Lillian Randolph (December 14, 1898 – September 12, 1980) was an American actress and singer, a veteran of

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

. She worked in entertainment from the 1930s until shortly before her death. She appeared in hundreds of

radio shows A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio networ ...

motion pictures A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, short subjects, and

television shows A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

. Randolph is most recognized for appearing in ''

It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas by medium#Films, Christmas Fantasy film, fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern se ...

'' (1946), ''

Magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

'' (1978), and her final onscreen project, ''

The Onion Field ''The Onion Field'' is a 1973 nonfiction book by Joseph Wambaugh, a sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department, chronicling the kidnapping of two plainclothes LAPD officers by a pair of criminals during a traffic stop and the subsequent m ...

'' (1979). She prominently contributed her voice to the character

Mammy Two Shoes Mammy Two Shoes is a Character (arts), fictional character in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM's ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoons. She is a heavy-set middle-aged African Americans, African American woman who takes care of the house in which Tom and Jerry reside ...

in nineteen ''

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...

cartoons A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...

released between 1940 and 1952.

Career

Early years

Born Castello Randolph in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...

, she was the younger sister of actress

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' ...

. The daughter of a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

minister and a teacher, she began her professional career singing on local radio in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

and

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. At Detroit's WXYZ, she was noticed by

George W. Trendle George Washington Trendle (July 4, 1884 – May 10, 1972) was an American lawyer and businessman best known as the producer of the ''Lone Ranger'' radio and television programs along with ''The Green Hornet'' and '' Sergeant Preston of the Yukon'' ...

, station owner and developer of ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

''. He got her into radio training courses, which paid off in roles for local radio shows. Randolph was tutored by a Euro-American actor for three months on "racial dialect" before getting any radio roles. She moved on to Los Angeles in 1936 to work on

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

's radio show, on ''

Big Town ''Big Town'' is a popular long-running radio drama featuring a corruption-fighting newspaper editor initially played from 1937 to 1942 by Edward G. Robinson in his first radio role, with echoes of the conscience-stricken tabloid editor he had ...

'', on the

Al Pearce Albert Pearce (July 25, 1898 – June 2, 1961) was an American comedian, singer and List of banjo players, banjo player who was a popular personality on several radio networks from 1928 to 1947. Biography After selling insurance door-to-door ...

show, and to sing at the Club Alabam there. Lillian and her sister Amanda were continually looking for roles to make ends meet. In 1938, she opened her home to

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

, who was in California for her first movie role in ''

The Duke Is Tops ''The Duke Is Tops'' is a 1938 United States, American musical film released by Million Dollar Productions and directed by William Nolte. The film was later released in 1943 under the title ''The Bronze Venus''. It features top-billed Lena Horne i ...

'' (1938); the film was so tightly budgeted, Horne had no money for a hotel. Randolph opened her home during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

with weekly dinners and entertainment for service people in the Los Angeles area through

American Women's Voluntary Services American Women's Voluntary Services (AWVS) was the largest American women's service organization in the United States during World War II. AWVS provided women volunteers who provided support services to help the nation during the war such as mess ...

A busy pace

Randolph is best known as the maid Birdie Lee Coggins from ''

The Great Gildersleeve ''The Great Gildersleeve'' is a radio situation comedy broadcast in the United States from August 31, 1941 to 1958. Initially written by Leonard Lewis Levinson, it was one of broadcast history's earliest spin-off programs. The series was built a ...

radio comedy Radio comedy, or comedy, comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve variety show, sitcom elements, sketch comedy, sketches, and various types of comedy found in other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic element ...

and subsequent films, and as Madame Queen on the ''

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 ...

'' radio show and television show from 1937 to 1953. She was cast in the "Gildersleeve" job on the basis of her wonderful laugh. Upon hearing the Gildersleeve program was beginning, Randolph made a dash to

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. She tore down the halls; when she opened the door for the program, she fell on her face. Randolph was not hurt and she laughed—this got her the job. She also portrayed Birdie in the television version of ''The Great Gildersleeve''. In 1955, Lillian was asked to perform the Gospel song, "

Were You There "Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)" is an African-American Spirituals, spiritual that was first printed in 1899. It was likely composed by enslaved African Americans in the 19th century. The song was first published in William Elea ...

" on the television version of the Gildersleeve show. The positive response from viewers resulted in a Gospel album by Randolph on Dootone Records. She found the time for the role of Mrs. Watson on ''

The Baby Snooks Show ''The Baby Snooks Show'' was an American radio program starring comedian and ''Ziegfeld Follies'' alumna Fanny Brice as a mischievous young girl who was 40 years younger than the actress who played her when she first went on the air. The series b ...

'' and Daisy on ''

The Billie Burke Show The Billie Burke Show was an old-time radio Sitcom, situation comedy in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS April 3, 1943 - September 21, 1946. Format Actress Billie Burke played herself as "a well-meaning young woman with her head in the c ...

'' Her best known film roles were those of Annie in ''

'' (1946) and Bessie in ''

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer ''The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer'' (released as ''Bachelor Knight'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1947 American screwball romantic comedy-drama film directed by Irving Reis and written by Sidney Sheldon. The film stars Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, a ...

'' (1947). The

West Adams West Adams is a historic neighborhood in the South Los Angeles region of Los Angeles, California. The area is known for its large number of historic buildings, structures and notable houses and mansions throughout Los Angeles. It is a youth ...

district of Los Angeles was once home to lawyers and tycoons, but during the 1930s, many residents were either forced to sell their homes or take in boarders because of the economic times. The bulk of the residents who were earlier members of the entertainment community had already moved to places such as

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

and Hollywood. In the 1940s, members of the African-American entertainment community discovered the charms of the district and began purchasing homes there, giving the area the nickname "Sugar Hill".

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 (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, ...

was one of the first African-American residents. In an attempt to discourage African Americans from making their homes in the area, some residents resorted to adding covenants to the contracts when their homes were sold, either restricting African-Americans from purchasing them or prohibiting them from occupying the houses after purchase. Lillian and her husband, boxer Jack Chase, were victims of this type of discrimination. In 1946, the couple purchased a home on West Adams Boulevard with a restrictive covenant that barred them from moving into it. The US Supreme Court declared the practice unconstitutional in 1948. After divorcing Chase, Randolph married railroad

dining car A dining car (American English) or a restaurant car (British English), also a diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant. It is distinct from other railroad food service cars that ...

server Edward Sanders, in August 1951. The couple divorced in December 1953. Beulah radio cast 1952 1953edited

Like her sister, Amanda, Lillian was also one of the actresses to play the part of '' Beulah'' on radio. Randolph assumed the role in 1952 when Hattie McDaniel became ill; that same year, she received an "Angel" award from the Caballeros, an African-American businessmen's association, for her work in radio and television for 1951. She played Beulah until 1953, when Amanda took over for her. In 1954, Randolph had her own daily radio show in Hollywood, where those involved in acting were featured. In the same year, she became the first African American on the board of directors for the Hollywood chapter of the

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording a ...

. In

William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator and cartoonist who was the creator of ''Tom and Jerry'' as well as the voice actor for the two title characters. Alongside Joseph Barbera, he also founded the ani ...

and

Joseph Barbera Joseph Roland Barbera ( ; ; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist who co-founded the animation studio and production company Hanna-Barbera. Born to Italian im ...

's ''

'' cartoons at the

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio was an American animation studio operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) during the Golden Age of American animation. Active from 1937 until 1957, the studio was responsible for producing animated shorts to a ...

during the 1940s and early 1950s, she was uncredited for voicing the maid character,

. The character's last appearance in the cartoons was in ''

Push-Button Kitty This is a complete list of the 164 shorts in the ''Tom and Jerry'' series produced and released between 1940 and 2014. Of these, 162 are theatrical shorts, one is a made-for-TV short, and one is a 2-minute sketch shown as part of a telethon. ...

'' in September 1952. MGM, Hanna-Barbera and Randolph had been under fire from 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 called the role a stereotype. Activists had been complaining about the maid character since 1949. The character was written out entirely. Many of these had a white actress (June Foray) redubbing the character in American TV broadcasts and in the DVD collections. This was not the only time Randolph received criticism. In 1946, ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...

'' published a story critical of her role of Birdie on ''The Great Gildersleeve'' radio show. Randolph and Sam Moore, a scriptwriter on the program, provided a rebuttal to them in the magazine. Lillian Randolph believed these roles were not harmful to the image or opportunities of African Americans. Her reasoning was that the roles themselves would not be discontinued, but the ethnicity of those in them would change. In 1956, Randolph and her choir, along with fellow ''Amos 'n' Andy'' television show cast members Tim Moore,

Alvin Childress Alvin Childress (September 15, 1907 – April 19, 1986) was an American actor, who is best known for playing the cabdriver Amos Jones in the 1950s television comedy series ''Amos 'n' Andy''. Biography Alvin Childress was born in Meridian, Missis ...

, and

Spencer Williams Spencer Williams (October 14, 1889 – July 14, 1965) was an American jazz and popular music composer, pianist, and singer. He is best known for his hit songs " Basin Street Blues", "I Ain't Got Nobody", " Royal Garden Blues", " I've Found a New ...

set off on a tour of the US as "The TV Stars of ''Amos 'n' Andy''". However,

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

claimed it was an infringement of its rights to the show and its characters. The tour soon came to an end. By 1958, Lillian, who started out as a blues singer, returned to music with a nightclub act.

Later years

Lillian was selected to play

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

's character's mother in his 1969 television series, ''

The Bill Cosby Show ''The Bill Cosby Show'' is an American sitcom television series, that aired for two seasons on NBC's Sunday night schedule from 1969 until 1971, under the sponsorship of Procter & Gamble. There were 52 episodes made in the series. It marked Bill ...

''. She later appeared in several featured roles on ''

Sanford and Son ''Sanford and Son'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'', which initially aired on BBC One in the United ...

'' and ''

The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of List of The Jeffersons episodes, 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longe ...

'' in the 1970s. She also taught acting, singing and public speaking. Randolph made a guest appearance on a 1972 episode of the sitcom ''

'', entitled "Here Comes the Bride, There Goes the Bride" as Aunt Hazel, an in-law of the Fred Sanford (

Redd Foxx John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. ...

) character who humorously gets a cake thrown in her face, after which Fred replies "Hazel, you never looked sweeter!". Her ''Amos 'n' Andy'' co-star,

, also had a role in this episode. She played Mabel in ''

Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough ''Once Is Not Enough'' is the third novel by Jacqueline Susann, published in 1973 following her huge bestsellers '' Valley of the Dolls'' (1966) and '' The Love Machine'' (1969). With ''Once Is Not Enough,'' Susann became the first writer in publ ...

'' (1975) and also appeared in the television miniseries, ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

'' (1977), ''

'' (1978) and ''

'' (1979). In March 1980, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Lillian's daughter, Barbara, grew up watching her mother perform. At age eight, Barbara had already made her debut in ''

Bright Road ''Bright Road'' is a 1953 low-budget film adapted from the Christopher Award-winning short story "See How They Run" by Mary Elizabeth Vroman. Directed by Gerald Mayer and featuring a nearly all-black cast, the film stars Dorothy Dandridge as an ...

'' (1953) with

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

and

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 ...

. Choosing to adopt her mother's maiden name,

Barbara Randolph Barbara Randolph (May 5, 1942July 15, 2002), also known as Barbara Ann Sanders, was an American soul singer and actress who recorded for Motown Records in the 1960s. Biography She was born in Detroit and was adopted by the actress Lillian Randol ...

appeared in her mother's nightclub acts (including that with Steve Gibson and the Red Caps) and had a role in ''

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'' is a 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, and written by William Rose. It stars Spencer Tracy (in his final role), Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Hepburn, and featur ...

'' (1967). She decided to follow a singing career.

Death

Randolph died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

at Arcadia Methodist Hospital in

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of th ...

on September 12, 1980, at the age of 81. She is buried in

Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills is one of the six Forest Lawn cemeteries in Southern California. It is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California 90068, in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Histor ...

. Her sister, Amanda, is buried beside her.

Partial filmography

*'' Life Goes On'' (1938) – Cinthy *''

'' (1938) – Woman with Sciatica (uncredited) *''

The Toy Wife ''The Toy Wife'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Luise Rainer and Melvyn Douglas. The period film was produced by Merian C. Cooper and written by Zoë Akins. Plot Set before the American Civil War, ''The T ...

'' (1938) – Black Nun with Rose (uncredited) *'' Streets of New York'' (1939) – Judge's Maid (uncredited) *'' Way Down South'' (1939) – Slave (uncredited) *'' The Marx Brothers at the Circus'' (1939) – Black Woman - 'Swingali' (uncredited) *''

Am I Guilty? ''Am I Guilty?'' Is an American film released in 1940 directed by Samuel Neufeld for the Supreme Pictures Corporation. A. W. Hackel was the film's producer.; his Supreme Pictures, which had produced dozens of Western films, planned a series of fi ...

'' (1940) – Mrs. Jones *''

Barnyard Follies ''Barnyard Follies'' is a 1940 Republic Pictures musical B movie directed by Frank McDonald with music directed by Cy Feuer and dance choreography by Josephine Earl. In the rural American West, a small-town orphanage struggles to become self-s ...

'' (1940) – Birdie (uncredited) *''

Little Men ''Little Men,'' or ''Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys,'' is a children's novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), which was first published in 1871 by Roberts Brothers. The book reprises characters from her 1868–69 two-volume ...

'' (1940) – Asia *'' One Big Mistake'' (1940), a featurette starring Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham *''

'' (1940-1952) – Mammy Two Shoes *'' West Point Widow'' (1941) – Sophie *''

Kiss the Boys Goodbye ''Kiss the Boys Goodbye'' is a 1941 comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Mary Martin, Don Ameche and Oscar Levant. It is based on a play by Clare Boothe Luce which was inspired by the search for an actress to play Scarlett O'Ha ...

'' (1941) – Bethany Plantation Chorus Servant (uncredited) * ''

Gentleman from Dixie ''Gentleman from Dixie'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Albert Herman and starring Jack La Rue, Marian Marsh and Clarence Muse.Berry & Berry p.239 Cast * Jack La Rue as Thad Terrill * Marian Marsh as Margaret Terrill * Clarence M ...

'' (1941) – Aunt Eppie *''

Birth of the Blues ''Birth of the Blues'' is a 1941 American musical film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Mary Martin and Brian Donlevy. The plot loosely follows the origins and breakthrough success of the Original Dixieland Jass Band i ...

'' (1941) – Dancing Woman (uncredited) *'' All-American Co-Ed'' (1941) – Deborah, the Washwoman *''

Mexican Spitfire Sees a Ghost ''Mexican Spitfire Sees a Ghost'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Charles E. Roberts and Monte Brice. It is the sequel to the 1942 film '' Mexican Spitfire at Sea''. The film stars Lupe Vélez, Leon Erro ...

'' (1942) – Hyacinth *''

Hi, Neighbor ''Hi, Neighbor'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and written by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart E. McGowan. The film stars Jean Parker, John Archer, Janet Beecher, Marilyn Hare, Bill Shirley and Pauline Drake. The film was r ...

'' (1942) – Birdie *''

The Palm Beach Story ''The Palm Beach Story'' is a 1942 screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, and starring Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor and Rudy Vallée. Victor Young contributed the musical score, including a fast-paced variati ...

'' (1942) – Maid on Train (uncredited) *''

The Glass Key ''The Glass Key'' is a novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett. First published as a serial in '' Black Mask'' magazine in 1930, it then was collected in 1931 (in London; the American edition followed 3 months later). It tells the story of a ga ...

'' (1942) – Basement Club Entertainer (uncredited) *''

'' (1942) – Birdie Lee Calkins *'' No Time for Love'' (1943) – Hilda (uncredited) *'' Happy Go Lucky'' (1943) – Tessie (uncredited) *''

Hoosier Holiday ''Hoosier Holiday'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Frank McDonald (director), Frank McDonald and written by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart E. McGowan. The film stars George D. Hay, Isabel Randolph, Shug Fisher, Lillian Randolph, Dale Evan ...

'' (1943) – Birdie *''

Gildersleeve on Broadway ''Gildersleeve on Broadway'' is a 1943 American film starring Harold Peary as his radio character The Great Gildersleeve. It is the third of four Gildersleeve features, others were ''The Great Gildersleeve'' (1942), ''Gildersleeve's Bad Day'' (19 ...

'' (1943) – Birdie *''

Phantom Lady Phantom Lady is a Fictional character, fictional Superhero#Female superheroes and villains, superheroine, one of the first such characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was ...

'' (1944) – Woman at Train Platform (uncredited) *''

Up in Arms ''Up in Arms'' is a 1944 musical film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Danny Kaye and Dinah Shore. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1945. Plot Danny Weems works as an elevator operator in a New York Medical building, so he can b ...

'' (1944) – Black Woman in Cable Car (uncredited) *'' The Adventures of Mark Twain'' (1944) – Black Woman (uncredited) *''

Gildersleeve's Ghost ''Gildersleeve's Ghost'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas from an original screenplay by Robert E. Kent. It is the fourth and final film in the Gildersleeve's series, all of which were produced and distributed by RKO R ...

'' (1944) – Birdie, Gildersleeve's Housekeeper *'' Three Little Sisters'' (1944) – Mabel *''

A Song for Miss Julie ''A Song for Miss Julie'' is a 1945 American film directed by William Rowland. Plot summary Cast *Shirley Ross as Valerie Kimbro *Barton Hepburn as George Kimbro * Jane Farrar as Julie Charteris *Roger Clark as Stephen Mont *Cheryl Walk ...

'' (1945) – Eliza Henry *''

Riverboat Rhythm ''Riverboat Rhythm'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Charles E. Roberts. The film stars Leon Errol, Glenn Vernon, Walter Catlett, Joan Newton, Marc Cramer, and Jonathan Hale. The film was released on Febr ...

'' (1946) – Azalea (uncredited) *''

Child of Divorce ''Child of Divorce'' is a 1946 American film directed by Richard O. Fleischer. It was the first film that he directed. RKO had adapted the play to film before as the 1934 film '' Wednesday's Child''. Plot summary Young Roberta "Bobby" Carter, on ...

'' (1946) – Carrie, the Maid *''

'' (1946) – Annie *''

The Hucksters ''The Hucksters'' is a 1947 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film directed by Jack Conway starring Clark Gable and Deborah Kerr, her debut in an American film. The supporting cast includes Sydney Greenstreet, Adolphe Menjou, Ava Gardner, Keenan Wynn, and ...

'' (1947) – Violet (voice, uncredited) *''

'' (1947) – Bessie *''

Sleep, My Love ''Sleep, My Love'' is a 1948 American noir film directed by Douglas Sirk. It features Claudette Colbert, Robert Cummings and Don Ameche. Plot Alison Courtland, a wealthy New Yorker, hasn't a clue how she ended up on a train bound for Boston. W ...

'' (1948) – Parkhurst's Maid (uncredited) *''

Let's Live a Little ''Let's Live a Little'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wallace and starring Hedy Lamarr and Robert Cummings. Written by Howard Irving Young, Edmund L. Hartmann, Albert J. Cohen, and Jack Harvey, the film is about an o ...

'' (1948) – Sarah (uncredited) *''

Once More, My Darling ''Once More, My Darling'' is a 1949 American comedy film directed by and starring Robert Montgomery and Ann Blyth. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Recording ( Leslie I. Carey). Plot Collier "Collie" Laing, a confirm ...

'' (1949) – Mamie *'' Dear Brat'' (1951) – Dora *'' That's My Boy'' (1951) – May, Maid *''

Bend of the River ''Bend of the River'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, and Rock Hudson. Based on the 1950 novel ''Bend of the Snake'' by Bill Gulick, the film is about a tough cow ...

'' (1952) – Aunt Tildy (uncredited) *'' Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte'' (1964) – Cleaning Woman *''

The Great White Hope ''The Great White Hope'' is a 1967 play written by Howard Sackler, later adapted in 1970 for a film of the same name. The play was first produced by Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in October 1968, ...

'' (1970) – Housekeeper (uncredited) *''How to Seduce a Woman'' (1974) – Matilda *''

Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins ''Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins'' is a 1975 American comedy-drama film directed by Dick Richards and written by John Kaye. The film was the second film credit for Jerry Bruckheimer, who was an associate producer. The film features the song "H ...

'' (1975) – Elderly Woman Driver *''

The Wild McCullochs ''The Wild McCullochs'' is a 1975 American drama film written and directed by Max Baer Jr. and starring Forrest Tucker, Julie Adams, Max Baer Jr., Janice Heiden, Dennis Redfield and Don Grady. The film was released on May 21, 1975, by American ...

'' (1975) – Missy *''

'' (1975) – Mabel *''The World Through the Eyes of Children'' (1975) – Susan *''

Jennifer Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) * Jenifer (singer), French pop singer * Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and tele ...

'' (1978) – Martha *''

'' (1978) – Sadie *''

'' (1979) – Nana, Jimmy's Grandmother (final film role)

Notes

References

External links

* * *
Lillian Randolph Movies & TV New York Times

Eighth & Wall
Index of radio shows Lillian Randolph performed in
David Goldin

Watch

''Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy'' Video by Hulu

''The Great Gildersleeve'' TV Episode
at Internet Archive.

Listen

''The Beulah Show''
at Internet Archive – 1953.
''The Great Gildersleeve'' Radio Episodes
at Internet Archive. {{DEFAULTSORT:Randolph, Lillian 1980 deaths 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers African-American actresses Actresses from Tennessee American blues singers American gospel singers American film actresses American Methodists American radio actresses American television actresses Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Deaths from cancer in California People from Knoxville, Tennessee People from West Adams, Los Angeles Singers from Tennessee Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio people 1898 births African-American women singers