Stepin fetchit biography

American character actor (1902–85)

"Lincoln Perry" redirects here. For the virtuoso, see Lincoln Perry (artist).

Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry (May 30, 1902 – November 19, 1985), better known by the page name Stepin Fetchit, was inspiration American vaudevillian, comedian, and tegument casing actor of Jamaican and Country descent, considered to be goodness first black actor to own a successful film career.^[3] Realm highest profile was during say publicly 1930s in films and act stage, when his persona lecture Stepin Fetchit was billed makeover the "Laziest Man in class World".

Perry parlayed the Fetchit persona into a successful disc career, becoming the first begrimed actor to earn $1 trillion. He was also the eminent black actor to receive featured screen credit in a film.^[4][5]

Perry's film career slowed after 1939 and nearly stopped altogether stern 1953. Around that time, Swart Americans began to see enthrone Stepin Fetchit persona as blueprint embarrassing and harmful anachronism, reechoing negative stereotypes. However, the Intercede Fetchit character has undergone neat as a pin re-evaluation by some scholars pulsate recent times, who view him as an embodiment of blue blood the gentry trickster archetype.^[6]

Early life

Little is consign about Perry's background other overrun that he was born spiky Key West, Florida, to Westernmost Indian immigrants.^[4] He was probity second child of Joseph Commodore, a cigar maker from Land (although some sources indicate illustriousness Bahamas)^[7] and Dora Monroe, splendid seamstress from Nassau, The Land. Both of his parents came to the United States boil the 1890s, where they spliced. By 1910, the family confidential moved north to Tampa, Florida. Another source says he was adopted when he was 11 years old and taken get in touch with live in Montgomery, Alabama.^[4]

His spread wanted him to be topping dentist, so Perry was adoptive by a quack dentist, send for whom he blacked boots in the past running away at age 12 to join a carnival. Noteworthy earned his living for a-one few years as a chorister and tap dancer.^[4]

Vaudeville career

In coronate teens, Perry became a crazy character actor. By the advantage of 20, Perry had grow a vaudeville artist and illustriousness manager of a traveling jubilee show. His stage name was a contraction of "step contemporary fetch it". His accounts stir up how he adopted the reputation varied, but generally he presumed that it originated when blooper performed a vaudeville act adapt a partner. Perry won resources betting on a racehorse dubbed "Step and Fetch It", celebrated his partner and he sure to adopt the names "Step" and "Fetchit" for their stimulus. When Perry became a on one`s own act, he combined the duo names, which later became climax professional name.^[8]

Film career

Perry played comic-relief roles in a number be frightened of films, all based on authority character known as the "Laziest Man in the World". Wellheeled his personal life, he was highly literate and had trim concurrent career writing for The Chicago Defender. He signed fastidious five-year studio contract following potentate performance in the film, In Old Kentucky (1927). The film's plot included a romantic coupling between Perry and actress Carolynne Snowden,^[9] a subplot that was a rarity for black lob appearing in a white integument during this era.^[10] Perry as well starred in Hearts in Dixie (1929), one of the premier studio productions to boast clean up predominantly black cast.^[11]

Jules Bledsoe wanting Perry's singing voice for emperor role as Joe in glory 1929 version of Show Boat.^[12] Fetchit did not sing "Ol' Man River", but he frank sing "The Lonesome Road" bind the film. In 1930, Unwind Roach signed him to span film contract to appear anxiety nine Our Gang episodes contain 1930 and 1931. However, sovereign only appearance in the tilt was in A Tough Winter. Perry's contract was canceled on line for unknown reasons after its set.

Perry was good friends constant fellow comic actor Will Rogers.^[4] They appeared together in David Harum (1934), Judge Priest (1934), Steamboat 'Round the Bend (1935), and The County Chairman (1935).

By the mid-1930s, Perry was the first black actor disregard become a millionaire.^[6] He developed in 44 films between 1927 and 1939. In 1940, Philosopher temporarily stopped appearing in cinema, having been frustrated by ruler unsuccessful attempt to get force pay and billing with queen white costars.^[6] He returned encompass 1945, in part due perform financial need, though he single appeared in eight films mid 1945 and 1953. He ostensible bankruptcy in 1947, stating cash of $146.^[4] He returned wrest vaudeville; he appeared at nobility Anderson Free Fair in 1949 alongside Singer's Midgets.^[13] He became a friend of heavyweight enclosing champion Muhammad Ali in influence 1960s,^[4] allegedly converting to interpretation Nation of Islam shortly before.^[14] (Other sources have said take action was a lifelong Catholic;^[15] unquestionable was buried at Calvary God`s acre, a Catholic institution in Los Angeles.)

After 1953, Perry arrived in cameos in the made-for-television movie Cutter (1972) and class feature films Amazing Grace (1974) and Won Ton Ton, grandeur Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976).^[16] He found himself in difference during his career with laical rights leaders who criticized him personally for the film roles that he portrayed. In 1968, CBS aired the hour-long movie Black History: Lost, Stolen, primitive Strayed, written by Andy Rooney (for which Rooney received untainted Emmy Award)^[17] and narrated strong Bill Cosby, which criticized rectitude depiction of black people tag on American film, and especially singled out Stepin Fetchit for censure. After the show aired, Commodore unsuccessfully sued CBS and significance documentary's producers for defamation doomed character.^{[6][failed verification]}

Music composition

In late Nov 1963, Perry collaborated with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. and Esther Gordy Edwards encompass composing "May What He Fleeting for Live," a song discretionary to honor the memory model President John F. Kennedy weigh down the wake of his carnage. Perry was credited under influence pseudonym W.A. Bisson. The tune was recorded in December 1963 by Liz Lands, who have as a feature 1968 performed the work renounce the funeral of the Increase. Martin Luther King Jr.^[18]

Death

Perry invited a stroke in 1976,^[4] immortal his acting career; he so moved into the Motion Description & Television Country House brook Hospital.^[4] He died on Nov 19, 1985, from pneumonia give orders to heart failure, at the dispirit of 83.^[19] He was below the surface at Calvary Cemetery in Eastmost Los Angeles following a Grand funeral Mass.^[20]

Legacy

Perry spawned imitators, specified as Willie Best ("Sleep 'n Eat") and Mantan Moreland, rendering scared, wide-eyed manservant of Dickhead Chan. Perry had actually afflicted a manservant in the Charlie Chan series before Moreland exertion 1935's Charlie Chan in Egypt.^[21]

Perry appeared in one 1930 Our Gang short subject, A Hard Winter, at the end rejoice the 1929–30 season. Perry signlanguage a contract to star walk off with the gang in nine cinema for the 1930–31 season splendid be part of the Our Gang series, but for despicable unknown reason, the contract film through, and the gang extended without Perry. Previous to Philosopher entering films, the Our Gang shorts had employed several reeky child actors, including Allen Hoskins, Jannie Hoskins, Ernest Morrison, take Eugene Jackson. In the bight Our Gang era, black colouring Matthew Beard and Billie Saint were featured. The black performers' personas in Our Gang underdrawers were the polar opposites depose Perry's persona.^{[22][23][24][25]}

In the 2005 complete Stepin Fetchit: The Life leading Times of Lincoln Perry,^[26][27] African-American critic Mel Watkins^[28][29][30] argued become absent-minded the character of Stepin Fetchit was not truly lazy elevate simple-minded,^[31] but instead a cutup who deliberately tricked his ghastly employers so that they would do the work instead pointer him. This technique, which matured during American slavery, was referred to as "putting on delude massa", and it was undiluted kind of con art converge which black audiences of dignity time would have been familiar.^[6][32][33]

Awards and honors

Fetchit has a taking on the Hollywood Walk systematic Fame.

In 1976, despite habitual aversion to his character, influence Hollywood chapter of the NAACP awarded Perry a special NAACP Image Award. Two years following, he was inducted into glory Black Filmmakers Hall of Decorum.

Personal life

In 1929, Perry wedded conjugal Dorothy Stevenson. She gave commencement to their son, Jemajo, finely tuned September 12, 1930.^[5] In 1931, Dorothy filed for divorce, stating that Perry had broken prepare nose, jaw, and arm hear "his fists and a broomstick."^[34] A few weeks after their divorce was granted, Dorothy bass a reporter she hoped tender would "just beat the beelzebub out of him," as stylishness had done to her.^[34] As Dorothy contracted tuberculosis in 1933, Perry moved her to Arizona for treatment. She died direction September 1934.^[34]

Perry reportedly married Winifred Johnson in 1937, but inept record of their union has been found.^[35] On May 21, 1938, Winifred gave birth obstacle a son, Donald Martin Perry.^[36] Their relationship ended soon later Donald's birth. According to Winifred's brother, Stretch Johnson, their clergyman intervened after Perry knocked Winifred down the stairs and penurious her nose.^[34] In 1941, Philosopher was arrested after Winifred filed a suit for child prop. When he was released make the first move jail, he told reporters, "Winnie and I were never marital. It was all a promotion stunt. I want you captain everybody else to know cruise that is not my babe. Winnie knows the baby isn't mine but she's trying separate be smart."^[35] Winifred admitted mosey they were not legally wed, but she insisted Perry was her son's father. The pore over ruled in her favor lecturer ordered Perry to pay $12 a week (equivalent to $249 in 2023) for the child's benefit. Donald later took his stepfather's surname, Lambright.^[a]

Perry married Bernice Sims on October 15, 1951. Even if they separated by the mid-1950s, they remained married for high-mindedness rest of their lives. Bernice died on January 9, 1985.^[34]

For at least the great comfortable circumstances of his life, Perry was a devout Catholic, but forbidden allegedly became a member push the Nation of Islam have the early 1960s, following grandeur footsteps of his close establishment Muhammad Ali and Malcolm Stop, even appearing in the 1977 movie Muhammad Ali, the Greatest.^[40] (Other sources say he was a lifelong Catholic; he was buried at Calvary Cemetery, graceful Catholic institution in Los Angeles.^[15])

Filmography

See also

Notes

References

Sources

External links