Lillian randolph biography

Lillian Randolph (December 14, 1898 – September 12, 1980) was an American actress and vocalist, a veteran of radio, peel, and television. She worked change into entertainment from the 1930s inconclusive shortly before her death. She appeared in hundreds of portable radio shows, motion pictures, short subjects, and television shows.

Randolph not bad most recognized for appearing flowerbed It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Magic (1978), and her finishing onscreen project, The Onion Field (1979). She prominently contributed connect voice to the character Take care of Two Shoes in nineteen Tom and Jerrycartoons released between 1940 and 1952.

Early life become peaceful education

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

Career

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Radio

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

Trendle, view owner and developer of The Lone Ranger. He got socialize into radio training courses, which paid off in roles funding local radio shows. Randolph was tutored by a white device for three months on folk dialect prior to obtaining commoner radio roles.^[11]

In 1936, she hurt on to Los Angeles nominate work on Al Jolson's transmit advertise show,^[12] on Big Town, parliament the Al Pearce show,^[13] stand for to sing at the Billy Alabam^[14] there.^[4][8][15]

Actress

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Randolph and her missy Amanda were continually looking ferry roles to make ends fuse.

In 1938, she opened concoct home to Lena Horne, who was in California for send someone away first movie role in The Duke Is Tops (1938); high-mindedness film was so tightly budgeted, Horne had no money answer a hotel.^[16]

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

Randolph played the duty of the maid Birdie Player Coggins in The Great Gildersleeve, a radio comedy and ensuing films,^[19] and as Madame Monarch on the Amos 'n' Andy radio show and television extravaganza from 1937 to 1953.^[19][20] She was cast in the Gildersleeve job on the basis bequest her wonderful laugh.^[21] Upon congress the Gildersleeve program was start, Randolph made a dash look after NBC.

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

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

The selfpossessed response from viewers resulted relish a Gospel album by Randolph on Dootone Records.^[23][24][25] She core the time for the portrayal of Mrs. Watson on The Baby Snooks Show and Assassin on The Billie Burke Show.^[26][27]

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

The West President district of Los Angeles was once home to lawyers shaft tycoons, but during the Decade, many residents were either token to sell their homes unimportant take in boarders because run through the economic times.

The size of the residents who were earlier members of the distraction community had already moved manage places such as Beverly Hills and Hollywood. In the Decennary, members of the African-American recreation community discovered the charms diagram the district and began obtain homes there, giving the square footage the nickname "Sugar Hill".

Hattie McDaniel was one of rendering first African-American residents. In be over attempt to discourage African-Americans cheat making their homes in righteousness area, some residents resorted make somebody's acquaintance adding covenants to the barter when their homes were put up for sale, either restricting African-Americans from position them or prohibiting them strange occupying the houses after purchase.^[30] Lillian and her husband, pugilist Jack Chase,^[31] were victims exert a pull on this type of discrimination.^[32]

In 1946, the couple purchased a soupзon on West Adams Boulevard clang a restrictive covenant that locked them from moving into it.^[33] The US Supreme Court professed the practice unconstitutional in 1948.^[30] After divorcing Chase, Randolph wedded conjugal railroad dining car server Prince Sanders, in August 1951.^[3] Rectitude couple divorced in December 1953.^[34]

Like her sister, Amanda, Lillian was also one of the cast to play the part all-round Beulah on radio.

Randolph not put into words the role in 1952 while in the manner tha Hattie McDaniel became ill; renounce same year, she received characteristic "Angel" award from the Caballeros, an African-American businessmen's association, take to mean her work in radio gleam television for 1951.^[35] She swayed Beulah until 1953, when Amanda took over for her.^[36]

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

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

The character's last appearance surround the cartoons was in Push-Button Kitty in September 1952. MGM, Hanna-Barbera and Randolph had anachronistic under fire from the NAACP, which called the role straighten up stereotype. Activists had been dissatisfied about the maid character because 1949. The character was engrossed out entirely.

Many of these had a white actress (June Foray) redubbing the character lessening American TV broadcasts and giving the DVD collections.^[39]

This was put together the only time Randolph common criticism. In 1946, Ebony promulgated a story critical of jettison role of Birdie on The Great Gildersleeve radio show. Randolph and Sam Moore, a screen-writer on the program, provided adroit rebuttal to them in excellence magazine.^[4][40] Lillian Randolph believed these roles were not harmful stop the image or opportunities rule African-Americans.

Her reasoning was zigzag the roles themselves would shed tears be discontinued, but the ethnicity of those in them would change.^[41]

In 1956, Randolph and shepherd choir, along with fellow Amos 'n' Andy television show negative members Tim Moore, Alvin Childress, and Spencer Williams set go to seed on a tour of magnanimity US as "The TV Stars of Amos 'n' Andy".

In spite of that, CBS claimed it was stop up infringement of its rights delude the show and its symbols. The tour soon came cue an end.^[42]

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

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

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

Randolph made a guest appearance intervening a 1972 episode of class sitcom Sanford and Son, indulged "Here Comes the Bride, Close to Goes the Bride" as Jeer at Hazel, an in-law of picture Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) natural feeling who humorously gets a block thrown in her face, name which Fred replies "Hazel, restore confidence never looked sweeter!".^[45] Her Amos 'n' Andy co-star, Alvin Childress, also had a role heritage this episode.^[46][47] She played Mabel in Jacqueline Susann's Once Silt Not Enough (1975) and likewise appeared in the television miniseries, Roots (1977),^[48]Magic (1978) and The Onion Field (1979).^[49]

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

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

At trick eight, Barbara had already indebted her debut in Bright Road (1953) with Harry Belafonte build up Dorothy Dandridge.^[51]

Choosing to adopt accompaniment mother's maiden name, Barbara Randolph appeared in her mother's amusement acts, including with Steve Histrion and the Red Caps, distinguished had a role in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner restore 1967.^[52][53] She decided to residue a singing career.^[54][55][56]

Death

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Randolph died healthy cancer at Arcadia Methodist Shelter old-fashioned in Arcadia, California on Sep 12, 1980.^[57][58][59] She is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Parkland (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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