Louise Beavers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Louise Beavers
Beavers in Rainbow on the River (1936)
Born	(1902-03-08)March 8, 1902 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	October 26, 1962(1962-10-26) (aged 60) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles, California
Other names	Louise Beaver
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1927–1960
Spouse(s)	Robert Clark ​ ​ (m. 1936, divorced)​ Leroy Moore ​ (m. 1952)​

Louise Beavers (born March 8, 1902 – died October 26, 1962) was an American actress. She starred in many movies and two popular TV shows. Her career lasted from the 1920s until 1960. She often played characters like maids, servants, or enslaved people.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Louise Beavers was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her mother, Ernestine, was a school teacher. Her father, William, was from Georgia. When her mother became ill, Louise and her parents moved to Pasadena, California.

With Claudette Colbert in Imitation of Life (1934)

In Pasadena, Louise went to school. She was very active in after-school clubs. She played basketball and sang in her church choir. Her mother also taught her how to sing for concerts. Louise graduated from Pasadena High School in June 1920.

After school, she worked as an attendant for a photographer. She also worked as a personal maid for the famous movie star Leatrice Joy. Louise Beavers was an important part of the African American community in Los Angeles. She helped with community events. For example, she helped create a theater program at the People’s Independent Church.

Louise was part of a group called the Lady Minstrels. These young women put on amateur plays. They even performed at the Loews State Theatre. Her acting career might have started with this group. Or it could have begun later, at a contest at the Philharmonic Auditorium.

A man named Charles Butler saw her perform. He worked for the Central Casting Bureau and helped African American actors find roles. He told Louise she should try out for a movie. At first, Louise was unsure about acting in movies. She worried about how African Americans were shown on screen. She once said, "In all the pictures I had seen… they never used colored people for anything except savages." But she decided to try out for a part in the film Uncle Tom's Cabin (1927), and she got the role.

Acting Career and Important Roles

Louise Beavers began her acting career in the 1920s. During that time, black actors had very few types of roles. They were usually cast as servants or enslaved people. Louise often played the role of a "mammy." This was a common, but stereotypical, character for black actresses.

She started to become more well-known after playing Julia in Coquette (1929). In this movie, she played a black maid and a mother figure to a young white woman. Louise Beavers often played characters who helped a white main character grow and learn.

Louise Beavers with Bobby Breen in Rainbow on the River (1936)

One of her most famous roles was Delilah in Imitation of Life (1934). This was a very dramatic role. She played a black housekeeper, but her character's story was also important to the movie. People really liked Louise Beavers's performance. This movie was a big step forward for her. It was also one of the first times a black woman's problems were shown with real emotion in a major Hollywood movie. Some people in the media pointed out that Hollywood was unfair about race. One magazine wrote that the Academy Awards could not recognize Miss Beavers because "She is black!"

In the film Reform School (1939), Louise Beavers played the main role. She played a probation officer who became the head of a reform school. Her character made big changes to the school. This was a special role because she played a professional authority figure.

Lobby card for Million Dollar Productions film Life Goes On with "Harry M. Popkin Presents Louise Beavers" logo inset

Louise Beavers grew up in the North and in California. She had to learn to speak a Southern dialect for many of her roles. As her career grew, some people criticized her for the roles she accepted. They felt these roles made it seem like black people were always serving white people. Louise Beavers did not agree with this criticism. She said there were not many opportunities for black actors. She explained, "I am only playing the parts. I don't live them."

As she became more famous, Louise Beavers started to speak out. She talked about how Hollywood showed and treated African Americans. She became active in public life to help support African Americans. She supported Robert S. Abbott, who was an editor who fought for civil rights. She also supported Richard Nixon, believing he would help black Americans in the fight for civil rights.

Louise Beavers was one of three actresses to play the housekeeper Beulah on the Beulah television show. This show was the first TV sitcom to star a black person. She also played a maid named Louise on The Danny Thomas Show for its first two seasons (1953–1955).

Beavers in Reap the Wild Wind (1942)

Personal Life and Death

Louise Beavers married Robert Clark in 1936. He later became her manager. She not only worked in movies but also went on tours of theaters every year. Louise and Robert later divorced and then remarried. In 1952, Louise married Leroy Moore. He was either an interior designer or a chef. They stayed married until her death in 1962. Louise Beavers did not have any children.

Later in her life, Louise Beavers had health problems, including diabetes. She passed away on October 26, 1962, at age 60. She died after a heart attack at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles.

Honors and Recognition

Louise Beavers was honored for her work. In 1976, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. She was also an honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority. This is one of the four main African American sororities.

Filmography

Features

Short subjects

• Oriental Hugs (1928)
• Election Day (1929) as Farina's Mother
• Knights Before Christmas (1930)
• You're Telling Me (1932) as The Maid (uncredited)
• Hesitating Love (1932)
• The Midnight Patrol (1933) (scenes deleted)
• Grin and Bear It (1933)

See also

In Spanish: Louise Beavers para niños