This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(December 2008) |
Ernest Fredric Morrison(December 20, 1912 – July 24, 1989) was an Americanchild actor,comedian, vaudevillian, and dancer who also performed under the stage-nameSunshine Sammy Morrison.He was the onlyblackmember of theEast Side Kidsand was an original performer inOur Gang,a 1920'ssilent filmfranchise.
Sunshine Sammy Morrison | |
|---|---|
 Ernie Morrison as Sunshine Sammy inDogs of War(1923) | |
| Born | Ernest Fredric Morrison December 20, 1912 New Orleans,Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 24, 1989(aged 76) Lynwood, California,U.S. |
| Other names | Sunshine Sammy Little Sambo Smiling Sambo |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1916–1974 |
Early life
editBorn in 1912 inNew Orleans,Morrison was the brother of Florence Morrison and stage- and screen-actressDorothy Morrison.He entered show-business as a replacement for another infant actor who constantly cried. A crew member asked Morrison's father, Ernest Morrison Sr., to bring in his newborn son. Because Morrison sat perfectly and didn't cry during filming, the crew christened him with the name "Sunshine". Morrison's father added "Sammy" to his son's stage name to create the iconic character Sunshine Sammy.[1]
Biography
editMorrison ultimately appeared in two-reel silent comedies opposite bothHarold LloydandSnub Pollard,two of the era's biggest comedians. He was the firstAfrican-Americanactor to be signed to a long-term contract, signing with studio executive andcomedyproducerHal Roachin 1919. When Roach conceived hisOur Gangseries, featuring child actors in a natural juvenile setting in 1921, Sammy was the first child recruited. Morrison left the series in January 1925; the young actor was then making $225 a week (equal to about $4,000 weekly in 2024), and his father demanded a pay raise of $75 a week, which Roach refused.[2]Ernie Morrison's last Roach credits wereJimmie Parrottcomedies; these had been filmed in 1923 but were not released to theaters until 1926.
Ernie Morrison went to make personal appearances in vaudeville, where his talents were featured on the same bills with such up-and-coming acts asAbbott and CostelloandJack Benny.
After touring inAustraliawith partner Sleepy Williams, Morrison returned to theUnited Statesand was chosen by producerSam Katzmanto be one of the East Side Kids. From the beginning, Morrison tapped into his experiences growing up on the East Side ofNew York Cityto shape the character of "Scruno." He spent three years with the gang before leaving to pursue other opportunities, often doing promotional stints withHuntz HallandBobby Jordan.Morrison left the series when he was offered an opportunity to work with theStep Brothersact, a prominent black stage-and-film dance act. He was drafted into thearmyduringWorld War II.After being discharged, he was offered a part inThe Bowery Boys,the successor to the East Side Kids that was just being launched, but he declined the offer. Morrison "didn't like the setup":[3]Leo Gorceyand Huntz Hall were now the stars of the troupe, and Bobby Jordan and the other gang members were now incidental players and paid much less.
Morrison later worked as a quality control inspector for an aerospace company inCompton, California.[4]In later years, Morrison appeared in a guest spot on the sitcomGood Timesairing in 1974.
Morrison died ofcancerinLynwoodaged 76, on July 24, 1989. He is interred atInglewood Park Cemeteryin Inglewood, California, where laterOur Gangcast memberBuckwheat Thomasis also buried.
Selected filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | The Soul of a Child | Uncredited | |
| 1918 | Dolly's Vacation | Ebenezer Eczema Abraham White | Credited as Sambo |
| 1919 | Peggy Does Her Darndest | Snowball Snow | |
| 1919 | The Little Diplomat | George Washington Jones, Jr. | Credited as Little Sambo |
| 1920 | Haunted Spooks | House Boy | Uncredited |
| 1920 | All Lit Up | The Kid | |
| 1920 | Number, Please? | Suit Duster | Uncredited |
| 1920 | Waltz Me Around | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison | |
| 1920 | Get Out and Get Under | Child on the street | Uncredited |
| 1921 | Rush Orders | Narcissus | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1922 | One Terrible Day | Booker T. | |
| 1922 | Saturday Morning | Sorghum | |
| 1923 | The Champeen | Sammy | |
| 1923 | Sunday Calm | Sammy | |
| 1923 | The Cobbler | Ernie | |
| 1923 | A Pleasant Journey | Ernie | |
| 1923 | No Noise | Sunshine Sammy | |
| 1924 | Fast Company | Sunshine Sammy | |
| 1924 | It's a Bear | Sunshine Sammy | |
| 1926 | Between Meals | In Need | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1940 | I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby | Joe | Credited as Sammy Morrison |
| 1940 | Boys of the City | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1940 | That Gang of Mine | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1940 | Pride of the Bowery | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1941 | Spooks Run Wild | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1941 | Flying Wild | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1941 | Bowery Blitzkrieg | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1942 | Mr. Wise Guy | Scruno | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Let's Get Tough! | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1942 | Smart Alecks | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy |
| 1942 | 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy Morrison |
| 1943 | Kid Dynamite | Scruno | Credited as Sunshine Sammy |
| 1943 | Clancy Street Boys | Scruno | Credited as Sammy Morrison |
| 1943 | The Ape Man | Copyboy | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Ghosts on the Loose | Scruno | Credited as Sammy Morrison |
| 1944 | Follow the Leader | Scruno in a dream sequence only | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Greenwich Village | One of the Four Step Brothers | Uncredited |
| 1974 | Good Times | Messenger | Episode: "The TV Commercial" |
References
edit
- ^"Ernest Morrison Jr".Another Nice Mess.
- ^"Sunshine Sammy Quits Hal Roach",The Afro-American,January 10, 1925.
- ^Hayes, David & Walker, BrentThe Films of the Bowery BoysCitadel Press; 1st edition (October 1984)
- ^Maharaj, Davan (31 Jul 1989)."'Little Rascal' player Ernest Morrison dies ".Los Angeles Times.p. F16.Retrieved12 Nov2019.
Bibliography
edit- Holmstrom, John.The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995,Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 56–58.
- Dye, David.Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985.Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, p. 165.
External links
edit
- Sunshine Sammy MorrisonatIMDbRetrieved on 2009-05-18
- "Sunshine Sammy Morrison".Find a Grave.Retrieved2009-05-18.