Arthur Godfrey

Like many men of his generation, Julius La Rosa, as well as other male Godfrey cast members, thought dance lessons to be somewhat [[effeminate]] and bristled when Godfrey ordered them for his entire performing crew. CBS historian Robert Metz suggested that Godfrey had instituted the practice because his own physical limitations made him sensitive to the need for [[Motor coordination|physical coordination]] on camera. "Godfrey", Metz wrote, "was concerned about his cast in his paternalistic way".

Like many men of his generation, Julius La Rosa, as well as other male Godfrey cast members, thought dance lessons to be somewhat [[effeminate]] and bristled when Godfrey ordered them for his entire performing crew. CBS historian Robert Metz suggested that Godfrey had instituted the practice because his own physical limitations made him sensitive to the need for [[Motor coordination|physical coordination]] on camera. "Godfrey", Metz wrote, "was concerned about his cast in his paternalistic way".

Godfrey and La Rosa had a dispute in the fall of 1953, when La Rosa, the most popular of the "Little Godfreys", missed a dance lesson due to a "family emergency". La Rosa later said he had advised Godfrey of his absence, but was nonetheless barred, via a notice placed on a cast bulletin board, from appearing on the show for one day in retaliation. La Rosa went to Godfrey's hotel and attempted to discuss the incident, but after being rebuffed by Godfrey's assistants, he waited in the lobby. When Godfrey came into the lobby, he reportedly walked past La Rosa as if he wasn't there and refused to talk with him. At that point, La Rosa, whose success on records had brought interest from top show business managers and agents, retained manager Tommy Rockwell to renegotiate his contract with Godfrey or, failing that, to receive an outright release; however, such talks had yet to occur.

Godfrey and La Rosa had a dispute in the fall of 1953, when La Rosa, the most popular of the "Little Godfreys", missed a dance lesson due to a "family emergency". La Rosa later said he had advised Godfrey of his absence, but was nonetheless barred, via a notice placed on a cast bulletin board, from appearing on the show for one day in retaliation. La Rosa went to Godfrey's hotel and attempted to discuss the incident, but after being rebuffed by Godfrey's assistants, he waited in the lobby. When Godfrey came into the lobby, he reportedly walked past La Rosa as if he weren’t there and refused to talk with him. At that point, La Rosa, whose success on records had brought interest from top show business managers and agents, retained manager Tommy Rockwell to renegotiate his contract with Godfrey or, failing that, to receive an outright release; however, such talks had yet to occur.

[[File:Julius La Rosa 1955.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.0|Julius La Rosa]]

[[File:Julius La Rosa 1955.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.0|Julius La Rosa]]