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Taking Your Time

Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters

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Starring in the 1934 soundie "Bubbling Over" Ethel Waters, appearing as Ethel Peabody sings "Taking Your Time" in an effort to motivate her deadbeat husband Samson Peabody played by Hamtree Harrington.

In this shot picture a fed up Ethel Waters is unwillingly the host to her lazy janitor husband's unwelcome free loading relatives in her Harlem apartment.

Ethel not only found the subservient role of a maid available to black women in her day demeaning she absolutely hated it, and as it would seem channeled her feelings into performance.

Ironically she later played a domestic on the TV series "Beulah" from 1950 until 1951 when she was replaced by Hattie McDaniel who was already cast as the lead on the radio show. Due to her grievances about playing such a part she did all she could to break the stereotypical mold.