Were Lawanda Page and Lynn Hamilton sisters in real life? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

rollo's girl · 01-09-2011, 01:08 AM

I know this sounds crazy, but I hope some of you die-hard SnSers can give me the answer to this. Before someone posts "are you nuts?", the reason I began wondering is I looked up Lawanda Page's obituary and one survivor listed is a sister, Lynn Hamilton (Donna). Even in Lawanda Page's biography it lists a Lynn Hamilton as a sister, but no where have I been able to find that it is the same Lynn Hamilton that played Donna. Wouldn't it be a shock if these two were sisters in real life, as pretty as Donna was and as,well, homely as Aunt Esther was? And the way Aunt Esther resented Donna when she tried to marry Fred. It would be hard to believe but probably the most interesting piece of Sns trivia ever! Does anyone know anything about this? I am dying to find out before everybody who had anything to do with the show is, well, gone (sorry)

. Thanks

Zoneboy · 01-09-2011, 01:23 AM

Here's her obit from the NY Times: As you can see there is no mention of a surviving sister.

LaWanda Page, the acid-tongued comedienne who, as the cantankerous Aunt Esther, traded barbs with Redd Foxx on the 1970's sitcom "Sanford and Son," died on Saturday in Los Angeles. She was 81.

The cause was complications of diabetes, The Associated Press reported.

Ms. Page was a veteran of the black circuit of theaters and nightclubs. She began as a dancer, added a fire-swallowing bit (billed as the "Bronze Goddess of Fire") and moved gradually into skit and stand-up comedy on the so-called Midwestern "chitlin circuit." Most of those clubs, she later said, were dumps, the kind of places "where if you ain't home by 9 o'clock you can be declared legally dead."

Her big break came when she was tapped for a supporting role in the second season of Norman Lear's "Sanford and Son," which starred Foxx, a friend from comedy club days, as Fred Sanford, an eccentric and irascible junk dealer in the Watts section of Los Angeles. As the ungainly, wisecracking, Bible-toting sister of Sanford's late wife, Elizabeth, she quickly became one of the show's most popular characters.

Her character, Aunt Esther, took her share of zingers from Foxx and other cast members — Sanford's friend Grady once quipped, "Nice having her around, she makes the junk look so pretty." But Aunt Esther usually responded with equally stinging rejoinders. "Watch it, sucker!" her favorite catch phrase, was followed by a spate of sharp-tongued invective. The exchanges between her and Sanford were among the weekly highlights. "Sanford and Son," ran from 1972 to 1977 on NBC and remained one of television's top rated shows, inspiring several spinoffs in which she also appeared.

Ms. Page was born in Cleveland on Oct. 19, 1920, and began her dancing career at age 15. After years on the club circuit with comedians like Foxx and Richard Pryor, Ms. Page moved to Los Angeles in the 1960's and joined the comedy group Skillet, Leroy & Co. She soon developed and honed her trademark feisty comic approach — more shrill but still reminiscent of Moms Mabley's homespun wit. ("Honey, that old man couldn't keep no kinda job. That's the only man I know that ever went to the unemployment office and lost his place in line.")

She is survived by a daughter, Clara Johnson, of Los Angeles.

Throughout the 1970's and 80's, Ms. Page played cameo roles in a few feature films and made guest appearances on talk shows and sitcoms. Offstage, she was an advocate for equal opportunities and better pay for black performers.

Mr. Television · 01-09-2011, 01:45 AM

I googled it and it is listed on several sites. It's also listed in this article but I don't know if she's the same Lynn Hamilton.

http://books.google.com/books?id=BsM...milton&f=false

rollo's girl · 01-09-2011, 01:47 AM

yes, but if you google her and look at some of the others as well as her bio it does list a Lynn Hamilton as a survivor.

rollo's girl · 01-09-2011, 01:49 AM

...and thanks Sonny, I hadn't read that particular article. Wonder where and how we might find out?

Mr. Television · 01-09-2011, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rollo's girl

...and thanks Sonny, I hadn't read that particular article. Wonder where and how we might find out?

Yea I looked up the SF Gate obituary and it's listed in there too.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2002-09-1...w-sanford-arms

I have to admit I never heard of this. It would be interesting to find out.

Zoneboy · 01-09-2011, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

I googled it and it is listed on several sites. It's also listed in this article but I don't know if she's the same Lynn Hamilton.

Wow, that is interesting.

Marvo301 · 01-09-2011, 02:15 AM

I looked up several Lynn Hamilton bios online and none of them mention her being related to Lawanda Page.

rollo's girl · 01-09-2011, 02:18 AM

I just found an interview with Ms. Hamilton with Rev. Calvin Carson on youtube and in the posts below the video someone says, yes, the two were sisters in real life. She is still so lovely. And this is the first time I have ever thought she resembled Ms. Page. There are several interviews he did with her and I am going to try and watch all of them tomorrow to see if this is mentioned. I am not computer-savvy enough to know how to post the link but look under "Rev. Calvin Carson interviews Lynn Hamilton" to find these interviews.

Mr. Television · 01-09-2011, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

I looked up several Lynn Hamilton bios online and none of them mention her being related to Lawanda Page.

Yea it seems like her bios don't mention a sister but Lawanda's does. She was born in Mississippi and LaWanda was raised in St. Louis. There's not a whole lot on Lynn Hamilton out there though.

Mr. Television · 01-09-2011, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rollo's girl

I just found an interview with Ms. Hamilton with Rev. Calvin Carson on youtube and in the posts below the video someone says, yes, the two were sisters in real life. She is still so lovely. And this is the first time I have ever thought she resembled Ms. Page. There are several interviews he did with her and I am going to try and watch all of them tomorrow to see if this is mentioned. I am not computer-savvy enough to know how to post the link but look under "Rev. Calvin Carson interviews Lynn Hamilton" to find these interviews.

I saw that one but I wouldn't consider that fact. I'd like to find something from a magazine article or an interview. Anyone can edit anything on Wikipedia or IMDB so I wouldn't consider that fact either unless a source is given. If you find anything concrete let us know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQvXiglkaWM

Mr. Television · 01-09-2011, 02:52 AM

Wasn't Lynn Hamilton married to Bernie Hamilton of Starsky and Hutch at one time? I could have swore that she was but I can't find any mention in her biography or in his obituary. She did play his wife in an episode of S & H.

Cloud9 Lorraine · 01-09-2011, 12:25 PM

I wouldn't give much credence to the comments listed below the Rev. Calvin Carson video. I think that if the two women were sisters, it would have been published by a legitimate source and would be common knowledge, at least to us S&S fans.

rollo's girl · 01-09-2011, 01:26 PM

yes, I'm certainly not taking the poster's word for it. I want some concrete proof.

rollo's girl · 01-09-2011, 07:30 PM

Well, I did some digging on the web today and found what may be Ms. Hamilton's current address. Long story short, the lady who posted said she used this address to contact her and received what she said was a very gracious reply (including a picture and autograph, which was pictured) on Oct. 12, 2010, but it took over a year from when she wrote her. It may be a complete waste of time and a couple of stamps but I'm gonna try. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck. I am dying to know if this is true or not.

01-09-2011, 01:08 AM	#1
rollo's girl Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 08, 2011 Location: kentucky Posts: 116	Were Lawanda Page and Lynn Hamilton sisters in real life? I know this sounds crazy, but I hope some of you die-hard SnSers can give me the answer to this. Before someone posts "are you nuts?", the reason I began wondering is I looked up Lawanda Page's obituary and one survivor listed is a sister, Lynn Hamilton (Donna). Even in Lawanda Page's biography it lists a Lynn Hamilton as a sister, but no where have I been able to find that it is the same Lynn Hamilton that played Donna. Wouldn't it be a shock if these two were sisters in real life, as pretty as Donna was and as,well, homely as Aunt Esther was? And the way Aunt Esther resented Donna when she tried to marry Fred. It would be hard to believe but probably the most interesting piece of Sns trivia ever! Does anyone know anything about this? I am dying to find out before everybody who had anything to do with the show is, well, gone (sorry). Thanks

01-09-2011, 01:23 AM	#2
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,470	Here's her obit from the NY Times: As you can see there is no mention of a surviving sister. LaWanda Page, the acid-tongued comedienne who, as the cantankerous Aunt Esther, traded barbs with Redd Foxx on the 1970's sitcom "Sanford and Son," died on Saturday in Los Angeles. She was 81. The cause was complications of diabetes, The Associated Press reported. Ms. Page was a veteran of the black circuit of theaters and nightclubs. She began as a dancer, added a fire-swallowing bit (billed as the "Bronze Goddess of Fire") and moved gradually into skit and stand-up comedy on the so-called Midwestern "chitlin circuit." Most of those clubs, she later said, were dumps, the kind of places "where if you ain't home by 9 o'clock you can be declared legally dead." Her big break came when she was tapped for a supporting role in the second season of Norman Lear's "Sanford and Son," which starred Foxx, a friend from comedy club days, as Fred Sanford, an eccentric and irascible junk dealer in the Watts section of Los Angeles. As the ungainly, wisecracking, Bible-toting sister of Sanford's late wife, Elizabeth, she quickly became one of the show's most popular characters. Her character, Aunt Esther, took her share of zingers from Foxx and other cast members — Sanford's friend Grady once quipped, "Nice having her around, she makes the junk look so pretty." But Aunt Esther usually responded with equally stinging rejoinders. "Watch it, sucker!" her favorite catch phrase, was followed by a spate of sharp-tongued invective. The exchanges between her and Sanford were among the weekly highlights. "Sanford and Son," ran from 1972 to 1977 on NBC and remained one of television's top rated shows, inspiring several spinoffs in which she also appeared. Ms. Page was born in Cleveland on Oct. 19, 1920, and began her dancing career at age 15. After years on the club circuit with comedians like Foxx and Richard Pryor, Ms. Page moved to Los Angeles in the 1960's and joined the comedy group Skillet, Leroy & Co. She soon developed and honed her trademark feisty comic approach — more shrill but still reminiscent of Moms Mabley's homespun wit. ("Honey, that old man couldn't keep no kinda job. That's the only man I know that ever went to the unemployment office and lost his place in line.") She is survived by a daughter, Clara Johnson, of Los Angeles. Throughout the 1970's and 80's, Ms. Page played cameo roles in a few feature films and made guest appearances on talk shows and sitcoms. Offstage, she was an advocate for equal opportunities and better pay for black performers.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

01-09-2011, 01:45 AM	#3
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	I googled it and it is listed on several sites. It's also listed in this article but I don't know if she's the same Lynn Hamilton. http://books.google.com/books?id=BsM...milton&f=false
	__________________ Sonny

01-09-2011, 02:15 AM	#8
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,460	I looked up several Lynn Hamilton bios online and none of them mention her being related to Lawanda Page.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

01-09-2011, 01:47 AM	#4
rollo's girl Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 08, 2011 Location: kentucky Posts: 116	yes, but if you google her and look at some of the others as well as her bio it does list a Lynn Hamilton as a survivor.

01-09-2011, 01:49 AM	#5
rollo's girl Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 08, 2011 Location: kentucky Posts: 116	...and thanks Sonny, I hadn't read that particular article. Wonder where and how we might find out?

01-09-2011, 02:18 AM	#9
rollo's girl Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 08, 2011 Location: kentucky Posts: 116	I just found an interview with Ms. Hamilton with Rev. Calvin Carson on youtube and in the posts below the video someone says, yes, the two were sisters in real life. She is still so lovely. And this is the first time I have ever thought she resembled Ms. Page. There are several interviews he did with her and I am going to try and watch all of them tomorrow to see if this is mentioned. I am not computer-savvy enough to know how to post the link but look under "Rev. Calvin Carson interviews Lynn Hamilton" to find these interviews.

01-09-2011, 02:52 AM	#12
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	Wasn't Lynn Hamilton married to Bernie Hamilton of Starsky and Hutch at one time? I could have swore that she was but I can't find any mention in her biography or in his obituary. She did play his wife in an episode of S & H.

01-09-2011, 12:25 PM	#13
Cloud9 Lorraine Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 10, 2007 Location: NY Posts: 342	I wouldn't give much credence to the comments listed below the Rev. Calvin Carson video. I think that if the two women were sisters, it would have been published by a legitimate source and would be common knowledge, at least to us S&S fans.

01-09-2011, 01:26 PM	#14
rollo's girl Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 08, 2011 Location: kentucky Posts: 116	yes, I'm certainly not taking the poster's word for it. I want some concrete proof.

01-09-2011, 07:30 PM	#15
rollo's girl Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 08, 2011 Location: kentucky Posts: 116	Well, I did some digging on the web today and found what may be Ms. Hamilton's current address. Long story short, the lady who posted said she used this address to contact her and received what she said was a very gracious reply (including a picture and autograph, which was pictured) on Oct. 12, 2010, but it took over a year from when she wrote her. It may be a complete waste of time and a couple of stamps but I'm gonna try. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck. I am dying to know if this is true or not.