Louise Beavers

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Louise Beavers March 8 1902 October 26 1962 was an American film and television actress Beavers appeared in dozens of films and two hit television shows from the 1920s until 1960 most often cast in the role of a maid servant or slave She was a native of Cincinnati Ohio and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority one of the four AfricanAmerican sororities Beavers was a breakthrough actress for black women and became known as a symbol of a mammy on the screen A mammy archetype is the portrayal within a narrative framework or other imagery of a black domestic servant generally goodnatured often overweight and loud Louise Beavers started her career in the 1920s At the time black people in films were limited to acting in only very few roles usually as slaves or domestic help She played the mammy in many of the movies she acted in She started to gain more attention in the acting world after she played the role of Julia in Coquette which starred Mary Pickford In this film she played the black maid and mother figure to a young white woman She once received a review which stated Personally Miss Beavers is just splendid just as fine as she appears on screen but she also has a charm all her own which needs no screen role for recognition She has a very pleasing personality one that draws people to her instantly and makes them feel that they are meeting a friend instead of a Hollywood Star Beavers had an attractive personality and often played roles in which she helps a white protagonist mature in the course of the movie In 1934 Beavers played Delilah in Imitation of Life in a dramatic role Her character again plays a black maid but instead of the usual stereotypical comedic or purely functional role Delilahs story line is a secondary parallel plot The public reacted positively to Beavers performance It was not only a breakthrough for Beavers but was also the first time in American cinema history that a black womans problems were given major emotional weight in a major Hollywood motion picture Some in the media recognized the unfairness of Hollywoods double standard regarding race For example California Graphic Magazine wrote the Academy could not recognize Miss Beavers She is black As Beavers career grew some criticized her for the roles she accepted alleging that such roles institutionalized the view that blacks were subservient to whites Beavers dismissed the criticism She acknowledged the limited opportunities available but said I am only playing the parts I dont live them As she became more famous Beavers began to speak against Hollywoods portrayal and treatment of black Americans both during production and after promoting the films Beavers became active in public life seeking to help support African Americans In later life Beavers was plagued by health issues including diabetes She died on October 26 1962 at the age of 60 following a heart attack Beavers was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1976