ul ah ▁begins ▁H urt ' s ▁insp iration ▁for ▁the ▁Be ul ah ▁voice ▁was ▁an ▁African - American ▁woman ▁named ▁Mary ▁who ▁cook ed ▁for ▁his ▁family . ▁While ▁he ▁was ▁using ▁this ▁character ization ▁on ▁The ▁Fred ▁Br ady ▁Show , ▁the ▁summer ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁replacement ▁for ▁The ▁Bob ▁Burn s ▁Show ▁on ▁N BC , ▁F ib ber ▁McG ee ▁writer ▁Don ▁Qu inn ▁" dis cover ed " ▁H urt ▁for ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁audience , ▁and ▁cast ▁H urt / Be ul ah ▁as ▁the ▁Mc Ge es ' ▁ma id ▁on ▁what ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highest ▁r ated ▁radio ▁programs . ▁ ▁The ▁w ides p read ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁F ib ber ▁McG ee ▁and ▁Mol ly ▁version ▁of ▁H urt ' s ▁character , ▁based ▁as ▁much ▁on ▁the ▁novel ty ▁of ▁a ▁white ▁man ▁port ray ing ▁a ▁black ▁woman ▁as ▁the ▁humor ▁written ▁for ▁the ▁character , ▁soon ▁war r anted ▁a ▁spin - off ▁series . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Be ul ah ▁was ▁sp un ▁off ▁into ▁her ▁own ▁radio ▁show , ▁The ▁Mar lin ▁H urt ▁and ▁Be ul ah ▁Show ; ▁H urt ▁also ▁played ▁Be ul ah ' s ▁boy friend , ▁Bill ▁Jackson , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁title ▁roles . ▁ ▁The ▁series ▁was ▁near ing ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁its ▁first ▁year ▁when ▁H urt ▁suddenly ▁died ▁of ▁a ▁heart ▁attack , ▁aged ▁▁ 4