Louise Franklin, nicknamed Beau and Bo, 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 acting before starring in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

roles with Bryon Ellis as the duo "Bryon and Beau". Her subsequent film roles primarily featured her dancing in various productions, both in media and on stage, and she occasionally starred as a well-dressed and well-spoken love interest to the male lead, such as when cast alongside

Eddie "Rochester" Anderson Edmund Lincoln Anderson (September 18, 1905 – February 28, 1977) was an American actor and comedian. To a generation of early radio and television comedy audiences, he was known as "Rochester". Anderson entered show business as a teenager on ...

Career

Born in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, to mother Viola Franklin, Franklin was involved in multiple areas of dance as a child, including

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

and

tap dancing Tap dance (or tap) is a form of dance that uses the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion; it is often accompanied by music. Tap dancing can also be performed with no musical accompaniment; the sound of the taps is its ow ...

, along with taking acting classes. 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. Her 1935 theatre role in ''School Days'' alongside Dickie Walker had the ''

California Eagle ''The California Eagle'' (1879–1964) was a newspaper in Los Angeles for African Americans. It was founded as ''The Owl'' in 1879 and later renamed ''Eagle'' by John J. Neimore. Charlotta Bass became the owner of the paper after Neimore's death ...

'' refer to the pair's performance as akin to Aurora Greely and

Leroy Broomfield Leroy Broomfield (1902–1971) was a dancer in the United States and appeared on stage and in films. He was also a producer, choreographer and taught dance. Early life Broomfield was the adopted son of an African American businessman and noted ...

. 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. After the company toured in California, she stayed and played in a number of film and stage roles in the following years.

Harry Levette Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...

in the ''California Eagle'' said she was "Hollywood's prettiest, cleverest, most personable dancer". In 1943 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she reportedly joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, though this was denied by her husband. After

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress and singer. She was the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for '' Carmen Jones'' (1954). Dandridge had a ...

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. Her cast role as Rochester's girlfriend in ''

Brewster's Millions ''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves. The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from ...

'' after her previous high profile acting roles had the director praise her as a "real find". 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. She continued her tours with Bryon Ellis under the "Bryon and Beau" name in 1948, doing a theatre tour across the

Eastern United States The Eastern United States, often abbreviated as simply the East, is a macroregion of the United States located to the east of the Mississippi River. It includes 17–26 states and Washington, D.C., the national capital. As of 2011, the Eastern ...

in late August of that year. She was cast as Louise Ritchie in the 1949 film '' Look-Out Sister'' alongside

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the King ...

and was noted by the '' Alabama Tribune'' as being "one of the screen's best dancers". Lloyd Binford, film censor for

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

, 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. She competed in the 1954 Miss Brew 102 competition and, while not victorious, received attention and more television acting opportunities afterwards.

Filmography

*'' Bright Road'' (1953) - Teacher at Meeting (uncredited) *''

Skirts Ahoy! ''Skirts Ahoy!'' is a 1952 musical film directed by Sidney Lanfield, and starring Esther Williams, Vivian Blaine and Joan Evans. Shot in Technicolor, the film follows several women who join the WAVES with sequences filmed on location at the Grea ...

'' (1952) - Black Drill Team Member (uncredited) *'' Look-Out Sister'' (1949) - Louise Ritchie *'' Choo Choo Train'' (''Swing'') (1948) *''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' were a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Foll ...

'' (1945) *'' Ghost of the Vampire'' (1945) - Caba *''

Strange Illusion ''Strange Illusion'' is a 1945 film noir. Loosely inspired by Hamlet, it was envisioned as a modern crime film. It was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starred Jimmy Lydon, Warren William and Sally Eilers. According to noir historian Spencer Sel ...

'' (1945) *'' Crime Incorporated'' (1945) *''

The Negro Sailor ''The Negro Sailor'' is a 1945 documentary short film made for the U.S. Navy and shown by All-American News, a company producing newsreels and later feature films for the race film market. It was directed by Henry Levin. The film was inspired by ...

'' (1945) *'' Pillar To Post'' (1945) - Louis Armstrong band's Dancer *''

'' (1945) - Rochester's Girlfriend *''

Carolina Blues ''Carolina Blues'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and written by Joseph Hoffman, Al Martin and Jack Henley. The film stars Kay Kyser, Ann Miller, Victor Moore, Jeff Donnell, Howard Freeman, Georgia Carroll, M.A. Bogue, ...

'' (1944) - Dancer (uncredited) *''

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 North Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942 and November 22, 1945, as a club offering food, dancing, and entertainment for enlisted men and ...

'' (1944) *''

Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...

'' (1944) - Bathing Beauty (uncredited) *'' Thank Your Lucky Stars'' (1943) - Dancer in 'Ice Cold Katy' (uncredited) *'' Stormy Weather'' (1943) - Dancer (uncredited) *''

Hers to Hold ''Hers to Hold'' (aka ''Three Smart Girls Join Up'') is a 1943 American romantic musical comedy film and is the third film in '' Three Smart Girls'' trilogy. In ''Hers to Hold'', Deanna Durbin reprises her role as Penny Craig, who is the only ...

'' (1943) - Defense Plant Worker (uncredited) *'' Cabin in the Sky'' (1943) - Dancer (uncredited) *'' Crazy House'' (1943) *''

Pardon My Sarong ''Pardon My Sarong'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Abbott and Costello. The cast also featured Virginia Bruce, Robert Paige and Lionel Atwill. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures as ...

'' (1942) *''

Take My Life ''Take My Life'' is a 1947 British crime film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt and Marius Goring. It was adapted from Winston Graham's 1947 novel of the same name. It was shot at Pinewood Studios and on locati ...

'' (1942) - Nurse *''

Road to Morocco ''Road to Morocco'' is a 1942 American comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, and featuring Anthony Quinn and Dona Drake. Written by Frank Butler and Don Hartman and directed by David Butler, it’s the third of the " ...

'' (1942) *''

Star Spangled Rhythm ''Star Spangled Rhythm'' is a 1942 American all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, with the intent of entertaining the troo ...

'' (1942) - Dancer in 'Sharp as a Tack' (uncredited) *''

Road to Zanzibar ''Road to Zanzibar'' is a 1941 American musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, and marked the second of seven pictures in the popular "'' Road to ...''" series made by the trio. ...

'' (1941) *''Lady Luck'' (1940) - Second Waitress *''

Four Shall Die ''Four Shall Die'' is a 1940 American supernatural crime film directed by William Beaudine. It features Dorothy Dandridge in her first credited film role. Plot Cast * Niel Webster as Pierre Touissant * Mantan Moreland as Beefus, Touissant's ...

'' (1940) - Nurse *''

One Dark Night ''One Dark Night'' (also known as ''Entity Force'') is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Tom McLoughlin, and starring Meg Tilly, E. G. Daily, and Adam West. It follows three teenagers sent to a mausoleum for the night as p ...

'' (1939) - Nurse *''

The Duke Is Tops ''The Duke Is Tops'' is a 1938 American musical film released by Million Dollar Productions and directed by William Nolte. The film was later released in 1944 under the title ''The Bronze Venus''. It features top-billed Lena Horne in her film ...

'' (1938) - Chorus Girl Dancer (uncredited)

Theatre

* ''Sweet and Hot'' (1958) * ''Two In A Bed'' (1946) * ''Harlem To Hollywood'' (1943) * ''Jump for Joy'' (1941) * ''School Days'' (1935)

Personal life

Franklin was married to singer and jazz drummer

Lee Young Leonidas Raymond Young (March 7, 1914 – July 31, 2008) was an American jazz drummer and singer. His musical family included his father Willis Young and his older brother, saxophonist Lester Young. In 1944 he played with Norman Granz's firs ...

, and they had a son together.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Louise American film actresses American stage actresses 20th-century American actresses 20th-century African-American women Actresses from Kansas City, Missouri American vaudeville performers