63 on June 9, 1981, in Los Angeles. Betty White had said of her late husband that he was the love of her life and when you have had the best why settle for the rest? She also stated that her first two marriages were mistakes.

Betty's agent and friend Jeff Witjas said she remained a widow in anticipation of seeing Allen again when she passed on. During the 4 decades since his death, Betty did not go into seclusion but honed her craft and has blessed the world with her talents. The last Golden Girl will truly be missed.