Bette Treadville (May 2, 1911 – February 3, 1989) was an American singer and actress, based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California.

Career

Treadville was known as a "torch singer", a contralto who favored blues and ballads. She sang in Paris in the 1930s. She was described as the "heavy, heavy mama of song", in reference to her physique and performance style, and billed as "The Girl of 1,000 Songs" for her extensive repertoire, "some nice, some spicy". She was based in Los Angeles, a singer at

Curtis Mosby Curtis J. Mosby (July 7, 1895 (or 1892) in Kansas City, Missouri – June 25, 1957 in San Francisco) was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and businessman. Bio Mosby toured with the Tennessee Ten in the 1910s, and also led his own ensem ...

's Club Alabam on the city's Central Avenue from 1933 to 1940. In 1935, she performed in a fundraising concert organized by

Clarence Muse Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a film, 1929's ''Hearts in Dixie''. He acted for ...

, benefiting the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

's anti-lynching work. She sang on radio shows, and made at least one recording, singing "Baby, Ain'tcha Satisfied?" with the Ceelle Burke orchestra, in 1936. As an actress, Treadville appeared in several films, including the comedy ''

One Dark Night ''One Dark Night'' (also known as ''Entity Force'') is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Tom McLoughlin, and starring Meg Tilly, E. G. Daily, and Adam West. The film follows three teenagers sent to a mausoleum for the night as ...

'' (1939; re-released as ''Night Club Girl'' in 1944), a

race film The race film or race movie was a genre of film produced in the United States between about 1915 and the early 1950s, consisting of films produced for black audiences, and featuring black casts. Approximately five hundred race films were produce ...

, now lost, co-starring comedian

Mantan Moreland Mantan Moreland (September 3, 1902 – September 28, 1973) was an American actor and comedian most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. He starred in numerous films. His daughter Marcella Moreland appeared as a child actress in several films. E ...

; it was reported that

Hattie McDaniel Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893October 26, 1952) was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African ...

turned down the Treadville role. Other film roles for Treadville were small parts in ''

As Good as Married ''As Good as Married'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring John Boles, Doris Nolan and Walter Pidgeon. The film was distributed by Universal Pictures. Filming started in December 1936.Of Local Origin New York ...

'' (1937), ''All's Fair'' (1938), '' East of Eden'' (1955), and ''

Day of the Nightmare ''Day of the Nightmare'' is a 1965 American horror film directed by John A. Bushelman and starring John Ireland, John Hart, and Elena Verdugo. The film is also known as ''Don't Scream, Doris Mays!''. The film was re-released in 1969, 1993 on VHS, ...

'' (1965). She was also seen in episodes of the television shows ''

The New Phil Silvers Show ''The New Phil Silvers Show'' is an American situation comedy television series starring Phil Silvers which centers around a factory foreman who is always involved in get-rich-quick schemes. Original episodes aired from September 28, 1963, until Ap ...

'' (1963) and ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols " ♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'' (1965). On stage, appeared in the Mary Sullivan comedy ''Halo on a Shelf'' (1961) in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, and in a revival of ''

Rain Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...

'' in

Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its ...

, in a 1963 production starring

Vera Miles Vera June Miles (née Ralston, born August 23, 1929) is an American retired actress who worked closely with Alfred Hitchcock, most notably as Lila Crane in the classic 1960 film '' Psycho'', reprising the role in the 1983 sequel '' Psycho II''. ...

. In 1973, she had a role in the

Beah Richards Beulah Elizabeth Richardson (July 12, 1920 – September 14, 2000), known professionally as Beah Richards and Bea Richards, was an American actress of stage, screen, and television. She was also a poet, playwright, author and activist. Rich ...

show ''One is a Crowd'' in Los Angeles.

Personal life

Treadville was described in 1932 as "recently estranged wife of Sunburnt Jim" Wilson, a dancer and radio comedian."Girl Singer Hits in Coast Opener" ''Chicago Defender'' (June 18, 1932): 5. via

ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...

She died in Los Angeles in 1989, aged 77 years.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Treadville, Bette 1911 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American actresses American women singers Singers from Los Angeles