Betty White Was Wickedly Funny in This Cult Horror Movie – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Betty Whites death at age 99 has shaken generations of fans. The legendary comedian and actor was only weeks away from her 100th birthday, after all. At the very least, fans have decades of Whites work to enjoy. While much of her career was spent on television, White did appear in many movies over the years. And one, in particular, stands out, a supporting role in a late 1990s cult horror movie.

Of course, White was no stranger to the big screen. Shes popped up in dozens of movies over the years, especially after The Golden Girls wrapped in the early 1990s. But even then, she mostly either made cameo appearances as herself or appeared among a larger comedy ensemble. For instance, some of Whites most notable film roles include 2003s Bringing Down the House and 2009s The Proposal, two box office comedy hits.

Though she dabbled in other genres and lent her voice to animated hits such as Toy Story 4 and The Lorax White almost never popped up in horror movies. And given her skill set, that makes sense. Most horror movies probably wouldnt be able to apply her distinctive presence to the material in the right way. Then again, the 1999 horror film in which she appears isnt like every other entry in its genre.

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Directed by horror filmmaker Steve Miner (Halloween H20: 20 Years Later) and written by David E. Kelley, Lake Placid centers on a 30-foot crocodile terrorizing a town in Maine. Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, and Oliver Platt play the characters investigating the situation. And White lends her signature wit as a widow with a special relationship to the crocodile. And both the movie and its marketing lean into Whites presence amid the horror mayhem.

Through Whites character, Lake Placid achieves not only comic relief but a bit of a darkly comedic edge. Her foul-mouthed character, Delores Bickerman, showed a very different side than fans of Whites work on The Golden Girls were used to. And in many ways, Lake Placid might have set the tone for many of the actors future roles, which often leaned on the shock value of White saying inappropriate things.

Lake Placid was only a modest hit with a worldwide gross of $57 million against a $35 million production budget, according to Box Office Mojo. Still, it inspired a series of direct-to-DVD sequels. Among the five follow-ups is even a crossover film with the Anaconda franchise.Miner, Kelley, and the cast including White werent involved beyond the first film.

While theres certainly an audience for monster movies, one has to wonder how much Whites scene-stealing role helped stoke the studios desire for more. After all, White had a fearless edge to her in life and on screen. And her bold performance in Lake Placid gave genre fans a thrill they didnt even know they wanted.

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Betty White Was Wickedly Funny in This Cult Horror Movie - Showbiz Cheat Sheet