“Ethel Waters sings Eyes On The Sparrow. Song from the 1952 movie “The Member of the Wedding” with Ethel Waters as Bernice Sadie Brown; Julie Harris as Frankie Addams; and Brandon De Wilde as John Henry.“
This ad depicts a turning point in media history on November 24, 1947, the first instance of an African American woman starring in a network radio program, with ad copy noting that she is “queen of the kitchen” and “manages a household.”
For Love of Ivy (1968) More at IMDbPro »
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A White family has had the same Black maid for many years. When she tells them she wants to go back to school and will be leaving soon, the 20ish-year-old son decides what she needs is a change and begins searching for a man to win her, dine her, but who won’t marry her thinking that this will turn her aside from her plans. The man he finds doesn’t entirely cooperate. Written by John Vogel jlvogel@comcast.net
“For Love of Ivy” is a 1968 romantic comedy film directed by Daniel Mann. The film stars Sidney Poitier, Abbey Lincoln, Beau Bridges, Nan Martin, Lauri Peters, and Carroll O’Connor. The story was written by Sidney Poitier with screenwriter Robert Alan Arthur. The musical score was composed by Quincy Jones. The theme song “For Love of Ivy“, written by Quincy Jones and Bob Russell, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The film received Golden Globe supporting acting nominations for Beau Bridges and Abbey Lincoln.”
“Gimme a Break!” is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters.”
!["Nell Carter had a stormy relationship with Gimme a Break!'s original producers Coleman Mitchell and Geoffrey Neigher, which involved personality conflicts and creative differences.[citation needed] The uneasy interaction heightened as the show's success grew heavily in the early seasons, so much that Mitchell and Neigher were dismissed from the show at the behest of Carter just prior to the start of the 1983–84 season. Mort Lachman, the show's co-creator, was retained as co-producer (he would serve in this role for all six seasons). NBC then hired the veteran team of Rod Parker and Hal Cooper to take over as executive producers, following their stint at the recently canceled Love, Sidney. Carter found that she saw eye to eye more often with Parker and Cooper on all levels, and due to the stability the latter team would stay with the program for the rest of its run."](https://iforcolor.org/wp-content/uploads/gimme-a-break-300x228.jpg)
“Nell Carter had a stormy relationship with Gimme a Break!’s original producers Coleman Mitchell and Geoffrey Neigher, which involved personality conflicts and creative differences.[citation needed] The uneasy interaction heightened as the show’s success grew heavily in the early seasons, so much that Mitchell and Neigher were dismissed from the show at the behest of Carter just prior to the start of the 1983–84 season. Mort Lachman, the show’s co-creator, was retained as co-producer (he would serve in this role for all six seasons). NBC then hired the veteran team of Rod Parker and Hal Cooper to take over as executive producers, following their stint at the recently canceled Love, Sidney. Carter found that she saw eye to eye more often with Parker and Cooper on all levels, and due to the stability the latter team would stay with the program for the rest of its run.”
“She got the role of Florence Johnston on “The Jeffersons” (1975), because her agent wrote a letter to the Hollywood Reporter.
Played the same character, Florence Johnston, in two different series: “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990) and “House of Payne” (2006). Mary Jenkins, her character from “227” (1985), was based on her Florence Johnston character from “The Jeffersons” (1975).”
Marla Gibbs was born on June 14, 1931 to Douglas Bradley and Ophelia Kemp in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Wendell Phillips High School in 1949, Gibbs attended secretarial school and went to work at Service Bindery in Chicago. She then was hired, at Gotham Hotel in Detroit, Michigan, and later worked for Detroit Street Railways (DSR). Gibbs worked for United Airlines as a receptionist. After being transferred to Detroit and later Los Angeles, she took acting classes at the Mafundi Institute and the Watts Writers’ Workshop. In the early 1970s, Gibbs was cast in theatrical roles at the Zodiac Theater and small roles in “made for TV” movies. In 1973, Gibbs had a major supporting role in the 1973 movie Sweet Jesus, Preacher Man.
Gibbs’ big break came in 1975 at the age of forty-four when she was hired for a bit part as a household domestic named “Florence” in the CBS show The Jeffersons, a spin-off of All In The Family. Her character was a hit, and the writers decided to keep her on full-time. Gibbs quit her job at United Airlines only after the show gained widespread popularity, and she appeared in the television program as one of the main characters for all eleven seasons. The Jeffersons was one of the top ten rated television shows for four different years (1975, 1980, 1981 and 1982). Gibbs was nominated for prime-time Emmy Awards four times for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy series, for her role on The Jeffersons. After the show ended, Gibbs bought the rights to a play that was produced by her daughter, Angela Gibbs, called 227 and sold the show to NBC, where she played the lead role (“Mary Jenkins”) for five successful seasons.
Gibbs owned and operated Marla’s Memory Lane, a jazz club and restaurant. Her daughter, Angela, founded the Cross Roads Theater Company in Leimart Park, Los Angeles, and Gibbs owned and operated the Vision Theater Complex. She continues to play guest roles on television and is still involved in the theater. Gibbs has performed dinner theater in Overland Park, Kansas at the New Theatre Company where she was showcased in Neil Simon’s play, Proposals.
Marla Gibbs was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on July 8, 2007.
Gibbs performed for 11 seasons as Florence, The Jeffersons’ back-talking maid,
1994 drama film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Ray Liotta and Tina Majorino.The plot involves a recently-widowed 1950s father Manny Singer (Liotta) who works as an advertising agent hiring a housekeeper/nanny,Corrina Washington (Goldberg) to care for his young daughter, Molly (Majorino).
Copyright: ©New Line Cinema
Corrina, Corrina (1994)
Directed by Jessie Nelson
Shown: Tina Majorino, Whoopi Goldberg
While she eventually grows close to Molly, there is also an eventual undeniable mutual attraction between the two adults,
IMDb
in spite of the reactions of those around them. – Corrina, Corrina
Sanaa Lathan “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.”
“Meet Vera Stark: Domestic Ambiguity in Hollywood”
Lynn Nottage’s latest play tackles the hypocrisy and stereotyping that engulfs the Black actress playing a maid in American film.”
http://www.theroot.com/views/meet-vera-stark-domestic-ambiguity-hollywood
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