Profiles in Courage: Beverly Lasalle

 

Beverly Lasalle was a female impersonator / entertainer, played by Lori Shannon (1938-1984) who appeared on three episodes of the controversial 1970's era sitcom All in the Family. They were 

• Archie the Hero 
• Beverly Rides Again 
• Edith's Crisis of Faith, Part 1  

In her first appearance (Archie the Hero) Beverly passes out while a passenger in Archie's cab. Archie's performs CPR on Beverly to save her life and the incident is subsequently picked up by the media. Archie is humiliated when it is revealed that Beverly is actually a man in drag. Sympathetic to Archie's feelings and not wanting him to suffer any public humiliation, Beverly explains that Archie did not give her CPR. 

Beverly returns to the Bunker household a year later to celebrate Archie's "kiss of life" and invites Archie and Edith out to dinner. At first Archie resists but then he sees the opportunity to get revenge on his friend Pinky who is known for his practical jokes. Archie intends to set Pinky up with Beverly and then reveal that he is a man. However, Archie is unaware that Pinky knows that Beverly is a man which ruins the prank. Archie ultimately gets his revenge at the end of the episode when Pink's girlfriend shows up and catches him on a "date" with a man. 

In her final appearance on All in the Family, Beverly (dressed as a man) visits the Bunkers to let them know that she will be playing a show at Carnegie Hall after Christmas. Mike, Archie's son-in-law, offers to walk Beverly to a cab as he is on the way to buy a new star for the Bunker's Christmas tree. However, on the street Mike and Beverly are mistaken for a gay couple and are attacked by muggers. Beverly positions herself in between the attackers and Mike taking the burnt of the attack. She is beaten with a lead pipe that ultimately results in her death and Mike escaping with minor injuries. 

As a result of Beverly's senseless death, Edith experiences a crisis of faith and stops attending church. By the end of the following episode Edith comes to terms with Beverly's death and is grateful for having known her. 

- Carolina Dean