BEULAH SHOW, THE: THE WALTZ (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about Beulah, a black housekeeper who works for the Henderson family.
In this episode, Alice tells Harry that Donnie is doing poorly in his dance class and is "awkward" around girls. Donnie confides to Beulah that he is worried about an upcoming recital and had trouble finding a partner. She enlists Bill to help teach Donnie some moves. Unimpressed by the "square" classical music used by his teacher, Miss Matilda, they put up on an upbeat record and draw from Donnie's football maneuvers to help him find his rhythm. Later, Beulah discovers that Donnie's young dance partner, Evie, is pulling out at the last second. Oriole offers to find him a replacement date, though she accidentally makes a date for herself first. Beulah tells the Hendersons about the change, though Donnie is less than pleased at the idea of a blind date.
Harry drives Donnie to pick up his dance partner, though it turns out that the ditzy Oriole set him up with a teenager, Laurabelle. Laurabelle is disappointed to find that her "football player" date is not what she expected, but she heads to the dance with him nonetheless. Beulah and Alice are shocked by the mix-up, and Donnie struggles through a waltz with Laurabelle. Bill, on hand to assist with refreshments, covertly switches the record, and nearly everyone is amused when he and Laurabelle break into a much faster, jazzier dance. Miss Matilda is outraged at the "barbaric" display, but Alice defends her son and takes him home. Donnie broods over his "woman troubles" and Evie arrives to ask Beulah for a favor. Beulah advises Donnie to talk things over with Bill "man-to-man." Alice frets to Beulah that Donnie's negative experience at the dance class may have turned him into a "woman-hater." Beulah takes her to Bill's store, where Donnie is happily teaching Evie and all the other little girls his upbeat dance. Later, Beulah wonders if nature will "takes its course" with her and Bill as it did with Donnie. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: August 5, 1952 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:55
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: 115487
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; African-American Collection - Comedy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1950-1952
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Tom McKnight … Producer
- Guy V. Thayer Jr. … Associate Producer
- Richard Bare … Director
- Ian McLellan Hunter … Writer
- Hattie McDaniel … Cast, Beulah
- Ernest Whitman … Cast, Bill Jackson
- David Bruce … Cast, Harry Henderson
- Ruby Dandridge … Cast, Oriole
- Jane Frazee … Cast, Alice Henderson
- Stuffy Singer … Cast, Donnie Henderson
- Sherry Anne Atkins … Cast, Laurabelle Randolph
- Iva Belle Clark … Cast, Evie Harrington
- Emory Parnell … Cast, Mr. Randolph
- Ann O'Neal … Cast, Miss Matilda