Sunshine Sammy Morrison
Ernest Fredric Morrison (December 20, 1912 – July 24, 1989) was an American child actor, comedian, vaudevillian and dancer who also performed under the stage name Sunshine Sammy Morrison and was the only black member of the East Side Kids, and also was an original performer in the Our Gang short film series franchise (the 1920s silent film series).
Sunshine Sammy Morrison | |
|---|---|
Ernie Morrison as Sunshine Sammy in Dogs 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 |
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| Years active | 1916-1974 |
Early life
Born in 1912 in New Orleans, Morrison was the brother of Florence Morrison and stage and screen actress Dorothy Morrison, he fell into show business because a child actor being used for a film could not be persuaded to do anything but howl. One of the crew members asked Morrison's father Ernest Morrison Sr. to bring in his newborn son, and since the newest member of the Morrison clan gave the film crew what they needed, they decided to christen him "Sunshine," since he did not cry. Morrison's father added "Sammy" to his son's moniker to create his stage name of Sunshine Sammy.
Biography
Morrison ultimately appeared in two-reel silent comedies opposite both Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard, two of the era's biggest comedians. He was the first African American actor to be signed to a long-term contract, signing with studio executive and comedy producer Hal Roach in 1919. When Roach conceived his Our Gang series, featuring child actors in a natural juvenile setting in 1921, Sammy was the first child recruited. Morrison left the series in January 1925, after Roach refused his father's demand of a $75 a week pay rise (taking his weekly wage to $300),[1] and went to work in vaudeville, where his talents were featured on the same bills with such up-and-coming acts as Abbott and Costello and Jack Benny.
After touring in Australia with partner Sleepy Williams, Morrison returned to the United States and was chosen by Sam Katzman to be one of the East Side Kids. From the beginning, Morrison tapped into his experiences growing up on the East Side of New York City to shape the character of "Scruno." He spent three years with the gang before leaving to pursue other opportunities, often doing promotional stints with Huntz Hall and Bobby Jordan. Morrison left the Kids when he was offered an opportunity to work with the Step Brothers act, a prominent black stage and film dance act. He was drafted into the army during World War II. After being discharged, he was offered a part in The Bowery Boys series that was just being launched, but he declined the offer. Morrison made mention of this in interviews, saying he "didn't like the setup."[2]
Morrison later worked as a quality control inspector for an aerospace company in Compton, California.[3] In later years, Morrison appeared in a guest spot on the sitcom Good Times airing in 1974.
Morrison died of cancer in Lynwood aged 76, on July 24, 1989. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California, where later Our Gang cast member Buckwheat Thomas is also buried.
Selected filmography
| 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 | 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
- ^ 'Sunshine Sammy Quits Hal Roach', the Afro-American, 10 January 1925
- ^ Hayes, David & Walker, Brent The Films of the Bowery Boys Citadel Press; 1st edition (October 1984)
- ^ Maharaj, Davan (31 Jul 1989). "'Little Rascal' player Ernest Morrison dies". Los Angeles Times. p. F16. Retrieved 12 Nov 2019.
Bibliography
- 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
- Sunshine Sammy Morrison at IMDb Retrieved on 2009-05-18
- Sunshine Sammy Morrison at AllMovie Retrieved on 2009-05-18
- "Sunshine Sammy Morrison". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2009-05-18.