60 years (Mar 8, 1902 – Oct 26, 1962)

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

140 Movies

2 TV Shows

Louise Beavers

Q: What is Louise Beavers's most recent movie or series?

Louise Beavers's most recent release is Make Room for Granddaddy, which premiered on September 23, 1970.

Known for

Holiday Inn

Mamie

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Gussie

Make Way for Tomorrow

Mamie

Reform School

Mother Barton

Louise Beavers has worked in the acting trade in American film and television, and not much has been written about her work. She has a credit in 'Make Way for Tomorrow' too. Two decades and more separate the ends of her filmography. 'Holiday Inn' is the one title that gives the career an anchor, with Mamie as the part.

Known for

Holiday Inn

Mamie

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Gussie

Make Way for Tomorrow

Movies

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Tammy and the Bachelor

Make Way for Tomorrow

All the Fine Young Cannibals

1960

⭐ 7.0

Plays Delilah Johnson

You Can't Run Away from It

1956

⭐ 7.0

Plays Stella

Shadow of the Thin Man

1941

⭐ 6.5

Plays Minnie

The Story of Temple Drake

1933

⭐ 6.6

Plays Maid (scenes deleted)

Plays Mary's Maid Bonita

What Price Hollywood?

Plays Jackie's Mother

The Jackie Robinson Story

1950

⭐ 7.4

Plays Kay's Maid Levinnia

Plays Petunia, the Maid

The Vanishing Virginian

A Shriek in the Night

There's Something About a Soldier

TV Shows

The Danny Thomas Show

Latest Trailers

Watch Trailer

The Facts of Life

Full Filmography

Film

All the Fine Young Cannibals

Film

Mrs. Teale · 1 episode

Film

Tammy and the Bachelor

Film

Film

You Can't Run Away from It

Film

Film

The Danny Thomas Show

Louise · 5 episodes

★ 6.2

1953–1954

Photos

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Louise Beavers still alive?

Louise Beavers passed away on October 26, 1962 at age 60.

What are the most famous roles of Louise Beavers?

Louise Beavers is best known for roles in Holiday Inn, Make Way for Tomorrow, 42nd Street.

How many movies has Louise Beavers been in?

Over a 33-year career (since 1929), Louise Beavers has appeared in 140 movies and 2 TV shows.

What was Louise Beavers's first movie?

The career of Louise Beavers began with Election Day (1929).

What is Louise Beavers's most recent movie or series?

Louise Beavers's most recent release is The Facts of Life, which premiered on November 14, 1960.

What TV shows has Louise Beavers appeared in?

On television, Louise Beavers has appeared in The Danny Thomas Show, The Beulah Show, The Swamp Fox, Bourbon Street Beat.

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 African-American 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 good-natured, 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, Delilah's 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 woman's problems were given major emotional weight in a major Hollywood motion picture". Some in the media recognized the unfairness of Hollywood's 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 don't live them." As she became more famous, Beavers began to speak against Hollywood's 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.

Louise Beavers

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