Ruby Dandridge
Ruby Dandridge | |
|---|---|
 Dandridge inHome in Oklahoma(1946) | |
| Born | Ruby Jean Butler March 3, 1900 Wichita, Kansas,U.S. |
| Died | October 17, 1987(aged 87) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1917–1962 |
| Spouse |
Cyril Dandridge
(m.1919;div.1922) |
| Partner | Geneva Williams |
| Children | Vivian Dandridge Dorothy Dandridge |
| Family | Nayo Wallace(great-granddaughter) |
Ruby Jean Dandridge(néeButler;March 3, 1900[1]– October 17, 1987) was an American actress from the early 1900s through to the late 1950s. Dandridge is best known for her role on theradio showAmos 'n Andy,in which she played Sadie Blake and Harriet Crawford, and on radio'sJudy Canova Show,in which she played Geranium. She is recognized for her role in the 1959 movieA Hole in the Headas Sally.
Early life[edit]
Born Ruby Jean Butler in Wichita, Kansas, on March 3, 1900, she was one of four children. Dandridge's parents were Nellie Simon, a maid, and George Butler, who was a janitor, grocer and entertainer.[2]Dandridge's father was also "a famous minstrel man."[3]
Career[edit]
In 1937, Dandridge played one of the witches in what an article inThe Pittsburgh Couriercalled a "sepia representation" ofMacbethin Los Angeles. California.[4]The production began on July 8 at theMayan Theater.[4]Five years later, she appeared in a production ofHit the Deckat theCurran Theatrein San Francisco, California.[5]One of Dandridge's earliest appearances (uncredited, as were many of the minor roles she played) was as a native dancer inKing Kong(1933).[6]In other films, she played Rheba, a maid, inJunior Miss(1945), Dabby inTap Roots(1948),[7]the housekeeper inThree Little Girls in Blue(1946),[8]Mrs. Kelso inCabin in the Sky(1943)[9]and Violet inTish(1942).[10]
Dandridge played Oriole on both radio and TV versions ofThe Beulah Show,[11][12]and Geranium inThe Judy Canova Show,[11]: 182 and was a regular cast member onTonight at Hoagy's.[11]: 337 She is heard as Raindrop onGene Autry's Melody Ranch(August 1949 - April 1951). For one season (1961–1962), Dandridge played the maid on the television version ofFather of the Bride.[13]
Other business[edit]
In 1955, Dandridge and her business partner Dorothy Foster bought land in Twentynine Palms, California, with plans to construct a subdivision of 250 homes.[14]Also in the 1950s, Dandridge formed a nightclub act that played in clubs around Los Angeles.[13]A review of her act cited her "flashes of effervescent showmanship" and stated "What Ruby lacks in her voice, she invariably makes up for it with her winsome personality."[15]
Personal life, death and legacy[edit]
On September 30, 1919, she married Cyril Dandridge. Dandridge moved with her husband toCleveland, Ohio,where her daughter, actressVivian Dandridge,was born in 1921. Her second daughter,Academy Award-nominated actressDorothy Dandridge,was born there in 1922, five months after Ruby and Cyril divorced. It is noted that after her divorce, Dandridge became involved with her companion Geneva Williams, who reportedly overworked the children and punished them harshly.[16]Dandridge attended her daughter Dorothy's funeral in 1965.[citation needed]
On October 17, 1987, Dandridge died of a heart attack at a nursing home in Los Angeles, California.[13]She was interred next to Dorothy atForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemeteryin Glendale, California. In the 1999 filmIntroducing Dorothy Dandridge,Ruby is portrayed byLoretta Devine.
Filmography[edit]
Features[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | King Kong | Native Dancer | Uncredited |
| 1934 | Black Moon | Black House Servant | Uncredited |
| 1939 | Midnight Shadow | Mrs. Lingley | |
| 1940 | Broken Strings | Dancer | Uncredited |
| 1942 | The Night Before the Divorce | One of Roselle's Fans | Uncredited |
| Gallant Lady | Sarah | ||
| Tish | Violet | Uncredited | |
| The War Against Mrs. Hadley | Maid | Uncredited | |
| Broken Strings | Dancer | Uncredited | |
| 1943 | A Night for Crime | Alice Jones - Cook | Uncredited |
| Cabin in the Sky | Mrs. Kelso | ||
| Corregidor | Hyacinth | ||
| Melody Parade | Ruby | ||
| I Dood It | Mammy, in the Show | Uncredited | |
| Never a Dull Moment | Daisy | Uncredited | |
| 1944 | Hat Check Honey | Ophelia | Uncredited |
| Ladies of Washington | Nellie | Uncredited | |
| Carolina Blues | Josephine | Uncredited | |
| Can't Help Singing | Henrietta | Uncredited | |
| 1945 | The Clock | Milk Customer | Uncredited |
| Junior Miss | Rheba | ||
| Saratoga Trunk | Turbaned Vendor | Uncredited | |
| 1946 | Inside Job | Ivory | Uncredited |
| Three Little Girls in Blue | Mammy | Uncredited | |
| Home in Oklahoma | Devoria | ||
| 1947 | Dead Reckoning | Hyacinth | |
| The Arnelo Affair | Maybelle - Parkson's Maid | ||
| My Wild Irish Rose | Della | ||
| 1948 | Tap Roots | Dabby | |
| 1950 | Father Is a Bachelor | Lily | Uncredited |
| 1959 | A Hole in the Head | Sally |
Short subjects[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Flop Goes the Weasel | Mammy Hen | Voice, uncredited |
| 1946 | Screen Snapshots: The Judy Canova Show | Geranium, Radio Show Character | |
| 1948 | Silly Billie | Maid |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951-1955 | The Amos 'n' Andy Show | Various roles | 4 episodes[12] |
| 1952-1953 | The Beulah Show[12] | Oriole | |
| 1956 | Front Row Center | Winnie | Episode: "The Human Touch" |
| 1956 | NBC Matinee Theater | Belle | Episode: "Strong Medicine" |
| 1957 | Lux Video Theatre | Belle | Episode: "Dark Hammock" |
| 1959 | Yancy Derringer | Lily Rose Beam | Episode: "V as in Voodoo" |
| 1960 | Checkmate | Ellen | Episode: "The Princess in the Tower" |
| 1961 | The Dick Powell Show | Margaret | Episode: "Goodbye, Hannah" |
| 1961-1962 | Father of the Bride | Delilah |
References[edit]
- ^No indication she was born in 1899. Hergravestoneclearly states 1900; her Social Security Death Index year of birth is 1901.
- ^"Ruby Dandridge, Is Mother the Daughter of the Child?"African American Registry.
- ^Barron, Mark (April 22, 1949)."Broadway".Fitchburg Sentinel.Massachusetts, Fitchburg. p. 6.RetrievedApril 22,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^abPatton, Bernice (June 12, 1937)."The Sepia Side of Hollywood".The Pittsburgh Courier.Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 21.RetrievedApril 21,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^"'Hit the Deck' Will Be at the Curran ".Oakland Tribune.California, Oakland. May 25, 1942. p. 14.RetrievedApril 21,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^"Ruby Dandridge (1899–1987)",Blackface!
- ^"Colorful Civil War Story In Senate's 'Tap Roots'".The Evening News.Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. July 15, 1948. p. 16.RetrievedApril 22,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^"Ruby Dandridge Gets Film Role".The Pittsburgh Courier.Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. February 2, 1946. p. 17.RetrievedApril 22,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^Walker, Paul (April 27, 1943).""Cabin in the Sky" Rated As a 12-Laugh Picture! "Hello Frisco," Held Over ".Harrisburg Telegraph.Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. p. 10.RetrievedApril 22,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^Walker, Paul (September 17, 1942)."'Curtain's Off the Track!' New Films Written Up--And Vice Versa! 3 New Today ".Harrisburg Telegraph.Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. p. 21.RetrievedApril 21,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^abcTerrace, Vincent (1999).Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows.McFarland & Company, Inc.ISBN978-0-7864-4513-4.P. 37.
- ^abcRuby Dandridge filmography at IMDb
- ^abc"Obituaries: Ruby Dandridge; Singer, Actress, Mother of Performer Daughters".Los Angeles Times.October 24, 1987.RetrievedApril 23,2016.
- ^Levette, Harry (January 22, 1955)."This Is Hollywood".The New York Age.New York, New York City. p. 17.RetrievedApril 22,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^"Another Dandridge In Lights".The Pittsburgh Courier.Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. March 17, 1956. p. 36.RetrievedApril 22,2016– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^Maslin, Janet (June 19, 1997)."Hollywood's Tryst With Dorothy Dandridge Inspires Real Love at Last".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.
External links[edit]
- Ruby DandridgeatIMDb
- Ruby DandridgeatFind a Grave
- Ruby Dandridge gravestone indicating 1900 as year of birth
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- African-American actresses
- American film actresses
- American radio actresses
- American television actresses
- 1900 births
- 1987 deaths
- American LGBT actresses
- African-American LGBT people
- LGBT people from Kansas
- Actresses from Kansas
- Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
- Actors from Wichita, Kansas
- 20th-century African-American people
- 20th-century American actresses
- 20th-century African-American women
- 20th-century American LGBT people