James Baskett
James Baskett | |
---|---|
Crown Hill Cemetery (Indianapolis, Indiana) | |
Other names |
|
Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
Years active | 1929–1948 |
Relatives | Bill Cobbs (second cousin) |
James Franklin Baskett (February 16, 1904 – July 9, 1948) was an American actor who portrayed Uncle Remus, singing the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in the 1946 Disney feature film Song of the South.
In recognition of his portrayal of Remus, he was given an
Career
Baskett studied pharmacology as a young man but gave it up to pursue an acting career. He first moved to New York City, New York, where he joined up with
He later moved to Los Angeles, California, and had a supporting role in the film Straight to Heaven (1939), starring Nina Mae McKinney. In 1941 he voiced Fats Crow in the animated Disney film Dumbo, and he also had bit parts in several B movies, including that of Lazarus in Revenge of the Zombies (1943), a porter in The Heavenly Body (1944), and native tribal leader Orbon in Jungle Queen (1945).[3][4] From 1944 until 1948, he was part of the cast of the Amos 'n' Andy Show live radio program as lawyer Gabby Gibson.
In 1945, he auditioned for a
Baskett was prohibited from attending the film's premiere in
Although Baskett was occasionally criticized for accepting such a "demeaning" role (most of his acting credits were that of African-American stereotypes), his acting was almost universally praised, and columnist Hedda Hopper, along with Walt Disney, was one of the many journalists and personalities who declared that he should receive an Academy Award for his work.[8][9] Baskett defended the film and his character in it, saying, "I believe that certain groups are doing my race more harm in seeking to create dissension, than can ever possibly come out of the Song of the South."[9]
Academy Honorary Award
On March 20, 1948, Baskett received an Academy Honorary Award for his performance as Uncle Remus.[10]
He was the first African-American male actor to earn an
Illness and death
Baskett had been in poor health during the filming of Song of the South due to diabetes and he suffered a heart attack in December 1946 shortly after its release. His health continued to decline, and he was often unable to attend the Amos 'n' Andy radio show he was on, missing almost half of the 1947–1948 season. On July 9, 1948, during the show's summer hiatus,[12] James Baskett died at his home of heart failure resulting from diabetes at age 44.[13][14] He was survived by his wife Margaret and his mother Elizabeth. He is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.[15]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1932 | Harlem Is Heaven | Money Johnson | Film debut; credited as Jimmy Baskette |
1933 | 20,000 Cheers for the Chain Gang | Vocalist | Uncredited |
1938 | Gone Harlem | unknown | Credited as Jimmie Baskette |
1938 | Policy Man | unknown | Credited as Jimmie Baskette |
1939 | Straight to Heaven | First Detective | |
1940 | Comes Midnight | unknown | |
1941 | Dumbo | Fats Crow (voice) | Uncredited |
1943 | Revenge of the Zombies | Lazarus | Alternative title: The Corpse Vanished |
1944 | The Heavenly Body | Porter | Uncredited |
1945 | Jungle Queen | Orbon | Credited as Jim Basquette |
1946 | Song of the South |
|
(final film roles) |
See also
- List of African-American firsts
References
- ^ Murfin, Patrick (March 21, 2013). "An Oscar for Uncle Remus". Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "Harlem Is Heaven", Variety (New York, N.Y.), June 7, 1932, page 20. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "Movies till Dawn: Almost Weirder Than Now". April 7, 2020.
- ^ "Jungle Queen". April 16, 2015.
- ^ As Jim Korkis notes, "Song of the South came out in 1946 and there was no balance of media images... African American performers often portrayed comic roles where their characters were described as lazy, slow-witted, easily scared or flustered, subservient and worse. That image was what the American public was seeing and accepting as the norm for African Americans." Jim Korkis, "The Sad Song of the South", USA Today (accessed 24 August 2013)
- Atlanta Constitution, columnist Harold Martin noted that to bring Baskett to Atlanta, where he would not have been allowed to participate in any of the festivities, "would cause him many embarrassments, for his feelings are the same as any man's." The modern claim that no Atlanta hotel would give Baskett accommodation is false: there were several black-owned hotels in Atlanta at the time, including the Savoy and the McKay. Atlanta's Black-Owned Hotels: A History.
- S2CID 144988189.
- ^ Mitchell, Dawn (February 22, 2019). "Indianapolis actor famous for 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah' was groundbreaking Oscars recipient". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
- ^ S2CID 142114722. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^
Cohen, Karl F. (2004). Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America. McFarland. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-7864-2032-2.
- ^ Brayton, Tim (February 11, 2015). "Black History Month: Song of the South's Forgotten Oscar". The Film Experience. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ Old-time.com
- ^ AFI
- ^ Auchmutey, Jim (November 12, 2006). "Finding Uncle Remus". accessatlanta.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
- ^
Bodenhamer, David J.; Barrows, Robert Graham; Vanderstel, David Gordon, eds. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Indiana University Press. p. 485. ISBN 978-0-253-31222-8.
External links
- James Baskett at IMDb
- James Baskett at the Internet Broadway Database
- James Baskett at Find a Grave