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Born Thelma McQueen in Tampa, Florida she trained as a dancer and took her stage name from "The Butterfly Dance" after performing it in a production of " A Midsummer Night's Dream".

She made her first film appearance playing an uncredited bit part as a sales assistant in The Women in 1939 and later that year filmed what would become her most identifiable role - as Prissy the maid in Gone With The Wind. She continued to play maids and small parts in various films including Since You Went Away, ( 1944), Mildred PierceMildred Pierce is a novel (1941) by James M. Cain; and a feature film ( Michael Curtiz; US, 1945) starring Joan Crawford which is based upon this novel. The novel Mildred Pierce which is set in and around Los Angeles in the 1930s, depicts the life of an A, ( 1945Events January January 5 The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet government of Poland. January 7 British General Bernard Montgomery holds a press conference in which he claims credit for victory in the Battle of the Bulge. January 12 World War II:) and Duel in the SunDuel in the Sun is a 1946 Western film which tells the story of a half-Hispanic girl who goes to live with her Anglo relatives, becoming involved in prejudice and forbidden love. It stars Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, Lionel Barrymore, Herb, ( 1946Events January January 4 Theodore Schurch becomes the last person to be executed for offences committed under the Treachery Act of 1940 January 7 Allied recognize Austrian republic with 1937 borders the country is divided into four occupation zones Januar) but by 1947Events January January 1 British mines nationalized January 1 Nigeria gains limited autonomy January 1 The Canadian Citizenship Act went into effect January 3 Proceedings of the United States Congress are televised for the first time. January 10 United Na had grown tired of the ethnic stereotypeEthnic Stereotypes in popular culture involve an overly-simplified, stereotypical or false representation of the typical characteristics of a members of an ethnic group in music, literature, print media, film and the performing arts. Music In recent yearss she was required to play and ended her film career.

By 1950Events January January 5 US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 The United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with she had commenced a three year stint on the television series Beulah which reunited her with her Gone With The Wind co-star Hattie McDaniel.

Her acting roles after this were very few, and she devoted herself to other pursuits including study, and received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science in 1975. She had one more role of some substance in the 1986 film The Mosquito Coast.

McQueen died in Augusta, Georgia as a result of burns received when a kerosene heater she was attempting to light exploded and doused her in fuel. A lifelong atheist, she donated her body to medical science.