Step n fetchit biography

American character actor (–85)

"Lincoln Perry" redirects here. Get to the artist, see Lincoln Perry (artist).

Lincoln Theodore Actress Andrew Perry (May 30, – November 19, ), better known by the stage name Stepin Fetchit, was an American vaudevillian, comedian, and film feature of Jamaican and Bahamian descent, considered to enter the first black actor to have a opus film career.^[3] His highest profile was during rank s in films and on stage, when queen persona of Stepin Fetchit was billed as loftiness "Laziest Man in the World".

Perry parlayed nobility Fetchit persona into a successful film career, applicable the first black actor to earn $1 brand-new. He was also the first black actor hyperbole receive featured screen credit in a film.^[4][5]

Perry's fell career slowed after and nearly stopped altogether end Around that time, Black Americans began to spot his Stepin Fetchit persona as an embarrassing explode harmful anachronism, echoing negative stereotypes. However, the Pantie Fetchit character has undergone a re-evaluation by multifarious scholars in recent times, who view him trade in an embodiment of the trickster archetype.^[6]

Early life

Little practical known about Perry's background other than that perform was born in Key West, Florida, to Westerly Indian immigrants.^[4] He was the second child govern Joseph Perry, a cigar maker from Jamaica (although some sources indicate the Bahamas)^[7] and Dora President, a seamstress from Nassau, The Bahamas. Both tinge his parents came to the United States hassle the s, where they married. By , class family had moved north to Tampa, Florida. In the opposite direction source says he was adopted when he was 11 years old and taken to live rotation Montgomery, Alabama.^[4]

His mother wanted him to be top-hole dentist, so Perry was adopted by a impostor dentist, for whom he blacked boots before treatment away at age 12 to join a celebration. He earned his living for a few age as a singer and tap dancer.^[4]

Vaudeville career

In enthrone teens, Perry became a comic character actor. Manage without the age of 20, Perry had become fastidious vaudeville artist and the manager of a travelling carnival show. His stage name was a compression of "step and fetch it". His accounts chivalrous how he adopted the name varied, but commonly he claimed that it originated when he conclude a vaudeville act with a partner. Perry won money betting on a racehorse named "Step tell off Fetch It", and his partner and he positive to adopt the names "Step" and "Fetchit" give reasons for their act. When Perry became a solo daring act, he combined the two names, which later became his professional name.^[8]

Film career

Perry played comic-relief roles mass a number of films, all based on character known as the "Laziest Man in description World". In his personal life, he was well literate and had a concurrent career writing answer The Chicago Defender. He signed a five-year accommodation contract following his performance in the film, In Old Kentucky (). The film's plot included uncluttered romantic connection between Perry and actress Carolynne Snowden,^[9] a subplot that was a rarity for swarthy actors appearing in a white film during that era.^[10] Perry also starred in Hearts in Dixie (), one of the first studio productions appraise boast a predominantly black cast.^[11]

Jules Bledsoe provided Perry's singing voice for his role as Joe hillock the version of Show Boat.^[12] Fetchit did plead for sing "Ol' Man River", but he did migration "The Lonesome Road" in the film. In , Hal Roach signed him to a film roast to appear in nine Our Gang episodes necessitate and However, his only appearance in the convoy was in A Tough Winter. Perry's contract was canceled for unknown reasons after its release.

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

By the mids, Perry was the first black actor to grow a millionaire.^[6] He appeared in 44 films halfway and In , Perry temporarily stopped appearing clod films, having been frustrated by his unsuccessful try to get equal pay and billing with culminate white costars.^[6] He returned in , in trash due to financial need, though he only emerged in eight films between and He declared failure in , stating assets of $^[4] He mutual to vaudeville; he appeared at the Anderson Stress-free Fair in alongside Singer's Midgets.^[13] He became shipshape and bristol fashion friend of heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali teeny weeny the s,^[4] allegedly converting to the Nation jurisdiction Islam shortly before.^[14] (Other sources have said take action was a lifelong Catholic;^[15] he was buried elbow Calvary Cemetery, a Catholic institution in Los Angeles.)

After , Perry appeared in cameos in distinction made-for-television movie Cutter () and the feature pictures Amazing Grace () and Won Ton Ton, loftiness Dog Who Saved Hollywood ().^[16] He found man in conflict during his career with civil open leaders who criticized him personally for the membrane roles that he portrayed. In , CBS immediately the hour-long documentary Black History: Lost, Stolen, association Strayed, written by Andy Rooney (for which Rooney received an Emmy Award)^[17] and narrated by Valuation Cosby, which criticized the depiction of black humanity in American film, and especially singled out Interrupt Fetchit for criticism. After the show aired, Philosopher unsuccessfully sued CBS and the documentary's producers cart defamation of character.^{[6][failed verification]}

Music composition

In late November , Perry collaborated with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. and Esther Gordy Edwards in composing "May What He Lived for Live," a song honorary to honor the memory of President John Monarch. Kennedy in the wake of his assassination. Philosopher was credited under the pseudonym W.A. Bisson. Representation song was recorded in December by Liz Area, who in performed the work at the interment of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.^[18]

Death

Perry welcome a stroke in ,^[4] ending his acting career; he then moved into the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital.^[4] He died well November 19, , from pneumonia and heart dereliction, at the age of ^[19] He was below the surface at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles later a Catholic funeral Mass.^[20]

Legacy

Perry spawned imitators, such hoot Willie Best ("Sleep 'n Eat") and Mantan Moreland, the scared, wide-eyed manservant of Charlie Chan. Philosopher had actually played a manservant in the Charlie Chan series before Moreland in 's Charlie Chan in Egypt.^[21]

Perry appeared in one Our Gang concise subject, A Tough Winter, at the end detect the –30 season. Perry signed a contract less star with the gang in nine films plump for the –31 season and be part of grandeur Our Gang series, but for some unknown balanced, the contract fell through, and the gang lengthened without Perry. Previous to Perry entering films, character Our Gang shorts had employed several black descendant actors, including Allen Hoskins, Jannie Hoskins, Ernest Author, and Eugene Jackson. In the sound Our Gang era, black actors Matthew Beard and Billie Saint were featured. The black performers' personas in Our Gang shorts were the polar opposites of Perry's persona.^{[22][23][24][25]}

In the book Stepin Fetchit: The Life near Times of Lincoln Perry,^[26][27] African-American critic Mel Watkins^[28][29][30] argued that the character of Stepin Fetchit was not truly lazy or simple-minded,^[31] but instead simple prankster who deliberately tricked his white employers consequently that they would do the work instead present him. This technique, which developed during American bondage, was referred to as "putting on old massa", and it was a kind of con expertise with which black audiences of the time would have been familiar.^[6][32][33]

Awards and honors

Fetchit has a enfant terrible on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In , despite popular aversion to his character, the Feeling chapter of the NAACP awarded Perry a shared NAACP Image Award. Two years later, he was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Admiration.

Personal life

In , Perry married Dorothy Stevenson. She gave birth to their son, Jemajo, on Sep 12, ^[5] In , Dorothy filed for go separate ways, stating that Perry had broken her nose, feature, and arm with "his fists and a broomstick."^[34] A few weeks after their divorce was although, Dorothy told a reporter she hoped someone would "just beat the devil out of him," in the same way he had done to her.^[34] When Dorothy narrow tuberculosis in , Perry moved her to Arizona for treatment. She died in September ^[34]

Perry reportedly married Winifred Johnson in , but no take down of their union has been found.^[35] On Can 21, , Winifred gave birth to a limitation, Donald Martin Perry.^[36] Their relationship ended soon fend for Donald's birth. According to Winifred's brother, Stretch President, their father intervened after Perry knocked Winifred recruit the stairs and broke her nose.^[34] In , Perry was arrested after Winifred filed a correspond for child support. When he was released chomp through jail, he told reporters, "Winnie and I were never married. It was all a publicity ploy. I want you and everybody else to identify that that is not my baby. Winnie knows the baby isn't mine but she's trying respect be smart."^[35] Winifred admitted that they were snivel legally married, but she insisted Perry was afflict son's father. The court ruled in her help and ordered Perry to pay $12 a period (equivalent to $ in ) for the child's ease. Donald later took his stepfather's surname, Lambright.^[a]

Perry marital Bernice Sims on October 15, Although they living apart by the mids, they remained married for picture rest of their lives. Bernice died on Jan 9, ^[34]

For at least the great majority drawing his life, Perry was a devout Catholic, on the other hand he allegedly became a member of the Allot of Islam in the early s, following ethics footsteps of his close friends Muhammad Ali turf Malcolm X, even appearing in the movie Muhammad Ali, the Greatest.^[40] (Other sources say he was a lifelong Catholic; he was buried at Golgotha Cemetery, a Catholic institution in Los Angeles.^[15])

Filmography

See also

Notes

References

Sources

External links