Smoki Whitfield

Smoki Whitfield (born Robert Whitfield, and sometimes credited as Jordan Whitfield; August 3, 1918 - November 11, 1967) was an African American actor, comedian, and musician.^[1][2][3]

Smoki Whitfield
Publicity Photo of Smoki Whitfield
Born	Robert Jordan Whitfield August 3, 1918 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died	November 11, 1967 (aged 49) Los Angeles, California, USA
Education	University of Oregon
Occupation	Actor
Spouse	Eileen Jackson
Children	2

Biography

Smoki was born in Pittsburgh to John and Effie (Walker) Whitfield. He attended the University of Oregon, where he was a star athlete and made appearances in school plays.^[4][5][6][7]

In the 1940s, he began a career as a character actor in Hollywood. He appeared in a third of the dozen Bomba, the Jungle Boy films. Over the next few decades, he amassed more than 50 on-screen credits. In the 1950s, he worked as a manager and MC at a number of Hawaiian nightclubs.^[8][9] He later worked at the Top Banana Club in North Hollywood.^[10]

Whitfield died in 1967 of a heart attack in North Hollywood after a lengthy illness. He was survived by his wife, Eileen Jackson, and two sons.^[11]

Selected filmography

• The Virginian (1969) (TV)
• The F.B.I. (1967) (TV)
• The Donna Reed Show (1966) (TV)
• Laredo (1965–1966) (TV)
• The Farmer's Daughter (1964) (TV)
• The Great Adventure (1964) (TV)
• The Magical World of Disney (1959–1961) (TV)
• Take a Giant Step (1959)
• The Last Angry Man (1959)
• M Squad (1959) (TV)
• The Rebel Set (1959)
• The Louisiana Hussy (1959)
• Kathy O' (1958)
• The Cry Baby Killer (1958)
• Guns Don't Argue (1957)
• Jet Pilot (1957)
• The Benny Goodman Story (1956)
• Jungle Jim (1955) (TV)
• One Desire (1955)
• Lord of the Jungle (1955)
• Seven Angry Men (1955)
• Killer Leopard (1954)
• The Golden Idol (1954)
• Safari Drums (1953)
• African Treasure (1952)
• Crazy Over Horses (1951)
• Callaway Went Thataway (1951)
• Journey Into Light (1951)
• The Lion Hunters (1951)
• Bomba and the Hidden City (1950)
• The Second Woman (1950)
• Bomba on Panther Island (1949)
• Bomba: The Jungle Boy (1949)
• Out of the Storm (1948)
• Jungle Goddess (1948)
• Another Part of the Forest (1948)

References

1. "Whitfield to Play in 'The Swamp Fox'". Courier-Post. 29 May 1959. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
2. "Whitfield Dies". The Independent. November 16, 1967. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
3. "Actor's Services Set". Dayton Daily News. 14 Nov 1967. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
4. "Fabulous Entertainment at the Pearl City Tavern". The Honolulu Advertiser. November 28, 1955. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
5. "Scene". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. April 20, 1950. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
6. ""Noah" to Be Next U-O Production". The Eugene Guard. November 28, 1938. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
7. "OSC Ringsters Take Victory from Ducks". Corvallis Gazette-Times. January 29, 1938. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
8. "Late Date". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. July 12, 1956. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
9. "Honolulu Newsstand". The Honolulu Advertiser. May 20, 1957. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
10. "Honolulu Newsstand". The Honolulu Advertiser. November 13, 1964. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
11. "Disney Actor's Rites Pending". Valley Times. November 13, 1967. Retrieved 2021-03-28.