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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1950s 2 Mins Read

    Beulah

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    1 9 5 0 – 1 9 5 3Β (USA)
    78 x 30 minute episodes

    “Somebody bawl fo’ Beulah?”

    While the premise ofΒ BeulahΒ – about a black maid serving a white suburban family – probably didn’t thrill many civil rights activists, millions of viewers (many of them presumably black) enjoyed Beulah as she dispensed wisdom to the ever-bumbling Henderson family and to her friend Oriole.

    Her employers, the Hendersons – attorney Harry, his wife Alice, and their young son Donnie, who lived at 213 Lake Street – were a caricature of a white middle-class family, giving Beulah plenty to do as one crisis after another overtook the household – such as Mr Henderson burning the steaks at a picnic, falling into the water while fishing, or trying to stop Donnie, from running away from home.

    The character of Beulah originated as a supporting role on radio’sΒ Fibber McGee and MollyΒ programme in 1944 and became one of the most popular comedy characters of the 40s and 50s in America.

    When ABC brought the popular serial to television in 1950 the role was filled by veteran singer/actress Ethel Waters with Percy Harris as her shiftless boyfriend Bill Jackson (who ran a fix-it shop) and Butterfly McQueen as her unpredictable girlfriend Oriole.

    In April 1952 there was a major cast change. Hattie McDaniel (another Hollywood veteran) was hired to take over the title role, but she suddenly became ill and the part went to Louise Beavers after only a few episodes. At the same time, the entire Henderson family changed faces.

    BeulahΒ was still receiving high ratings in September 1953 when it went off the air because Miss Beavers decided to leave the series.

    Beulah
    Ethel Waters (1)
    Hattie McDaniel (2)
    Louise Beavers (3)
    Harry Henderson

    William Post Jr (1)
    David Bruce (2)
    Alice Henderson

    Ginger Jones (1)
    Jane Frazee (2)
    Donnie Henderson

    Clifford Sales (1)
    Stuffy Singer (2)
    Oriole

    Butterfly McQueen (1)
    Ruby Dandridge (2)
    Bill Jackson

    Percy (Bud) Harris (1)
    Dooley Wilson (2)
    Ernest Whitman (3)

    Video

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    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

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