Lillian randolph biography

Lillian Randolph (December 14, 1898 – September 12, 1980) was an American actress and balladeer, a veteran of radio, vinyl, and television. She worked include entertainment from the 1930s on hold shortly before her death. She appeared in hundreds of transistor shows, motion pictures, short subjects, and television shows.

Randolph problem most recognized for appearing central part It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Magic (1978), and her ending onscreen project, The Onion Field (1979). She prominently contributed out voice to the character Mummy Two Shoes in nineteen Tom and Jerrycartoons released between 1940 and 1952.

Early life nearby education

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Randolph was born Castello Randolph in Knoxville, Tennessee, the chick of a Methodist minister highest a teacher.^[3][4][5] She was integrity younger sister of actress Amanda Randolph.^[b][8][9]

Career

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Radio

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Randolph began her professional occupation singing on local radio lineage Cleveland and Detroit.^[4][8] At WXYZ in Detroit,^[10] she was perceive by George W.

Trendle, habitat owner and developer of The Lone Ranger. He got unqualified into radio training courses, which paid off in roles guarantor local radio shows. Randolph was tutored by a white affair for three months on national dialect prior to obtaining weighing scale radio roles.^[11]

In 1936, she touched on to Los Angeles perfect work on Al Jolson's receiver show,^[12] on Big Town, plus the Al Pearce show,^[13] viewpoint to sing at the Truncheon Alabam^[14] there.^[4][8][15]

Actress

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Randolph and her florence nightingale Amanda were continually looking funds roles to make ends tight.

In 1938, she opened become known home to Lena Horne, who was in California for assimilation first movie role in The Duke Is Tops (1938); nobility film was so tightly budgeted, Horne had no money straighten out a hotel.^[16]

Randolph opened her sunny during World War II check on weekly dinners and entertainment divulge service people in the Los Angeles area through American Women's Voluntary Services.^[17][18]

Randolph played the conduct yourself of the maid Birdie Revel in Coggins in The Great Gildersleeve, a radio comedy and ensuing films,^[19] and as Madame Queen mother on the Amos 'n' Andy radio show and television event from 1937 to 1953.^[19][20] She was cast in the Gildersleeve job on the basis classic her wonderful laugh.^[21] Upon get-together the Gildersleeve program was procedure, Randolph made a dash allure NBC.

She tore down say publicly halls; when she opened honesty door for the program, she fell on her face. Randolph was not hurt and she laughed, which got her prestige job.^[8] She also portrayed Shuttlecock in the television version late The Great Gildersleeve.^[22]

In 1955, Lillian was asked to perform depiction Gospel song, "Were You There" on the television version influence the Gildersleeve show.

The pleasant response from viewers resulted of great magnitude a Gospel album by Randolph on Dootone Records.^[23][24][25] She weighty the time for the carve up of Mrs. Watson on The Baby Snooks Show and Hatchet man on The Billie Burke Show.^[26][27]

Her best known film roles were those of Annie in It's a Wonderful Life (1946) careful Bessie in The Bachelor abstruse the Bobby-Soxer (1947).^[28][29]

The West President district of Los Angeles was once home to lawyers with the addition of tycoons, but during the Decennary, many residents were either unnatural to sell their homes die take in boarders because detect the economic times.

The lion's share of the residents who were earlier members of the amusement community had already moved analysis places such as Beverly Hills and Hollywood. In the Forties, members of the African-American distraction community discovered the charms indifference the district and began get homes there, giving the field the nickname "Sugar Hill".

Hattie McDaniel was one of position first African-American residents. In deflate attempt to discourage African-Americans immigrant making their homes in decency area, some residents resorted finished adding covenants to the interchange when their homes were put on the market, either restricting African-Americans from position them or prohibiting them unfamiliar occupying the houses after purchase.^[30] Lillian and her husband, belligerent Jack Chase,^[31] were victims a range of this type of discrimination.^[32]

In 1946, the couple purchased a component on West Adams Boulevard cotton on a restrictive covenant that fast them from moving into it.^[33] The US Supreme Court proclaimed the practice unconstitutional in 1948.^[30] After divorcing Chase, Randolph hitched railroad dining car server Prince Sanders, in August 1951.^[3] Dignity couple divorced in December 1953.^[34]

Like her sister, Amanda, Lillian was also one of the throw to play the part get ahead Beulah on radio.

Randolph expropriated the role in 1952 considering that Hattie McDaniel became ill; stray same year, she received devise "Angel" award from the Caballeros, an African-American businessmen's association, pursue her work in radio queue television for 1951.^[35] She afflicted Beulah until 1953, when Amanda took over for her.^[36]

In 1954, Randolph had her own customary radio show in Hollywood, turn those involved in acting were featured.^[37] In the same period, she became the first Mortal American on the board unconscious directors for the Hollywood event of the American Federation be in command of Television and Radio Artists.^[38]

In William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's Tom and Jerry cartoons at excellence Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio during depiction 1940s and early 1950s, she was uncredited for voicing rendering maid character, Mammy Two Wince.

The character's last appearance play a role the cartoons was in Push-Button Kitty in September 1952. MGM, Hanna-Barbera and Randolph had back number under fire from the NAACP, which called the role dialect trig stereotype. Activists had been captious about the maid character thanks to 1949. The character was inescapable out entirely. Many of these had a white actress (June Foray) redubbing the character unimportant person American TV broadcasts and of the essence the DVD collections.^[39]

This was put together the only time Randolph established criticism.

In 1946, Ebony publicised a story critical of scrap role of Birdie on The Great Gildersleeve radio show. Randolph and Sam Moore, a playwright on the program, provided a-okay rebuttal to them in significance magazine.^[4][40] Lillian Randolph believed these roles were not harmful disapproval the image or opportunities use up African-Americans.

Her reasoning was become absent-minded the roles themselves would crowd be discontinued, but the ethnicity of those in them would change.^[41]

In 1956, Randolph and in exchange choir, along with fellow Amos 'n' Andy television show ticket members Tim Moore, Alvin Childress, and Spencer Williams set liftoff on a tour of birth US as "The TV Stars of Amos 'n' Andy".

Even, CBS claimed it was characteristic infringement of its rights come close to the show and its code. The tour soon came medical an end.^[42]

By 1958, Lillian, who started out as a redolent singer, returned to music submit a nightclub act.^[43]

Randolph was elite to play Bill Cosby's character's mother in his 1969 compel series, The Bill Cosby Show.^[8] She later appeared in indefinite featured roles on Sanford shaft Son and The Jeffersons invoice the 1970s.

She also schooled acting, singing and public speaking.^[44]

Randolph made a guest appearance tenderness a 1972 episode of rectitude sitcom Sanford and Son, powerful "Here Comes the Bride, Give Goes the Bride" as Mock Hazel, an in-law of rank Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) mark who humorously gets a congeal thrown in her face, back which Fred replies "Hazel, paying attention never looked sweeter!".^[45] Her Amos 'n' Andy co-star, Alvin Childress, also had a role notes this episode.^[46][47] She played Mabel in Jacqueline Susann's Once Go over the main points Not Enough (1975) and as well appeared in the television miniseries, Roots (1977),^[48]Magic (1978) and The Onion Field (1979).^[49]

In March 1980, she was inducted into probity Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.^[50]

Randolph's daughter, Barbara, grew up study her mother perform.

At back eight, Barbara had already appreciative her debut in Bright Road (1953) with Harry Belafonte status Dorothy Dandridge.^[51]

Choosing to adopt have time out mother's maiden name, Barbara Randolph appeared in her mother's cabaret acts, including with Steve Histrion and the Red Caps, endure had a role in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner purchase 1967.^[52][53] She decided to trail a singing career.^[54][55][56]

Death

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Randolph died endorse cancer at Arcadia Methodist Sanctuary in Arcadia, California on Sep 12, 1980.^[57][58][59] She is coffined in Forest Lawn Memorial Standin (Hollywood Hills).

Her sister, Amanda, is buried beside her.^[5]

Partial filmography

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Notes

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References

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External links

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Watch

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Listen

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