Arthur Godfrey

===In popular culture===
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As the media turned on Godfrey, two films, ''[[The Great Man]]'' (1956) starring [[José Ferrer]], who also directed and produced, and Elia Kazan's ''[[A Face in the Crowd (film)|A Face in the Crowd]]'' (1957) starring [[Andy Griffith]] and [[Patricia Neal]], were inspired in part by Godfrey's increasingly controversial career:
*''The Great Man'', adapted from a novel by TV writer Al Morgan, centered on a tribute broadcast for Herb Fuller, a Godfrey-like figure killed in a car crash whose genial public demeanor concealed a dissolute phony. Various parallels to Godfrey's life could be seen in the film, from his affair with the show's girl singer to his dicey relationship with the show's bandleader. The term "The Fuller Family" was a direct play off "The Little Godfreys".
*''A Face in the Crowd'' creator [[Budd Schulberg]] maintained his story was actually inspired by contrasts between the public image and private personality of [[Will Rogers|Will Rogers, Sr.]] Also, the film's protagonist, Lonesome Rhodes, with his combination of country singing and country storytelling, superficially resembled popular singer and network TV host [[Tennessee Ernie Ford]]. Nonetheless, prominent elements of the film, including the scenes when Rhodes (played by Andy Griffith) spoofed a mattress commercial on a TV show he was hosting in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], were clearly Godfrey-inspired. The research by Kazan and Schulberg included attending an advertising agency meeting about Lipton Tea.

Godfrey was a frequent target for parody:
*Actor and comedian [[Art Carney]], whose celebrity impersonations were part of his comic repertoire, frequently parodied Godfrey, singing one of his signature tunes "Candy and Cake" and imitating his laugh. 
*As early as 1949, comedians [[Bob and Ray]] presented an obvious parody with the character of Arthur Sturdley (voiced by [[Bob Elliott (comedian)|Bob Elliott]]) who, in plummy, folksy tones, constantly ragged his announcer Tony ([[Ray Goulding]], imitating Godfrey's announcer Tony Marvin). Tony, meanwhile, would incessantly answer every question with "That's right, Arthur!" In the 1969 film ''[[Cold Turkey (1971 film)|Cold Turkey]]'', Ray (not Bob) played another parody of Godfrey, this time as folksy radio announcer "Arthur Lordly".
*Satirist [[Stan Freberg]] picked up on Bob and Ray's use of the catchphrase "That's right, Arthur", and recorded a barbed spoof of Godfrey's show. "That's Right, Arthur" depicted the star as a rambling, self-absorbed motormouth and his longtime announcer (Tony Marvin, portrayed by voice actor [[Daws Butler]]) as a yes-man, responding "That's right, Arthur" to every vapid Godfrey pronouncement. Freberg's label [[Capitol Records]], fearing legal problems and noting objections from Godfrey's attorney, refused to release it, to Freberg's annoyance. The recording was finally issued in a 1990s Freberg career retrospective CD box set.
*Comedian [[Jerry Lester]] mocked him as "Arthur Clodfrey".
*The [[Joy Boys]] performed a similar satire of Godfrey on their radio show, calling their fellow Washingtonian "Arthur Codfish".

Godfrey appeared on many major magazine covers including ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'', ''[[Look (American magazine)|Look]]'', ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', and more than a dozen ''[[TV Guide]]'' covers. He was also the first man to make the cover of ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'' magazine. Despite his ''faux pas'', Godfrey still commanded a strong presence and a loyal fan base. ''Talent Scouts'' lasted until 1958.