LaWanda Page

Acting

LaWanda Page

Born 1920-10-18

LaWanda Page (born Alberta Richmond; October 19, 1920 – September 14, 2002) was an American actress, comedian, and dancer whose career spanned six decades. Crowned "The Queen of Comedy" or "The Black Queen of Comedy", Page melded blue humor, signifyin', and observational comedy to jokes about sexuality, race relations, African-American culture, and religion. She released five solo albums, including the 1977 gold-selling Watch It, Sucker!. She also collaborated on two albums with comedy group Skillet, Leroy & Co. As an actress, Page is best known for portraying the Bible-toting and sharp-tongued "Aunt" Esther Anderson in the popular television sitcom Sanford and Son, which originally aired from 1972 until 1977. Page later reprised this role in the short-lived television shows Sanford Arms (1976–1977) and Sanford (1980–1981). She also co-starred in the 1979 short-lived series Detective School. Throughout her career, Page advocated for fair pay and equal opportunities for Black performers.

Acting credits

Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood poster
7.1

When Ashtray moves to South Central L.A. to live with his father (who appears to be the same age he is) and grandmother (who likes to talk tough and smoke reefer), he falls in with his gang-banging cousin Loc Dog, who along with the requisite pistols and Uzi carries a thermo-nuclear warhead for self-defense. Will Ashtray be able to keep living the straight life?

Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

1996

Zapped! poster
5.1

Peyton and Barney are fun loving high school students working on a science project with white mice. When one of the mice begins to move food toward itself with out touching it, Barney finds he has accidently discovered a formula for telekinetic powers. Now, how much trouble can a high school boy who can move things with just his mind get into?

Zapped!

1982

Friday poster
7.1

Craig and Smokey are two guys in Los Angeles hanging out on their porch on a Friday afternoon, smoking and drinking, looking for something to do.

Friday

1995

The Meteor Man poster
5.8

One night Jefferson Reed gets hit in the chest by a souped-up chunk of meteor. So he can fly, but he's scared of heights. He can master the information in any book ... for about thirty seconds. Now his friends and family want him to protect their community from the dreaded Golden Lords.

The Meteor Man

1993

CB4 poster
6.1

A "rockumentary", covering the rise to fame of MC Gusto, Stab Master Arson, and Dead Mike: members of the rap group "CB4". We soon learn that these three are not what they seem and don't appear to know as much about rap music as they claim... but a lack of musical ability in an artist never hurts sales, does it? You've just got to play the part of a rap star...

CB4

1993

My Blue Heaven poster
6.1

FBI agent Barney Coopersmith is assigned to protect former Mafia figure turned informant Vincent Antonelli. In the witness protection program one is supposed to keep a low profile, but that is something that Antonelli has trouble doing. Coopersmith certainly has his hands full keeping Antonelli away from the Mafia hitmen who want to stop him testifying, not to mention the nightclubs...

My Blue Heaven

1990

Shakes the Clown poster
5.4

Shakes plods about his duties as party clown, and uses all of his free time getting seriously drunk. Binky, another clown, wins the spot on a local kiddie show, which depresses Shakes even more, and his boss threatens him with unemployment if he can't get his act under control.

Shakes the Clown

1991

The Richard Pryor Special? poster
7.2

Richard Pryor wanders around the NBC Studio, encountering various eccentrics. Meanwhile, the Reverend James L. White, the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada and others are taping their own segments.

The Richard Pryor Special?

1977

Good Evening, Captain poster
10.0

TV special celebrating the 25th anniversary of Captain Kangaroo with multiple guest stars.

Good Evening, Captain

1981

Talkin' Dirty After Dark poster
5.2

Terry is an up and coming comedian, but believes politics will get him the big breaks and more time at the popular Dukie's Comedy Club. Just so happens that Terry is 'sleeping' with Ruby Lynn Sinclair, the wife of club owner Dukie Sinclair. What follows is a night of comedy, romance, comedy, action, comedy, and Terry achieving his initial goal: getting $67 dollars to pay his phone bil

Talkin' Dirty After Dark

1991

Mausoleum poster
5.1

By way of an unnatural urge during her Mother's funeral, Susan enters her family's mausoleum, which unleashes an evil presence to lurk inside of her.

Mausoleum

1983

Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model? poster
9.0

A female private detective goes undercover as a porno actress to find a millionaire's missing daughter.

Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerfold Model?

1977

The Legend of Dolemite! Bigger & Badder poster
7.0

Rudy Ray Moore tells all as only he can in this all-new retrospective legendary career. From his humble beginnings to his crowning as "King of the Party Records," Rudy Ray guides us through his struggles and triumphs in the film and music industries.

The Legend of Dolemite! Bigger & Badder

1994

Amazing Stories: The Movie III poster
NR

Culled from Steven Spielberg's Emmy-winning series are four wacky tales full of adventure and laughter. In one, an actor (Tom Harrison) in a mummy's costume mistakenly wreaks havoc as he races to the hospital for the birth of his child. Another centers on the zany antics of a family dog, while a third follows Walter Poindexter (Sydney Lassick) a man with a magical remote control. Lastly, the embodiment of Guilt (Dom DeLuise) goes on vacation, and falls for Love (Loni Anderson).

Amazing Stories: The Movie III

1998

Good-bye Cruel World poster
3.3

The story involves newscaster Rodney Pointsetter who is so depressed between his job and his family that he tries to make a film about his life, which he intends to culminate with his own suicide. It is often interrupted with irrelevant comic sketches that an emcee claims that the audience prefers to see.

Good-bye Cruel World

1982

Women Tell the Dirtiest Jokes poster
NR

All female hardcore stand-up comedy special.

Women Tell the Dirtiest Jokes

1985