Beulah magazine ad

For other uses, see Beulah.

The Beulah Show was the first television sitcom to star an African American. The Beulah Show ran on radio from 1945 to 1954. The Beulah TV show ran concurrently for three seasons, Tuesday nights at 7:30 ET from October 3, 1950 to September 22, 1953, on ABC. Beulah is a housekeeper and cook for the Henderson family: father Harry, mother Alice and son Donnie. Most of the comedy in the series is derived from the fact that Beulah, referred to as "the queen of the kitchen" [1], has the ability to solve the problems that her Caucasian employers cannot figure out. Other characters included Beulah's boyfriend Bill Jackson, a handy-man who is constantly proposing marriage, and Oriole, a befuddled maid for the family next door. Image File history File links Adbeulah. ... Image File history File links Adbeulah. ... Beulah can refer to one of the following places: The Land of Beulah is a location in the Book of Isaiah in The Bible. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ... A housekeeper is a person responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of (usually residential premises. ... Cooks in training in Paris A cook is a person employed to prepare food for consumption, whether in a restaurant or institution, for a caterer or in domestic service. ... A kitchen is a room used for food preparation. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

History

Originally portrayed by Caucasian actor Marlin Hurt, Beulah first appeared in the early 1940s as a supporting character on the popular Fibber McGee and Molly radio series. In 1945, Beulah was spun off into her own radio show, The Marlin Hurt and Beulah Show, with Hurt still in the role. After he died of a heart attack in 1946, he was replaced by another Caucasian actor, Bob Corley, and the series was retitled The Beulah Show. African American actress Hattie McDaniel took over the role in 1947, continuing in The Beulah Show until she became ill in 1952 and was replaced by Lillian Randolph, who was in turn replaced for the 1953-1954 radio season by her sister Amanda Randolph. // Events and trends World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... Jim and Marian Jordan were featured in 1947 NBC promotional art by Sam Berman. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1895 – October 26, 1952) was the first African American to be nominated and to win an Oscar for her supporting role of Mammy in the 1939 epic movie Gone with the Wind. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1950 Roland Reed Productions adapted the property into a TV situation comedy for ABC. Ethel Waters was seen in the title role from 1950 to 1952. McDaniel filled in briefly in 1952, and was succeeded by Louise Beavers the same year. Butterfly McQueen portrayed Oriole, a role similar to her Prissy character in the film Gone with the Wind. Ruby Dandridge, Mrs. Kelso in Cabin In The Sky and mother of Dorothy Dandridge, replaced McQueen when the entire television cast was overhauled upon the arrival of Hattie McDaniel. Percy "Bud" Harris originally portrayed Bill, but walked out on the part during the first season, accusing the producers of forcing him to portray an "Uncle Tom" character. He was succeeded in the role by Casablanca pianist Dooley Wilson until until Ernest Whitman followed radio co-stars McDaniel and Dandridge to TV in April of 1952. The show was directed at various times by such future sitcom veterans as Richard (L.) Bare and Abby Berlin. 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is a television and radio network in the United States. ... Ethel Waters, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1938 Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an African American blues vocalist who frequently performed jazz, big band, gospel, and popular music, on Broadway and off. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Louise Beavers (March 8, 1902 - October 26, 1962) was a prolific African-American film actress. ... Butterfly McQueen (January 7, 1911 – December 22, 1995) was an American film and television actress. ... Gone with the Wind is a 1939 film adapted from Margaret Mitchells 1936 novel of the same name. ... Dorothy Dandridge on the cover of LIFE (Nov 1954) Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress. ... // The term as a pejorative epithet Uncle Tom is a pejorative term for a black person who is perceived by other blacks to be obsequiously servile to white authority figures, or who simply are perceived as being unnecessarily accommodating of whites. ... Casablanca from space A view on the Boulevard de Paris in central Casablanca Casablanca (classical Arabic name: الدار البيضاء, transliterated , the white house, dar beïda in dialectal Moroccan Arabic) is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. ...

Like the contemporary television program Amos 'n' Andy, Beulah came under attack from many critics, including the NAACP, which accused the show of supporting stereotypical depictions of black characters. Beulah is considered by some to be a characterization of the stereotypical "mammy", similar to "Aunt Jemima". Illustrator J.J. Goulds 1930 drawing of Amos and Andy for New Movie Magazine Amos n Andy was a situation comedy popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s. ... The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Mammy is an alternate spelling of mother, used most prominently by African American slaves during the 1800s. ... Aunt Jemima is a trademark for pancake flour, syrup, and other breakfast foods. ...

After Beulah was cancelled at the end of the 1952-1953 television season, black characters virtually disappeared from television, with only small and infrequent roles surfacing. The next television program to star a black woman in the title role would be Julia in 1968, starring Diahann Carroll. Julia was a groundbreaking television series which was the first to show an African American main character in a non-stereotypical role. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Diahann Carroll, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1955 Diahann Carroll (born July 17, 1935) is an American actress and singer. ...

Listen to

• Jerry Haendiges' Preview Listening Lounge: The Beulah Show (1954)

Cast

1945-1954 (radio)

• Marlin Hurt: Bill Jackson, Beulah (1945-1946)
• Bob Corley: Beulah (1947)
• Hattie McDaniel: Beulah (1947-1952)
• Lillian Randolph: Beulah (1952-1953)
• Amanda Randolph: Beulah (1953-1954)
• Hugh Studebaker: Harry Henderson
• Mary Jane Croft: Alice Henderson
• Henry Blair: Donnie Henderson (1947-1953)
• Sammy Ogg: Donnie Henderson (1953-1954)
• Ruby Dandridge: Oriole
• Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson
• Announcer: Marvin Miller (1947-1953)
• Announcer: Johnny Jacobs (1953-1954)
• Supporting cast members: Louise Beavers, John Brown, Lois Corbet, Dorothy Dandridge, Vivian Dandridge, Roy Glenn, Jess Kirkpatrick, Butterfly McQueen, Nicodemus Stewart,

Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1895 – October 26, 1952) was the first African American to be nominated and to win an Oscar for her supporting role of Mammy in the 1939 epic movie Gone with the Wind. ... Lillian Randolph (December 14, 1898 - September 12, 1980) was an African American actress and singer, a veteran of radio, film, and television. ... Amanda Randolph (September 2, 1896 - August 24, 1967) was an African American actress and singer. ... Mary Jane Croft (February 15, 1916 – August 24, 1999) was an American actress well-known for her association with Lucille Ball in Balls best-known television series. ... An announcer is a voice actor who works in television, radio and film, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in television commercials or a guest on a talk show. ... An announcer is a voice actor who works in television, radio and film, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in television commercials or a guest on a talk show. ... Louise Beavers (March 8, 1902 - October 26, 1962) was a prolific African-American film actress. ... Dorothy Dandridge on the cover of LIFE (Nov 1954) Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress. ... Butterfly McQueen (January 7, 1911 – December 22, 1995) was an American film and television actress. ...

1950-1951 (television)

• Ethel Waters: 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 Wilson: Bill Jackson (early 1951 to 1952)
• Butterfly McQueen: Oriole

Ethel Waters, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1938 Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an African American blues vocalist who frequently performed jazz, big band, gospel, and popular music, on Broadway and off. ... Butterfly McQueen (January 7, 1911 – December 22, 1995) was an American film and television actress. ...

1951-1952 (television)

• Ethel Waters: Beulah
• Wiliam Post, Jr.: Harry Henderson
• Ginger Jones: Alice Henderson
• Clifford Sales: Donnie Henderson
• Dooley Wilson: Bill Jackson
• Butterfly McQueen: Oriole

April 1952 (television)

• Hattie McDaniel: Beulah
• David Bruce: Harry Henderson
• Jane Frazee: Alice Henderson
• Stuffy Singer: Donnie Henderson
• Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson
• Ruby Dandridge: Oriole

Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1895 – October 26, 1952) was the first African American to be nominated and to win an Oscar for her supporting role of Mammy in the 1939 epic movie Gone with the Wind. ...

1952-1953 (television)

• Louise Beavers: Beulah
• David Bruce: Harry Henderson
• Jane Frazee: Alice Henderson
• Stuffy Singer: Donnie Henderson
• Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson
• Ruby Dandridge: Oriole

Louise Beavers (March 8, 1902 - October 26, 1962) was a prolific African-American film actress. ...

Reference

• Bodroghkozy, Aniko. Beulah. The Museum of Broadcast Communications.

External links

• Beulah at the IMDb