Louise Franklin | |
---|---|
Born | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
Other names | Beau Bo |
Occupation(s) | Actress, Dancer |
Years active | 1935–1958 |
Spouse | Lee Young |
Children | 1 |
Parent |
|
Louise Franklin, nicknamed Beau [1] and Bo, [2] was an American dancer and actress active during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. From childhood, she was interested in various forms of dance and also practiced as an actress before starring in vaudeville roles with Bryon Ellis as the duo "Bryon and Beau". Her film roles afterwards primarily saw her dance in various productions both in media and on stage and occasionally starred as a well dressed and well spoken love interest to the male lead, such as when cast alongside Eddie "Rochester" Anderson.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, [3] to mother Viola Franklin, [4] Franklin was involved in multiple areas of dance as a child, including ballet and tap dancing, along with taking acting classes. [3]
Her vaudeville career saw her partner with Bryon Ellis under the name "Bryon and Beau" after having been a member of the Cotton Club Cuties chorus group. [3] [5] Her 1935 theatre role in School Days alongside Dickie Walker had the California Eagle refer to the pair's performance as akin to Aurora Greely and Leroy Broomfield. [6] That same year she signed onto Maceo Burch's Kansas City theatre company and was said to "possibly be called the leader of the group" by the California Eagle due to her talents as an entertainer. [7] After the company toured in California, she stayed and played in a number of film and stage roles in the following years. Harry Levette in the California Eagle said she was "Hollywood's prettiest, cleverest, most personable dancer". [8] In 1943 during World War II, she reportedly joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, though this was denied by her husband. [9]
After Dorothy Dandridge was injured in a car accident, Franklin had to fill in for her primary dancing role in the 1945 film Pillar to Post in extended music scenes in order to conceal the cuts between the two actresses. [10] Her cast role as Rochester's girlfriend in Brewster's Millions after her previous high profile acting roles had the director praise her as a "real find". [11] As bonus for her acting quality in the 1945 film Crime Incorporated , the director gifted her with a box of then expensive cigarettes from Franklin's favorite brand after she completed her final scene. [12]
She continued her tours with Bryon Ellis under the "Bryon and Beau" name in 1948, doing a theatre tour across the Eastern United States in late August of that year. [5] She was cast as Louise Ritchie in the 1949 film Look-Out Sister alongside Louis Jordan and was noted by the Alabama Tribune as being "one of the screen's best dancers". [13] Lloyd Binford, film censor for Memphis, Tennessee, banned films showing Franklin and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson from the city because he disliked African Americans being portrayed as "well-dressed, intelligent acting sweethearts" in films. [14] She competed in the 1954 Miss Brew 102 competition and, while not victorious, received attention and more television acting opportunities afterwards. [2] [15]
Franklin was married to singer and jazz drummer Lee Young, [36] and they had a son together. [37]
Iris Adrian Hostetter was an American stage and film actress.
Louise Beavers was an American film and television actress who appeared in dozens of films and two hit television shows from the 1920s to 1960. She played a prominent role in advancing the lives of Black Americans through her work and collaborated with fellow advocates to improve the social standing and media image of the Black population.
Jennifer Holt was an American actress.
Ellen Drew was an American film actress.
Weldon Heyburn was an American character actor.
Ruby Jean Dandridge was an American actress from the early 1900s through to the late 1950s. Dandridge is best known for her role on the radio show Amos 'n Andy, in which she played Sadie Blake and Harriet Crawford, and on radio's Judy Canova Show, in which she played Geranium. She is recognized for her role in the 1959 movie A Hole in the Head as Sally.
Joan Marsh was an American child actress in silent films between 1915 and 1921. Later, during the sound era, she resumed her acting career and performed in a variety of films during the 1930s and 1940s.
Dorothea Kent was an American film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1935 and 1948. A former model, she often played dumb sidekicks of the heroine, and rarely played the lead. In addition to her credited roles, she also had roles in six other films, including her last role in the 1948 film The Babe Ruth Story.
Joan Elmer Woodbury was an American actress beginning in the 1930s and continuing well into the 1960s.
Mary Katherine Linaker was an American actress and screenwriter who appeared in many B movies during the 1930s and 1940s, most notably Kitty Foyle (1940) starring Ginger Rogers. Linaker used her married name, Kate Phillips, as a screenwriter, notably for the cult movie hit The Blob (1958). She is credited with coining the name "The Blob" for the movie, which was originally titled "The Molten Meteor".
Barbara Jo Allen was an American actress. She was also known as Vera Vague, the spinster character she created and portrayed on radio and in films during the 1940s and 1950s. She based the character on a woman she had seen delivering a PTA literature lecture in a confused manner. As Vague, she popularized the catchphrase "You dear boy!"
Ramsay Ames was a leading 1940s American B movie actress, model, dancer, pin-up girl and television hostess. As a dancer, she was billed as Ramsay D'el Rico.
Olive Blakeney was an American actress.
Fay Helm was an American film actress. Born in Bakersfield, California, she appeared in about 65 films between 1936 and 1946. She is perhaps better known for films like A Child is Born (1939), Phantom Lady (1944), Lady in the Dark (1944) and Sister Kenny (1946).
Rosemary E. LaPlanche was an American beauty queen and actress. She won Miss California three years in a row (1939–1941), and won Miss America in 1941.
Harry Allen was an Australian-born American character actor of the silent and sound film eras. He was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Allen's World War One registration card gives his date of birth as 10 July, 1876 and confirms his place of birth as Melbourne, although at least one obituary gives the later birth year of 1883.
Bette Treadville was an American singer and actress, based in Los Angeles, California.
Look-Out Sister is a 1949 film featuring Louis Jordan. Directed by Bud Pollard, it is a satirical, Western-themed musical and "horse opera". The film was produced by Astor Pictures. John E. Gordon wrote the story. The film remains in existence and is available online.
Anise Margaret Boyer (1914–2008) was an American dancer and actress known for her work during the Harlem Renaissance. She joined the Cotton Club chorus line when she was a teenager and starred in the 1932 film Harlem is Heaven. She also danced in the duo Anise and Åland, travelling extensively with Cab Calloway's band. She retired from the entertainment industry in 1948.
Lillian "Billie" Yarbo was an American stage and screen actress, dancer, and singer.