''Beulah'' is an American situation-comedy series that ran on

CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...

from

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

, and on

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

from 1950 to

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

. The show is notable for being the first sitcom to star an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

actress, for being ABC TV's first hit situation comedy, and the first hit TV sitcom without a

laugh track A laugh track (or laughter track) is a separate soundtrack for a recorded comedy show containing the sound of audience laughter. In some productions, the laughter is a live audience response instead; in the United States, where it is most common ...

. The show was controversial for its caricatures of African Americans.

Radio

Originally portrayed by a

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

male actor,

Marlin Hurt Marlin Hurt (May 27, 1904/1905 – March 21, 1946) 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 seas ...

, 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'' (1935–1959) was a longtime highly popular husband-and-wife team radio comedy program. The situation comedy was a staple of the NBC Red Network from 1936 on, after originating on NBC Blue in 1935. One of the most p ...

'' radio series in March 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 African-American actress

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 ...

took over the role on November 24, 1947, she earned $1,000 a week for the first season, doubled the ratings of the original series and pleased 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 ...

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 (December 14, 1898 – September 12, 1980) was an American actress and singer, a veteran of radio, film, and television. She worked in entertainment from the 1930s until shortly before her death. She appeared in hundreds of radi ...

, who was in turn replaced for the 1953–54 radio season by her sister,

Amanda Randolph Amanda E. Randolph (September 2, 1896 – August 24, 1967) was an American actress, singer and musician. She was the first African-American performer to star in a regularly scheduled network television show, appearing in DuMont's ''The Laytons' ...

. For most of the radio show's run, the series ran as a 15-minute daily sitcom, a format popular among daytime serials.

Television

In 1950, Roland Reed Productions adapted the property into a TV situation comedy for

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, and the ''Beulah'' TV show ran for three seasons, Tuesday nights at 7:30 Eastern Time from October 3, 1950, to September 22, 1953. Most of the comedy in the series derived from the fact that Beulah, referred to as "the queen of the kitchen", 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. For at least the first season, ''Beulah'' was filmed at

Biograph Studios Biograph Studios was an early film studio and laboratory complex, built in 1912 by the Biograph Company at 807 East 175th Street, in The Bronx, New York City, New York. History Early years The first studio of the Biograph Company, formerly ...

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

while Ethel Waters was simultaneously appearing on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in ''

The Member of the Wedding ''The Member of the Wedding'' is a 1946 novel by Southern writer Carson McCullers. It took McCullers five years to complete, although she interrupted the work for a few months to write the novella '' The Ballad of the Sad Café''.McDowell, Marga ...

''.

Cast changes

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her not ...

starred as Beulah for the first year of the TV series before quitting in 1951. When production moved to Hollywood, Hattie McDaniel, star of radio's ''Beulah'', was cast in the title role in Summer 1951, but only filmed six shows before falling ill. She was replaced by

Louise Beavers Louise Beavers (March 8, 1902 – October 26, 1962) was an American film and television actress. From the 1920s until 1960, she appeared in dozens of films and two hit television shows. She was most often cast in the roles of a maid, servan ...

later in 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 first part of the third ''Beulah'' season, which aired from September to December 1952.

Butterfly McQueen Butterfly McQueen (born Thelma McQueen; January 8, 1911December 22, 1995) was an American actress. Originally a dancer, McQueen first appeared in films as "Prissy" in ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939). She was unable to attend the film's premiere be ...

(McDaniel's fellow cast member from ''

Gone With the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

'') starred as Oriole for the first season.

Ruby Dandridge Ruby Jean Dandridge (née Butler; March 3, 1900 – October 17, 1987) was an American actress from the early 1900s through to the late 1950s. Dandridge is best known for her role on the radio show ''Amos 'n Andy'', in which she played Sadie ...

, who had played Mrs. Kelso in '' Cabin in the Sky'' 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 is the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel, ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. The character was seen by many readers as a ground-breaking humanistic portrayal of a slave, one who uses nonresistance and gives his life to protect ...

" character. He was succeeded in the role by ''

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

'' pianist

Dooley Wilson Arthur "Dooley" Wilson (April 3, 1886 – May 30, 1953) was an American actor, singer and musician who is best remembered for his portrayal of Sam in the 1942 film ''Casablanca (film), Casablanca''. In that romantic drama, he performs its theme ...

, until

Ernest Whitman Ernest Whitman (February 21, 1893 - August 5, 1954) was an American stage and screen actor. He was also billed in some Broadway plays as Ernest R. Whitman. Early years Whitman was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was educated at Tuskegee Ins ...

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 Abby Berlin (August 7, 1907 — August 16, 1965) was best known as a director of feature films and television productions. He began on Broadway and Vaudeville as part of a comedy team with Ken Brown in the 1920s. By 1939, he had moved to Hollywoo ...

. Like the contemporaneous television program ''

Amos 'n' Andy ''Amos 'n' Andy'' is an American radio sitcom about black characters, initially set in Chicago and later in the Harlem section of New York City. While the show had a brief life on 1950s television with black actors, the 1928 to 1960 radio show ...

'', ''Beulah'' came under attack from many critics, including the

, which accused the show of supporting

stereotypical In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...

depictions of black characters, with Beulah viewed as a stereotypical " mammy" similar to

Aunt Jemima Pearl Milling Company (formerly known as Aunt Jemima from 1889 to 2021) is an American breakfast brand for pancake mix, syrup, and other breakfast food products. The original version of the pancake mix for the brand was developed in 1888–188 ...

Episode status

A total of 87 episodes were filmed and produced of the television program. All 87 episodes were included in syndication packages throughout the latter half of the 1950s for local stations across the country. Only seven episodes are known to exist on 16mm format and circulate among collectors. All 87 episodes are housed in an archive in their original 35-millimeter format. 21 episodes of the radio series have survived to the present day, as does Bob Corley's audition tape. As a daily sitcom, preserving the radio version of ''Beulah'' was not as high of a priority as it was for primetime programming. The following episodes can be found at YouTube and Archive.org. * The New Arrival (air date June 10, 1952), with Louise Beavers * Second Wedding (aka The Advice Columnist, air date June 20, 1952), with Louise Beavers * The Waltz (air date August 5, 1952), with Hattie McDaniel * Beulah Goes Gardening (air date August 12, 1952), with Hattie McDaniel

Cast

Radio

: Bill Jackson, Beulah (1945–1946) * Bob Corley: Beulah (1947) *

: Beulah (1947–1952) *

: Beulah (1952–1953) *

: Beulah (1953–1954) * Hugh Studebaker: Harry Henderson *

Mary Jane Croft Mary Jane Croft (February 15, 1916 – August 24, 1999) was an American actress best known for her roles as Betty Ramsey on ''I Love Lucy'', Miss Daisy Enright on the radio and television versions of ''Our Miss Brooks'', Mary Jane Lewis on ''T ...

: Alice Henderson * Henry Blair: Donnie Henderson (1947–1953) * Sammy Ogg: Donnie Henderson (1953–1954) *

: Oriole Winston * Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson *

Announcer An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience of a broadcast media programme or live event. Television and other media Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, ...

: Marvin Miller (1947–1953) *

: Johnny Jacobs (1953–1954) * Supporting cast members:

, John Brown, Lois Corbet,

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress, singer and dancer. She is the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, which was for her performance in '' C ...

Vivian Dandridge Vivian Alferetta Dandridge (April 22, 1921 – October 26, 1991) was an American singer, actress and dancer. Dandridge is best known for being the older sister of actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge and the daughter of actress Ruby Dandridge. ...

Roy Glenn Roy Edwin Glenn, Sr. (June 3, 1914 – March 12, 1971) was an American character actor. Early life Glenn was born in Pittsburg, Kansas on June 3, 1914. Career In 1949, Glenn's radio career started in Rocky Jordan – The Adventures of Rocky ...

Jess Kirkpatrick Jesse Bertram Kirkpatrick (October 2, 1897 – August 9, 1976) was an American film and television actor. Life and career Kirkpatrick was born in Champaign County, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois, where he played as a half ...

, Nicodemus Stewart

Television

Season 1: October 1950 – late 1951

: Beulah * Wiliam Post, Jr.: Harry Henderson * Ginger Jones: Alice Henderson * Clifford Sales: Donnie Henderson * Percy "Bud" Harris: Bill Jackson (October 1950 to early 1951) *

: Bill Jackson (early 1951 to 1952) *

: Oriole *

Leslie Uggams Leslie Marian Uggams (born May 25, 1943) is an American actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child in the early 1950s, Uggams is recognized for portraying Kizzy Reynolds in the television miniseries ''Roots'' (1977), earning Golden Glob ...

made at least one guest appearance as a young girl while Ethel Waters was the star of the show.

Season 2: April 1952 – August 1952

: Beulah (April–July) *

: Beulah (July–August; six episodes) * David Bruce: Harry Henderson *

Jane Frazee Mary Jane Frehse (July 18, 1915 – September 6, 1985), was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Professional life Jane, age six, and her 12-year-old sister Ruth formed a singing vaudeville act known as The Frazee Sisters.Stuffy Singer: Donnie Henderson * Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson * Ruby Dandridge: Oriole

Season 3: September 1952 – September 1953

: Beulah * David Bruce: Harry Henderson *

Jane Frazee Mary Jane Frehse (July 18, 1915 – September 6, 1985), was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Professional life Jane, age six, and her 12-year-old sister Ruth formed a singing vaudeville act known as The Frazee Sisters.Stuffy Singer Donnie Henderson * Ernest Whitman: Bill Jackson * Ruby Dandridge: Oriole

References in other media

''Beulah'' was referenced in the mockumentary '' C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America''. In order to make the mock documentary more believable, mock commercials for historical goods and services were used such as

Darkie Toothpaste Darlie (originally known as Darkie) is an oral care brand owned and manufactured by the Hawley & Hazel Company with focus on Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong with manufacturing facilities in Zhongsh ...

and

Coon Chicken Inn Coon Chicken Inn was an American chain of three restaurants that was founded by Maxon Lester Graham and Adelaide Burt in 1925, which prospered until the late 1950s. The restaurant's name contained the word ''Coon'', considered a racial slur, a ...

. ''Beulah'' was advertised as being a show (titled ''Leave It to Beulah'', combining the name of the series with that of '' Leave It to Beaver'', and featuring Beulah as a domestic

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

) which Confederate families had grown up watching.

Notes

References

*Bodroghkozy, Aniko
Museum of Broadcast Communications: ''Beulah''

Listen to

Jerry Haendiges' Preview Listening Lounge: ''The Beulah Show'' (1954)''The Beulah Show''
at Internet Archive – 1946–1954.

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0042081, title=Beulah 1945 radio programme debuts 1954 radio programme endings 1950 American television series debuts 1953 American television series endings 1940s American radio programs 1950s American radio programs 1950s American sitcoms American Broadcasting Company original programming American comedy radio programs American black sitcoms Black-and-white American television shows CBS Radio programs English-language television shows Fictional maids Radio programs adapted into television shows Race-related controversies in radio Race-related controversies in television Comedy radio characters Comedy television characters Female characters in radio Female characters in television Ethnic humour Television controversies in the United States Television series based on radio series Television shows filmed in New York City