Tess Gardella(1894-1950)

Actress
Soundtrack

Tess Gardella was born on 19 December 1894 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for Show Boat (1929), Stand Up and Cheer! (1934) and Honey (1930). She died on 3 January 1950 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

IMDbProStarmeter See rank

Known for

Show Boat

6.2

Queenie [prologue](as Aunt Jemima)

1929

Stand Up and Cheer!

5.4

Aunt Jemima(as 'Aunt Jemima')

1934

Honey

5.9

Aunt Jemima(uncredited)

1930

The Lease Breakers

Short

Performer(as Aunt Jemima)

1932

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress

A Swing Opera
Short
- The Gypsy Queen (as Tess 'Aunt Jemima' Gardella)
- 1939
Dave Apollon & His Orchestra
Short
- Aunt Jemima
- 1938
Vitaphone Troupers
Short
- Aunt Jemima (as Aunt Jemima)
- 1936
Stand Up and Cheer!
5.4
- Aunt Jemima (as 'Aunt Jemima')
- 1934
Rambling 'Round Radio Row #3
5.3
Short
- Aunt Jemima (as Aunt Jemima)
- 1933
The Lease Breakers
Short
- Performer (as Aunt Jemima)
- 1932
Honey
5.9
- Aunt Jemima (uncredited)
- 1930
Show Boat
6.2
- Queenie [prologue] (as Aunt Jemima)
- 1929
Aunt Jemima: The Original Fun Flour Maker
Short
- Aunt Jemima (as Aunt Jemima)
- 1927

Soundtrack

Dave Apollon & His Orchestra
Short
- performer: "Born to Swing" (as Aunt Jemima, uncredited)
- 1938
Vitaphone Troupers
Short
- performer: "Clementine (from New Orleans)" (uncredited)
- 1936
Stand Up and Cheer!
5.4
- performer: "I'm Laughin'" (1934) (uncredited)
- 1934
Rambling 'Round Radio Row #3
5.3
Short
- performer: "I Ain't Got Nobody Much (and Nobody Cares for Me)" (as Aunt Jemima, uncredited)
- 1933
Honey
5.9
- performer: "Sing You Sinners"
- 1930
Show Boat
6.2
- performer: "C'mon Folks" (Queenie's Ballyhoo) (1927), "Hey, Feller!" (1927) (uncredited)
- 1929
Aunt Jemima: The Original Fun Flour Maker
Short
- performer: "My Idea of Heaven", " (That's the Reason) I Wish I Was in Dixie", "One Sweet Letter from You", "Everybody Stomp", "I Was Born in Virginia" (uncredited)
- 1927

Personal details

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Alternative names
- 'Aunt Jemima'
Born
- December 19, 1894
- Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA
Died
- January 3, 1950
- Brooklyn, New York, USA(diabetes)
Publicity listings
- 2 Articles

Did you know

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Trivia
Ms. Gardella was a white Italian-American stage performer, but her usual stage persona, and actual stage name, was "Aunt Jemima", which she performed in blackface. It was in this persona that she played Queenie, the African-American cook, and wife of Joe, the deckhand, in the original Broadway production of "Show Boat" in 1927, as well as the first Broadway revival in 1932. She was the only white performer in the entire cast to play a role in blackface. She also appeared in the prologue of the first film adaptation, Show Boat (1929).