Raymond St. Jacques

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Raymond St. Jacques
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
(Los Angeles, California)
EducationHillhouse High School
Alma materYale University
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Years active1959–1990
Known forRawhide (as Simon Blake)
Coffin Ed Johnson – Cotton Comes to Harlem, Come Back, Charleston Blue

Raymond St. Jacques (born James Arthur Johnson; March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an American actor, director and producer whose career spanned over thirty years on stage, film and television. St. Jacques is noted as the first African American actor to appear in a regular role on a western series, portraying Simon Blake on the eighth season of Rawhide (1965–1966).

Early life and education

St. Jacques was born James Arthur Johnson in Hartford, Connecticut. He had a sister, Barbara Ann. Shortly after his birth, his parents divorced; he moved with his mother and sister to New Haven, Connecticut.[1] St. Jacques' mother Vivienne later worked as a medical technician at Yale University. After graduating from Hillhouse High School, St. Jacques attended Yale, where he studied drama and psychology.[1] Upon graduation, he worked as an assistant director, actor and fencing instructor for the American Shakespearean Festival in New Haven. St. Jacques staged all of the fencing scenes and duels while at the company and would continue to practice fencing for the rest of his life.[2]

After moving to New York City, St. Jacques continued to pursue acting and studied at the Actors Studio.[3] To support himself, he worked as a model, dishwasher and a busboy.[1] St. Jacques first professional acting role was in the off-Broadway play High Name Today.[2] St. Jacques was cast in the role of "Judge" in the off-Broadway performance of Jean Genet's play The Blacks at St. Mark's Playhouse in 1960.

Career

After appearing in bit parts on television in the early 1960s, St. Jacques made his film debut in a small part in the 1964 film Black Like Me.[4] He followed with a role in The Pawnbroker later that year. He appeared in supporting roles in The Comedians (1967) and The Green Berets (1968). St. Jacques best-known film roles were that of Coffin Ed in the blaxploitation classics Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) (adapted from crime novels by Chester Himes) and Come Back, Charleston Blue (1972). In the early 1970s, St. Jacques began teaching fencing and acting at the Mafundi Institute in Watts, Los Angeles. In 1973, he produced, directed, and starred in the crime film Book of Numbers.[2]

John Ireland in Rawhide
, 1965

During the 1960s, St. Jacques also guest starred on numerous television shows including

syndicated TV show Superior Court. In 1989, he played abolitionist Frederick Douglass in Edward Zwick's Glory.[4] His final film role was in the 1991 science fiction film Timebomb
released after his death.

Personal life

St. Jacques was a lifelong bachelor.

AIDS in 1984 (his death has never been officially confirmed and his true fate remains unknown).[11] However, in a 1988 interview with the Chicago Tribune, St. Jacques still claimed to have two sons and said Sterling was appearing on a television show in Düsseldorf.[12]

Activism

St. Jacques frequently spoke of the prejudices he and other African American actors faced and difficulties in being cast in non-stereotypical, thoughtful roles. He later worked to help African Americans find work behind the camera.[4] In 1977, he publicly criticized the lack of minority actors in Star Wars (which he stated he saw five times) and other science fiction films.[13][14] St. Jacques was also an activist for African American civil rights. In 1985, he and other protestors were arrested during an anti-apartheid demonstration outside of the South African embassy in Washington, D.C.[15]

Death

On August 27, 1990, St. Jacques died of lymphoma at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.[5][4] His funeral was held on August 31 at The Church of the Recessional at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, after which he was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills.[16]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1964 Black Like Me Burial Insurance Salesman
1964 The Pawnbroker Tangee
1965 Mister Moses Ubi
1966 Mister Buddwing Hank
1967 The Comedians Captain Concasseur
1968 Madigan Dr. Taylor
1968 The Green Berets Sgt. Doc McGee
1968
If He Hollers, Let Him Go!
James Lake
1968 Uptight B.G.
1969 Change of Mind David Rowe
1970 Cotton Comes to Harlem Coffin Ed Johnson
1972 Cool Breeze Bill Mercer
1972 The Final Comedown Imir
1972 Come Back, Charleston Blue Coffin Ed Johnson
1973 Book of Numbers Blueboy Harris
1974 Lost in the Stars John Kumalo
1977 The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover Martin Luther King
1977 Roots The drummer TV Mini-Series, Episode: "Part IV"
1977 The Baron
1978 Born Again Jimmy Newsom
1980 Cuba Crossing Mr. Bell
1984 The Evil That Men Do Randolph
1985 The Fall Guy Ed Simmions Episode Spring Break (S04Ep20)
1987 The Wild Pair Ivory
1988 They Live Street Preacher
1989 Glory Frederick Douglass Uncredited
1991 Voodoo Dawn Claude Released posthumously
1991 Timebomb Det. Sanchez Released posthumously

References

  1. ^ a b c Flint, Peter B. (August 30, 1990). "Raymond St. Jacques, an Actor Of TV and Films, Is Dead at 60". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "AFRO talks to...Director, Producer, Actor 'Book of Numbers' Raymond St. Jacques". Baltimore Afro-American. Baltimore, Maryland. April 10, 1973. p. 14.
  3. .
  4. ^ . Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Raymond St. Jacques; Actor was 60". Los Angeles Times. August 29, 1990. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  6. ISSN 0021-5996
    . Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  7. ^ Wilson, Earl (August 2, 1969). "Bachelor Actor St. Jacques To Adopt 2 Children". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. p. 21. Retrieved March 25, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Suspects Caught In Stalled Car". Toledo Blade. Toledo, Ohio. May 27, 1972. p. 5. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  9. ISSN 0012-9011
    .
  10. ^ Scott, Walter (November 28, 1976). "Walter Scott's Personality Parade". Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania.
  11. .
  12. ^ Weaver, Maurice (September 29, 1988). "Raymond St. Jacques Ascends the Bench". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  13. ^ St. Jacques, Raymond (July 17, 1977). "The Great White Void". Los Angeles Times. p. R2 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Monagle, Matthew (December 14, 2015). "The Fight Over Star Wars and Racism in 1977". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017.
  15. ISSN 0021-5996
    . Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  16. ^ "Funeral Rites Set for Raymond St. Jacques". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 1990. Retrieved March 25, 2016.

External links