For decades if there was a woman of color in a Hollywood movie, there was only one, and she was the maid. It was a common and necessary role but often required the actresses to play dumb, and be confused or frightened, for comic effect. The actresses who played maids rarely had a chance at a decent role, and I think they deserve a bit more recognition for what little they were allowed to contribute.
Meet Elizabeth A. "Libby" Taylor. Libby Taylor appeared in 60 movies, features and shorts, from 1932 to 1953. She played 35 maids, and was rarely credited onscreen. Here she is in Hollywood Hotel (1937).
Conspiring with Allyn Joslyn.
Her function in the story is mainly to take a couple of telephone calls.
"He can't come up here, we ain't home!"
Here she is with Bette Davis in the closing scenes of Satan Met A Lady (1936), uncredited even in the Internet Movie Database, although she has a couple of lines.
2 comments:
I just watched 'Streamline Express', which isn't very good (even for its time) but the best thing in it was Libby Taylor - looking her up on iMDb, and a Google search, led me to your blog - I think it's wonderful you took the trouble to resurrect interest in this wonderful lady.
Thanks
'CumquatMay' @ iMDb.
I'm a member of the Three Stooges Fan Club who is trying to find out "Whatever Happened to Libby Taylor?". She played a maid in "Calling All Curs" the Stooges 1939 short. The IMDb birth and death dates are for another Elizabeth A. Taylor, not this Libby Taylor. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks,
Frank Reighter
FEReighter@aol.com
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