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Beulah (series)
Encyclopedia
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that ran on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
radio from 1945
1945 in radio
The year 1945 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*25 February – The CBC's International Service begins regular broadcasts in English and French from Canada....
to 1954
1954 in radio
The year 1954 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*1 February: KECA and KECA-FM, both in Los Angeles, change call letters to KABC and KABC-FM, reflecting their owners, ABC-United Paramount Theaters....
, and on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television from 1950
1950 in television
The year 1950 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1950.-Events:*February 12 – European Broadcasting Union inaugurated....
to 1952
1952 in television
The year 1952 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1952.-Events:*January 14 – NBC's Today show debuts, with host Dave Garroway, newsreader Jim Fleming and announcer Jack Lescoulie....
. The show is notable for being the first sitcom to star an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
actress.
Radio
Originally portrayed by white actor Marlin HurtMarlin Hurt
Marlin Hurt was an American stage entertainer and radio actor who was best known for originating the dialect comedy role of Beulah made famous on the Fibber McGee and Molly program and the first season of the Beulah radio series.A saxophone player and vocalist, Hurt was once a singer with the...
, Beulah Brown first appeared in 1939 when Hurt introduced and played the character on the Hometown Incorporated radio series and in 1940 on NBC radio's Show Boat series. In 1943, Beulah moved over to That's Life and then became a supporting character on the popular Fibber McGee and Molly
Fibber McGee and Molly
Fibber McGee and Molly was an American radio comedy series which maintained its popularity over decades. It premiered on NBC in 1935 and continued until its demise in 1959, long after radio had ceased to be the dominant form of entertainment in American popular culture.-Husband and wife in real...
radio series in late 1944. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. Beulah was employed as a housekeeper and cook for the Henderson family: father Harry, mother Alice and son Donnie. After Hurt died of a heart attack in 1946, he was replaced by another white actor, Bob Corley, and the series was retitled The Beulah Show.
When black actress Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American actress to win an Academy Award. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind ....
took over the role on November 24, 1947, she earned $1000 a week for the first season, doubled the ratings of the original series and pleased the NAACP which was elated to see a historic first: a black woman as the star of a network radio program.
McDaniel continued in the role until she became ill in 1952 and was replaced by Lillian Randolph
Lillian Randolph
Lillian Randolph was an American actress and singer, a veteran of radio, film, and television. An African American, she worked in entertainment from the 1930s well into the 1970s, appearing in hundreds of radio shows, motion pictures, short subjects, and television shows.-Early years:Born...
, who was in turn replaced for the 1953-54 radio season by her sister, Amanda Randolph
Amanda Randolph
Amanda Randolph was an American actress and singer. She was a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and was the older sister of actress Lillian Randolph. She was the first African-American performer to star in a regularly scheduled network television show, appearing in DuMont's The Laytons...
.
Television
In 1950, Roland Reed Productions adapted the property into a TV situation comedy for ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and the Beulah TV show ran for three seasons, Tuesday nights at 7:30 ET from October 3, 1950 to December 23, 1952.
Most of the comedy in the series derived from the fact that Beulah, referred to as "the queen of the kitchen," http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/B/htmlB/beulah/beulah.htm has the ability to solve the problems that her employers cannot figure out. Other characters included Beulah's boyfriend Bill Jackson, a handyman who is constantly proposing marriage, and Oriole, a befuddled maid for the family next door.
Cast changes
Ethel WatersEthel Waters
Ethel Waters was an American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress. She frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music, on the Broadway stage and in concerts, although she began her career in the 1920s singing blues.Her best-known recordings includes, "Dinah", "Birmingham Bertha",...
starred as Beulah for the first two years of the TV program before quitting the show in 1951. Hattie McDaniel, star of radio's Beulah, joined the cast around September of that year but only filmed six episodes of the second season before falling ill. She was quickly replaced by Louise Beavers
Louise Beavers
Louise Beavers was an African-American film and television actress. Beavers appeared in dozens of films from the 1920s to the 1930s, most often in the role of a maid, servant, or slave. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Beavers was a member of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, one of the four African-American...
in later 1951, who stayed with the show until its cancellation. Waters was seen in the role in the first season, from late 1950 until late 1951. The McDaniel episodes were shelved pending an improvement of her health, and so the second season began in April 1952 starting with the Beavers episodes. The six McDaniel episodes were tagged onto the end of the second season, starting July 1952 and running until August 1952. It was around this time that McDaniel learned that she had advanced breast cancer. Beavers returned in the role of Beulah for the third and final Beulah television series, which aired from September to December 1952.
Butterfly McQueen
Butterfly McQueen
Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen was an American actress. Originally a dancer, the 28-year-old McQueen first appeared as Prissy, Scarlett O'Hara's maid in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, then continued as an actress in film in the 1940s, then moving to television acting in the 1950s .-Early life:Born...
, (McDaniel's fellow cast member from Gone With The Wind, where they had also played servant roles) starred as Oriole for the first season. Ruby Dandridge
Ruby Dandridge
Ruby Dandridge was an American actress from the early 1900s to the 1950s. She is best known for her radio work in her early days of acting....
(Dorothy's mother), Mrs. Kelso in Cabin in the Sky
Cabin in the Sky
Cabin in the Sky is a 1943 American musical film with music by Vernon Duke, lyrics by John La Touche, and a musical book by Lynn Root. The musical premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 25, 1940. It closed on March 8, 1941 after a total of 156 performances...
and the voice of Oriole on the radio version of Beulah, replaced McQueen when the entire television cast was overhauled upon the arrival of Hattie McDaniel. Percy "Bud" Harris originally portrayed Bill, but he walked out on the part during the first season, accusing the producers of forcing him to portray an "Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom is a derogatory term for a person who perceives themselves to be of low status, and is excessively subservient to perceived authority figures; particularly a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people....
" character. He was succeeded in the role by Casablanca
Casablanca (film)
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
pianist Dooley Wilson until Ernest Whitman
Ernest Whitman
Ernest Whitman was an African American television and film actor....
followed radio co-stars McDaniel and Dandridge to TV in April 1952. The show was directed at various times by future sitcom veterans as Richard (L.) Bare and Abby Berlin.
Like the contemporaneous television program Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....
, Beulah came under attack from many critics, including the NAACP, which accused the show of supporting stereotypical
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
depictions of black characters with Beulah viewed as a stereotypical "mammy
Mammy archetype
The mammy archetype is perhaps one of the best-known archetypes of African American women. She is often portrayed within a narrative framework or other imagery as a domestic servant of African descent, generally good-natured, often overweight, very dark skinned, middle aged, and loud...
" similar to Aunt Jemima
Aunt Jemima
Aunt Jemima is a trademark for pancake flour, syrup, and other breakfast foods currently owned by the Quaker Oats Company of Chicago. The trademark dates to 1893, although Aunt Jemima pancake mix debuted in 1889. The Quaker Oats Company first registered the Aunt Jemima trademark in April 1937...
.
Episode status
The television sitcom produced 87 episodes. It is believed that most episodes of the TV series have been destroyed with only around seven episodes known to survive, although the show ran for many years in syndication, leading to the assumption that more episodes survive as yet undiscovered. A DVD containing four episodes was released by Alpha VideoAlpha Video
Alpha Video is an entertainment company, based near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of public domain movies and TV shows on DVD...
on August 28, 2007.
Radio
- Marlin HurtMarlin HurtMarlin Hurt was an American stage entertainer and radio actor who was best known for originating the dialect comedy role of Beulah made famous on the Fibber McGee and Molly program and the first season of the Beulah radio series.A saxophone player and vocalist, Hurt was once a singer with the...
: Bill Jackson, Beulah (1945-1946) - Bob Corley: Beulah (1947)
- Hattie McDanielHattie McDanielHattie McDaniel was the first African-American actress to win an Academy Award. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind ....
: Beulah (1947-1952) - Lillian RandolphLillian RandolphLillian Randolph was an American actress and singer, a veteran of radio, film, and television. An African American, she worked in entertainment from the 1930s well into the 1970s, appearing in hundreds of radio shows, motion pictures, short subjects, and television shows.-Early years:Born...
: Beulah (1952-1953) - Amanda RandolphAmanda RandolphAmanda Randolph was an American actress and singer. She was a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and was the older sister of actress Lillian Randolph. She was the first African-American performer to star in a regularly scheduled network television show, appearing in DuMont's The Laytons...
: Beulah (1953-1954) - Hugh Studebaker: Harry Henderson
- Mary Jane CroftMary Jane CroftMary Jane Croft was an American actress best known for her roles as Betty Ramsey on I Love Lucy, Mary Jane Lewis on The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy, and Clara Randolph on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet....
: Alice Henderson - Henry Blair: Donnie Henderson (1947-1953)
- Sammy Ogg: Donnie Henderson (1953-1954)
- Ruby DandridgeRuby DandridgeRuby Dandridge was an American actress from the early 1900s to the 1950s. She is best known for her radio work in her early days of acting....
: Oriole - Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson
- AnnouncerAnnouncerAn announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
: Marvin Miller (1947-1953) - AnnouncerAnnouncerAn announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
: Johnny Jacobs (1953-1954) - Supporting cast members: Louise BeaversLouise BeaversLouise Beavers was an African-American film and television actress. Beavers appeared in dozens of films from the 1920s to the 1930s, most often in the role of a maid, servant, or slave. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Beavers was a member of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, one of the four African-American...
, John Brown, Lois Corbet, Dorothy DandridgeDorothy DandridgeDorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
, Vivian DandridgeVivian DandridgeVivian Alferetta Dandridge was a singer and actress. She is best known as the sister of actress Dorothy Dandridge and the daughter of character actress Ruby Dandridge...
, Roy GlennRoy Glenn-Career:Glenn's career spanned five decades, beginning in radio with shows such as Amos 'n Andy and The Jack Benny Show. He made numerous appearances on television, from its early days until 1970. His first film appearance was in 1937; his career included roles in A Raisin in the Sun , with Sidney...
, Jess Kirkpatrick, Butterfly McQueenButterfly McQueenThelma "Butterfly" McQueen was an American actress. Originally a dancer, the 28-year-old McQueen first appeared as Prissy, Scarlett O'Hara's maid in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, then continued as an actress in film in the 1940s, then moving to television acting in the 1950s .-Early life:Born...
, Nicodemus StewartNick StewartNick Stewart was an American television and film actor. Stewart was best known for his role as Lightnin' on the Amos and Andy television series.-Acting Career:...
Season 1: October 1950 - late 1951
- Ethel WatersEthel WatersEthel Waters was an American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress. She frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music, on the Broadway stage and in concerts, although she began her career in the 1920s singing blues.Her best-known recordings includes, "Dinah", "Birmingham Bertha",...
: Beulah - Wiliam Post, Jr.: Harry Henderson
- Ginger Jones: Alice Henderson
- Clifford Sales: Donnie Henderson
- Percy "Bud" Harris: Bill Jackson (October 1950 to early 1951)
- Dooley WilsonDooley WilsonArthur "Dooley" Wilson was an American actor and singer. He was born in Tyler, Texas, and is remembered as piano-player "Sam" who sings "As Time Goes By" at the request of Ilsa Lund in the 1942 film, Casablanca - the Sam in the famously misremembered line "Play it again, Sam" -- a phrase which...
: Bill Jackson (early 1951 to 1952) - Butterfly McQueenButterfly McQueenThelma "Butterfly" McQueen was an American actress. Originally a dancer, the 28-year-old McQueen first appeared as Prissy, Scarlett O'Hara's maid in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, then continued as an actress in film in the 1940s, then moving to television acting in the 1950s .-Early life:Born...
: Oriole
Season 2: April 1952 – August 1952
- Louise BeaversLouise BeaversLouise Beavers was an African-American film and television actress. Beavers appeared in dozens of films from the 1920s to the 1930s, most often in the role of a maid, servant, or slave. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Beavers was a member of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, one of the four African-American...
: Beulah (April - July) - Hattie McDanielHattie McDanielHattie McDaniel was the first African-American actress to win an Academy Award. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind ....
: Beulah (July - August; six episodes) - David Bruce: Harry Henderson
- Jane FrazeeJane FrazeeMary Jane Frehse , known as Jane Frazee, was an American actress, singer, and dancer.-Professional life:...
: Alice Henderson - Stuffy Singer: Donnie Henderson
- Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson
- Ruby Dandridge: Oriole
Season 3: September 1952 – December 1952
- Louise BeaversLouise BeaversLouise Beavers was an African-American film and television actress. Beavers appeared in dozens of films from the 1920s to the 1930s, most often in the role of a maid, servant, or slave. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Beavers was a member of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, one of the four African-American...
: Beulah - David Bruce: Harry Henderson
- Jane FrazeeJane FrazeeMary Jane Frehse , known as Jane Frazee, was an American actress, singer, and dancer.-Professional life:...
: Alice Henderson - Stuffy Singer: Donnie Henderson
- Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson
- Ruby Dandridge: Oriole
Listen to
- Jerry Haendiges' Preview Listening Lounge: The Beulah Show (1954)
- The Beulah Show at Internet Archive-1946-1954.