Theresa Harris--The Beautiful Maid

Theresa Harris worked alongside more stars of Hollywood's Golden Era than anyone else and was known as "The Beautiful Maid". She was one of the few women to play the servant role without "looking the part". 

(Actress Mildred Washington was also known as "The Beautiful Maid")

Unsure of source; possibly from Vintage Black Glamour

Her most memorable work came from the "Pre-Code" era. This era of no rules (or no code) allowed Ms. Harris to be more than "just a maid" (depending on who you ask) to her white female employers. In fact, she often outshone the stars of these films--even after  the Pre-Code era.

Photo from MadameNoire

Watch Ms. Harris in her first film role--an uncredited singing role in the 1929 film Thunderbolt.

To learn more about Theresa Harris:

Check out her IMDb page.

Also, read this interesting article about her in the New York Times.