Ernestine Wade facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ernestine Wade
Ernestine Wade as Sapphire Stevens on The Amos 'n' Andy Show (TV, 1951-53)
Born	(1906-08-07)August 7, 1906 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	April 15, 1983(1983-04-15) (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1940–1975

Ernestine Wade (born August 7, 1906 – died April 15, 1983) was an American actress. She was best known for playing Sapphire Stevens. This role was in both the radio and TV versions of The Amos 'n' Andy Show.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Ernestine Wade was born in Jackson, Mississippi. She learned to sing and play the organ. Her family had strong ties to the world of theater. Her mother, Hazel Wade, was a performer in vaudeville. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with many different acts. Ernestine's grandmother worked at the Lincoln Theater in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ernestine grew up in Los Angeles. She started her acting career at a very young age, just four years old. In 1935, Ernestine was a member of a singing group called the Four Hot Chocolates.

Film and Voice Work

Ernestine appeared in small parts in movies. She also did voice acting. For example, she was the voice of a butterfly in the 1946 Walt Disney movie Song of the South.

Wade was part of a choir organized by actress-singer Anne Brown. This choir was for the 1945 film Rhapsody in Blue. This movie was about the composer George Gershwin. Ernestine also appeared in the film as a resident of "Catfish Row" in the Porgy and Bess part.

Starring in Amos 'n' Andy

Ernestine Wade became most famous for her role on Amos 'n' Andy. She played Sapphire Stevens. Sapphire was known as the demanding and clever wife of George “Kingfish” Stevens.

Joining the Radio Show

Ernestine started playing Sapphire Stevens in 1939. Before that, she was on the Amos 'n' Andy radio show as Valada Green. Valada was a woman who thought she had married the character Andy.

In an interview, Ernestine shared how she got the job. She was there for a singing role. But she was asked if she could "do lines" (speak parts). When she said yes, they asked her to say "I do" and then to scream. Her scream helped her get the role of Valada Green. Ernestine also played other radio roles, like The Widow Armbruster and Sara Fletcher.

From Radio to TV

Many actors from the Amos 'n' Andy radio show also appeared in the TV series. Ernestine Wade was one of them. Others included Johnny Lee, Lillian Randolph, and Jester Hairston.

People often recognized Ernestine from the TV show. She said strangers would stop her and ask, "Is that your real husband?" At her home, she had signed photos from the cast. Tim Moore, who played her TV husband, wrote on his photo: "My Best Wishes to My Darling Battle Ax from the Kingfish Tim Moore".

Defending Her Role

The Amos 'n' Andy show faced some criticism. Some people felt it showed negative stereotypes of African American people. Ernestine Wade defended her character and the show.

In a 1973 interview, she said, "I know there were those who were offended by it, but I still have people stop me on the street to tell me how much they enjoyed it." She noted that many of these people were black members of the NAACP.

Ernestine believed that the roles she and her fellow actors played helped open doors for future African-American actors. She felt their work made it possible for later actors to get a wider variety of roles. She saw early roles, like maids, as simply parts in a story, like being a hero or a villain.

Later Career and Legacy

After Amos 'n' Andy, Ernestine Wade continued acting. She did more voice work for radio and cartoons. She also did voice-overs for TV and radio commercials. Besides acting, Ernestine worked in an office and played the organ.

She also appeared in a 1967 episode of the TV show Family Affair. In this episode, she played a maid for a stage actress played by Joan Blondell.

Death

Ernestine Wade passed away on April 15, 1983. She is buried in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. She did not have a headstone for many years. The West Adams Heritage Association later placed a plaque on her grave.

Filmography